First Comes Love (Love Comes To Town)

“Harley.” Hannah’s giving me her motherly know-it-all look I hate. “Anchovy is a ferret.”

“And a damn fine healthy ferret. Who I intend to keep that way.”

“Why don’t you feed yourself first, then we can worry about Anchovy.”

“You were the one who brought it up,” I grumble, as I straggle to my feet. “Anyway, you’re so bothered, why don’t you go escape and have a perfect date with the Most Handsome Man Alive?”

“Because I wanted to spend some time with my grumpy lazy friend.”

I crack a half-smile. “OK, sorry. I am grumpy. I think I need some food.” Hannah raises an eyebrow. “OK. A lot of food.”

We end up whipping up some homemade olive and pepperoni pizza. Once I’ve eaten and admitted that Greyson called and I still haven’t called him back, Hannah shoes me out of there. “Call him!”

“God, it’s only been like seven hours since he called, chill.”

When I call, Greyson picks up after the first ring. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I say, “You called. What’s up?”

“Just wanted to see how you were doing.” His tone is natural, not awkward.

“Great,” I say, trying to take the same tone. “I slept in until like 4:30, though. I think I was a wee bit tired.”

Greyson chuckles.

“What about you?” I ask, “Tough day back?”

“No,” he says. “Surprisingly. Had to catch up on emails and return some calls, but nothing like what I expected. Thought there would be a load of work and problems waiting for me. And I did get a look at our episode.”

“Already?!?”

“Our video editors are fast.” I can hear the proud smile in his voice, and it makes me smile too. “And good. That’s why I called, actually. Thought if you wanted to stop by and take a look…”

“Oh.” I frown. “Guess it’s too late now.”

He pauses. “I don’t know. I got the footage on a USB stick, I thought that maybe if you wanted to see it…”

“Of course I do! So, you’ll hand it over tomorrow?”

“I can.”

This conversation feels like it’s going odd. Like there’s something I’m not grasping.

“Of course I’d rather see it right this instant,” I continue, “But I wouldn’t want you to come all this way just to drop it off.”

“I wouldn’t.”

A pause, then he says, “What if we saw it together?”

“Oh.” My hand has been tapping a yay-me beat into my leg for who knows how long. I force it still. “I don’t know, my place is… Messy? Anchovy isn’t great with strangers either. And I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“I know a place,” Greyson says. “If you’re game.”

“A surprise?” I already like the sound of this.

“A surprise.”

“I’m in,” I say.

“Great, I’ll be there in 10.”

“See you.”

I drop the phone on my bed and race off. “Hannah, tell me you’re still here! Greyson just invited me out and if you still want to hang, I can totally cancel on him. And I have nothing to wear!”

Hannah, on the couch, just smiles. “You go off with Greyson. Roger will be thrilled I can come over.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. You and I had our pizza time anyway. We can do girl’s night tomorrow? Legally Blonde?”

“You bet,” I say, my relief rising and falling just as fast. “But I’m in PJs and my hair is insane!”

“Right.” Hannah comes over. “On it.”

Fifteen minutes and one slightly untrue ‘on my way’ text to Greyson later, I’m hurrying into the elevator. I check my reflection with a grin.

Grimly, despite my protests that my hair ‘can’t be tamed’, Hannah calmed its madness into two French braids as I threw some brown eye shadow on as fast as I could without looking like a makeup-challenged hooker. I did a quick hobo shower with my loofah and some almond body gel and then I was as good as new. Or as good as anyone could be when given 10 minutes’ notice. I chose a tie-dye lace-up dress that’s comfy and sexy, an unusual combination as far as I’m concerned, and now, here I am, ready for my… date? Work meeting?

You don’t kiss your boss, stupid.

OK, here I am, ready for my whatever-the-hell, dressed to kill.

Greyson’s at the curb in a slick white Mercedes with the top down, staring.

“Too much?” I ask, biting my smile.

“No. You look great.”

I get in beside him and we get driving.

“If there’s any hair on my dress, it’s Anchovy’s,” I babble.

What the hell is up with me?

Greyson quirks an eyebrow. “Anchovy?”

“Not an actual anchovy.” I giggle. “Although that could be a neat pet. It’s my ferret. His name is Anchovy.”

A smile pricks the corners of his lips. “Of course your ferret’s name is Anchovy.”

I can’t seem to keep myself from smiling either, even though he’s teasing me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you’re a surprise wrapped in a mystery.” He slings a gaze my way. “And I’m excited for tonight.”

“I would be too,” I say, “if I knew what tonight was going to be.”