Page 31 of Ms Perfectly Fine
She checked her phone, still charging on the counter, and saw his five missed calls. She checked her outgoing calls and there it was:Elijah.She cringed at her mistake.I must have dialled him when I was plugging it in.
When she’d fixed the soup, she left a bowl for Elijah on his desk and covered it with a plate and a Post-It with his name.Maybe I should leave him a note apologising for the misdial,she thought, but the words wouldn’t come when she tried to write it.
She accidentally knocked over a notepad, and a series of rough sketches fell out. An octopus with sharp teeth, then a castle with high towers. The last made her breath catch.It’s me!Or an animated character that had a very similar profile. The red hair was a dead giveaway. Autumn couldn’t help but smile.Is he basing a character off me? Better not be the villain.She didn’t know if he had drawn it, as the other drawings were signed in the corner with an F.
She put the sketches back where she had found them, unsure of how to feel about it.It’s an animation; he could argue it was anyone. Forget about it, we’ve already had one awkward encounter this evening. I don’t want him to think I’ve been snooping. Again.
Autumn heard the front door open. She quickly closed the door to his office, but when she stepped into the hall, a golden mound of fur came running towards her only to skid on the wooden floor and crash into her legs.
“Who are you?” she wondered as the golden retriever wriggled on the floor, trying to get her to rub her belly. She knelt down and looked at her collar. Brinkley?Where the hell did you come from?It took less than a second for her to fall in love with the gentle giant.
Glancing up, she noticed Elijah was watching them with an amused smile.
“I’m sorry for worrying you earlier,” she said, and he nodded.
“No worries; I overreacted.” Elijah pulled at the back of his neck. Luckily, her new furry friend nudged her and broke the tense silence.
“You seem to have brought home company. You didn’t think to ask before you brought him home?”
She didn’t want to fight, but having a housemate was a big enough change. Now there was a pet as well? She loved dogs and had always wanted one, but they were a massive responsibility. With her flare-ups, she worried she wouldn’t be able to give it the care it needed.
“Sheis Brinkley. She was with my mum until I settled in. I picked her up on the way back from the conference.” Elijah walked past Autumn and into his office. Brinkley brushed her head against her hand as if urging her to follow, and she tried not to look at his toned body as he started to unbutton his shirt.
“I could be allergic to dogs,” she pointed out, focusing on her clasped hands.What iswiththis guy always taking his clothes off? I might not be allergic to dogs, but I’m beginning to think he’s allergic to clothes!
“You aren’t, but you’re right. I should have asked first,” he said sheepishly.
“Yes, you should have, and I could be.” Her gaze snapped up at his tone, and she forced herself to ignore the way he’d crossed his arms over his chest.What is it about a man’s forearms?Brinkley rubbed her head against Autumn’s legs, which made her smile. She bit her lip to stop herself.
“But you aren’t.” Elijah smiled too, studying her reaction.
“How do you know?” There was no way he could know for sure. She was being petty, yes, but he brought it out in her.
“Because when you came home the other day, you were petting the dachshund next door,” he said.
“You were watching me?” She didn’t care if he had been, she just didn’t like him being proved right.
“No, I just happened to see.” He stepped towards her, and she backed up towards the door.
“You didn’t think that I might not want more than one animal in my house?” she retorted, not wanting to give him the upper hand.
Elijah rested his elbow on the door frame, leaning over her. She swallowed, finding it hard to ignore her attraction to him at this distance.
“Want me to show you just how much of an animal I can be?” he drawled, tilting his head towards hers.
“Cute. Save your charms for someone who cares.” Her words sounded far more affectionate than she had expected or wanted. She cleared her throat, rubbing Brinkley’s head to stop her nuzzling for attention. “Goodnight, Elijah,” she added, turning her back on him. Brinkley left her side and sat by Elijah’s legs.
He closed the door, and Brinkley immediately began to bark on the other side. Sighing, Autumn knocked on his door, already hearing music within.
Elijah opened the door. “Back so soon?”
“I assume she doesn’t like the door being closed on her. Please keep the door open so her barking doesn’t wake me.”
“My door is always open, to both of you,” he said.
Autumn rolled her eyes and headed back upstairs, pausing as she felt his eyes on her. “You could say thank you,” she said.
“For what?” He frowned.
