Page 6 of Numbers Boy
When I get close, I clear my throat, and he looks up at me. He really is gorgeous, with pouty pink lips and high cheekbones. And I was right about the freckles. Even with him wearing makeup, I can see them peeking through. They’re sprinkled all across his face and there are some trailing teasingly down his neck. Forcing my gaze back up to his dark green eyes, I smile and introduce myself.
“Hi, I’m Noah Baxter. I’m guessing you’re Steve?”
He nods and smiles back.
“Yeah, it’s nice to meet you,” Steve says. His voice is confident and smooth, with a touch of sweetness to it.
I hold out my hand and notice him eyeing the tattoo there. His brows crinkle softly as he tries to read the swirling script, so I put my drink down on the table and hold both fists out with my thumbs pressed together to make it easier to read the “May I Please Pet Your Dog?” that’s inked across the backs, three words on each hand.
Steve’s face smooths as he reads it, and then he throws his head back and laughs. My gut flips, and I’m lost for a moment in the throaty, happy sound, my eyes snagging again on the freckles disappearing under the collar of his sweater.
“What a fitting tattoo for a dog walker,” he notes as we finally shake hands. At the first touch of his smooth palm to my rougher one, a spark sends tingles up my arm. I’m probably just letting my mind run away from me – after all, it is super dry and staticky today – but I can’t help thinking it’s just Steve.
It’s been a while since I’ve been this instantly smitten over anyone, but there’s something about Steve that is making me want to say fuck it to professionalism and ask him out. But I wouldn’t do that to Blake, and Steve didn’t come here to be hit on.
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites that I have,” I say about my tattoo and sit down in the chair across from him.
“Maybe someday, I could see the rest,” Steve suggests, his eyes roaming over my arms like they did when I first walked in. Looks like maybe an invitation to a date wouldn’t be completely unwelcome. But work still comes first. And speaking of work, Steve is talking about his dog now. Time to focus. “I’ve only had her for about two weeks now, but we haven’t had too many issues aside from the first few days when she was adjusting.”
“That’s great. So, you said in your original message that you would need someone to walk Stacy about once a week?”
“Yeah, and the occasional overnight or weekend dog sitting, if it works in your schedule,” Steve confirms and then looks at me over the rim of his coffee, the dark lashes emphasizing his eyes. They’re Disney princess eyes, all big and sweet and framed with that long, thick fringe. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone with prettier eyes in real life. “Your partner said it’s usually not an issue as long as there’s enough advance notice.”
Partner? He must mean Blake since he’s the one who fielded Steve’s original inquiry. Something in his tone makes me wonder if he’s fishing for information. Hoping to clear up any possible miscommunication, I decide to give a little more personal background than I usually do so soon after meeting a client.
“Yeah, Blake’s my best friend. We started UnLeash Your Dreams together right after we graduated college almost five years ago. Between the two of us, we can typically fit in most clients’ needs.”
Steve smiles at me, his green eyes shining brightly, and I’m glad I led with the best friend factoid.
“That’s awesome for you two. My best friend and I are often teased by the rest of our friend group for being so similar, but I don’t think we could ever go into business together. Well, unless it was to own a gym with Stu doing all of the heavy lifting, literally. The only crunches I do is crunching numbers.” Steve laughs lightly at his own jokes, and it endears him to me even more.
“So, what do you do, then?” This line of questioning seems a little like a first date, but I can’t help it. Plus, Steve brought it up. It would be rude not to ask.
“I’m an accountant. Right now, I do freelance work for a bunch of different places, which works out really nicely for Stacybecause I’m able to be home with her and take her for lots of walks and play breaks.”
The fact that Steve is in accounting surprises me for some reason. Maybe it’s how he’s dressed or the makeup that doesn’t scream math nerd, but the more I look, the more I can see it. I bet he looks adorable when he’s focused on his work, green eyes intent as he figures out how to make the numbers add up. And I should know better than to judge based on appearances. My tattoos tend to throw some people off and make them assume I’m in a more traditionally blue-collar field. And yet, Steve took them in stride, no judgment or hesitation.
“Stacy sounds like a lucky pup.”
Steve’s smile turns blinding as he talks more about his dog. “She’s so great! I’ve wanted a pet for a long time now, and so far, it’s been amazing. And having to take her out has also made me get more fresh air, so it’s a win-win.” He takes another sip of coffee and then licks a drop from his plump lower lip. My heart, already beating fast by how lovingly he’s talking about his dog, skips a beat at the sight. “Oh, by the way, my friend was wondering how you came up with the name of your business.”
“Well, Blake wanted to go with Chasing Tail, but in the end, we didn’t want to scare off any families who needed our services.”
Steve giggles and leans forward across the table. “I saw an ad for a place called Deez Mutts. I almost contacted them but decided they could be a last resort.”
I snort a laugh and mirror his posture. “If you like punny names of places, there’s an awesome pet groomer called Doggy Style. They’re really nice and do great work. I have a few different clients who go there for their pets.”
“Good to know! Stu, that friend I was talking about, loves punny names. If we ever did open a gym, I’m sure he’d have some great ideas for a name.”
We laugh a bit more and float ideas for their fictional gym, then arrange a meeting between me and Stacy in a few days’ time. I can’t believe how quickly we connected, and I get the feeling neither of us wants to leave. Something about sitting here, talking and joking with Steve, feels completely natural. But it’s getting late, and we both have someone, or some pup, at home waiting for us.
As we get bundled up, Steve mentions needing to talk to Carlos about something, so we confirm our time next Monday for me to meet Stacy and say our goodbyes. While I head down the street toward my apartment, I pull out my phone and pop in my earbuds to call Blake with an update. The earbuds were a Christmas present from him since I would always complain about my ears getting cold if I ever had to make a call while on a walk. This way, both my ears and my hands can stay tucked warmly away as we talk. He answers after the second ring.
“Hey, Noah, how’d the meeting go? Are you just on your way home now?” he asks, and I grin, thinking about red hair, green eyes, and a bright laugh.
“It went really well. I’m meeting with the dog on Monday to get to know her a little bit.” A bubble of excitement rises up in my chest at the thought of seeing Steve again so soon. “Her owner is super nice, and we got to talking. But I’m on my way home.”
Blake must hear something in my voice, or maybe it’s just the fact that I willingly stayed out later when I knew I’d have to walk home in the dark when it’s extra cold, because he pauses for a second before replying. “So… tell me about the owner.”
