Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Tori's new favorite coffee drink is a vanilla almond milk latte with cinnamon on top.
That's what Dr. Adrian likes.
"These are good," she says to Peyton, taking a sip. It's a warm day, and normally she'd have ordered something cold, but drinking the same thing as Dr. Adrian makes her feel close to him.
Peyton sucks on her Frappuccino’s straw. They make coffee runs regularly for everyone at the animal hospital. In fact, today something thrilling happened. When Tori handed him his coffee cup, the tips of Dr. Adrian’s fingers brushed against hers.
She’s noticed he does that a lot. Lightly touching her shoulder or arm, or her fingers in this case.
"Thank you, Tori," he’d said with a smile in his blue eyes.
His eyelashes have a natural curl to them and are tipped blond at the ends.
She constantly notices things like that about him.
"I heard Dr. Adrian mention he might go to the Arts Festival at Seattle Center in a couple weeks," Tori tells Peyton in a low voice. They're both behind the counter at the front desk. It's lunch, so the office is closed. "Do you think I should ask him if he'd like to go with me? Is that being too forward?"
Peyton seems to consider this. "You could hint around and see what he says."
"I wish he wasn’t still getting over Renée." Tori sighs. "Maybe I should give him more time."
She thinks back to how Dr. Adrian's fingers touched hers and figures he’ll make his move eventually.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Peyton says, swishing her Frappuccino around to keep it from separating. "Someone called this morning looking for a dog sitter."
Tori perks up. "Really? That's great. Did you give them my number?"
"I did." She smiles. "And you'll never believe who it was. Remember that hot FBI guy who came in with Miss Fancy Pants last week? "
Tori’s mouth opens with repulsion. " Liam? "
"I gave him your number and told him all about the Happy Pet Nanny."
She groans. "Are you kidding me?"
"He needs a dog sitter." She leans closer. "And guess what? I don't think he's with Rachel anymore either. I think they broke up."
"There's no way I'm working for him. Not in a million years."
"Why not? He seemed like a nice guy. Remember how he stayed and helped with the police? "
"That's because you don't know the whole story. We have history." Tori relays a brief version of what happened with the milkshake incident.
To her surprise, Peyton only shrugs. "Honey, that was high school. People change. You can't hold that against him all these years later."
Normally Tori would be the first to agree with that. She’s always willing to give someone a second chance, or even a third one. But not Liam. Not after what he did to her. The way he ruined her first dance. The way he and his friends laughed and pointed at her. That humiliation is burned in her brain forever.
"Forget it." She snorts. "And he better not call me."
Liam stares at the number. The last one on his list. He's hired two dog sitters this week, except Miss Fancy Pants wanted nothing to do with either of them. She growled and barked at them both, refused to go for a walk, and even tried to bite the second one.
The poor woman ran out of here like there was a devil on her heels.
He's been forced to come home for lunch every day and take the damn dog out himself. If he doesn't do it, she pees all over the house. Her latest form of rebellion. He still hasn't replaced the couch she destroyed, figuring there's no point buying a new one since she'll only destroy that too.
It's like he's being held prisoner in his own home by a fluffy white demon.
There isn't any reason to believe things will be different with Tori, except Miss Fancy Pants knows her from the vet.
Though he doubts Tori will agree to it.
She hates me.
But then he remembers the piss puddle he stepped in last night. There was another one in his shoes this morning. Perfectly good shoes he'll have to throw away now.
So what if she hates me?
I’m desperate.
He takes a seat on his torn and lumpy sofa and calls the number he got from the vet’s office. It starts to ring, and his throat dries up. Talking to Tori makes him feel like a nervous teenager.
Except she doesn't answer. The line goes directly to voicemail, where she thanks him for calling Happy Pet Nanny. He listens as she tells him to leave his name and number and ends the message with "Have a purrrfect day!"
"Hi, Tori, this is Liam Castillo." His voice is scratchy. He swallows. "I'm, uh, looking for a dog sitter. I know we've had our differences in the past, but maybe we can put that behind us. Basically, I need someone to take Miss Fancy Pants for a walk every day. I'm willing to—"
Beeeeep.
The voicemail cuts him off. Dammit. He didn't even have a chance to leave his number.
"Hi, this is Liam again. I'm sure you're thrilled to hear my voice a second time. It's just that… this dog has been a real handful to deal with. She's destroying my house. She urinates everywhere. Though you probably think I deserve that after what—"
Beeeeep.
"Yes, I'm calling a third time. I know you hate my guts. It turns out I'm desperate, and I hope you'll take pity on me." Liam pauses. Did I really just say that? "Please call me back." He leaves his cell number and hangs up.
He puts the phone on the coffee table and stares at it. "I sounded like an idiot. A pitiful idiot."
He leans forward, scrubbing his face with frustration.
There's movement to his right. Miss Fancy Pants comes over and hops on the couch. He notices, despite her sprained leg, she seems to get around just fine.
She's been joining him out here the past few evenings, sitting on the opposite end of the sofa, watching ESPN with him until they both fall asleep.
He sighs and looks over at her. "You've got to stop pissing everywhere. I can't take it anymore."
The dog's dark eyes gaze at him. For the first time, he realizes Elena is right. She seems sad. He puts his hand out, and to his surprise Miss Fancy Pants moves closer.
Her fur is soft as he pets her, more like hair. "Rachel left because of me, not you. I hope you understand that. Though in the end, she left us both, didn't she?"
Miss Fancy Pants seems to take in his words. He wonders if she senses what he's saying. It occurs to him this dog really misses Rachel, misses her more than he does.
He pets her a little longer, then finally gets up to make dinner. After heating up a piece of salmon along with a side of mixed vegetables, he pours Miss Fancy Pants some dry dog food in her bowl, which she ignores.
Once he's seated on his lumpy sofa again, he puts his feet up on the coffee table and flips through channels. He keeps glancing over at the dog, wondering why she's not eating her food.
He stares at his plate of salmon. Finally he figures what the heck. He cuts off a chunk for her and places it on the couch between them. Dogs are related to bears, right? Salmon should be okay.
Miss Fancy Pants gets up and sniffs at the fish. Liam watches as she gently picks it up with her teeth and brings it over to her corner of the sofa. She settles back down with the salmon between her paws, licking and taking delicate bites.
Satisfied, he leans back and grabs his fork again. The two of them eat their salmon as they watch a game replay from the NCAA Division I with a couple of his favorite teams.
He's so tired that he falls asleep halfway through the third inning. He jumps, startled, when his phone buzzes on the coffee table. The plate on his lap clatters to the floor.
"Shit." Liam grabs the buzzing phone. The number is a local one from Seattle, but he doesn't recognize it. “Castillo."
There's silence on the other end of the line. But then he detects music in the background.
"I can not believe I'm calling you back," a feminine voice says.
"Who is this?"
"Three messages in one day. That's practically stalking. You know that, don't you?" The voice has a familiar lilt to it.
He blinks. "Tori?"
"Yes." She sighs. "I'm only calling you because I'm worried about Miss Fancy Pants. That's it."
Liam glances over at the dog, who's also awake now.
"Thank you," he says. "I appreciate it."
"You don't deserve my help, but she does. So tell me, what exactly is going on with her?"
He licks his lips and explains all of Miss Fancy Pants’s recent behavioral issues. The destruction and how she's been urinating all over the house, including inside his shoes.
"She peed in your shoes? That's a lot of anger. She's really upset."
"Tell me about it. I put them on without even noticing they were full of piss."
"Yuck." He can hear her laughing.
"You don't have to sound so gleeful about it."
She laughs some more. "Sorry."
She doesn't sound sorry.
"Has something happened recently? Where's Rachel in all this?"
Liam rubs his jaw. Tori Church is the last person on Earth he wants to tell the sad story of his love life to, but it appears he has no choice. "She left me."
"Left you?"
"That's right. She ran off to Buenos Aires with her foot doctor."
"Brazil?"
"Argentina."
"I see. So she was your girlfriend? "
"Yes, we lived together for two years."
"Wow." Tori sounds angry. "I had no idea Rachel was such a monster ."
Liam is surprised by the venom in her tone. He figured she'd be happy to hear about his recent misery. He reaches down to pick up the plate and fork from the floor. "To be honest, I saw it coming."
"That she would do something so horrible?"
"It wasn't pleasant," he admits. "Things were over between us for a while though."
"Running off and abandoning her dog !"
Miss Fancy Pants perks her head up at the word dog.
He rolls his eyes. He should have known her sympathy wasn't for him.
"It's no wonder Miss Fancy Pants is upset," Tori continues. "She's taking her anger out on you because Rachel isn't there."
He glances over at the little dog, who's watching him on the phone with interest. "I think she blames me for Rachel leaving."
Tori seems to consider this. "It's certainly possible. One thing’s for sure, that poor dog is dealing with an emotional wound."
"She's destroying my house. Do you think you can help me?"
The line goes silent, and he holds his breath. He can sense her thinking it over.
"Let me make something perfectly clear up front. I'm doing this to help Miss Fancy Pants, not you ."
"I understand."
"She's such a sweetie and doesn't deserve what's happened to her." Her voice softens. "It may take some time for her to learn to trust anyone again."
Miss Fancy Pants has moved into a sitting position, still watching the conversation.
"How soon can you start?" he asks. He doesn't want to sound too eager, but he's desperate to get some control over his life.
"Let me grab my planner."
The line goes silent, except he can hear her exerting herself, like she's reaching for something. It's weird, but the sound of her breath is stirring him up inside.
He listens, even closes his eyes, as he tries to imagine exactly what she looks like. It's late, so she's probably wearing what she sleeps in. A nightgown? Something short and low-cut? He doubts that's the case, but this is his fantasy. In reality, she's probably wearing baggy pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. Though, come to think of it, he'd find that just as sexy on her.
"Okay, got it." She sighs, and there's a sound of pages rustling.
He licks his bottom lip, still listening, still imagining her.
"Hmm, let's see," she murmurs. Her voice is feminine and soft. "When do you need me?"
His eyes are still closed. Right now.
"Could you come over tomorrow?" he asks, his voice rough to his own ears.
"What time?"
"Noon."
"You're in luck. I had a cancellation and can squeeze you in at twelve fifteen. Will that work?"
"Sounds good."
"I'm going to add you to my book," she says in an official tone. "We can discuss my payment and any future arrangements when I see you. Text me your address at this number, okay?"
They hang up. Miss Fancy Pants is still sitting there watching him. "Don't look at me like that. I'm doing this for you. She can help."
Though it feels like he's doing it for himself. Between Rachel leaving and him working extra hours, he's been too wrung out to even think about sex. Apparently his body hasn't forgotten though.
Despite her hostility, he remembers how attracted he was to Tori in high school.
Of course, that was before the milkshake happened, before she and her brother made his life hell.
That's the part he needs to remember.
Mable hasn't been found yet, so Tori's still driving Blair's Honda as she pulls up to the address Liam texted her last night. It's one of those newer Seattle neighborhoods where the homes all have a cookie-cutter look to them. There are two vehicles already parked in his driveway, so she parks on the street.
As she heads up the walkway with her purse, she notices how all the lawns are the same color green and trimmed to the same length. The sidewalks have been swept clean. She rings the bell to his house, and a few moments later, the door opens.
She's startled by the sight of Liam. He's bigger than she remembers from last week. More handsome too.
"Hello, Tori." His dark eyes stay on her face.
She shifts the purse on her shoulder and nods. "Hello."
The two of them study each other in silence.
"Come on in." He waves her inside.
She follows him into the main living area, which smells like a mixture of dog piss and cleaning detergent.
She should be taking in her surroundings like she normally does on her first visit as a pet sitter, but she can't stop staring at Liam. He's wearing gray slacks with a white dress shirt and a dark blue tie. As she follows him, she tries not to notice the broad set of his shoulders or the way the back of his neck looks sexy.
Her eyes drop lower to the shoulder holster at his side and widen. "Is that a gun?"
Liam turns. "Yes, it is. As I mentioned last time we saw each other, I'm a special agent with the FBI."
"I do remember."
His expression changes to concern. "Does the gun bother you? I can take it off. I just got home a few minutes ago."
"No, it's okay. It doesn't bother me."
"You're sure? "
She nods and takes a deep breath. Liam is having a peculiar effect on her. "So, where's Miss Fancy Pants? I don't see her."
"Probably in the bedroom. You're the third dog sitter, and she hasn't exactly been friendly with any of them."
"The third one?"
"Yep. Let me get her. I'll be right back."
Tori tries to tell him he doesn't have to, but he's already walked off, so instead she checks out his house. The place seems disjointed, like it's missing stuff. The pictures are spaced oddly on the walls, and there's a large gap next to the couch where there was clearly a chair before.
"Oh my God, what happened to your couch?" she asks when he comes back into the living room.
Liam glances at it. "Miss Fancy Pants happened."
"She did that ?" Tori walks over to the dark brown sofa and touches the once-smooth fabric. The cushions have been chewed up. It's obvious the stuffing was dug out and that someone tried to shove it all back in again. "Poor little dog."
"Poor little dog ?" He sounds appalled. "Are you joking? She destroyed my couch. I need to buy a new one, except I can't, because she'll destroy that one too."
"She was only trying to get your attention."
"Well, she succeeded."
Tori frowns. "You're going to have to be more patient than that. Think of what she's been through."
Liam is staring at her like he can't believe his ears. It figures. He opens his mouth to say more, but a soft yip comes from behind him.
Tori's thrilled to discover Miss Fancy Pants sitting on the edge of the rug watching her. She ignores Liam and smiles at the little dog. "Well, look who we have here."
"There she is." He nods with affirmation. "Let me grab the leash so you can take her out for a walk."
Tori gawks at him. “Are you crazy? I'm not taking her for a walk." She sits down on the chewed-up couch, laying her purse on the floor beside it. "She has to come to me on her own. That's the way this works."
"You're not taking her out?" His mouth hangs open like he thinks she’s the crazy one.
"Only if she wants to."
He puts his hands on his hips and stares down at Miss Fancy Pants. "Well, what’s it going to be?"
Tori rolls her eyes. "Do you seriously know nothing about dogs?"
"I've never had one before." He sounds defensive.
"Yes, that's obvious." She motions to the couch. "Have a seat. We need to let her get used to me being here."
Liam glances at Miss Fancy Pants but does as Tori asks, coming over and taking a seat on the opposite end. She notices he's not wearing his gun anymore and figures he must have taken it off in the bedroom.
Tori shifts on the sofa, tugging on her T-shirt so it doesn't emphasize her stomach fat. She's wearing jeans and her pink Heart shirt—one of her favorite bands—but it’s a little tight. She wishes she'd worn something more flattering.
Not that she cares what Liam thinks. I mean, he's no Dr. Adrian.
A long moment of silence passes.
"What now?" he asks.
"Nothing. We just wait. Give Miss Fancy Pants a chance to decide how she feels about my presence here. She needs to see that I'm not a threat."
"And how long will that take?"
"I don't know."
He stares at her. "Seriously? That's it?"
"Yes, that's it. She's a dog, and dogs are very sensitive to their environment."
"But I need you to take her for a walk so she doesn't start pissing all over the house again. I have to get back to work."
Tori shakes her head. "Wow, are you always this impatient?"
"No." He seems surprised. “Actually, I'm a very patient person. "
"You must be kidding. It doesn't show."
Liam studies her with those dark eyes. "That's because you don't know me very well."
"I know plenty," she mutters, turning her head away.
"No, you don't. All those years ago, you only believed what you wanted. And now you're doing it again."
"Excuse me?" She turns back to him. "I know what happened that night. You ruined my first big dance, embarrassed me in front of everyone. And then you and your idiot friends laughed."
"I never laughed."
"I heard you, okay? So stop denying the truth. And let’s not forget, you poured a milkshake over my head."
"That was an accident, for which I apologized profusely. Hell, I still feel bad about it."
"Oh, please." She scoffs. "That was no accident. You only apologized because everybody was watching."
"No, I didn't. And you're not exactly innocent here. You obviously had no problem with your brother trying to beat me up afterward."
Tori is outraged. "I had no idea Road went after you! In fact, I just learned about it myself."
"Yeah, sure." He gazes at her with obvious skepticism. "Now who's the one denying the truth?"
"I am telling the truth!”
"And so am I." Liam's expression is guarded, but she senses the frustration churning beneath the surface. "I've only ever told you the truth," he says in a low voice. "I'm not a liar."
She looks away, irritated. He sounds sincere, but she knows what happened that night. Her memory is crystal clear. "Let's not talk about this anymore, okay? I'm here to help Miss Fancy Pants, not relive our horrible past, of which you are one hundred percent to blame."
He doesn't respond.
"I should have known coming here would be a mistake." She shakes her head. "I want to help your dog, but I can't if all we're going to do is argue. Bad vibes are the last thing we need right now."
Still no response. She eyes the front door area and contemplates leaving.
He takes a deep breath. "You're right. Let's not talk about it anymore."
There's a bleak expression on his face. She thought he'd be angry, but instead he looks tired.
She doesn't know why, but a teeny part of her softens. "Treat me like I'm a guest in your home. We want Miss Fancy Pants to see me as someone who's welcome here. Do you think you can do that?"
"Fine."
Tori discreetly glances at Miss Fancy Pants, who's still sitting at the edge of the rug watching the two of them with interest. She's glad to see the little dog is curious.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" Liam asks, his voice gruff.
"Hmm, that sounds nice." Tori crosses her legs and puts a hand on her knee as she plays the part of houseguest. "What do you have?"
"Iced tea, water, or milk."
She considers her options. "I'll have a glass of ice water, please."
Liam gets up and goes into the kitchen while Tori leans back on the couch, trying to get comfortable. It isn't easy as the lumps in the cushions force her to sit at an odd angle.
He's gone long enough that it gives her a chance to study his house some more. It could use a good cleaning. There are dust bunnies in the corner and a bunch of mail stacked haphazardly on the coffee table. The whole place has a neglected air about it.
When he returns with her water, she thanks him and notices he's poured himself a glass of iced tea.
The two of them sip their drinks in silence.
"So, is this what you always do as a dog sitter?" he asks. "Literally sit around?"
Tori glances at him to see if he's making fun of her, but it seems like a genuine question .
She shrugs. "Sometimes. It depends on the situation. Some dogs take to me right away, but others need coaxing. Miss Fancy Pants needs to feel like she's in control because of what happened with Rachel."
Tori sets her water on the coffee table. It upset her when she heard what happened to this dog. She always thought Rachel seemed like a nice person. Appearances certainly are deceiving.
"And your other clients are fine with all this sitting around?" he asks.
"Didn't you go on my website?"
"No."
"Well, if you'd bothered to check, you'd see all the testimonials from people raving about my pet sitting services."
"Is that so?" Liam leans back, considering her.
"Yes, and you'll also find plenty of tips and pointers for how to take care of your dog’s or cat’s health, both emotional and physical."
As he takes another drink from his iced tea, Tori notices movement from the corner of her eye. Miss Fancy Pants is walking closer.
To her utter delight, the little dog comes right up to her leg and sniffs it.
"Hi there, sweetie," she says softly. She gently puts her hand out, and the dog sniffs that too. She wags her tail, so Tori pets her. "You know who I am, right?"
In answer, the dog jumps up on the couch and sits beside her.
"Great. Finally," Liam says with relief. He leans forward and puts his glass down. "Now you can take her out."
"No, that won't be happening today." Tori continues to pet the dog.
"What do you mean?"
She glances at her watch. Most people use their phones, but she likes to wear a watch when she’s working. "My time here is nearly up."
He opens his mouth. "You can't be serious."
"Yes, I am. I have to leave. "
"Leave? But who's taking this dog for a walk?"
"You are."
He stares at her, speechless.
"You really need to get her coat trimmed too," she goes on. "If you can’t brush it every day, then have it cut short. I can recommend an excellent groomer."
Miss Fancy Pants rubs her head against Tori's hand as she strokes the dog's soft ears.
Liam watches them in what appears to be stunned silence.
"Would you like to schedule my services again? If so, I'll bill you later. If not, you can pay me with cash or check today." She’d already texted him her hourly rate after he gave her his address.
"Are you kidding?" He lets out an ironic laugh. "As far as I can tell, the only thing I'm paying you for is to come over here, sit on my couch, and insult me."
She shrugs. "See it however you like." A part of her hopes he says no. I mean, do I really want to deal with him again?
But then there's Miss Fancy Pants to think of. This dog needs her help, and it's obvious Liam is making a mess of things. Big surprise there.
"You definitely need my help," she tells him.
"Oh, really?"
She nods. "You do. You're making a mess of things."
He's silent after that. Finally, he sighs. "Can you come again tomorrow?"