Page 1 of The Grumpy Vet
1
Ryde
"I'm so happy you're here," I say as I hit the accelerator and leave a plume of red dust in my wake on the short drive from my place to the Scuttlebutt Pub. "Andthat we get to work together for the next six months."
"I'm happy to be here, too," Dario says from the passenger seat. "But we still have our deal, right? I'll be your wingman and help you progress things with Linus, and you'll"—he grabs his midsection and gives it a jiggle—"help me get rid of Blug Blug?"
I come to a stop at the only intersection in town and turn to face him. The late afternoon sun shines through the windshield, catching on his hazel eyes, turning them warm, almost golden, and turning his dark hair copper at the edges. His grey flannel is unbuttoned over a plain white tee, the fabric bunched where he's holding his belly.
My eyebrow flicks up. "Blug Blug?"
His eyes meet mine. "Sounds better than belly fat." He smiles, but it doesn't ease the tightness in his expression.
The light turns green, so I continue down the road. I refrain from telling him for the millionth time he's not overweight.
Has he put on a bit of extra weight since the last time I visited Dad back home eight months ago? Yeah, he has. But after what Quade put him through, I don't blame him for comfort eating. Besides, at his height—six four—it actually suits him, filling out his frame in a really nice way. I almost told him that when I picked him up from the airport this morning and he made some crack about his size, but I thought better of it.
Even if I personally don't think he needs to lose a few kilos, after months of hearing him calling himself 'disgustingly fat' and unsuccessfully trying to convince him otherwise, I realise the best thing I can do is be sensitive and respect his feelings.
And hey, if it brings him to town for half a year, and we get to work together for the first time since my very first job out of vet studies in our hometown of Blowend, of course I'll help him out in any way I can. For the next six months, I'm his emotional support best friend, his work colleague, his housemate, and if he wants, his personal trainer.
"We're here," I announce, pulling into an empty parking space on the street.
"Whoa. I'm used to living in a small town, but that was insanely fast."
I switch off the ignition. "Scuttlebutt makes Blowend look like a metropolis."
He turns to face me, assessing me with his sharp eyes. "Do you like it here?"
"I do. I mean, I miss a lot of things about home. You. Dad. The water."
He leans back in his seat. "How can you live without the beach?"
"Trust me, the outback has a lot going for it, too. You should see the stars at night."
He glances out at the almost empty street. It's a scorching hot day, so most people are indoors. "So no plans to come back?"
I shake my head. "Nope. I've been here for two years, and it's starting to feel like home."
His lips twitch. "They do say home is where the heart is…"
I roll my eyes with a grin. "Smooth topic change."
"Never said I was smooth."
That's true. But what Dario may lack in refinement, he more than makes up for with his personality. He's the perfect mix of outgoing, approachable, and charismatic. I've never met anyone who draws people in the way he does.
And there's one particular person I'm hoping he can helpmedraw in—my boss, Linus Stevenson. I've known him all my lifesince he's my dad's best friend, but it wasn't until I moved to Scuttlebutt and joined his vet clinic that I developed amassivecrush on him.
Dario rests his hands in his lap. "Please tell me the texting situation has progressed."
"It has," I say excitedly. I grab my phone from the console, open it to the message thread with Linus that started three months, two weeks, and five days ago, and hand Dario the phone.
His mouth falls open in shock. "You've been going on and on about these texts for months. I was expecting to see my new boss's dick and balls from every angle, sprinkled with the occasional hole. What the hell is all this?"
"These arethe texts."
"Dude." He scrolls through the messages, a small crease forming between his brows. "All I'm seeing is a lot of animal GIFs, memes, and some lame-ass jokes."
