stood in front of her door, holding her keys, a smile on her face. Her thick blond hair was wavy around her shoulders and her pink lipstick stood out against her skin.
“Hi, Paisley.”
“Taking out the garbage?”
I glanced down at the trash bag, wondering why she was asking such an obvious question. “Yeah.”
“Cool.” Her keys dangled from her hand, but she wasn’t making any attempt to unlock her door. “Do you have any plans for later?”
“Not really. I might go the gym and shoot some hoops.”
“Oh yeah? I don’t have plans either.”
Wasn’t it a Friday? It seemed like she usually went out on Fridays. I glanced around the hallway as if there’d be a calendar somewhere. “Isn’t it Friday?”
“It better be, because I am not going in to work tomorrow.”
“Yeah, it would suck to make that mistake and get fired.”
Her smile faded a little. “Yeah.”
“Well, have a good night.”
“I was hoping to do something with Molly tonight, but she said she’s too tired,” she said quickly. “I guess pregnancy would be tiring. So, no plans.”
Paisley had been my sister’s best friend since high school. But we’d existed on rungs of the social ladder that were so far apart, they might as well have been different worlds. I’d been nothing but her best friend’s nerdy twin brother. Totally beneath her notice.
That hadn’t stopped me from having the world’s biggest crush on Paisley Hayes. At seventeen, I’d been a lovesick puppy, a total idiot who’d given over self-control to the whims of teenage hormones.
Now, though? I wondered what I’d ever seen in her. She was pretty—almost any guy would think so—and she knew how to maximize her physical advantages to attract members of the opposite sex.
But she and I had almost nothing in common. And I knew from Molly that over the years, she’d dated a string of guys, all variations on the same theme—good-looking assholes. I wasn’t her type, and one thing I’d learned working for social media and dating app developers was that most people had a type and stuck to it.
She wasn’t my type either. She was just my sister’s friend, and she was fine as a neighbor. She’d even given me the lead on this apartment when I’d been looking for a place to live.
“Okay, well, I’m going to take this out.” I held up the trash bag. “See you.”
“Oh, okay. Yeah, you don’t want to stand there holding the garbage. I guess I’ll just go inside and figure out what to do with my free evening.” She gestured to her still-locked door.
“Yep. Night, Paisley.”
“Bye.”
I patted my pocket again—really wanted to make sure I hadn’t locked myself out—and took the garbage downstairs. Molly’s mention of wedding cake made me wish I’d stopped by the bakery down the street and picked up something. They had salted caramel cupcakes that were amazeballs.
And why not? I’d just gotten a new job that meant I could stay in Seattle. I’d taken a risk in moving up here and it had paid off. That called for a celebration for one.
4
Hazel
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” ~ Charles M. Schulz
Erwin blinked at me, his green eyes bright in his flat-nosed face. His long gray fur was so thick, it was prone to matting, and it was time we took a trip to the groomer. Although my cat was typically even-tempered—he didn’t do much other than sleep—he was incredibly defiant when it came to one particular activity. Getting in his pet carrier.
I was lying on the floor next to the open pet carrier, sticky with sweat after chasing him around my apartment. None of my usual tricks had worked, and he’d escaped from every trap I’d attempted.
“Come on, Erwin. I put six salmon-flavored cat treats in there. Surely it’s worth getting in for six whole cat treats.”
He blinked again.
“You’re being far too dramatic about this. Get in the carrier, already.”
I sighed and sat up, crossing my legs. Erwin didn’t move.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t raise my voice. It’s just that I’m already stressed about work, and I’d very much like to get this over with. I’m meeting the girls for a run and drinks later, and I don’t want to be late.”
Erwin ignored me.
There had been a time when my sweet gray cat was trusting enough to follow a trail of cat treats right into his pet carrier. But the Erwin of today had seen things. Moving car things. Veterinarian’s office and rectal thermometer things. Coaxing him into his