Page 59 of Until Tomorrow
SchnauzerDad45: There’s a great café that allows dogs on its patio. I’d love to bring Ernie with me.
Did I find it weird that Emerson wanted to bring his Schnauzer with him? A little bit. But honestly, it wasn’t the weirdest thing I’d come across on the app, so I was running with it. And the café was across town from my work, which made me more comfortable with going out.
What I did find weird was the fact that Ernie wasn’t a Schnauzer. Ernie was a Great Dane.Were all Great Danes so big?I stared at the black and white dog from my seat, unsure if I should move or breathe as the dog just stared at me.
“He won’t bite.” Emerson laughed. The sound was pleasant—I liked it. A little older than me, Emerson looked his age with gray around his temples and in his beard. Other than finance, I had no real idea what he did for a living, but at least he dressed like a professional in dress pants and a dress shirt, so I didn’t feel so out of place. Reaching out, he affectionately scratched Ernie behind the ears. “He looks big, but he’s harmless. The worst that might happen is he drools on you.”
“I’ve never had a dog,” I admitted. Or knew anyone who had one. I held out a hand for Ernie to smell, but the dog just stared at me.Was he staring?I couldn’t even tell if his eyes were open, to be honest.
“It’s the little ones you’ve got to watch out for,” he said. “My Schnauzer, Marley, had a real beast of an attitude. He’d never make it in a place like this. Ernie just likes to be around people, even if you can’t tell.”
“Do you take him on all your dates?” I asked.
“Honestly, you’re the first person who said yes,” he told me.Points in my favor.Did I want points in my favor? We’d see. “So, thank you. I work so much that I try to take him wherever I can go.”
“What is it that you do? I know you said finance, but that’s such a broad industry.”
“I run a firm that focuses on data analysis of financial trends,” Emerson explained. “We consult with various companies—big and small—to help them make the best possible financial decisions for their company using the data we’ve collected from the market. It’s more boring than it sounds.”
“I think you underestimate just how much I hate math,” I murmured into my coffee mug with a smile, making him laugh again. “But I do understand the business consultation end of it. My firm deals with a multitude of businesses, galleries, and more across the city. For what… well, that’s confidential.”
That was a terrible joke.I knew that, he probably knew that, but he still graciously chuckled.
Neither of us ended up ordering lunch. We chatted over coffee and left early to take Ernie on a walk, of all things. I didn’t know this end of town, which may have added to my comfort. Emerson was easy to talk to. I liked making him laugh, and I liked how easily the words flowed around him.
When he casually took my hand as we walked, I didn’t flinch.
“Is this okay?” Emerson asked quietly. The man had the kind of patience that I appreciated. While he had decades of experience on me, he wasn’t pushing me.
My brain short-circuited for a moment as I processed, but I recovered quickly.
“Yeah,” I said, surprising myself with the honesty in my response. It was more than okay. It was nothing like holding Eva’s hand—though I did my best not to compare. His fingers loosely held mine as if giving me an easy out. And while I appreciate the silent sentiment, I didn’t feel any need to let go. Instead, I extended my lunch. With no pressing matters to attend to, there was no reason I couldn’t stay out a bit longer.
We walked and talked until Ernie officially gave up on the endeavor. Apparently, there was a limit to the dog’s physical activity desire, and we far surpassed it. I sat with them on a bench until I had to go back. I had to do some work or I’d be in the office all night to make up for it.
“We can’t escape the office forever, can we, Ernie?” Emerson asked the dog. “I need to get him back home anyway. I definitely overshot my lunch break.”
“I did the same.” I stood, unsure of what to do. He beat me to it and moved in for a hug. I returned the gesture, absorbing the moment for what it was. He was all stark lines and hard muscles, and a small part of me wondered what it’d be like to explore that further. Soft scruff, thick cologne, strong arms. It was different but nice. I enjoyed his closeness more than I’d expected to.
There was a moment when he looked about ready to kiss me, and that was the precise moment my brain panicked. I wasn’t ready for that—not out here and not around people.Not yet.
“Thank you for this,” I said as I stepped back. My anxiety kicked in, hoping to hell I didn’t offend him. His expression didn’t give me any inkling that I had. “I had a good time.”
“Me too,” he replied. “If you ever want to join us again, we’d be happy to have you.”
“Maybe if we walk less.” I glanced down at Ernie, who hadn’t moved in a solid twenty minutes. “Right, Ernie?”
He huffed, but that was it.
“Have a good day, Logan.”
“You too.” I offered one last smile before slipping my hands in my pockets and walking back across the park with a million and one little thoughts rolling through my mind.
I liked Emerson, and I enjoyed our date.So, why didn’t it feel… right?
It wasn’t until six-thirty that I regretted extending my lunch date. I was still buried under things I needed to do and had no hope of getting home to Eva anytime soon. Everyone else had gone home, which left me practically alone in the dimly lit building.
I sighed and ran my hands over my face before calling Eva from my desk phone. It was just easier to put her on speakerphone than anything else.
