Page 15 of The Art of Falling in Love with Your Enemy
As soon as these words fall off my lips, I get instant insane schnauzer mode. We’re talking spinning, barking, jumping, and even some running in circles. Two sets of eyes will follow me as I swipe leashes from their hooks, grab my bag, and head out the door. By the time I’ve locked the door and turned around, Thor and Hercules are always at the car door stomping their tiny feet with excitement.
The dog park is already bustling with midday activity when I pull into the lot. I snag the first empty spot, putting my car in park and looking around to see if I recognize anyone else’s cars...or their dogs for that matter. I’m rewarded when I see Riley sitting on “our” bench and waving. Waving back, I open the door and let my two little guys out of the back seat, clipping leashes to collars before heading her way.
Once we’re in the fenced area, I quickly unclip their leashes and let my little furry men fly, walking toward Riley as they pivot and take off running in the opposite direction. Ahhh, kids.
“Fancy seeing you here,” she says with a giggle as I scoot in on the seat next to her. “I hear you and Amelia had a fun meeting yesterday.”
“Ugh.” I can feel my brows compressing over my eyes. “Is this a case of bad news traveling fast?”
“I don’t think so.” Riley angles herself on the park bench so she’s facing me, feigning seriousness. “But I can’t be sure really, since Amelia couldn’t stop laughing when she told me that Zac showed up and now you have to work with him.”
“I’m glad you two can laugh about it.” Huffing, I throw myself against the back of the bench. “I just want to get through it.”
Riley reaches into the giant tote bag sitting on the bench beside her and pulls out a bottle of water, handing it to me before pulling one out for herself. “So, Amelia saying you were being nice by the end of the meeting is a bit of a stretch?”
I take a sip of my water before answering. “Look, Amelia’s asked me to help and I said yes. She’s paying me for a professional job, so I’m going to be a professional for her.”
Riley’s eyebrows, in stark contrast to mine, flick upward. “I’m not going to act like I envy you, because no one wants to work with someone they can’t stand, but at least as far as men go,” she says as she nudges me with her elbow, “Zac is hot.”
Closing my eyes, I take a giant sip of air and hold it before slowly expelling it, counting to five as I do.
Why? Because Riley isn’t wrong about Zac—and that’s another problem.
I’m not so focused on hating him that I hadn’t noticed the firm sculpt of his biceps or how they flex when he holds Thor. Did I feel a pang inside when he smiled at me yesterday while showing off his Broadway musical knowledge, making me gulp a quiet but steadying breath?
Perhaps.
However, I’m not going to admit out loud I think Zac Wright is a good-looking man. In fact, I’ve had that thought since the day we first met and so far I’ve managed to keep my lips shut.
“If he only knew how cute he is”—I serve Riley my best sidelong glance—“until he opens his mouth. Then it’s ruined.”
“Oh, stop it.” Riley’s laughter echoes across the park. She takes a long, slow sip of water before shrugging off her lightweight jacket. “It’s nice to feel the sun on my skin today. What’s on your agenda this glorious Friday?”
Glorious. Only Riley could pull that word out and make it sound like it’s trending. “Amelia’s texting me a shopping list for next week so I can stock up on supplies. Once I have those errands out of the way, ummm…I’m home tonight and planning on painting the house at least one day this weekend.”
“Ohhh, hold on.” Riley thrusts her hand back inside her tote bag, pulling out her phone this time, which she scrolls through quickly. “Let me check my calendar. Yes! I’m free this weekend, so I should be able to give you a hand if you need one.”
“I would love that, but please know if you change your mind it's totally cool.” I play-jab her in the ribs with my elbow. “I’ve got my true crime podcasts to keep me company.”
She scowls. “I worry about you listening to those.”
“I’m not listening for an education or inspiration, so don’t worry.” My eyes are drawn to a stray fingernail that needs to be filed. I make a mental note to treat myself to a manicure once the painting is done. “My therapist used to tell me anxious people, like myself, listen to those podcasts or watch TV shows about crime because they need to understand they have some control of life—control to turn off the TV, to change the radio station.”
“Control of their life to make a change.” Riley eyes me as she nods with a restrictive enthusiasm. “While you make sense, it’s still weird.”
I lift a blasé shoulder and wink. “Maybe I was a private detective in another life.”
“Or the village idiot,” Riley muses as I smack her arm. “Ow!”
“That’s what you get.” Riley’s also about to get an earful of me teasing her, but my phone saves the day and beeps on the bench beside me. A quick glance informs me it's Amelia, so I grab it to flick through the list.
“Why isn’t Amelia going shopping for supplies?” Riley asks as she peers at the screen over my shoulder.
“Because she’s flying out in a few hours to meet Spencer in New York.” I put the phone down to look at Riley. “His new film premieres this weekend, so she agreed to walk the red carpet with him.”
“Ooof. They’ve been fighting so much. Has she told you what’s going on?”
I nod, a pit in my stomach forming. Amelia is a new friend for us, but she’s fast become a good one since she moved to the area. “She said they were going to talk about a trial separation, but not until after he finishes with the press for this film, but that’s all she wanted to say. For now.”
