Page 36 of Love Bank
Lucille:Thank you for the invite, but I have to decline.
I put my phone facedown and took a big bite of my cookie.
“Maybe I’ll see you there.” Keva smiled even broader and I hated to disappoint her.
I shook my head. “No, I won’t be—”
A loud squawk swallowed the rest of my statement. A damn seagull flew over the wall and swooped close to Keva’s head, making her scream as we both jumped up and scooted away from the table. It landed right by our chairs and stared at us. I’d done some Googling and found that staring directly back at a seagull would inform them who was boss. Stare long enough and hard enough and they’ll leave you alone. I put on my best beady-eyed stare and glowered at him for all I was worth.
The breeze picked up and the filthy animal must have gotten a whiff of our cookies. I broke the staredown to look at the box sitting there on the table where I’d left it in my haste to get away. The seagull turned its head and looked at the box too. Gah! I’d failed the staredown within a matter of a minute. He’d never learn who was boss if I gave up that easily.
He opened his beak and let out another squawk so loud Keva stuck her fingers in her ears. Five more seagulls flew over the wall and they all pounced on the cardboard box of cookies. My mug of coffee tipped over, spilling my precious caffeine all over the table and down onto the cement floor.
Keva and I gasped at the same time as they started ripping into the cardboard and shredded it. Jagged pieces of the box went flying in the air, wings flapped, and angry bird noises added to the melee. A few more birds flew into the courtyard and that was all I needed to see. I opened the back door and pushed Keva through, following quickly behind her and locking the door.
She looked at me wide-eyed. I wasn’t as shocked. Not after several seagull attacks. I was an experienced seagull attack survivor. But I was definitely still angry.
“Get the phonebook, Keva. We’re calling animal control.” I tapped my finger on my lip. “And I have an idea for another way to control those damn birds.”
She spun and ran down the hall to the front desk where we kept the phone book Auburn Hill produced once a year even though most citizens below the age of fifty used it as a doorstop.
My phone dinged again in my hand. Thank God I remembered to grab it off the table or I’m sure the seagulls would have tried to eat it too.
Amelia:I bet Bain will be there…
I rolled my eyes and turned off my phone even as my heart rate sped up. I never should have told them I’d run into Bain. As innocent and brief as I’d kept it, I couldn’t control the blush on my cheeks and they’d picked up on it. Their teasing or any further involvement with Bain was the last thing I needed. I had a seagull crisis to attend to.
* * *
“Lucille? You have a visitor.” Keva poked her head in my office door again an hour or so later. I’d just gotten back to the clinic after running my errand. At this rate, I’d get nothing done today. Thank God for Keva. She kept the clients happy while I was sidetracked by seagulls and sexy wardens.
I followed her down the hallway to the front reception area. She pushed open the door for me and I nearly skidded to a halt when I saw Bain standing there in my lobby staring me down with a distinct smolder. My goodness, he was gorgeous.
Tall, maybe six foot four, that dark hair I’d had in my hands just yesterday, the scruff on his face even longer today. I remembered instantly what it felt like scraping against my face. His taupe uniform fit him perfectly, the buttons of his shirt straining against the width of his chest. And that dark twinkle in his eye. Like he wanted to simultaneously spank me and kiss me until I lost all train of thought.
My face flamed at the idea of Bain bending me over his knee. His lips pulled up in a smirk and I swore he knew what I was thinking about. Maybe I was hitting early menopause. Maybe the hot flashes were age induced, not a side effect of the insufferable man before me.
“Um, I’m just going to go clean up the mess in the courtyard.” Keva’s voice came from directly behind me and, truly, I’d forgotten she was there. I heard her spin around and hustle down the hallway, leaving me alone with Bain.
Unlike the silence after he kissed me yesterday, I felt the need to fill in the space with inane chatter. Perhaps all I should have said yesterday was trying to get in on the opportunity today.
“Here to give another sample?” I tried on a smile and failed miserably. “We have all new specimen cups. I really think you’ll find them satisfactory. Nine out of ten men prefer an opaque cup for privacy reasons. Not sure who exactly takes those surveys, but the science doesn’t lie!”
Jesus H. Christ. Shut your damn mouth already, Lucille.
He took a step toward me, those dark gray eyes twinkling as they roamed across my face. “I’m not here—”
A cat, the one I’d hired today from Yedda next door, walked in front of him, rubbing her side along his leg like she couldn’t get enough of him.Get in line, girl, get in line.
“What the hell is that?” His gaze finally left mine to stare down at the orange and white animal. She was missing a few patches of fur, but she was remarkably spry for her age.
“It’s a cat,” I answered dryly.
He looked up at me while she continued to twine back and forth between his legs. “Thank you so much for that clue. I meant, what is a cat doing in your clinic?”
“Well, that’s not just any cat. That’s Ethel, a retired cat who, in her prime, excelled at chasing birds. I’ve hired her from Yedda at the National Cat Protection Society to help rid us of our little bird problem out back.”
His face went blank. The twinkle faded before lighting back up again. It was fascinating to watch, so much so, I decided staring at him might be my new favorite thing to do. Right after kissing him.
