Chapter 12
TWELVE
We’d settled on an American sitcom, tossing out comments here and there.
My knee bounced of its own accord, and any minute Zoie was going to catch me staring. I’d informed her that my time here was limited and hoped that made it okay to relax and enjoy her company. Her laugh was pure sunshine, and unlike the people at the office, she seemed to get my humor.
Or at least understand I was only joking, and she didn’t hesitate to tease me right back.
When the characters onscreen made a little quip, pausing in a way that conveyed I was supposed to appreciate it more than I did, I gestured to the screen and said, “See, you don’t find it funny, either.”
Her big eyes turned to me, more gray than blue today, and she blinked, blinked, blinked.
“That was meant to be funny, yeah?”
“What was?” Zoie asked, as if she’d barely arrived, instead of being seated by my side for the past twenty-minutes, watching a show she ’d selected for us. “Sorry, ADHD moment. I wasn’t paying attention to the show; I can’t stop looking at your bare walls and no offense, but I’ve gotta tell you, it’s giving real serial killer vibes.”
I chuckled. “Is that what my walls are telling you? I’m surprised you could hear them over the sound of the mouth-breather smooshed between us. Does he always breathe this loud?”
Zoie glanced at Nova, pausing to listen. Tongue out and panting like a fiend, the boxer was content as could be, sandwiched between the two of us. “Hmm. I remember thinking he was the loudest breather I’d ever met in the beginning, but I hardly even notice it anymore. His drool-a-puddle-while-panting-noise is now the soundtrack of my life. The noise I fall asleep to and wake up to, and Gaia help me if he realizes I’m awake, because then he thinks the day should start.
“Supernova Jones goes from zero to sixty in a flash, too, barking and nudging me, whimpering and begging me to get out of the comfy bed. And if I dare to ignore him for too long, he’ll piddle on the floor, just to remind me who runs the roost.”
Zoie captured her boxer’s face between both of her hands, pitching her voice high. “Isn’t that right? Who’s he biggest troublemaking puppy in the world? It’s you, isn’t it? I guess that’s why I love you so much.”
As my fit neighbor already pointed out, I had neat-freak tendencies. Everything I owned had a designated place, and I could hardly stand it when anyone messed with my stuff, at home or the office. Then it wouldn’t be where it was supposed to be when I needed it, and as I always returned the items, I knew it wasn’t because of me.
My first dog, a springer spaniel, had its own bed in my room. My parents didn’t allow animals on the furniture, and neither did I. Even when I moved into my own flat, I had strict rules for my pets to follow.
But the year after I founded my company, I’d felt especially lonely and found myself at a rescue center for dogs. There I’d met a wrinkly puddle of a pup, tan with chocolate eyes and the stiffest of upper lips in a snout the color of soot. While she’d also been explained the rules, I’d wake up halfway through the night, sweating from the heat, only to discover my duvet felt warmer and heavier because there was a snoozing, ten-stone bullmastiff atop it.
The next evening, when she’d whimpered from her bed on the floor, I let her climb beside me, cracking open the window over my bed, and that was that. She’d been my living, breathing blanket, foot warmer, and constant companion ever since.
A hollow spot opened up in the center of my chest, and of all the things I missed about London, Virginia Woof—or sometimes Ginny—remained at the tippy top of that list. Right above my niece and my nephew, something I most definitely wouldn’t be sharing with my older sister. Especially since I owed the three of them for tending my irresistible mongrel.
“That’s the best way to wake up in the morning, dog by your side, raring to go,” I said, half of me back in my London flat with my dog.
“Okay now, let’s not get too carried away.” Zoie pulled a face, sticking out her tongue. “I love my night owl routine with Nova, but mornings are…not my favorite.”
“Come again? That’s the best time of day! The first rays of the sun, the promise of a new day. Hours to get everything done, buzzing with the notion it might actually be possible.”
Instead of a happy sigh, like the one I released, Zoie groaned. “Oh no, you’re one of those obnoxious, cheery morning people, aren’t you?”
“Guilty as charged. Although I’d replace obnoxious with ‘real go-getter.’”
“‘Real go-getter’ means the same thing as obnoxious, silly,” she said with a laugh, tugging Nova’s ears to cover and then uncover his eyes.
He and I shared a glance, neither one of us seeming to know how we found ourselves in this situation, only that we’d both like Zoie to pet us more. “I can’t remember the last time anyone accused me of being silly. Primary school, perhaps?”
“I bet they just don’t do it to your face anymore,” she said, flashing a smile that hit me dead center. “All that aside, if you ever catch me letting out Nova to do her business in the morning, and I scowl instead of waving and smiling at you, just don’t take it personal.”
At long last she turned from her game of peek-a-boo with her dog, her full attention and gaze landing on me.
“I beg your pardon? If you scowl at me, Zoie”—I took her hand in mine and lifted it to my smiling lips for the lightest of pecks—“I’ll take it quite personally.”
I must be losing my edge, as my threat resulted in a crooked half-smile.
“Then I’ll have no choice but to sic Nova on you.” She ran the fingers of her free hand through her pink and blond hair, slowing to examine the ends. “And by that, I mean she can come over and play with you while I have my morning coffee, so I can be civil. How do you feel about coffee?”
Again, I found myself staring at her, intrigued by the sporadic skip in subject. “It’ll do if there’s no tea to be found.”
Nova flopped down with a sigh, chin on his paws, as if our conversation was so boring he’d been resigned to sleep. A quick check of the time showed I had about twenty minutes left till bedtime, although my internal clock was still a bit off. The jetlag was slowly fading, my body resetting.
While I couldn’t think of anything less sexy and cool than telling Zoie I had a strict bedtime, if I didn’t do it soon, I’d be dozing alongside Nova. Once she got to snoring, the sound filled the entire room, too. It struck me as funny that a pup could make so much noise, and that Zoie didn’t seem to notice, same way she didn’t register the panting. The boxer was more energetic than Ginny was, even as a puppy, with a lot more drooling and heavy breathing. But what Virginia Woof lacked in decorum, she made up in affection. And more drool.
My eyelids drooped and I lifted my hand to cover my yawn.
Zoie shot up in her seat, jostling Nova enough that she leapt to the floor, pacing and ready to be off and running yet again. “I’m sorry, you’re tired, and I’m overstaying my welcome.”
She stood, and I pushed to my feet along with her, my fingers wrapping around her wrist before I knew that was their plan. “Not overstaying your welcome. I quite enjoyed our evening.”
“Quite, huh?” she asked, her accent suddenly extra posh.
Turn-about was fair play, I supposed. “I have to be at the office bright and early to prep a big presentation. I’m still adjusting to the time change, as well, and the last thing I’d call you is boring, so that yawn was all me.”
“Well, I’ll let you and your yawn get some sleep.” Her smile kicked up a notch as she added, “Next time, we’ll go out for American cuisine, my treat. I’ll text you some time options, if that’s okay.”
“Looking forward to it.” I escorted her outside, and when I continued to walk alongside her and Nova, Zoie cast me a confused glance. “I thought I’d walk you home,” I said.
“Oh, you don’t need to. It’s right there, and I?—”
I placed my hand on the small of her back, my insides tightening at the drop of her mouth and stumble of her feet. I steadied her and raised an eyebrow. “There’s something you should know about me, if we’re going to continue hanging out. I’m from the land of old school manners and consider myself a gentleman. I’d have to hang up my title if I didn’t walk you home—especially with it right next door.”
Zoie wound the lead around her fist another time. “While I appreciate that, I’m no damsel. I’ve been taking care of myself a very long time.”
“And while I appreciate that,” I said, snagging hold of her free hand and securing it in the crook of my elbow. “I’m not accompanying you out of obligation, nor is there any assumption you can’t take care of yourself.”
I flip up the metal latch on her gate, so similar to the one guarding my front garden. “Really, it’s selfish on my part, if that makes you feel better. Investments are one of my specialties, and I have a vested interest in you.”
Her pace slowed, as I suspected it would, and she pivoted to more fully face me. While I’d felt tired moments ago, every cell in my body pricked up, awake in a way they hadn’t been in a very long time.
“Most people focus on the monetary side of investments, but I’m talking about things without a set price,” I prattled on. “Your safety, along with Nova’s, ensures we can uphold our little arrangement. Not to mention—and I hate to bring this up, but you did force my hand—I shared my limited stock of biscuits with you. An immeasurable value, honestly.”
Zoie snorted a laugh. “Oh, you mean your cookies?”
“Biscuits,” I said, firmer this time, while dipping my head.
“Cook-ies,” she replied, leaning right back. The streetlight lit up her hair, the contrast of the pink and blond brighter than ever. Her eyes were a crystalline blue, her smile brought out her cheekbones, and her mouth was so temptingly close to mine.
Hadn’t I decided that anything beyond friendship would be a bad idea?
Now my own thoughts and desires were arguing with me as vehemently as she was.
I forced myself to straighten, even as my body screeched a complaint. “I would very much like to walk you to your front door and see you safely inside. I’m not unreasonable, however, and will of course respect your wishes if you feel that strongly about making the walk alone.”
“Pfft. As if I can refuse a proper request like that, while you slip deeper into your sexy accent.”
Warmth radiated from the center of my chest. “My accent is sexy?”
“Don’t bother pretending you don’t know. I’m sure you’ve noticed women swooning in your wake ever since you arrived in the U.S. Especially when you tack on the gentleman thing.”
“You say ‘tack on,’ while I’d like to believe that’s truly who I am—and not to sound like a mummy’s boy, but she did teach me to always treat women with respect.”
“Well then, send her my regards, she’s done an excellent job.”
Leave it to me to take a chivalrous moment and turn it into a conversation regarding my mum. Although she’d be thrilled at the idea of me settling down. Probably not here in another country, though, and the last time I was seriously involved it got in the way of my business. My life wasn’t ideal for a conventional romance. Not that Zoie struck me as conventional by any stretch, but I was already juggling a lot of balls.
Dropping even one right now could put the merger at risk.
Instead of answering with words, Zoie returned her hand to the crook of my elbow and gave in to Nova’s pull. “What do you do for work, by the way?”
A simple question, one with a complicated answer. One of the reasons things went south with my last relationship was due to her liking the idea of me and my bank account rather than enjoying who I actually was.
I didn’t realize I was her project until it became an issue, one she went above and beyond to control. Ever since, I’d been hesitant to share much about my company or my position in it. “Coding and programing, mostly. If I explain how I sit in front of the computer for hours on end, sorting ones from zeros, I’ll likely put you to sleep.”
“Again, you underestimate the accent. Even if I paid more attention to it than the words, I’d nod in all the right places. It’s a bartending trick. You sense when someone just needs to ramble and when they need feedback.”
“That’s… I can’t tell if that’s comforting or not.”
“It should be,” she said, shooting me a mischievous grin. “Was my humor there subtle enough for you? Or would you call that over-the-top?”
We take her porch steps in tandem, Nova’s snout poking out ahead of us each step.
“Your humor’s spot on, but you, Zoie, are definitely over-the-top.” I covered the hand she had hooked on my elbow with mine and squeezed, letting her know my teasing was affectionate, though I probably should’ve refrained from muddying my intentions.
“See, I take that as a compliment. Subtle’s never been my thing.”
We’d come to a standstill in front of her door, and in hindsight, I should’ve dragged my feet more. Zoie pivoted to face me, tightening her grip on the lead when Nova noticed our location and began backpedaling, equally unprepared for the walk to be over.
“For instance,” I saw the flash of reluctance before she finished her sentence, “I basically invited myself over to your house tonight.”
“Only after I solicited your dog out from under you. Does that make us even?”
One corner of her mouth twitched, as if the answer took a lot of rumination. “I don’t know. You did forget my name.”
I sighed. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
She shrugged a shoulder, and I dared to hope that meant there was wiggle room.
“Not even if I…” Stubborn pride arose, causing the words to snag in my throat. “What if I referred to my biscuits as cookies, which I’m not saying I’m doing. I’m merely making a point that I’ve dug my own grave here, with no idea how to come back from it now.”
“Well, if you managed to get a foothold and extended a hand, I might pull you up.” She gnawed on her lower lip and glanced up at me through her lashes. “You should come see me at the Drunken Kraken sometime—the bar where I work.” With that she patted my chest, three rapid times in succession, just like she did to Nova’s side, and then she gave a little wave and pushed inside.
And I told myself that regardless of how tempted I was to visit her at work, I should refrain from doing something like that, lest I ended up digging that grave I mentioned even deeper.