Page 28 of Shy Girls write it Better
“Now you’re just being nasty.”
Cassie rolled her eyes and pulled the shopping cart away, now that he’d relented and dropped the nasty cheap thing back where it belonged.
“You’re just adorable,” an old woman said, beaming at her.“How long have you been married?”
“Jesus!”Carter exclaimed, stalking away as fast as his feet could carry him.
Cassie just laughed out loud, explaining to the surprised lady, “We’re just friends.”
“Ah, I see.Friends.I remember when my Malcom and I werejust friends, too.I give it a year, dear.”
If only.
They argued over five items – he wanted pancake mix, she couldn’t believe he wouldn’t try to do it from scratch.
“If that’s so important, you’re staying until morning and cooking the damn pancakes!”he yelled.
“Fine!”
After which, he swore, leading them away.
“Great.Now you need a fucking toothbrush.”
Then, there were king prawns and little shrimps.She assured him that the cheaper option would still be lovely with her risotto, but he didn’t want to hear of it.He won that one – and the wine, too.
“I only need it for cooking.”
“You’ll use a glass, max, and I hate waste.If I’m supposed to drink wine rather than beer, it has to be a decent one.”
One hour later, Carter was two hundred dollars poorer and they were on their way to his place in a cab.
She loved that, like any other New Yorker out there, he took cabs, rather than parading around with a driver.
Cassie also loved his apartment.The simple, modern décor felt homey – the walls were light grey or blue, and most of the furniture, white.There were dashes of various shades of blue here and there; curtains, cushions.
She loved his kitchen.Granite counter top, the very best appliances; she almost cried – it was completely wasted on a man who didn’t cook.
But above everything else, Cassie fucking loved his damn dog.
“Careful.Buddy comes from a breeder who seemed pretty severe – he doesn’t really like anyone except me,” Carter warned her as the quiet, stoic dog eyed her with interest.
If he hadn’t said that Buddy was a four-month-old puppy, she would have assumed he was a fully grown dog – he was huge, and seemed so quiet, so well trained.
But the adorable floppy ears betrayed him.
“Hello, Buddy,” she said tentatively, kneeling a couple of feet away from him.
The instant she reached his level, the dog jumped into action, his tail wagging with fervor, whimpering as he jumped at her and proceeded to lick her face.
“Never mind,” Carter laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.
Buddy didn’t leave her side – not when Carter went to feed him, not when he told her her bath was ready.
Yes, he’d run her bath water for her.Yes, she was very giddy about it.It was… intimate.Caring.The kinda stuff that fed her imagination, making her believe that this was heading somewhere it just wasn’t going.
Friends, he’d said.When would she finally stop seeing more?This was pathetic.
Unless he’d changed his mind…
