Page 23 of Glitz & Goals

Blade hits the floor with such force that the front windows rattle. At first, I think he tripped or lost his footing on the slick hardwood and misjudged his assault. Then his feet poke straight up in the air, and he lets out a whine and a series of breathless pants as he wiggles back and forth with his belly on full display.

Vivian laughs and crouches down next to him. “Why,hellothere, you big noodle,” she croons, using both hands to scratch Blade’s belly. He lets out another pathetic whine and kicks his legs above him like he’s trying to run in midair. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Does that feel nice? Ooh, somebody’sitchy.”

Watching her hand move back and forth, I have never been more jealous of a canine in my life.

Blade’s lips flop up over his face. It looks like he’s smiling. He thumps the stump of his tail against the floor and exhales his contentment.

I stand there, clutching the wall for support and breathing hard. After a few seconds, Vivian remembers I’m here and looks up with a grin.

“I didn’t know you were a dog-dad,” she says. Blade whimpers when she rises back to her feet. “Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t have let myself in, but I could hear some pretty crazy sounds from in here, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“Yup,” I wheeze. “Everything’s under control. Just… Blade being Blade.”

She turns to close the door behind her, and I take a moment to appreciate how beautiful she looks in that dress. It’s pale pink, with a floral pattern clustered at the hem of the skirt, with off-the-shoulder sleeves that hug her upper arms. It’s summeryand light and not overtly sexy, although I’m pretty sure that Vivian could make even a canvas sack look good.

If there was any doubt in my mind that the attraction I feel for her is real, and not just the result of curiosity about her mermaid vibes, it’s dashed away in an instant.

She’s special. I know it. I’m not surehowI know, but certainty thrums through me, pulling me toward her by a thread I can feel but cannot see. Now, all I have to do is convince her that whatever exists between us is worth giving a chance.

“Come in,” I say. “Dinner’s almost ready. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

Her knowing smile makes my heart constrict. “So have I.”

Chapter Eight

Vivian

I watch as Grady plates up dinner and brings it to the table. He sets a dish in front of me with a flourish.

I cock my head as I take in the meal. “Huh. What is it with guys and chicken piccata?”

Grady winces. “What do you mean? You don’t like it?”

I shake my head. “No, I like it. It’s just… this is the only meal my brother cooks, too. But it’s delicious!” I add when Grady looks crestfallen. “I was just thinking, my brother used to eat unseasoned chicken breast by the pound until our old nanny insisted that he learn to make something with actual seasoning.”

Grady relaxes as he reaches for a wine bottle. “You had a nanny?”

“I mean, sort of. My childhood was… complicated.” I don’t go around advertising that I’m adopted, partly because explaining what happened to my bio-parents is guaranteed to be a huge buzzkill and partly because I don’t think about it much. For better or worse, I don’t remember my parents. My earliest memories are of Noah and Nanny Franny, and then Molly. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m betraying my bio-parents by not acknowledging them more, but the truth is, Noah and Molly are my parents. Viktor and Vanessa are my siblings. I can’t imagine life without them, and it seems pointless to make a distinction in my everyday life when my bio-parents are just images in a photo album.

Grady pours me a glass of wine, then takes his seat. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about family tonight,” he suggests. “Let’s just focus on us.”

I shake myself out of my wandering thoughts and smile at him. “If you insist. It’s a shame, though, because I was going to show you pictures of Biscuit.”

“Biscuit?” Grady repeats.

“The Cane Corso I grew up with. When I first saw Blade, a lot of really precious memories came rushing back.”

“Hmm, it sounds like that would fall under the canine exception clause.” He says it with a straight face, but his eyes flick down toward Blade, who is sitting equidistantly between us. At this small acknowledgment, the dog wiggles his butt, thumping his nubby tail against the hardwood.

“I’m not familiar with this clause.”

Grady cracks a smile and lifts his wine glass. “It clarifies that pet pictures are always safe to share.”

I pull out my phone, and Grady scoots his chair around the edge of the table to get closer to me. As soon as he does, Blade lifts his head and growls.

“Hey.” Grady frowns at his dog. “Knock it off.”

In answer, Blade scoots closer to me, taking up a guard position at my feet. He lowers his head and thumps his tail again, but his body language makes it clear that he’s on guard duty.

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