Page 44 of Misfortune and Mr. Right

Then, without another word, Olivia stoops down, makes eye contact with Rhett like he’s her best friend in the world. Her voice softens to something nearly unrecognizable. “Sweet boy. You have a good night. I’ll see you soon. Okay?”

Rhett turns his face and licks Olivia’s hand, and then he nuzzles the top of his head into her palm. She rubs him a few more times from head to tail.

Olivia doesn’t look me in the eyes. She turns and walks toward the elevator—the one that goes to our floor. The same one I need to ride in. Rhett doesn’t love the spiral staircase yet. He stalls out and holds a protest about a third of the way up.

I follow behind Olivia, allowing Rhett to take the lead. He’s my Boston terrier barrier.

Olivia looks over her shoulder. She doesn’t say a word, but her face says so much. She thinks I’m following her—again. And technically, I am.

I enter the elevator after her, reaching out and pushing the button for the second floor. An awkward silence fills the space as the mechanism clanks into place and we begin the ascent to our floor.

Rhett senses the tension and makes a soft whimpering sound.

Olivia bends to comfort him and freezes midway, staring into the corner of the elevator as if she’s just seen a ghost. I follow her line of vision. There, on the elevator floor, are two fortune cookies.

What’s up with these cookies?

Someone is definitely depositing them around the building.

But why?

“Rhett found one of those outside my apartment the other day,” I tell Olivia. “I wonder who is planting them around the building.”

Olivia shrugs. She stares at the two cookies with her brow furrowed.

“Well, we may as well open them,” I suggest.

She glances at me, and I’m sure she’s about to protest, but then she squares her shoulders, steps toward the corner of the elevator, plucks both cookies off the floor, and hands one to me.

“Unless you want the other one,” she says.

“I’m good with either.”

The doors open for our floor.

Olivia steps out.

Rhett follows.

When the doors slide shut, I drop Rhett’s leash and step on the end to keep him with me. Then I look Olivia in the eye. I don’t know what it is between us, but even this feels like a competition. Who will get the best fortune? Who will rip the plastic just right? Who will eat the cookie? Who won’t?

I tear mine first. She follows suit.

“Read them aloud?” I ask.

“Sure.”

We each read our own fortune in silence.

I can’t even believe mine. Is this a joke? And how on earth will I read this to her?

The love of your life is right in front of your eyes.

Olivia glances up, daring me to go first. I silently echo her challenge. Maybe I should cut my losses and tell her goodnight. But she won’t let me escape now. I have to read this to her. She won’t have it any other way.

Our eyes lock again. We read one another like we always have. We are Batman and Catwoman, not exactly enemies but certainly not friends. A strange, almost predestined thread binds us to one another, tugging at us whenever we are within a certain range.

Olivia surprises me, turning toward her apartment suddenly.

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