Page 17 of The Rescue

“Yeah, of course. I just have to check with Edie though, but I’m sure it’s fine. Come on, I’ll show you the room.”

“Who’s Edie?” she asks, looking slightly confused.

“Only the most important woman in my life, she’s upstairs I’ll introduce you.” I stand from the table and wave at her to follow me.

7

Crystal

I’m still stuck in my chair,looking at Rabbie slightly confused.Dylan said he was single, although the other day when we were on the topic of it, he mentioned he was happy. And the other night when he was too busy to come to the pub. He hasn’t specified if he is single or not. Could Rabbie have a secret girlfriend and his friend’s not know about her?

If he has a girlfriend, there is no way I will accept his offer to stay with him. What’s the point of leaving one mushy couple to go stay with another? I would thank him, but kindly decline the offer and just go back to listening to my best friend have sex until I left this godforsaken small town.

I stand and follow Rabbie through his kitchen, I haven’t been in here yet. I was waiting for him to invite me into his space. I can tell it means a lot to him, and I didn’t want to impose.

It’s a small kitchen with a big oven and fridge in one corner, and a big stainless steel island in the middle. To the back of thekitchen is the back door and next to that is the stairs, leading up to his flat. Below the stairs it is a small storeroom where Rabbie keeps all his dry ingredients. The walls are lined with shelves of different size mixing bowls, trays, and jars. It’s very neat and organised even after a busy day, and I can tell Rabbie is proud of his little kitchen.

“If you decide to take the room, feel free to use the kitchen when I’m not using it. I have a small kitchenette upstairs but this is better to make a meal in,” he smiles at me.

“Thank you, it’s a beautiful kitchen.”

What I forget to mention to him is that I’m a terrible cook. In Boston I would either eat out, order take out or eat a microwave meal. I’m prone to burning things, so I tend to stay away from kitchens.

He leads me up the steep stairs, and unlocks the door at the top of the landing. He opens the door to a long hallway, with a few doors that must lead into rooms.

“This would be your room,” he turns the door handle, opens the door and stands back to let me in.

I step in and have a quick look around the room. It’s quaint with a small bed pushed up against a wall underneath a large window that’s letting in lots of natural light. There’s a small closet in the corner with a mirror on the door. It’s not much, but at least I will have privacy, and the view from the window is spectacular. I can see the ocean just peeking over the building in front of us.

“That’s my room,” he points to the door directly across the hall from us.

“And the door next to my room is the bathroom,” he smiles.

He leads me down the hallway to an open-plan living area, and I’m surprised to find it very homey. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. I thought Rabbie would have decorated his flat as a bachelor’s pad, but it’s very cottage core.

There’s a large comfy looking sofa that has a similar floral print to the one in the cafe, cream plush carpets, and alcoves with shelves that are scattered with cook books, and little trinkets. He has a small round dining table, and a miniature galley style kitchenette.

I haven’t seen Edie yet, she must be in his bedroom or in the bathroom. I’m taking it all in when all of a sudden something heavy lands on my shoulder. I instantly freeze and squeal from the shock of not knowing what it is on me. I squeeze my eyes shut in fear. Whatever is on me is heavy, it wriggles and scratches the back of my neck.

“Is it a rat?!” I’m trying to remain calm, and not look like a complete fool in front of this gorgeous man. My irrational mind always thinks the worst.

“Woah, stay calm and no it’s not a rat.” I can feel his laughter, and his warm breath on my face as he reaches for the thing on my shoulder. My eyes are still squeezed shut, I slowly open them to find Rabbie smirking down at me.

“There you are, you wee rascal. It’s okay, darling. My beautiful wee girl.”

I’m so dazed and confused by the chaos that just ensued that it takes me a second to realise that Rabbie isn’t talking to me. I straighten my hair, and blink a few times to find Rabbie is still smiling down at me. He’s so much taller than me that I have to crane my neck to look up at his beautiful face. My gaze lowers to his arms, and I find out that it wasn’t a rat on my head. It was a large, fluffy, white cat with wide yellow eyes. It’s purring softly in Rabbie’s arms.

“This is Edie,” he says as he scratches her behind the ear, the cat leans into him more.

I blink, bewildered. Edie is a cat.I hate cats.

The embarrassment from my overreaction starts to eat away at me, and I’m close to turning down the room. I look up atRabbie who is practically cooing over this damn fluff ball, and then back down at the cat who blinks at me with her big, fluffy tail swishing from side to side as if to tell me,“Back off, this is my man.”

I try to hide my distaste for the thing, hell I’m quite relieved that it’s not a woman. I mean, if I wasn’t so attracted to Rabbie, and so horny, I would’ve said no to the room, that’s how much I hate cats. But staying with him might actually get me what I want, and that is to get him in bed at least once before I return to Boston. This could work out in my favour, cause damn it, I want him. This has been the longest I’ve been without sex, I’m practically celibate.

“Nice to meet you, Edie, you’re super cute,” I put on my cute baby voice.

Edie blinks at me, as if she can see straight through me.

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