Page 6 of Leo and His Love Bunny

“Maybe we can have an interview of the two of you together later. But for now, it’s back to the studio and back to more of your favorite music.” The disk jockey takes the microphone away from his mouth, watches his sound guy for the signal, then says in a regular voice, “Thanks a lot. I appreciate it. I didn’t know you two were together.”

Neither did I. But of course, I don’t say that.

“Leo has a new love bunny,” a lady in front of me in line says, and there are giggles all around.

I know exactly what they are insinuating after the debacle of five years ago, but I have trouble finding it funny. Although, I suppose if it weren’t me, the connection would be a little amusing.

“Why don’t you give your love bunny a little squeeze,” one of the older ladies says, making me feel a little uncomfortable. Just the way she said it would have made me uncomfortable, even if Nora and I were together. What exactly does she mean by squeeze? It isn’t an expression that we typically use anymore.

Still, the rest of the folks in line must think it is a great idea, because the line parts like the bakery is on fire and I am carrying the one hose that will put the fire out.

Nora looks a little horrified, and her expression probably echoes mine. But I know her day is already bad enough. She doesn’t need to experience a breakup from our fake relationship which she hadn’t known anything about until five minutes ago.

So, I saunter up to the counter, using the confidence that I draw on sometimes, when I am not particularly sure of myself, but a confident person has a tendency to be more successful than someone who is anything else.

“Hey there, love bunny,” I say, feeling like a dork, but it makes everyone behind me laugh, and while Nora might haverolled her eyes just a little, she also smiles, like she thinks it is funny too. Sometimes corny is funny. Especially in places like Whisker Hollow, where suave and sophisticated don’t get you very far.

“Hey,” she says as she bites her lip. I need to give her my confidence lecture. I have a feeling she’s going to apologize, and so, I put my hand up, and then I let it fall down and cover hers.

“I’ll see you tonight?” I say.

She nods. “Thanks.”

We look into each other’s eyes, and it’s almost like we have a few seconds of magic. I don’t believe in magic. But that’s what it feels like, something weird. Some kind of...thing where the seconds feel like hours, and even though you know only a second and a half went by, it feels like we stared into each other’s eyes for years.

That is weird though. I don’t know why we would be doing that.

So I shake my head, give her a cool smile, and start to remove my hand from hers.

“Wait,” she says quickly, and then she adds, “Leo,” and the way it comes out makes my toes curl. It is sultry and sweet and beautiful, hearing my name on her lips.

What is wrong with me? Maybe the summer heat is getting to me. I like winter days, ice and sticks and the scrape of blades over the slick stuff, not these ninety-plus-degree days of central Virginia.

Even if we are living in the Blue Ridge, it gets extremely hot.

I look in her eyes, and she hesitates again, and I fear going into that whole moment thing, but she shakes her head, kind of the way I had, like she is trying to get rid of whatever was between us as well. At least I have help with that.

She grabs a box sitting beside her.

“Have a breast.” She chokes, sputters, and if we didn’t have an audience of about fifty people staring at us, wondering if we’re really together, I would have laughed. She’s so stinking cute.

She gets past whatever is in her throat and manages to squeak out, “I mean, cupcake. Have a cupcake.” She says the last line very deliberately, like she is making sure that nothing untoward comes out of her mouth again.

She already said that she admired my biceps, and maybe she hadn’t meant to say that. Maybe that just slipped out, the way she just offered me a breast, but meant cupcake.

“Thanks. I’ll see you later,” I say, keeping up the illusion that we’re together.

She nods. “Later. Come over anytime.”

“I will,” I say, and I reach out to take the box with the cupcake in it. Someone has considerately gotten boxes that have a clear plastic top, so I can easily see the breast resting inside.Cupcake. Easily see the cupcake, which has an eerie, almost wax-like similarity to a human breast, and yeah. She’s in a pile of trouble.

I’m not sure even I will be able to get her out.

Chapter 3

Nora

I’m not sure how it happened, but this has been the worst and best day of my life.

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