Page 29 of Shy Girls write it Better
“It’s time for your walk, Buddy-boy,” he announced, shaking his lead.
The puppy eyed him with contempt, and proceeded to carry on making a fuss over Cassie.
“Alright, ’fess up.The dog took two weeks to warm up to me.”
“That’s because you’re a dominant alpha male and all that jazz.I’m just a big softie and he knows it,” she replied, stroking his tummy.
“A dog walker takes him out every four hours, but it’s really time to go.Do you mind coming with?I’ll run you another bath.”
She didn’t mind at all; in fact, she could get used to it.
Too easily.
Carter
Buddy didn’t let her take her bath alone; he insisted on tagging along in the bathroom, crying as though someone had been pulling his teeth in front of the door until she relented and let him in.
Carter only wished he could get away with doing the same.
What the fuck was he doing here?
He actually had the answer to that question, he was just questioning his sanity for submitting himself to it again.
He was dating Cassie.
They hadn’t put it into words, let alone found any sort of label for it, but that was exactly what they were doing.Whenever something happened to him, she was the first person he told, and vice-versa.He called and sent texts without reason.He wanted to know about her day, he told her about his.And tonight was most definitely a date – an indoor one, which seemed even more dangerous.More intimate.Just… more.
Lost, and a little frightened perhaps, he found himself calling the one person he trusted above all else.Cassie had just gotten in the bath: he had some time for a chat.
She answered on the third ring.
“Why hello, Carter.To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Can’t a son just call his mother without an ulterior motive?”
“He certainly can, but we both know he won’t.Get to it, I haven’t got all day.”
He hesitated, because neither of them liked to bring up that particular subject.
“I’d like to talk of Elena.”
“I’d like to forget Elena ever existed,” his mum growled in response.
“You never liked her.But when I told you why she broke up with me, you said you saw it coming…”
“Of course I did, a million miles away.Now, don’t take it the wrong way, but at the time, Harris Toys wasn’t what it is today – you had money, but you were a nobody, andthat woman,” she said, her tone disgusted, “was after a bigger prize.You were just a stepping stone.”
He opened his mouth to contradict her, and closed it again.Elenahadalways wanted to go to the latest function and mingle.Shehadleft him for an up-and-coming actor.
“But when she said I didn’t pay enough attention…”
“Get real.You forgot your anniversary – so what?Her birthday, Valentine’s Day, her mom’s birthday; you were there for all of those.And every day, after work, you went home to her.Your only mistake there was going for a gold digger.”
Carter was silent on the other end of the phone, considering everything she’d just said.
“You never liked Elena; not from the first meeting.”
“She was shifty.Her eyes never stayed in one place, always looking for something to focus on.Her laugh was fake, too.And she didn’t look at you like you were the best thing invented since chocolate.”
