Page 48 of Housebroke

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yes. This is amazing. Do people commute this way?”

“Some do, yes.”

“Incredible.”

When they made it to the wharf, they got off and he walked her toward the pier.

“I’ve read about this and seen it in movies,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to come here.”

They grabbed something cold to drink from a vendor and wandered along the pier. There were attractions and shops and just about anything and everything, but Hazel seemed content to just walk and watch, which suited Linc just fine.

“I hear the seals,” she said, grinning at him as they got close to the end of the pier. She picked up her step and he did as well.

The pier was covered with seals of all sizes, their loud bellowing like an insistent complaint. Or maybe an urgent request for someone to bring them some herring.

Hazel leaned against the railing, pulled out her phone and started recording, then took some pictures. She was giving those seals the kinds of emotional, loving looks that made him feel kind of jealous.

“They’re great, aren’t they?” he asked.

She glanced over at him briefly before turning her attention back to the seals. “They’re gorgeous. And so gloriously loud. I love them.”

Of course she did. She’d probably want to slip one in her luggage and bring it home, where it could live out its days in the backyard pool.

Eventually, he pried her away from the seals and they made their way down the wharf, exploring a few shops where she wanted to buy absolutely nothing.

“Really? Not even souvenirs or a T-shirt?”

She shook her head. “The experience is all I need. Besides, I’mtaking pics.” She grabbed him and leaned in, snapping a photo of the two of them, then showed it to him.

They were both smiling, and Hazel had laid her head against his shoulder. It was a perfect picture of the two of them. He hadn’t realized before how well they fit together.

“It’s a pretty good shot,” he said.

“I think so, too.”

“Send it to me?”

She nodded. “Sure.” She pulled up his number and texted it to him. When his phone buzzed, he brought up the pic and saved it, then realized he had no other pics of her, and hadn’t ever taken any of her and the dogs. He made a mental note to rectify that when they got back home.

Home. He mentally paused when he realized that the house they currently shared wasn’t his home. Or hers. It was a temporary thing, just like their relationship. So why had he called it home?

“I’m getting kind of hungry,” she said. “How about you?”

“I can always eat.” He looked at his phone, realizing it was nearly six thirty. “We can head back to the condo, change for dinner.”

“Oh, we’re dressing up for dinner tonight?”

“Hell yeah, we are.”

She looped her arm in his. “Okay, then. Let’s go get fancy.”

•••

Hazel was relieved to have raided her boxes of stuff at Sandy’s and brought a nice dress for dinner. It wasn’t super expensive, but it was a gorgeous burgundy, hit just above the knees, and fit herperfectly. It would be suitable—she hoped—for any restaurant Linc decided to take her to. She’d combed through her hair, touched it up with a bit of wave, then put on makeup and lip gloss along with her heels. She felt good and more than ready to enjoy a night out in San Francisco with her guy.

Her guy. Was he, though?

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