Page 44 of Faking Romance

“Yep,” I answer, guessing she’s going to say no.

“Joc?” she yells.

“What?” Jocelyn turns toward us still swinging the kitten.

“What time does the shipment get in on Friday?”

“It’s supposed to be here by ten in the morning, why?”

Roxy looks back at me. “If, and big if, I can get those books stocked and inventoried, then I suppose I could do one night. But you owe me, big-time!” she says, poking my chest with one single finger.

“I know. Thank you,” I reply from behind clenched teeth because I know she’s been using us as social media fodder and this isn’t a one-way street. I haven’t mentioned finding her store’s social media but Carly pointed it out to me a few days ago. I thought it was kind of funny and didn’t mind. She didn’t use my name or anything. But she’s acting like it’s all about her doing me a favor when in reality this is more of a two-way street.

“Is that it?” she asks.

“Yes,” I reply as I turn and remove the kitten from Jocelyn’s hands as I make my way to the door.

“Hey! I was playing with her,” Jocelyn whines.

“Talk to your boss. She doesn’t want to kitten-sit,” I grumble as I hold Licorice against my chest and feel her begin to purr.

“Roxy! Come on! A bookstore cat is like…a requirement or something. She’s so cute, please!” Jocelyn argues.

“No. Not now. Maybe later. We have too many packages arriving. I don’t want her running out of here,” Roxy barks back.

“Fine,” Jocelyn says with a pout on her face. Then she turns to the kitten and smiles. “Bye, Licorice. You’re such a cutie!”

Now it’s me rolling my eyes as I walk outside and back into the building, hoping Jessa will agree to babysit or maybe I can get Margie and Cornelia to do it.

* * *

“Uh, there’s a cat back here,” Roxy states as she opens my car door to put her bag inside.

“Yep. Licorice is coming with us.”

“Uh, do you think that’s a good idea?”

I run a hand over my face. This whole weekend might not be a good idea. “I mentioned to Pierce about the cat and Haven happened to be there and demanded we bring the kitten. Apparently, she’s a huge animal lover and volunteers at some rescue. I guess they foster kittens and puppies all the time.”

“Oh. OK, then. Just seems like that’s a disaster waiting to happen, but it’s your night,” she says as she shuts the door and sits down in the passenger seat. She glances over at me as I pull out onto the street. “How long is the drive?”

“Not far. Like an hour,” I explain.

“And…wait a minute,” she says as if she just realized something. “How are we going to…I mean, we’ll have to share a room, won’t we?”

“That’s the plan. But don’t worry. I’ll sleep on the floor,” I explain.

“Great, just great,” she mumbles as she crosses her arms and stares out the window.

I place a single hand on her thigh, and she glances over at me. “Everything OK? You seem…not happy.”

She lets out a long sigh. “It’s just…” She pauses. “Never mind.”

I give her a pointed look.

“What do you care? I’m just your fake girlfriend,” she says and looks back out the window.

I squeeze her thigh. “Hey,” I say, softening my voice. She doesn’t turn toward me, but I feel her muscles unclench a little. “I’m sorry. I’m sure this is a horrible weekend to be away, I mean with the store soft opening next week. I promise we’ll leave right after breakfast tomorrow.”

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