Page 19 of The Final Draft

Kat pulls along the curb in front of my building, and Julian opens his door, gets out, extending his hand to me. Can you get home okay, or should I walk you to your door?

“Oh, no, I’m fine. I’m going to get Noodle and come back down for his evening walk.”

Concern crosses his face. Not again. I stifle a sigh, hold back an eye roll, and give myself a mental pat on the back for keeping it together.

“I do it every night. I’m fine. We walk to the park one block over, do a lap, and get back quickly.” I challenge him to mention safety.

“Do you mind if I walk with you? I’m not ready to call it a night.”

“Sure. Will you wait down here? I’ll be right back.” If I invite him upstairs, I might not send him home. He’s pure charisma, and I’m certainly not immune to his charm. I’m not prepared for that tonight. For him.

Even though we live together and my having guests is probably fine with Zac, I don't think he'll be happy if Julian's here when he gets home. His behavior was weird when I left and we need to talk about that too.

Upstairs, Noodle greets me at the door, his entire body wagging with excitement. His rope toy hangs from his mouth.

“Hey buddy, I’m sorry I’ve been gone. Did you miss me?” I stoop down and scratch his head and wait for an answer. When he doesn’t respond, I release the enormous sigh I’ve been holding in all evening. Noodle snuggles into my arms when I pick him up. That’s response enough, I suppose.

In my room, I freshen up and open the document JB sent. Reading through his character sketch, my breath hitches. The physical description could be any average blonde. But she feels familiar. She’s the dog walker for New York’s elite. She loves strawberry ice cream, but not strawberries? That’s a bit specific. It’s like my banana thing. Strange. I laugh at my overactive imagination. Julian has my brain so scrambled, for a moment I wonder if he could be my writing partner.

There’s a note on the counter in a barely legible scrawl that catches my eye.

CJ,

Going out with the guys after the game. You’re welcome to join us. Text me for deets. It must have been a really long lunch.

Z

Since when do we leave notes? I shake my head and grab the leash. Noodle sits at my feet, his butt shaking on the ground, waiting patiently for me to clip it to his collar. No more time to worry about writing partners, roommates or the sexy sports agent downstairs. The dog is ready to go.

“Come on Noodle. You’re the only guy I understand these days.”

CHAPTER

TWELVE

JULIAN

I take a moment to check my messages. Nothing major work wise. It’s not like I’m a doctor saving lives or anything. Most things can wait a day or two. Priscilla messaged back that she did a quick read of my first chapter and likes it. That’s promising. Harper is promising.

I see Noodle before I see her. He’s pulling on his leash as he comes around the corner, Harper following behind, laughing at his antics. He gets to me, stops, sniffs my shoes, and plops down, his burst of energy exerted.

“Hey, fella. I understand. She takes my breath away too.” I rub his head and look up at her, smiling down at me, clearly amused. “Is he going to make it to the park?”

“He’s fine. He got the zoomies upstairs. I’ll give him a minute to recover.” I reach out and take the leash. If restraining a six-pound dog is how I can help, I want to show her I’m here for her.

I put my hand on the small of her back and guide her to the door. The foot traffic outside her building isn’t as bad asthis afternoon, so we’re safe, but just in case, I take her hand. Her fingers wrap around mine and I’m encouraged by the slight gesture.

Noodle takes off to the left, and I assume he knows the way, so I let him take the lead. I worry he’ll get trampled, but he’s staying directly in front of us. He’s different from Alexander’s English Bulldog puppy, Hank, who is larger than Noodle but not as street savvy. Noodle is a New York City dog, tough, scrappy, and apparently street smart.

It’s the golden hour, the sun dipping down below the horizon. The lighting illuminates Harper’s aura, and she’s stunning. We walk in silence until we reach the small park, her focusing on Noodle, me focusing on her.

Dog-walking neighbors, playing kids, and parents on benches fill this busy park. I’m relieved it seems safe at this time of day.

“You walk here every evening?”

“I do. We go for longer walks in the morning, but our evening walks stay local.”

“How did you get into dog walking?”

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