Page 31 of The Grumpy Vet
Impossible, really, if you think about it, which is why I've done my damnedest not to.
Would it be nice to share my life with someone? Of course it would. In all my forty-one years, I've never had anything more than a few dates when I was doing my vet training in Sydney and one long-distance thing that fizzled out a decade ago. The guy I used to hook up with at the rooster shows has been happily married for the past three years, and like I said, all the guys at the clinic are taken. Even more importantly, while they're great to have as mates, they're not really my type.
Unlike Ryde.
Something about him feels like he could be my type. His cute, shy smile. His toned, lithe body. His intelligence. His way with animals. He's got a selective quietness that belies an inner confidence, which I find incredibly alluring. He ticks off a mental checklist I never knew I had.
And then there's Dario.
He's different to Ryde in so many ways, but somehow, I could see him being my type, too. He's loud and effortlessly charismatic. Funny. Bold and seemingly unafraid of anything.And, if I'm being honest, he's the reason any of this is happening at all. If it were left to Ryde and me, we'd maybe work our way up to a slightly-too-long handshake in a year's time. Long-term pining at its finest—or worst, depending on which way you look at it.
Guess what's becoming increasingly apparent is that, even at my age, I still don't know what my type is.
"We should probably go," Ryde says, taking off without waiting for Dario.
Shit. I think he may have misread my silence after Dario's question as a bad thing. "There is," I call out, and he immediately stops in his tracks. His shoulders rise and fall, but he doesn't turn around. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I'd lose my nerve if I had to look him in the eyes as I say, loud enough for him to hear, "There is someone I've had my eye on." I pause. "You, Ryde."
His shoulder swaying intensifies, and after a few more dips and lifts, he slowly spins on his heel. His eyes first find Dario who gives him a small, barely there nod, as if to encourage him. Then he turns my way. I feel the heat of his eyes as soon as they land on my skin.
I've been denying my attraction to him for so long, never daring to fully admit it, not even to myself. But now I've let the cat out of the bag, there's no taking it back. Even though I feel like I'm on the verge of being sick, I wouldn't take it back. I don't regret admitting how I feel.
He takes a tentative step towards me. "Really?"
"Really."
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
"There are…reasons."
A crease forms between his eyebrows. "I'm well aware." He sighs. "Believe me."
"Is that whyyoudidn't say anything?" I hedge.
A small huff escapes him. "No. I'm just useless around men I'm attracted to. If it wasn't for this guy"—he swings his hand towards Dario—"I'd still be getting drunk and making an idiot out of myself."
"You never made an idiot out of yourself."
He scoffs. "I did. I can admit it." He looks over at Dario again, smiles, and waves him over. "But not anymore."
Dario hesitates then claps his hands against the sides of his legs. "I should probably get going. Don't want to intrude."
"You're not," Ryde tells him, increasing the intensity of his wave.
Dario waits a few more seconds, pensive, like he's weighing up his options, before eventually sauntering over to his bestie. My heart ratchets up a notch. What is it about just seeing these two in close proximity to one another that does something to me?
"You guys are having a moment," Dario tells Ryde quietly before smiling awkwardly at me, likely aware that they're talking about me like I'm not here.
But I'm not mad at them for it. They have years of friendship and that whole dynamic to navigate. None of this comes with a guidebook. Can you imagine the title if it did?How to Handle Fucking Your Best Mate's Son and His Best Friend (Boss Man edition).
"We are having a moment, yes," Ryde says softly to him. "But we wouldn't be having this moment withoutyou."
A polite smile forms on Dario's lips. "It's time for me to leave."
"What if I don't want you to go?" Ryde's eyes travel to me, and he winces. "Shit, sorry, Linus. We're acting like you're not even here."
"It's all good," I say, then open my mouth to say something else, when out of nowhere, Cluck Norris lets rip with an ear-splitting crow, making all three of us jolt. "And Cluck Norris clearly agrees." I turn my gaze to Dario. "You should stay. I want you here, too."
Dario looks at Ryde who smiles before turning to me. We all stare at each other, deadly quiet. And then…
