Page 15 of Resorting to Romance

“Too?”

“Kala and Bodhi insist that I secretly love that mutt. I don’t love him. I barely tolerate him. If he didn’t make my sister so ridiculously happy, he’d be back on the streets.”

“Mm hmm. And yet, here he sits, looking at you like you’re Zeus and he’s an adoring Greek citizen.”

I arch an eyebrow at Ben.

“I tell you what,” Ben says. “Why don’t we have him lie down behind the counter? The first sign of disobedience or disruption, and I’ll take him outside. Okay?”

“Whatever. The dog’s already taken over my house, my yard, and my bed, why not my workplace too?”

“Your … bed?” Ben starts laughing. He even bends a little, holding his finger up as if he needs a moment to regain control of himself. “Wait. Wait. Wait! Your bed? The dog is in bed with you?”

“It’s that or get no sleep.”

“Ahh. Right. So that’s why you look so worn out despite leaving the club far too early for a man your age.”

“I couldn’t sleep. I was up late.”

“Snuggling Shaka in your bed.”

“Something like that.”

“Gemma did not leave with anyone else—just the friends she came with,” Ben unhelpfully offers.

“Not my concern.”

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

“So why did you bail on her?”

“I didn’t bail on her. I just went home.”

“While a beautiful, friendly, available woman disregarded the attention of every other man in the room to practically force you onto the dance floor.”

“We danced. It was nice. I was ready to leave.”

“Could you be less of a grandpa?”

“A grandpa?”

“Yeah. You’re so stodgy. Don’t you ever want to settle down, or even have, I don’t know … fun?”

“I have fun. You know I do. When you started here, I helped Bodhi prank you for your whole first week. That was fun. I teach surfing for a living. It doesn’t get any more fun than that.”

“I just think you could do more with your nights than going home to a dog you secretly love. You could have shaken things up a little. I still think you need female companionship—someone to help you let loose a little. You and Bodhi used to throw barbecues and host the bonfires. Whatever happened to that? You barely had one night out in the past month, and you cut it short.”

“Trust me. My night was full enough.”

Mercifully, customers walk in before Ben has a chance to grill me about what I mean. It’s not that I don’t want him to know I was helping Mila, but he and Bodhi always make more out of the relationship I have with her than is real, so I’d rather he think Iwas home snuggling that wiry mutt than out past midnight fixing Mila’s plumbing.

“How can we help you, ladies?” Ben asks the two women in his usually genial tone.

“We’re meeting Stevens here.”

“I’m sure he’ll be here any minute,” Ben says with a smile. “Let me know if I can do anything for you while you wait.”

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