He’s already lost interest and is settling into his recliner. “Thanks, Marion.”
I never correct him when he calls me by my grandmother’s name because for a moment, I can feel her with me again. She’d get a kick out of the sweet mistake. I shut the door and then kneel to have a chat with Rascal. “Upstairs today or to the park?” I release his leash, and he legs it for the elevators. “The park it is.”
Gil will be gone, done with his shift for the weekend, but seeing Pete sitting behind the desk makes me wonder if I should run my idea by him.
“Hey, Juni, it’s a beautiful Saturday.”
“It sure is.” I keep walking, thinking it’s best if I don’t put a damper on his day with my issues.
He pops out of his chair and opens the door wide for us. “Where are you and Rascal heading today?”
“I think a quick stroll around the park and maybe some ice cream from The Barkery down the street.”
“I was just there on Thursday. Picked up some peanut butter treats for Enzo. He devoured them. I bet Rascal would like the nutty nibbles.”
Pete spoils his pit bull like a kid. It’s really sweet. “We’ll have to try them. Have a great day.”
He’s right. It’s a beautiful day. The sun’s shining, a blue sky is overhead, and flowers are blooming. Spring is just magical as the earth reawakens from the dormant winter.
Rascal tugs on his leash. He’s only ten pounds, so I can handle him, but geez. “Slow your horses. Well, paws in your case. We’re almost there.”
Just as we enter the park, I freeze. Tensing my lips, I give Rascal my best evil eyes. “You little traitor. You tricked me.”
I look down the path to where Andrew’s stretching—sweaty hair with glistening skin and biceps he’s been hiding under too many clothes since we met. “Oh my.” I fan myself, and then ask Rascal, “How about Central Park today?”
He yaps his approval. It’s so cute when he replies.
“Juni?”
Okay, maybe not so cute when he draws unwanted attention, though . . .
I head back down the path to the sidewalk, my pace rivaling Olympian speed walkers if speed walking is a thing in the Olympics. I’d probably win. I’d better. There’s no point entering a competition to lose.
What am I talking about?
“Juni, wait up.”
I turn back to see him actually jogging after me. Shit. I’m never going to outwalk his pace. Seeing the edge of the landscaping, I’m left with no other choice. I duck behind the shrub and lower my head. It’s not the most mature reaction to seeing someone you totally embarrassed yourself in front of the night before, but it’s the only answer I have right now.
“What are you doing, Juni?”
I remain silent. Not because I don’t think he can see me, but because I have nothing to say. And with the sun above, I don’t want to be tempted by those warm brown eyes to say the wrong thing, like I’m hiding from you.
His feet come closer, and he squats down next to me. “What’s going on?”
I’ve wanted to see these shrubs up close for a while now, so I don’t regret the decision to duck inside. His white shirt clings to him, soaked through with sweat. The scent of a forest by the ocean fills the air between us, making me realize even his sweat smells good. His hair is free of gel and hanging down after a hard workout, causing the wet tips to stick to his forehead.
It’s the tint of his cheeks that I find irresistible, the slightest red from his body’s heat. He’s incredibly good-looking and makes my mind go fuzzy. I rattle off the first thing that comes to mind. “Enjoying the weather?” I’m tempted to bury my head in the dirt to give him time to realize he would have been better off if he’d kept walking.
Rascal’s not hearing of it and tugs me sideways. Traitor. Anything to get to Andrew.
Petting Rascal’s head, he replies, “I am. I went for a run and was just cooling down when I saw you. Other than running away from me for some unknown reason, what are you doing in there?”
“Did you know,” I say, taking a green leaf between my fingers, “that a large swath of the population confuses the doublefile viburnum for a small, non-concealing tree? It’s actually a shrub and can spread easily if not managed. Not as bad as bamboo if we’re looking for comparisons, which we’re not.” Shut up, Juni.
“That is interesting.” For a second, I’m not sure if he’s being truthful, but the sincerity in his eyes relieves me and causes me to smile.
“I always thought so.” But then I remember I do not want to have a conversation with this man, at least not right now, so I clap my hands together. “Well, this bush looks healthy.”