Page 29 of Just One Season
Alone.
With me.
On a Friday afternoon. Not looking like he’s planning to leave. Lordy, why? At least he’s not shirtless.
Beads of sweat pop on my forehead. Or maybe I just missed some water droplets. I ignore them, even as one starts to trickle down my face.
Help.
I’ll go ahead and add this little event to the list of reasons why I need to get out of the United States of America.
“No problem. I’m sorry I surprised you.” He glances down at the chair. “May I?”
“Yeah, yeah, of course.”
Why. Why, Kellen? Please go away and let me drown in this lake of humiliation.
“How are you settling in?” Kellen lowers himself down, leaning back and laying his arms on the armrests. He then lifts his forearms suddenly. “Oh, it’s just a bit wet.”
“How much water did I spit out? I’m like a freaking sprinkler system over here.”
Kellen chuckles, and I’m mesmerized by the rough stubble on his jawline and neck, as if he hasn’t shaved for a few days.
“I have to say,” he says, “you have made me laugh more in the past few weeks than anyone has in a long while.”
“As long as you’re not laughingatme.” I cross my arms and try to look indignant, but it just makes him laugh again.
I don’t hate the sound. It’s deep and kind of throaty, raspy, like maybe he’s telling the truth about not laughing much.
“Where’s Waffles?”
“It’s Taco now, not Waffles.” I shove a chunk of curls off my forehead. “Wait, no, now it’s Harry.” I’d been reading an article about Prince Harry last night online and Taco seemed excited. I think people names are funny for pets, so now I have a dog named Harry.
My friends liked Taco better.
“Harry?”
“As in Prince Harry. Oh, maybe it should bePrinceHarry then? Hmm. That sounds better.”
“Right.” One side of Kellen’s mouth quirks up into another smile.
“Anyway, he’s at daycare.”
Kellen’s eyebrows shoot up.
“The Delightful Doggy Palace.”
“That’s a thing?”
“What do you think dogs do when their people are at work? Prince Harry would just pee everywhere. Anyway, he loves daycare. It’s going great.”
It’s not going great.
Prince Harry keeps picking fights with other dogs. He does this by peeing on them.
The other dogs do not like this.
And the daycare people give me crap for changing his name. Something about consistency and training. Whatever. What do they know about dogs, besides most things?
