looking in Oliver’s face, and then giving a wag of her tail. Oliver gently patted the dog on the head and she lay down.
“Okay, maybe he’s not so bad.”
“She. It’s a girl.”
The dog rolled over on her back and opened her mouth, her tongue hanging out in happiness. I think the dog had a crush on Oliver, closing her eyes in bliss when he scratched her belly. No female was i mpervious.
“What’s her name?” Oliver asked.
“I haven’t decided yet,” I said.
“Let me know when you do,” Oliver said, and then stood up. The dog returned to all fours and watched Ol iver retreat to his apartment, and gave out a low moan as Oliver disappeared.
I leaned down and scratched behind her ear as she continued to stare at Oliver’s door, willing him to come back. “Don’t look needy, girl,” I said, and then dragged her into her new home.
Oliver
Delaney smiled up at me from the floor, where she was petting her dog. It was this ugly mutt, and she cooed at it like it was the most beautiful creature. I wanted her to look up at me with the same expression, and when she looked up at me again, my heart sped up, my palms went sweaty, and my vision blurred a little. I grinned down at her, bubbling with happiness, and then realized slowly, horrifically, what I was doing with Delaney.
I escaped into my apartment and called up Michael. “I need to go out. Tonight. Come out to the Saturn with me.”
“What’s the hurry?” Michael said slowly.
“I just need a distraction.”
“A distraction from what? Wedding stuff?”
“Sure. Yeah.” I hung up the phone and closed my eyes, willing myself to think rationally, but instead I kept thinking of Delaney.
Delaney
Ursula frowned down at the card I’d passed to her across the cafeteria table. “Dr. Wild gave you his number?”
“Yes. For you.” I’d just explained my mortifying experience after my physical, asking for Dr. Wild’s phone number on behalf of Ursula. It wasn’t something I was keen to experience again. “You better call him.”
She sucked in a breath and her eyes darted around the room. “I don’t know. I’m…this is a little scar ier than I thought.”
“What is?”
“Life,” she said.
“Oh. Yeah, it is.”
“But did he seem interested?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah. He brightened right up when I mentioned your name.”
“Maybe it was you he was smiling at, though.”
“Ursula, don’t be ridiculous. How completely unprofessional is this guy? He wouldn’t date a patient.”
“You’re right. He wouldn’t. He’s really sweet. And handsome. And he has these green eyes that are the color of sea glass and—”
“Ursula, focus. Call. Arrange a date. Make happy time. Leave me out of it, okay?”
“Okay.” She bit her lip, “Speaking of favors, I should talk to Oliver about being less of a jac kass.”
“He’s not that bad,” I said softly, remembering our dinner the other night. “Emily verbally kicked his ass the other day, actua lly.”
“Good for her!” She fist pumped and then asked, “So, when can I come over and see your place and also verba lly kick Oliver’s ass?”
“I don’t know. He’s actually being a little ni cer.”
“Is he still calling you Skunk Girl?”
My hand fluttered to my hair and I didn’t have to answer. “Ass kicking time. Name it,” she said.
“You really don’t have to—”
“Delaney, you did me a favor, now I’m doing you one. Name the time.”
“ Tonight? Seven?”
“Tonight.”
Six
Delaney
“Oliver!” Ursula said as we hit the top landing, Oliver leaning against his door, giving his cousin a sleepy smile.
“Hey,” he said, and he wrapped his arms around her. “I can’t believe we live in the same city and we never manage to see each other. It’s ridiculous.” His eyes skated past Ursula’s shoulder as he gave me a small smile. “Hey, Delaney.”
“Hey, Oliver,” I said softly.
“It is ridiculous,” said Ursula. “The last time I saw you was
“Okay, maybe he’s not so bad.”
“She. It’s a girl.”
The dog rolled over on her back and opened her mouth, her tongue hanging out in happiness. I think the dog had a crush on Oliver, closing her eyes in bliss when he scratched her belly. No female was i mpervious.
“What’s her name?” Oliver asked.
“I haven’t decided yet,” I said.
“Let me know when you do,” Oliver said, and then stood up. The dog returned to all fours and watched Ol iver retreat to his apartment, and gave out a low moan as Oliver disappeared.
I leaned down and scratched behind her ear as she continued to stare at Oliver’s door, willing him to come back. “Don’t look needy, girl,” I said, and then dragged her into her new home.
Oliver
Delaney smiled up at me from the floor, where she was petting her dog. It was this ugly mutt, and she cooed at it like it was the most beautiful creature. I wanted her to look up at me with the same expression, and when she looked up at me again, my heart sped up, my palms went sweaty, and my vision blurred a little. I grinned down at her, bubbling with happiness, and then realized slowly, horrifically, what I was doing with Delaney.
I escaped into my apartment and called up Michael. “I need to go out. Tonight. Come out to the Saturn with me.”
“What’s the hurry?” Michael said slowly.
“I just need a distraction.”
“A distraction from what? Wedding stuff?”
“Sure. Yeah.” I hung up the phone and closed my eyes, willing myself to think rationally, but instead I kept thinking of Delaney.
Delaney
Ursula frowned down at the card I’d passed to her across the cafeteria table. “Dr. Wild gave you his number?”
“Yes. For you.” I’d just explained my mortifying experience after my physical, asking for Dr. Wild’s phone number on behalf of Ursula. It wasn’t something I was keen to experience again. “You better call him.”
She sucked in a breath and her eyes darted around the room. “I don’t know. I’m…this is a little scar ier than I thought.”
“What is?”
“Life,” she said.
“Oh. Yeah, it is.”
“But did he seem interested?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah. He brightened right up when I mentioned your name.”
“Maybe it was you he was smiling at, though.”
“Ursula, don’t be ridiculous. How completely unprofessional is this guy? He wouldn’t date a patient.”
“You’re right. He wouldn’t. He’s really sweet. And handsome. And he has these green eyes that are the color of sea glass and—”
“Ursula, focus. Call. Arrange a date. Make happy time. Leave me out of it, okay?”
“Okay.” She bit her lip, “Speaking of favors, I should talk to Oliver about being less of a jac kass.”
“He’s not that bad,” I said softly, remembering our dinner the other night. “Emily verbally kicked his ass the other day, actua lly.”
“Good for her!” She fist pumped and then asked, “So, when can I come over and see your place and also verba lly kick Oliver’s ass?”
“I don’t know. He’s actually being a little ni cer.”
“Is he still calling you Skunk Girl?”
My hand fluttered to my hair and I didn’t have to answer. “Ass kicking time. Name it,” she said.
“You really don’t have to—”
“Delaney, you did me a favor, now I’m doing you one. Name the time.”
“ Tonight? Seven?”
“Tonight.”
Six
Delaney
“Oliver!” Ursula said as we hit the top landing, Oliver leaning against his door, giving his cousin a sleepy smile.
“Hey,” he said, and he wrapped his arms around her. “I can’t believe we live in the same city and we never manage to see each other. It’s ridiculous.” His eyes skated past Ursula’s shoulder as he gave me a small smile. “Hey, Delaney.”
“Hey, Oliver,” I said softly.
“It is ridiculous,” said Ursula. “The last time I saw you was
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