Close to You (Fusion 2)

Max is Jake’s business partner and a former member of their band. Jake brings him once in a while to join him onstage, and when the two sing together, the harmonies are magical.

“Yep, that’s my plan. Wanna hang at the restaurant tonight and listen to music?” I ask Landon.

“I can do that.”

“Awesome, I’ll see you later.” Riley waves and runs out. And then, as calmly and easy as you please, Landon reaches over and picks Scoot up in his arms. Instead of the bloodshed I’m expecting, Scoot nestles against Landon’s chin, purring.

“You have got to be kidding me,” I mutter, glaring at both of them. “He barely lets me touch him.”

“I don’t know what to say. I’m irresistible.”

“You’re something.” I shake my head and watch as he easily slips Scoot into his carrier.

“There. All done.” I stand and sigh happily as Landon pulls me into his arms for a big hug. “Good luck. Will you be coming into work when you’re done?”

“Yes, I’ll just run him back here and go in.”

“Okay, babe. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Well, it might help if you’re on standby with an ambulance and some Neosporin.”

He just laughs and kisses my head, then leaves. Scoot glares at me from behind his cage door.

“You’re not in jail,” I inform him. “You just have to go to the doctor.”

He growls.

Shit.

“SO, HOW DID it go?” Landon asks that evening as he joins me at the bar. I’ve been locked in my office all day and into the evening, trying to catch up on work. Being with Landon is awesome, but it’s been bad for my productivity.

Not that I’m complaining.

“Well, it was fine—”

“Good.”

“Until we got to the office.”

“Oh no.” He chuckles and smiles at Kat as she joins us. “She took the cat to the vet today.”

“Oh, I’ve heard the story,” Kat says, and pours Landon his usual gin and tonic. “I just want to hear it again.”

“What happened?”

“The cat is evil,” I reply calmly, and take another sip of my wine. “Like, certifiably evil. I could call in a priest, and the priest would agree.”

“He’s so mild-mannered.”

I stare at Landon, and then bust up laughing. “Right.” I hold out my arm so he can examine the scratch marks from my elbow to wrist. “I made this up. Of course, this didn’t happen until after the vaccinations. When we first got there, all was fine. I opened the carrier, and he came out, meowing, looking all innocent and cute. He let the male doctor hold him and examine him. He’s perfectly healthy, by the way.”

“Good to know,” Landon says with a smile.

“He thinks that Scoot is about two years old. He was malnourished at some point.” I frown, not enjoying the thought of the evil cat being hungry. “I guess he can tell by his teeth? I don’t know. Anyway, he got a couple of shots since we don’t know if he’s ever had any before. He’s been neutered, so probably, but we can’t be sure. So, he got some shots. He sat perfectly still, looking around like, whatever.

“And then.” I swallow hard. “The vet left me alone with him.”

“Take a sip of wine,” Kat suggests, and I comply.

“So I opened the cage and reached for him, and he became this . . . wild creature.”

Landon is holding his hand over his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter, but it’s not working.

“His ears went back, and his eyes got super wide and all wildlike and he hissed at me.”

“He doesn’t like the cage,” Kat says, nodding sagely.

“You weren’t there, Kat. You didn’t see it.” I take another sip of wine. “He actually scratched me. And I was so surprised, I practically threw him into the cage!”

“Aw, poor Scoot,” Landon says, earning the glare of death from me.

“Poor Scoot?” My voice is calm, but I feel my cheeks flush. “Poor Scoot?”

“You know what I mean,” he says, reaching for my hand, but I jerk away.

“I bled. And then he screamed at me all the way home, and when I opened his cage, he ran out super fast and tried to trip me . . . and the worst part?”

“There’s a part that’s worse?” Landon says, laughing.

“He freaking peed in his cage!” Both Landon and Kat are laughing now. “Have you ever had to clean cat pee? It’s the most disgusting thing ever.”

“But tell him the rest,” Kat says, waving at me and holding on to her stomach. “Seriously, it’s the best part.”

“Oh God,” Landon replies. “I have to hear it.”

I square my shoulders, trying to wrap a little dignity around myself and failing miserably, I’m sure. “Well, I took the cage into the laundry room, and I had it in the big sink back there to wash it out.”

Kat doubles over, lays her forehead on the bar, and hits it with her fist. “Oh my God, I can’t handle it.”

“So, I’m running hot water into it, and swishing the water around.”

“Oh my God, I’m gonna pee!” Kat exclaims.

“And suddenly, out of nowhere, Scoot jumps into the sink! Which isn’t such a bad thing because after he peed in the cage, he needed a bath anyway. He starts flailing about and howling, and sending water all over me and over the side of the sink onto the floor, and to try to climb out, he latches on to my other arm.” I pull my sleeve up so Landon can see. “And proceeds to almost amputate me as he launches himself across the room!”