11. I Never Saw A Pug Dressed That Fancy
I Never Saw A Pug Dressed That Fancy
Nick
‘What the fuck is that?’ I say out loud as I walk out of my bathroom to hear the loud music and banging coming from somewhere underneath my apartment. From the shop. Fuckin’ Missy.
Pulling on some sweatpants and a hoody, I slip my bare feet into my sneakers and rush downstairs in time to see her up a ladder, in coveralls, hanging a canvas on a wall. For just a moment, she takes my breath away — she’s so cute, but then the loud music pulls my annoyance back into the room.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ I yell, and she wobbles on the ladder. I take a step toward her.
‘Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me.’
‘I asked you a question. What the fuck are you doing?’ I snap loudly to be heard over the music as she climbs down the ladder.
‘I’m working.’
‘It’s eleven at night.’
‘ Okay . ’
‘Your noise is keeping me awake.’ I mean, it wasn’t that loud, and I wasn’t in bed yet, but still.
‘Okay, Grandma. I’ll keep it down.’
‘That’s it, you’ll keep it down?’ My hands come to my hips as I try to find another reason to be annoyed.
‘What else do you want, Nick?’
‘An apology would be nice.’
She laughs. ‘You’re being such a little bitch, you know that?’ She steps toward me, shaking her head.
‘What did you say to me?’ I step toward her, shocked.
‘ Oh , you can hear my music from two floors up, but you can’t hear me calling you a bitch from three feet away?’
‘Keep the fucking noise down, Missy.’ I point my finger, and she steps closer again.
‘Or what?’ She tips her head back a little to smirk up at me.
‘Jesus, you’re so fucking infuriating.’
‘Yeah, believe me, I know how that feels.’ She reaches out to pick up her phone and lowers the volume of her music. ‘There you go, sweetie.’ Turning, I stomp away, hearing her slam her cell down on the countertop with a growl. ‘Asshole!’ The hiss under her breath is enough to make me pause, but instead of turning back, I walk away.
‘You have got to be fuckin’ kidding me.’
I cuss out loud as I drive down Main Street to see my usual spot taken by a familiar car for the third time this week. It’s not like it’s my spot, but I’ve been parking there pretty consistently since I moved into the apartment.
I drive a bit further down the road and am frustrated when I park then see Missy and Jonah walking toward me with grocery bags in her hands.
‘ Hey , Nick.’ She smiles sarcastically as I get out of my car right in front of them. ‘Jonah, say hi.’
‘Hi, Nick.’
Even though his mom has me in a bad mood, I smile at the kid. I can’t help it — he’s pretty cute. Today he has on a sweater with a pug in a tutu and tiara. I’ve noticed over the past few interactions we’ve had that he seems to have a thing for animals and all things sparkly.
‘Hey, Jonah. I love your sweater.’
He looks down at his torso and then smiles back up at me.
‘Thanks, it’s a pug.’
I grin, and Missy laughs lightly, with a slightly husky tone to it. Man, that sounds nice.
‘Nick is a vet, baby, remember? He knows all about dogs and all sorts of animals.’ Why does her talking about me like that make my heart beat a little faster?
‘I do, but I never saw a pug dressed that fancy before.’ Jonah giggles, and I reach out to ruffle his hair. ‘Let me take those.’ I shove my cell phone and keys into the pocket on the front of my hoodie, then reach out for the bags in both of their hands, and Missy stares at me, curious for a second, before she nods in gratitude. It would have been pretty rude not to offer since we’re all heading in the same direction, even if we did fight again last night.
She opens the door, and we head upstairs. When we get to her front door, she opens it, I bring the bags inside.
‘Wow, this place looks incredible,’ I admit, finally seeing all the work she had done. It’s great. The run-down, empty apartment I have known my whole life is now sleek and warm.
‘Thank you, I love it.’ She smiles shyly. ‘Can I get you a coffee, water, anything?’
‘Nah.’ I ignore the olive branch and back out of the door, holding her eye contact. I think she wants to say more. Instead, her bottom lip catches between her teeth, and I thumb over my shoulder before I embarrass myself because I like that a little too much. ‘I have stuff to get to.’
‘Bye, Nick,’ Jonah calls out, and I wave.
‘Bye, little man.’
Inside my apartment, I pull off my hoodie and kick off my sneakers, then brace my hands on the countertop. When I got back up to my apartment last night I paced, annoyed, until I could calm down. I switched between wanting to go back down there and kiss the hell out of her and wanting to go down and keep fighting.
By the time I heard her door slam shut half an hour later, I felt like the world’s biggest fucking prick, and the overthinking meant I couldn’t sleep.
I woke up early and exhausted, and for the first time in forever, I didn’t go for a run.
My day off continued to suck from then. I went to see my mom, but my dad ended up being there unexpectedly, so I left and drove out to the huge grocery store that had just opened about a half hour from town. I filled my cart and was ready to pay when I realized I’d left my wallet at home, so now I’m back: empty hands and an empty fridge. My mood brightened a little with my interaction with Jonah, but I’m still a grumpy fuck.
I’m just going to take a shower and see what I can scrape together to eat, then go to bed and hope tomorrow is the day I quit being a dick.
I’m on my way to the bathroom when there’s a knock at the door, so I turn back and open it to be faced with Missy staring at me wide-eyed, her attention fixed on my bare torso.
I clear my throat, and she blinks herself back from wherever she just was.
‘Um, hey,’
‘Hi.’ I would never usually answer the door shirtless, but my attention is just elsewhere today, and I wasn’t thinking, but I do like the way she’s looking at me.
‘Uh, this was in one of my bags. It must have dropped in there somehow.’ She holds out my cell phone, and I take it, curious as to how that could have happened.
‘Doesn’t seem likely.’
Fuck , Nick, why?
‘Sorry?’
‘Well, my cell was in my pocket, so I don’t know how it would have fallen into one of your bags.’
What is wrong with me? Shut the fuck up, Nick .
‘Yeah, me either, but it was in there, so I guess it did.’ She arches an eyebrow at me and crosses her arms across her chest. ‘Unless you’re accusing me of something?’
‘It’s just a little weird.’
‘Yes, it is.’ We hold each other’s gaze for a moment before she turns away and then turns back. ‘Why do you keep doing this? I try to be nice to you, then you act like a total dick all over again.’
I feel my brows lower. I wish I knew the answer.
‘Thank you for bringing my phone back.’
She turns, releasing a frustrated huff, and stomps into her apartment, slamming the door, and I stand still for a moment, staring in the direction of her departure, before I realize, Doug might have been right. I like fighting with her. I have been numb for so long and sparring with Missy makes me feel something.
I close my door and head for the bathroom as I process the new realization. Maybe, for me at least, our frustration with each other is foreplay.
‘Morning.’
I did not need to see her right now. I’m in a bad fucking mood this morning. I caught myself with my dick in my hand and her on my mind again, and I feel like a jackass for allowing myself to think about her that way. I just can’t seem to stop.
‘Missy,’ I grunt as I lock my apartment door and head toward the stairwell. Jonah isn’t with her, I notice, so she must have just taken him to school.
‘Well, at least you’re consistent.’
‘Excuse me?’ I come to a stop, and she turns to look at me.
‘Your pissy mood. I’m glad it seems to be your default setting — at least I know where we’re at.’
‘My default setting? Are you serious right now?’ I grin, but I’m not amused. ‘My pissy mood comes from the dust all over my apartment from work happening in yours . My pissy mood comes from not being able to park my damn car outside my home because of the trucks of the people working on your salon. My pissy goddam mood comes from being woken up on my fucking day off by banging and scraping and Mariah fucking Carey. You are the reason for my pissy mood, Missy.’
Her lips part, and I notice the bob of her throat as she swallows.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...’ her voice is small, and I feel guilty, but instead of apologizing for snapping, I do the most Nickish thing I can and dig in.
‘I don’t give a damn what you mean or don’t mean, but don’t give me attitude on my own damn doorstep.’
‘I said I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t need your apology, need you to keep the fucking noise down.’
Stepping past her, I make my way down the stairs and out onto the street. I’m an asshole, and she’s never going to let me in.