Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 101254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Chapter Four
Ben
I love dogs. Always have. But I don’t have one of my own. I travel so much between here and my place in New York and abroad that I never thought it would be fair to the dog.
Rita’s a cute and scruffy little thing, white with gray markings—an obvious rescue. I’d say she’s mostly some kind of terrier, and I can’t guess her age, exactly. She doesn’t seem old, but she’s definitely not a puppy anymore. She doesn’t seem bothered by me as she continues to sniff the ground.
“Hey, pup,” I say.
She wags her tail at me. She’s small enough that I can easily pick her up, so I kneel and take her in my arms. She licks my face. And I can’t help myself. I laugh.
Yeah, I’ve got to get a dog.
“She doesn’t usually let people pick her up.”
I turn at Tessa’s voice. She opens a bag and scoops up the poop, knotting it closed. Then she walks over to the trash can close to the entrance and drops it in.
Rita is wriggling in my arms. I let her down and hand the leash to Tessa. “I’ll see you back up.”
“Ben, I was just up there.”
“I know. But I’m going to see you to your door. It’s what I do. Besides”—I bend down and give Rita a pet—“Rita and I are good friends now.”
She sighs but doesn’t argue.
We walk back in, up the four flights of stairs, and Tessa unlocks the door to her unit.
I make a point to stay in the hallway. “It was great meeting you.”
“You too.” She looks at the floor as Rita runs into the small apartment.
Resignation exudes from her. She’s depleted. So depleted, and I yearn to help her. To at least do something within my power.
“Tell you what,” I say. “I’ll make the arrangements for your bachelorette party if you’d like. I’ve got all the details about the resort, and Braden gave me carte blanche. He’s planning on paying for everything.”
“I know,” Tessa says. “Skye told me. He’s very generous.”
“He is, especially where Skye is concerned. He’d buy her the moon if he could.”
“I believe he would.” She looks over at Rita, who has settled herself on a chair. “Skye fell in love with a puppy when I rescued Rita. Her place didn’t allow pets, but I…” A small smile curves her lips.
She’s so beautiful.
“I called Braden,” she continues. “I told him about the pup, about how much Skye loved it, and Braden adopted the pup for Skye.”
I nod. “I’m familiar with the tale.”
“It’s so…”
“So…what?” I ask.
She sighs. “It seems like years have gone by since then, but in reality it’s only been a few months. I remember telling her to go for it when Braden asked her out. To let her hair down. Skye was never like that. She thought everything out. Overthought everything. Tried to control every minor facet of her life.”
“And now?”
“She’s still like that, but not to the same extent. Braden has been good for her.”
“She’s been good for him too,” I say. “I’ve never seen them happier.”
That gets another small smile out of Tessa.
“Goodnight,” I say.
“Goodnight. Thank you for the drink.”
“Anytime. I’ll be in touch about the arrangements. That way you can…”
She meets my gaze. “I can what?”
“Nothing. I’ll be in touch. I’ll take care of all of it.”
“Thank you.” She nods and closes the door. I wait until I hear the deadbolt click into place, and then I leave.
I hope I haven’t done Tessa a disservice by offering to take care of the arrangements for both parties. It’s clear she’s not in the mood, not in the headspace, but this is her best friend. I know how much she loves Skye. I can see it in the way she talks about her and how happy she is for her and Braden. I don’t doubt Tessa wants the bachelorette party to be perfect and she’s just struggling to focus.
The signs are loud and clear to me. I’ve been where Tessa is. Not for the same reasons, of course, but I’ve been to that dark place where you’re not sure you’ll ever be able to climb back out of the hole. The best thing you can do is to have something to focus on, and I just took that away from Tessa.
I wanted to help her, yearned to help her, but I may have only made things worse.
Sherlock is waiting for me, and I scramble into the back seat as he holds the door.
“Where to this time, Mr. B?” he asks.
It’s early yet on Friday evening. I could go to a club, but I’m not really in the mood for crowds and dancing and loud music.
Watching Braden and Skye find each other and follow their love has made me wonder if maybe it’s time for me to look for the same thing. Indiscriminate sex no longer has the thrill it once did. I’m looking for more. An emotional connection that matches the physical.