Page 11 of Heart Me Up
“Yeah, he’s not gonna work out.”
She nodded, pulling the elastic band out of her hair and shaking it loose. “I figured. I told Kat he’s been trying to get other people to take dogs out for him.”
“Sounds about right based on what he was saying in here.” I wrote a sticky note so I wouldn’t forget to put the job ad up. “Are you about to leave for class?”
“That’s tomorrow night.” She paused. “Sooooo. Uncle Greg and Melanie told me about your smokin’ detective. I wanted to see if you’ve called him yet.”
“What? No. What do you mean? He’s—I’m not even sure he’s interested in guys.” Way to go, Craig. Subtle.
“You told Uncle Greg he was checking you out.” She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. There were drawbacks to hiring someone who’d known me since she was in elementary school. She tended to forget the boss/employee boundaries when we were at work.
“No, I said hemighthave been. Greg shouldn’t be gossiping to you anyway.”
“You’re family. We want you to be happy. Uncle Greg said you’re ready to start dating again, and I’m simply trying to be supportive.” She gave me an innocent look, like a Husky who absolutely did not know how the couch cushions got destroyed while you were at the grocery store.
“No, you’re trying to be nosy. And I’m not sure if I’m ready. Even if I was,the detective is most likely straight. And I don’t even know if he’s single for that matter.”
Callie’s face lit up. She resembled Greg so much it was scary. “I can find out! I’ll ask Derek at the youth center.” Callie volunteered at the local LGBTQ+ youth center about once a month. “Lots of cops spend time there. He should be able to find out for you.”
“No. Oh, my god, just no.” I put my hands out as if I could physically stop her. I could imagine the gossip mill running wild withCraig wants to know if Detective McHottie is gay and single!
I needed a new topic. “Hey, since you’re off shift, you want to earn fifty bucks?”
Callie loved it when I paid her to do stuff I didn’t want to do. “Maybe. What would I have to do this time?”
“Nothing strenuous. An hour or so substituting for me at the Chamber of Commerce happy hour tonight.”
Callie made a face like she smelled something rotten. “Uh, no. Remember when you paid me to go with you last year? That Maxine woman spent the whole night lecturing me on the business side of being an artist. And it’ll be another two months before I’m old enough to numb my brain with alcohol. You can’t pay me enough to go.”
Callie and I had practiced this dance for years. She’d dropped the hint, and now it was my turn to respond by upping my offer. “Well, Maxine is the head of the Chamber of Commerce so, yeah, she’ll be there. And she gave you some valuable information for your future. How about seventy-five bucks?”
Callie folded her arms and eyed me speculatively. Here came the counteroffer. “Tell you what. I’ll go on one condition. For free. No charge.”
“I’m listening.” I wasn’t dumb enough to agree before I heard her terms. At least not since the first time she’d tried this tactic.
“You call the detective and ask him out. Right now. In front of me.” She plunked herself down in the guest chair and raised one eyebrow in challenge. She’d learned that trick from Greg.
“No. No, not happening.” The mere thought of cold-calling Detective Walkoviac to ask him on a date made me break out in a sweat.
“Okay, then. Have fun at happy hour. With Maxine. Does she tell you how to run Bark & Purr? I bet she has some great ideas.” Callie wasn’t wrong. Maxine was a large part of the reason I didn’t want to go. Plus I wasn’t feeling particularly social. But Greg had gone last time, so it was my turn.
I stuck my nose in the air. “I’m going. Iwantto go. It’ll be great fun. I don’t know what I was thinking, offering to let you go instead. But I’ll remember this the next time we have a negotiation, little missy.”
Callie smirked, her one eyebrow still raised like a middle finger. She stood up to leave. “You’ll forget all about it when you need something else. Have a good time, Craig. See you tomorrow!”
I sighed. Maybe I needed to work on being less predictable. I turned back to my desk, where Detective Walkoviac’s card was laying there, half-tucked under the corner of my laptop. It should’ve blended in with all the other paper strewn about, but my brain seemed to think it had a spotlight on it, the way it kept drawing my gaze.
If I asked him out, it would get Lisa off my back. And Greg. But actually dialing the phone? My stomach cramped even thinking about it.
Well, I didn’t have to decide immediately, did I?
I glanced at the time on my laptop screen. 6:20pm. The happy hour was in the back room at Henry’s Bar & Restaurant, which was only about a fifteen-minute drive. If I left now, I could escape early and be home by 8:00 or so.
But Henry’s had a nice bar. Maybe after I left the Chamber of Commerce gathering I should have a drink there and check out some guys. I wasn’t into hookups, but looking wouldn’t hurt, and maybe it would help me decide if I was ready to ask someone out. Not anyone in particular, just someone.
Standing, I pulled my jacket off the hook behind the door. It wasn’t raining or chilly out, but if I decided to sit at the bar I wanted to be able to cover up the pet resort logo on my shirt. One of Greg and my rules was to never do anything embarrassing or outrageous while wearing the company shirts. I wasn’t planning on being outrageous that night, but you never knew.
Though that wasn’t really true, now was it? I knew damned well I wouldn’t do anything even remotely outrageous tonight. Exactly like every other night for the last two years.
