Page 40 of Sleeping with the Frenemy

“Get her, Dumpy. Get her!” Leo cheered.

Sofi pushed the dog away and he settled. “What did you just call him?”

“I couldn’t just keep calling him ‘dog.’ That felt wrong.”

“So you named him Dumpy?”

“Well, we did find him hanging out behind a dumpster.”

Sofi shook her head. “That’s so messed up, Leo. You can’t call the dog Dumpy. Absolutely not.”

“Then you come up with something better.”

It was clear that Leo had forgotten that this wasn’t their pet and was already getting too attached. It was going to be up to her to maintain perspective. “We aren’t naming him, Leo. He’s only here for the night. For all we know he already has a name and someone is out there shouting it as they look for him.”

“I don’t think so. He doesn’t look like a dog who lived in a house until recently. He’s pretty skinny and his nails are unkempt.”

“But he doesn’t act like a dog who is not used to people either. I mean, he just crawled into my lap as soon as I gave him food.”

“I guess we’ll see tomorrow.” He looked around as if unsure of what to do next. He reached up a hand and absently rubbed his shoulder. A brief grimace passed his face, but he quickly checked it.

Sofi couldn’t take any more. “Leo?”

He looked at her. “Yeah?”

“I’m going to tell you something, but I don’t want you to get mad at me.”

He eyed her warily. “What?”

“I can’t help but notice that you seem to be in pain.”

He opened his mouth to respond but Sofi held up her hand.

“Let me finish.”

He closed his mouth.

“I feel responsible for that, because I should’ve stayed to help you wash the dog. I’d really like to make it up to you.”

At that his eyebrow rose.

“I have a heating pad and some massage oils. Can I take care of your shoulder, please?” She wasn’t even sure if her guilt stemmed from the current situation or if she still felt bad because she’d never checked on him while she was in Europe. All she knew was that she really, really wanted to help him.

He must’ve seen the earnestness on her face, because he nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”

“Go make yourself comfortable on the couch. I’ll be right back.” Sofi rushed to her bathroom to grab the oils and heating pad. She tossed them on the bed and then went to grab another large towel and a smaller one. As she passed by the living room she could hear Leo having a one-sided conversation with the dog about not sniffing at his musical equipment. She smiled.

Back in her room she set everything up. The towels were spread on her bed and one pillow to protect the comforter and pillowcase, the oils were set right on the nightstand, and she’d opened up the back of the heating pad to remove the clay pellet insert so she could heat it.

She went to the kitchen and stuck the insert into the microwave for thirty seconds. As soon as the timer went off, she shoved the insert back into the pad and moseyed into the living room.

She found Leo stretched out on the couch with the dog half on his legs and half on the couch. “I don’t remember giving that animal permission to be on the furniture.”

“You said that he couldn’t be on it without having a bath first. He had one.”

Damn. That was true. “Touché.”

He eyed the object in her hands with confusion and disbelief. “Why are you holding a stuffed cartoon uterus?”

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