Page 15 of Otter Heart
I could smell the building before I got there, the scent of baked goods and fresh espresso wafting through the air. Bessie led me up to the door, and I let myself inside. I heard more than one person step to the side to give me some room. Bessie took meto the back of the line, and we waited patiently.
However, the moment I stepped in line, I caught a whiff of something familiar.
Leathery cologne and citrus shampoo.
No fucking way.
My heart skipped a beat. Whether that was from nerves or just the thought of having to deal with that asshole again, I wasn’t sure. But it was a strange reaction. People didn’t ever make me nervous. But that scent… it wasenticingto say the least. I’d been trying not to think about it since I’d interacted with him last. However, I couldn’t deny that I’d thought about him more than once over the past few days.
Bessie pulled against her harness, and I thought the line was moving. Taking a step forward I ran right into the person in front of me.
“Sorry,” I muttered, stepping back. I tilted my head toward Bessie. “You are in a mood today, you know that?”
Then I heard the sharp intake of breath, and I knew my fears had been realized.
“It… It’s you!” the familiar voice said.
“I thought I smelled an asshole,” I grinned, turning toward him.
He clicked his tongue at me. “And I’m looking at a dickhead,” he replied, but I could hear the smile in his voice.
I was impressed he caught on to my joke so quickly. Most people took a second to realize I was being sarcastic. It wasn’t often someone could keep up with me and it made me realize how socially deprived I was. Even though I was fairly certain this guy wasn’t the best of people, at least he had some wit.
“Well,” I sighed. “Are we going to introduce ourselves this time or do you want to keep up this charade?”
“I think I’d rather go by something than asshole,” he laughed. “Did… Did you say you could smell me?”
I nodded. “Your cologne.” I kept the shampoo part to myself. “I don’t know anyone that wears that kind.”
“It’s kind of expensive,” he replied, a tone of nervousnessin my voice. “My mom buys it for me every Christmas.”
“Weird flex,” I smiled. “But it does smell good.”
“I wasn’t–”
“I’m Mateo,” I said, cutting him off as I stuck my hand out. Picking on this dude was gonna be fun.
“Adam.”
A warm hand grasped mine, giving it a firm shake. I couldn’t help a small shiver as his smooth skin ran over mine. His hands were soft, well-manicured, and strong. His fingers were long, the kind that I could imagine would be good at playing an instrument of some sort. And although his shake was firm, there was a gentleness to his touch that made me shiver.
“Nice to meet you, Adam,” I nodded. “You already know Bessie.”
“I sure do.” Bessie shifted as Adam leaned down to pet her. “Not running away anymore, are you?”
“Not yet,” I sighed. “Although she did sleep all the way through the movie we just went and saw.”
Adam paused. “You… You go to the movies?”
“Yeah. Don’t you?”
“I just… I thought…” He cleared his throat. “No. I haven’t been in a long time, actually.”
“Well, I don’t suggest you go seeThe Dragon’s Ire,” I replied. “Unless you like a lot of sweeping landscapes and no actual content.”
“That bad, huh?”
“It left a lot to be desired.”
