“Hi.” I smile and clear my throat. “Just needed some treats.” I grab the first bag of treats that I come to, barely taking my gaze off Shep for more than a second.
“Did you get a cat?”
My eyes narrow. “No. Why?”
“Because those are cat treats.”
I glance down at the bag in my hand. “Oh.” This isn’t going as planned. Why am I such a nervous wreck? Oh that’s right … the last time I saw him I was tied to his headboard, and I chickened out because I started to feel something too real. “Long day,” I say on a nervous laugh as I return the cat treats and scan the area for anything with a dog on the packaging.
“Busy day here?” I ask, browsing the shelves, suddenly feeling the urge to thoroughly inspect them before making my choice.
“Not bad for a Wednesday. How was your long day?”
I shrug, reading the back of a package, but not really reading the back of it. “The usual. My days are pretty monotonous. How are your parents?”
“Good. How are yours?”
Chuckling, I glance over at him. He’s never met them, but it’s nice of him to ask. “They’re good.”
“And Cersei?”
“She’s good.”
“You didn’t bring her. She’ll be upset when she finds out.” Shep leans against the back counter and crosses his arms over his chest. His sex appeal is so effortless. It’s simple really. The hair. The way he smiles and it reaches his eyes. Always a simple tee, jeans, and tennis shoes. Expensive shoes. I’m pretty sure the shoes he wore to dinner with his parents were Yeezy’s, close to four hundred dollars.
I try not to think of him as a sixteen-year-old boy whose parents pay for nearly everything, therefore he can blow his whole paycheck on stupid expensive shoes, but I can’t not think it either.
Friends … I remind myself. So it’s none of my business. Temporary friends at that. I’m obviously a terrible temporary friend. I got all weird on him at his place, then he didn’t call. That should have been my clean break, but here I am … stalking him.
“I just came from work. Had I gone home to get her, you would have been closed since you close early on Wednesdays.”
“True.”
I take the dog treats to the register. “Are Julia and George with Millie this week?”
He nods, scanning the bag. “Seven thirty-five.”
I pull a ten out of my purse. “Want to meet at the park sometime?”
Before he can answer, the door opens behind me. A young woman with flowing brown hair smiles and waves at him as she heads to the back room.
“New employee?” I ask.
“Yes. Riley. She started last week. She’s working weekends and every Wednesday night after closing to help me do inventory.”
The leggy young woman is spending Wednesday nights alone with Shep to do inventory. Well … that’s awesome.
He gives me my change. “Two sixty-five.”
Riley emerges from the back room and reaches to open the drawer next to Shep. “Scooch.” She gives him a playful nudge.
I hate her.
No!
I inwardly cringe as my thoughts run amuck. Of course, I don’t hate her. I don’t know her. And Shep is my friend, just my friend. And I’m pregnant. And …
He eyes her with a fake scowl. “Ask nicely or I’ll make you inventory all the frozen food from the inside of the freezer.”
She bites her bottom lip and bats her eyelashes. “Pretty please, Your Highness.”
Again, he smirks like he’s enjoying their banter. “That’s better.” He steps to the side and lets her open the drawer.
She retrieves a box cutter and stabs him in the side: of course, the blade is not out.
“You’ll pay for that,” he says as she saunters to the back room.
“I’m sure,” she replies just before disappearing behind the door.
“Hope Cersei enjoys the treats,” he says, returning his attention to me.
I push through a pile of jealousy and irrational hate toward a person I just met (we haven’t officially met) to unearth the version of myself I need to honor. The altruistic pregnant woman.
The friend.
The mature woman.
The professional.
But it’s really hard because jealousy is dense and heavy. It’s suffocating and sticky. It can’t easily be discarded or shook off.
“I’m sure she will.” I take the bag and carve a smile into my stiff face. “Have a good night.”
I know … I just know he’s not sleeping with Riley. That’s not Shep. And while it’s ridiculous to think I know him well enough to believe it with such certainty, I do. There’s something about him that I’ve known since the day we met. That undeniable feeling.
“You too. Just call me when you find an evening that works to let the dogs play.”
With my fake smile, I return a sharp nod. “You bet.”
“It was good to see you,” Shep says as I partially open the door.
I give myself five seconds … five seconds to pretend I never met Jimmy which means I’m not in the middle of evicting him.