Page 15 of Simmer Down
“You’re good to go!” Dr. Choi says. “Just check out with Brenda at reception, and she’ll help you get the bill sorted.”
“I’ll show her out.” Callum swipes the carrier from the counter and opens the door.
He marches in the direction of the reception desk with such long strides that I have to almost jog to keep up. I grip the towel at my hip to keep it in place.
“Hey!” I say in a shrill whisper to keep from making a scene. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”
But he continues without a word, fishing his wallet out of his pocket when the receptionist smiles up at him.
“I’ve got this,” I say quickly.
“No.”
He doesn’t even look at me when he speaks. When Brenda thereceptionist swipes his card from his hand and runs it through the card reader, I know I’ve lost. It’s the most confusing, deflated feeling I’ve ever experienced. Yes, what he did was generous. But I don’t understand why. Why in the world would he want to help me, the person he’s supposed to destroy?
Brenda hands Callum a receipt, which he pockets.
She smiles as the cat presses her face against the carrier. “Did you decide on a name for this cutie-pie?”
I blurt the first word that comes to mind. “Lemon.”
“Lemon?” Callum says, clearly confused.
Brenda chuckles sweetly. “Oh, that’s just precious.”
I thank her, grab the carrier, and move to the sitting area by the entrance. Callum follows me.
“I’ll write you a check later. To pay you back,” I mutter while fiddling with the handle of the carrier.
“Not necessary.” He sighs, like he’s annoyed at my presence, even though he’s the one who decided to stand next to me. This guy is impossible to decode.
“Oh, it’s necessary.” I remind myself to rein in my irritated tone.
We’re technically in a public place, and we need to maintain some degree of civility. Every time I fail to get a hold of myself around Callum, I end up in a viral video, and I don’t want that to happen at the vet’s office, of all places.
He crosses his arms, his frown a strange mix of amusement and impatience. Again, his gaze skims my chest, but only for a second before he refocuses. “Why, exactly?”
“Because I don’t need a favor from you.”
“It wasn’t for you. It was for the cat.” His curt words land like a slap to the face. Like I was a fool to assume he would waste such kindness on me.
It’s so obvious now that I think about it. He volunteers at a petclinic, which means he loves animals—which means he’s the kind of person who would go above and beyond to make sure one of those animals is taken care of.
“I see.” Somehow, I’m able to speak even though my jaw is tense as I attempt to stave off the embarrassment coursing through me. I swallow, taking care that my tone is as curt as his. “Thanks.”
I turn away and head out the door without a second look back.
Chapter 5
I toss then turn over in my bed. It’s been a handful of days since the incident at the vet clinic, and I’m struggling to focus—and I know exactly why. Seeing Callum naked at Little Beach appealed to my carnal side. Seeing him go all cuddly over Lemon the cat appealed to my sentimental side. Experiencing those two sides of him was a lethal combo. I still don’t like him, especially after he made it clear at the vet’s office that he didn’t see me as anything other than a feline guardian in need of his charity. But like has very little to do with intrigue sometimes. And it’s safe to say that the part of my brain that appreciates Callum’s body and his soft spot for pets is very, very intrigued. He’s completely overrun my thoughts and emotions.
I hang my head over the side of the bed to peek at Lemon, who’s snoozing underneath. That’s been her resting spot of choice ever since I brought her home. I smile at the soft wheezing noise she makes.
I settle back on the bed. A tiny mass of heat simmers at the base of my chest, causing me to flush every single time I think about him.It also makes an appearance whenever I catch a glimpse of him at work. It doesn’t matter that each time I’ve seen him since the Little Beach incident he’s been fully clothed, or that we haven’t exchanged anything more than an accidental few seconds of eye contact. Even the recent uptick in customers and social media coverage due to our turf war have done little to curb the near-constant impure thoughts I’m having about him.
You’d think that having nonstop lunch and dinner rushes would keep my mind occupied—it doesn’t—or that seeing our food truck blow up on social media due to our new rivalry with Hungry Chaps would be a distraction—it isn’t.
It doesn’t matter that whenever I check Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, I’m bombarded with hashtags like #mauifoodtruckwars, #tivasvschaps, #EnglandvsPhilippines, and everything else related to our rivalry. Because all of that ends up being a reminder of Callum and the fact that I can’t get him out of my head.
