Page 79 of Avenging Azalea
“Doesn’t make it any less true,” Titus shot back.
This tiny moment of listening to Titus and Nathaniel meant so much. I’d always wanted to feel included and not pushed to the side like some broken doll that needed protecting.
“Yes, I can teach him all the ways of the house, boundaries, and commands. Sheba has already been doing a great job. I got him to come up to me and sit with her for a treat yesterday. And he’s so gentle, you won’t have to worry about him around Cutter.”
“Excellent, that’s good to hear.”
“So, what’s the second condition?”
“That you bring home my fav from our burger place tonight. I don’t feel like cooking or eating out. Staying in with greasy food while getting to know Winston seems like a good night to me.”
If I was a ballerina, then I’d be pirouetting all over the place. Instead, I bounced on the balls of my feet and tried not to screech in his ear with excitement. “You’ve got it. I’ll get all your favs.”
“Then it’s a deal. I’ll see you later for dinner.”
“Thank you, Titus. Seriously, this means the world to me.”
The line was so quiet for a moment that I had to check to make sure the call hadn’t disconnected.
“I know,” he said after another minute. So much was said in the heavy silence, though no words were spoken. “I’ll see you later. Bye, Fawn.”
The line went dead, but my heart continued to gallop at top speed in my chest.
“Did your plan work?”
I jumped and spun around at the sound of Dr. Taylor’s voice. I smiled wide, walking toward him.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, it did. I’m taking Winston home with me,” I said.
Dr. Taylor’s eyes lit up as he gave me a sexy, lopsided grin.
“Well, I’ll be damned, that is great news. How about I take you out to dinner to celebrate?”
My smile faltered. “What?”
“You know food, that meal you eat at the end of the day,” he teased.
Dr. Taylor leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, and my brain stopped working properly.
“Oh…wow, you caught me off guard,” I said. He laughed, and I mimicked his pose, trying to compose myself.
“That was kind of the point. I figured if I did, then you wouldn’t have time to come up with an excuse to say no.” He reached out and gently rubbed my shoulder with his thumb. It felt like he was running his hand over my entire body. It didn’t light me up inside like Titus did, but there was no creeped out feeling that made my skin crawl either. “What do you say? You need to eat dinner, don’t you?”
“So, this is like a date?”
“You can call it whatever you want. I’m considering it a moment alone to chat without it being solely about work.”
A date…I didn’t date. I’d never even been on one before, not like this. The closest I’d come to dating was with Bradley, who flirted whenever we were out as a group. He bought me some sunscreen when we were at the beach because I’d forgotten mine. Did that count?
“I can’t tonight,” I said.
“What about tomorrow or Saturday? I can’t do Sunday because I have a race.”
“Um…I’m not sure. You’re still my boss, and I really love my job. I don’t want anything to mess that up.”
“I understand,” he said with a nod. “If you change your mind, let me know.”
Dr. Taylor’s hand slid off my shoulder as he turned to walk away. Doreen announced over the PA that his next appointment was in room one. He stopped with his hand on the door and turned back.
