Page 24 of Why Not Both?

“Excellent. You getting out of here?”

“Yeah. I was just closing up.” I motion to my computer.

“Cool. I’ll walk out with you and lock up.” We gather our things and start toward the door. “Got any plans for tomorrow?” she asks.

“Uh. Yeah. I’m going for a hike with Spencer.”

“How did he rope you into that?”

I laugh. “I don’t mind hiking. And I’m bringing Cerberus, who’s going to be in heaven.”

“Cerberus?”

“My corgi.”

Vic laughs this time as she locks the door behind us. “Cerberus the corgi. That’s awesome. Do you take transit home?”

“If it’s raining, I might. But it’s still nice, so I’ll walk. I usually walk along the Seawall.”

“Do you mind if I walk with you?”

“Sure.”

So we cross the street and walk, chatting about things we love in Vancouver like being so close to the beach, the restaurants, and the ease of getting around.

“Have you always lived in the city?” I ask as we near her apartment.

“Not always Downtown. But Spencer and I grew up in Point Grey.”

I miss my next step and stumble before I catch myself. “Point Grey. As in the most expensive part of Vancouver?”

“One and the same.”

“You and Spencer grew up there.”

“Yeah. Our parents are friends. Or were… before…” She shakes her head. “Anyway. We’ve known each other since we were kids.”

Since before what? I want to scream. But it’s none of my business. Just because I crave every scrap of information about Spencer doesn’t mean I’m entitled to any of it. Besides, it might not have anything to do with him. Whatever she said had been about their parents.

I still want to know.

Then we’re at her building and she waves to me as she goes inside. I stand there for a moment, looking up at the third-floor windows on one side of the building, wondering if he’s there, looking down at me.

Then I shake my head and keep walking.

Chapter 10

Spencer

When Lis arrives to pick me up in the morning, she’s wearing a red tank top and black leggings and I remind myself to keep my hands to myself. They itch to touch her, the memory of those curves a constant buzz under my skin. Three hours later, when the clouds that have been threatening all day finally open up and pour, drenching us before we can get to the car, I am still reminding myself to keep my motherfucking hands to myself.

We get to the car and she pops the trunk pulling out a couple of towels, handing one to me and then using the second to scrub Cerberus dry. It only works marginally. She gets him strapped in the back of the car and then climbs in, starting it and cranking the heat, but she’s shivering hard.

I hand her the towel.

“I’d offer you my shirt, but it’s just as wet as yours is,” I say.

She takes the towel with a smile, wrapping it around her shoulders. She hadn’t been wearing a lot of makeup, but her mascara has run. I find a napkin and tilt her face toward me, wiping away the black smears.

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