Number Neighbors - Emma Hart Page 0,53
focus on.”
“I thought you’d say art or cats to be honest.”
“No, I’m a recent cat convert. That little shit is growing on me.” I fought a smile and glanced at the menu. “And Immy is the artist, not me. I’m just working with her to help her out while I find a job I’m actually qualified for.”
“Which is what?”
“Journalism,” I replied. “It’s what I majored in, but it’s a rough thing to get into a small town unless you get lucky at the local paper or start one of your own.”
“I’m sorry. That sucks. Have you done anything online?”
I blew out a long breath. “I had a blog once upon a time, but then everything moved to social media and I struggled to keep a readership. Otherwise, no. I didn’t know where to look, and like you, I’m really not a city person so moving isn’t an option. It was easier to come home and do odd bits here and there. My granddad left us an inheritance when he died which was how I bought my house, and I think I’ve worked just about every service job over the last few years.”
“I might be able to help you,” Isaac said slowly, his gaze flitting over my face as if he were testing my reaction.
“How?”
“My sister works for a publishing house in London. She does all the press releases and marketing, so I bet she’ll have some tips on how to break into the industry from your side.”
“Really?” Excitement bubbled inside me. “I would love that. But I want to work for it, not just because I’m dating someone who’s in a similar industry.”
I froze the moment I said the D-word.
Isaac raised his eyebrows again, but this time it was more playful. “Dating, eh?”
“Shut up. You know what I mean.”
I was saved from his response by the waitress coming back with our drinks and taking our food order. She took the menus with her as she left. There was a moment of silence between us before someone on the table next to us knocked over her wine and half the restaurant went crazy.
Us?
No. We just sat right where we were and laughed into our hands. Just like that, the moment of tension was gone, and we were back to normal.
“Okay, if we’re doing the whole information thing, let’s talk about hobbies,” I said. “What do you do when you’re not being an animal hero and saving lives?”
He chuckled. “I spend most of my time administering vaccinations or telling people their lazy dogs need to go on diets, but sure, I’m a hero.”
“You saved my kitten.”
“He had a cold. You wouldn’t believe how often I see that in strays.” He sipped his beer. “I guess I don’t have a ton of hobbies. I work a lot, and that’s pretty sad. I like football—actual football where your foot touches the ball—and I’m not too bad at DIY. Unless your grandmother is around, then it’s every man for themselves.”
“That is so accurate, I’m a little scared.”
“I’m a fast learner.”
I grinned.
“Tell me your hobbies.”
“Well, I like watching serial killer documentaries on Netflix while not wearing a bra, shopping for underwear with ridiculous patterns, and apparently sharing grandmother babysitting shifts with my cousin,” I reeled off. “And yes, those things are all on my online dating profiles.”
“That I highly doubt you’ll be needing anymore.”
“My grandmother or my online dating profiles?”
“I hate to think about what Jen would say if I said her, so the dating profiles.”
“Is that right? You’re real confident over there, aren’t you?”
He shrugged, leaning forward so his muscles bulged against the fabric of his shirt. “Let’s just say I have a really good feeling about this.”
“You mean to say that Grandma hasn’t scared you off? For real?”
“Would I be here if she had?”
“Weirder things have happened. You should see her binoculars stash.”
“You’re not scaring me off like that.”
“I’m not trying to scare you. I’m trying to warn you. The appropriate response is ‘thank you.’”
Isaac’s lips pulled up, his eyes shining. “Fair enough. Shall we get back to getting to know each other?”
“Yes!” I said a little too enthusiastically, drawing the attention of a few tables surrounding us. I shirked back in my seat, much to Isaac’s amusement, and waited until everyone was no longer looking at me.
We covered school and dreams and silly things like your favorite food and your favorite color. Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, our food was brought out, and we kept talking to the point we barely