Page 43 of The Knotheads Next Door
"Because I need a plus-one, and you… seem like you could use a distraction."
There's a pause on the other end. I can almost see her expression—brows drawn together in that skeptical look she gets when she thinks someone is trying to pull something over on her.
"A plus-one," she repeats. "Like a date?"
"Like a professional accompaniment," I correct. "Mayor Tillie expects her senior staff to attend with guests. It creates a certain image of stability."
"And you usually bring...?"
"Usually Theo or Jasper, but they're both working tomorrow night." This is a lie. Neither of them has mentioned plans, but I'm counting on them being too intimidated by formal events to contradict me.
Another pause. "So, I'm your third choice. Flattering."
Despite myself, I smile. "Fourth, actually. Gerald was considered, but he lacks the necessary opposable thumbs for proper champagne glass handling."
She laughs, the sound warming something in my chest that I immediately try to freeze over again. This is about distraction, not connection.
"Look," I say, more seriously, "I know things have been... intense lately. This would be a chance to get out of the house, think about something else for a few hours. The food is excellent, if nothing else."
"I don't exactly have black-tie attire in my luggage," she points out. "Unless you count the one cocktail dress I panic-packed,which has a suspicious stain that might be wine or might be blood. The mystery adds character."
"I'm sure Lala or Avianna could help with that," I suggest. "They seem to have adopted you into their circle."
She's quiet for a moment, considering. "It would be nice to think about something other than... everything, for one night."
"Exactly," I agree, perhaps too quickly.
"And there would be no... expectations? This isn't some weird macho alpha thing?"
"Absolutely not," I say firmly. "This is entirely professional. A mutually beneficial arrangement that helps us both. Nothing more."
"Okay," she says finally. "I'll go. But only for the food."
"I'll pick you up at six," I tell her, already mentally rescheduling my afternoon to accommodate this unexpected plan. "The event starts at seven."
"I'll be ready," she promises.
As I hang up, I tell myself this is a good solution. Logical. Practical. A way to give Rowan the space she needs from our increasingly charged household while still keeping an eye on her in case she has another spike.
It's definitely not because I'm curious to see her dressed up. Or because I've been looking for an excuse to spend time with her that doesn't involve Theo and Jasper hovering nearby. And it's absolutely not because the thought of her experiencing another mini-heat episode alone in her room makes something possessive and protective curl in my chest.
No. This is purely tactical. A temporary solution to our current problem.
Nothing more.
By the time I get home from work the next day, the house is suspiciously quiet. Theo texted earlier to say he was covering for another vet at the emergency clinic. Jasper is nowhere to be seen, though his truck is in the driveway.
And Rowan...
"She's not here," Jasper informs me when I find him in the garage, aggressively sanding what appears to be a coffee table. "Your 'date' got kidnapped by the Welcome Committee hours ago."
I bristle at his tone. "It's not a date. It's a work function."
"Sure." He doesn't look up from his sanding. "That's why you didn't mention it last night during our big talk about boundaries and complications."
I ignore the accusation, which hits a little too close to the mark. "The talk got postponed anyway."
"Because Rowan locked herself in her room and refused to come out," Jasper points out. " And after whatever happened between her and Theo, Theo keeps covering for other people shifts. We barely see him"
