Page 32 of Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That At Christmas
Although, credit where it’s due: the casting for the shirtless vet is flawless.
The honeymoon suite is cozy warm.And weirdly romantic.
Too romantic.
Sally’s idea of“neutral”decorating clearly includes rose-tinted lamps, candles that smell like cinnamon-drenched yearning, and the largest bed I’ve ever seen outside a mattress commercial.I hold Blanche and Dorothy back with their harness and leashes.while LoverBoy shivers in the middle of the room like the air offends him.
Adam crouches beside him, holding out a hand.“Hey, little man.Welcome to the disaster zone.”He glances up at me.“Wait, let’s make sure they get introduced properly.Shelter dogs can be a bit unpredictable with new animals.And while he was okay with them in the car.This is a new environment.”
He put LoverBoy on his leash, too.“Dogs can react different when one is on a leash and the other one isn’t.Let’s even the playing field.”He lets him sniff the air while maintaining a safe distance from my dogs.“Nice crew you’ve got here.Blanche.Great Dane, right?Three or four?And Dorothy looks like a dachshund mix, probably around two.”
I blink at his accuracy.“Blanche is four and a half, and Dorothy turned two last month.Veterinary witchcraft or lucky guess?”
“Professional deduction,” he says with a hint of pride.“Blanche has that specific pattern of gray around her muzzle that some Great Danes develop early, and Dorothy’s still got a bit of that puppy energy despite trying to act mature.”
He slowly guides LoverBoy closer to the bed watching body language.“Easy introductions are better than emergency stitches.Trust me.”
But LoverBoy, apparently not having read the manual on proper dog introductions, slips his collar and darts forward.I tense, but instead of chaos, he simply blinks at Dorothy, sniffs her tail, then flops across it.
Dorothy huffs.But doesn’t move.
“Okay,” Adam mutters.“So much for professional protocols.That’s weirdly fast.”
I shrug.“Apparently they’re emotionally complicated creatures.”
“Or maybe right for one another.”
He smiles.Quiet.But it lands somewhere deep.
Especially as when I let go of the leash a little, Blanche flips on her back, and waits for LoverBoy to sniff her before wagging her tail too like she’s made a new friend.
“No signs of aggression.Or fear.”I take away their leash slowly, but they continue.And Blanche licks the head of LoverBoy who snuggles next to her.Okay.Interesting.
Adam eyes the space.Then turns to me like he’s giving a tour of an Airbnb he regrets booking.
“So.You’ve got… the bathroom, the office and living area, the bed.And I’m sure we have more space here, too.“ He opens the drawer on the nightstand.“Cream.Condom.More condoms.Matches.Not suspicious at all.”
“Charming.”I pause.“I can sleep on the floor.”
“Definitely not.I’ll sleep on the floor.Or the couch.”
“That couch is only big enough for LoverBoy and Dorothy.Definitely not you.”I gesture and my hand brushes against skin.Warm skin.Retreat.Pivot.Breathe.“You.Shower.First?”There we go.Words.Words are good.“You look like someone who fought a pipe and lost.”
“I did lose,” he mutters, heading to his bag.“To ancient plumbing or a cursed one.You could take a shower first.”
“I need a moment to find clothes.”
“Okay.”
He looks at me for a few more seconds like he wants to make sure none of this is a dream.“Okay,” he repeats and heads to the bathroom.
The door shuts.The fan clicks on.I’m alone.Sort of.
The dogs are already dozing.LoverBoy twitches in his sleep like he’s dreaming about duck jerky.I sit on the edge of the bed, listening to the water run.
I unzip my suitcase, looking for something dry to sleep in.My fingers brush against something hard: the glass heart ornament.I lift it carefully, examining the seams where it was glued back together.Still intact.I set it on the desk, a small victory in the chaos of the day.
Then I see the drawer.Still open.Condoms.Five travel-sized lube packets sitting like it’s waiting for someone braver than me.I close it slowly.Try not to think about what it means that this room was built for two people who actually wanted to be there.Who knew where things were going.Who weren’t me.
