Page 6 of Fun and Games
I reached for a pillow and tossed it at his head. He caught it easily and we shared a chuckle.
As Mason continued to lounge on the mattress, I cleaned myself up from the box of tissues on his nightstand then went looking for my panties. He'd tossed them halfway across the room.
"You hungry?" he asked after I'd slipped them back on. "We can order some food."
"Thanks, but I'm good." I tugged my bra into place and buttoned up my shirt. "Did you see where I put my phone?"
"I think you dropped your bag in front of the door." Mason sat up in bed. "Are you leaving already?"
"I've got an early day tomorrow."
"Oh."
I was surprised to see he almost looked let down. I climbed onto the mattress and gave him one last kiss.
"Thanks for tonight," I said. "I had a really fun time."
"Me too."
There was a disappointed furrowed line between his brows, but I didn't want to address it. Easier to keep things light and friendly.
"Want me to drive you home?" he offered.
"I'll just call a cab."
"At least let me know when you get home safe," he said.
My heart warmed.
"Sure." I hopped off the mattress and headed toward the door. "Thanks for stepping in with trivia night."
Before I left, I looked back one last time to find him lying there in the sheets, staring after me.
I gave him a smile. "Maybe I'll see you again."
But as I turned to leave, I let the smile fade from my lips, because I knew that was a lie.
Three
My sneakers scuffedagainst the cracked pavement as I stumbled down the sidewalk, dog leashes in hand. One of the small furry creatures ran between my legs and I nearly tripped.
"Calm down buddy," I said in a soothing voice, even though I knew the Pomeranian didn't understand me. "We'll be at the park soon."
The little guy yapped at me, which made the Jack Russell terrier next to him yap back. The two growled at each other. The third animal, a small wiener dog, snuffled along the ground, unintentionally getting between the two others, and they turned their growling to him.
I pulled the bag of treats from my pocket and rustled the packaging. All three dogs immediately whipped their heads around, tongues already hanging out of their mouths and salivating.
"Are you going to be good boys?" I asked, making thesitmotion.
The wiener dog stayed standing, tail wagging wildly in anticipation, but the other two sat down on their hind legs. Close enough.
After wrapping the leashes around my wrist, I picked out a few treats and fed the small dogs with one hand as I pet them with the other. They might have been noisy and rambunctious and a pain in my ass, but damn if they weren't the most adorable things in the world. I'd really miss them when this gig was over.
The dogs snarfed down the treats and we continued on our way, with significantly less yapping and growling.
I hadn't known what to expect when I took on this dog-walking thing. My family hadn't owned a dog when I was growing up, just a lazy old cat. I found myself enjoying it. It was a good excuse to get out from behind a desk and enjoy some much needed fresh air, to stretch my legs and let my mind wander.
I also needed to pick up some groceries before I went home. I was out of eggs and milk.
