“Don’t even say it.” I shook my head.
She exploded with laughter. “She wanted your body!”
“Yeah, well, she can have Lachlan’s. That’s his deal.”
She was laughing so hard, she had to fan her face. “Don’t tell me Lachlan—”
“—pimps himself out for bird food?” I grinned. “Yeah, he does.”
“Pimp Daddy,” Newman said, turning circles on his perch when I got closer with his chopped-up fruits.
“You need a girlfriend, Harrison,” Mari said, sighing. “Between Lachlan and Newman, you’re going to attract the wrong kind of attention.”
I turned around and found her staring at me. Our eyes met from across the room, and I gave it a second, waiting for something to move between us, but instead, she started laughing again. She put away the rag and spray bottle she was cleaning with.
“I cleaned the apartment,” she said, coming to stand close to me. “It was the least I could do for you letting me crash here last night. Not sure what happened. I knocked out and didn’t wake up until a little while ago.”
“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to clean. You’re welcome here anytime.”
“I know,” she said, standing on her toes and kissing my cheek. “You tell me that enough. Still. A favor for a favor.”
“We’re square now,” I said, looking down at her.
“No. You owemefor saving you from Bernice the Bird Lady.” She moved away, like she didn’t take my dreams with her when she did. “I’ll see you later. I’m going home to take a shower and then I have some things to do.”
I walked her to the door. She stopped on the first step of the stairs.
“You better put a shirt on. The cougars in this city go after fresh meat when they see it.” Her laughter echoed as she took the stairs two at a time, disappearing from my view.
“Yeah,” I said to myself, closing the door behind her. “All but the one that I want.”