"Let's go, kid," Jones said before I even made it over to my work area. He was gulping down a Styrofoam cup of sludge, which made no sense when there was a perfectly good Starbucks across the street that was now open.
He waved me over and the adrenaline started to kick in. Maybe it was going to be a good day.
"We've got a new tip on the shelter," he added.
Shit.
We jumped into the squad car and drove the seven minutes to Top Dog, and I broke out into a sweat. Jones pulled to a stop across the street and we sat and watched for a minute.
In the large front window, I spotted Jenna. She had a puppy in her arms and a huge dog at her hip. She was smiling-the real smile-completely in her element. She was destroying me, and I couldn't believe it was all going to end before it ever started, because the way Jenna felt about this place, and the animals, she'd never forgive me if she knew I was on the team trying to shut it down.
"All right," Jones said when he was ready. "Let's go in. But this time, you take the lead."
Chapter Eleven
Jenna
After Michael left this morning, I felt empty and rung out, twisted, drained, and left in a heap of unwanted. Dramatic much? So what? I had every right to be in a mood.
He had the nerve to say that I deserved someone to be nice to me. He'd said a lot of sweet things that didn't amount to much when he ran from me whenever his sister was in sight. I was getting sick of the mixed signals; not that I was any better, I admit that. But I also wasn't the person with all the baggage, and I certainly wasn't trying to hide.
But once again, Tabby was mucking up my life. Still, I couldn't hate her. I'd been strangely jealous when Michael had told me about Tabby and Jules' girls' night out during our dinner. It was something I hadn't had in years.
Was it ludicrous that there was a part of me that really wanted to be Tabby's friend?
Of course that was never really in the cards for us so I guess I instinctively did the next best thing … I became her enemy. And now I was paying the price because the first guy to make me actually feel something in forever just had to be the brother of my nemesis.
Goddamn him for that.
"What in the hell happened to you, dear?" Gloria said when I arrived at the shelter. Apparently, I couldn't fake it for anyone these days. That was something that was going to have to change. I couldn't be leaving myself susceptible to a breakdown just because Michael ignored me. I was better than that, stronger than that. And if I wasn't, surely I could fake it.
"I didn't get much sleep last night," I told her. It wasn't a lie. Actually, I wasn't getting a lot of sleep at all lately. Another reason I needed to get over whatever was going on between Michael and me.
"I have just the thing to perk you up," Gloria said, leading me into the doggy playroom. I followed her inside and gave her an appreciative smile when she shut the door before I was immediately attacked by nearly a dozen dogs who all wanted my love.
I would give it to them happily, because they were the only ones who deserved it.
For the next twenty minutes, I took turns rubbing bellies, playing fetch, and running around with the attention-starved pack of sweetness in the room, and it took no time at all before my mood started to change. This is where I needed to be. This was why dogs were so much better than dudes. Now if I could only remember that when Michael came into my line of sight, or brushed up against me, or clouded my brain with his amazing scent that was a cross between fresh laundry, pine and crisp spring air.
Why wasn't I confident that would happen?
Too soon, the intoxicating puppy high came crashing down. Gloria waved at me from the big window on the other side of the playroom as a man in blue came through the front door. Officer Jones was his name, but he looked more like an MMA fighter than the guardian of the law.
"Morning ladies," he said. "Just here to check a few things out."
"What things?" Gloria asked as her eyes surveyed the place, making sure everything was in order.
"Well, headcount of your little critters for one," he ticked off on his finger before checking his notebook. "And something else that's come to our attention."
Gloria waved him on, indicating to tell her what else was on his alleged list. We feigned surprise when we both knew this was the result of some other complaint from Sullivan. If he couldn't get us one way, he was going get us another.
Watching the cop question Gloria left a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"Let me show you," he continued. "It's out here."
He walked us out the main door to the yard. I noticed his squad car sat across the street in the front of the shelter. His partner-or someone-was waiting in the front seat, probably plotting their next stop of harassment for the day.
Officer Jones took out a tape measure and placed it on the ground to measure the flipping grass. I kid you not.
My mouth dropped open and Gloria rolled her eyes.
"Ladies, the neighborhood ordinance here says the grass can't be over five inches."
Geez, who did that sound like?
"That's not grass," Gloria protested. "The grass hasn't even come in yet, these are weeds. And the snow has just melted, so they've been buried for the last six months."
Officer Musclehead just shrugged. "Regardless, this is part of your lawn and must fall within the ordinance guidelines. I don't make the rules, I just enforce them."
I had to feel for the guy a teeny tiny bit. He didn't look like he wanted to be out here doing this ridiculous work, but obviously someone was forcing his hand.
"It's okay, Gloria. There's a mower out back. I'm on it, officer."
I cursed Officer Drop-Kick the entire time I mowed our patches of weeds. He wasn't much different than Michael with his stupid rules and over-the-top law and order crap. That set me off cursing him as well.
The cursing must've followed me inside, because someone said, "Whoa, remind me not to get on your bad side."
I recognized the voice, and when I looked up, it was Christian.
His cheeks flushed when he approached. "I didn't think it was right to show up at your apartment, but I came to tell you that I'd like to see Ruby again."
Well, that was thoughtful and well within adopter/adoptee protocol. Michael and his paranoia. Pfft, there really were some good people left in the world.
"Sure, I think she liked you," I lied.
"Right." He shook his head and a lock of blond curls fell over his eye. I forced myself to admit that he was kind of cute. This was the only way to move on from Michael.
"But I'm hoping it was a fluke," he went on, "because I really think she's the one for me." His eyes stayed glued to mine when he said that last part.
"Well, when would you like to see her?"
"That's the thing, I was hoping to make it a double date. I hope you don't think this is too forward, but it's rare I get to meet a girl like you, so cool and someone who cares about more than getting manicures or what brand of aviators I'm wearing."
If he only knew.
"Maybe I could take you out for dinner afterward, and we could have an interview ourselves, see if we're compatible?" he asked, hopeful.
I must've made a face because he looked down. "Too much? Sorry, that was cheesy."
"No, it's not that. It was a cute line. I just wasn't expecting it." I pulled at my shirt. "God, look at me, I'm a mess."
"You're beautiful." He smiled. "So, what do you say?"
"Okay," I agreed. There was nothing stopping me.
"Tomorrow night?"
"It's a date."
So maybe a date could kill the itch that Michael infected me with. That was the plan. Hopefully, it was for the best.
Chapter Twelve
Michael
I faked a phone call-that was how I solved my problems lately.
"Sorry," I answered the bullshit call and motioned to my phone, "it's my parents, an issue with tuition. I'll just meet you in there."
Jones cracked his neck, his face unreadable. I couldn't tell if he was onto me, or not. What a freaking pussy I was, but after what I pulled this morning, I couldn't have Jenna finding out about this too. I stayed in the car, pretending to discuss tuition costs with my dad, while Jones left the squad and went inside to harass Gloria and Jenna.
I'm sure I was making a great impression. This was why I didn't want to get involved with anyone in the first place. I couldn't mess this up. I'd lucked out getting the internship and it was possible that I could have a job lined up right after graduation. Then what could my dad say about my career choice? It was our deal. I get the job, and he'd have to help pay the college costs that I'd racked up in two states, because I sure as hell wouldn't be able to cover them on a cop's entry-level salary. Those bills could bankrupt me, and then I could kiss my career goodbye.
It was excruciating sitting in the car and doing nothing. Jones charged in there like the badass he was, made demands, and mortified them with the tape measure shit. He sent them scrambling-and mostly likely into a panic-all because they wanted to take care of animals that no one else wanted.
It made me physically ill.
As we pulled away, I watched Jenna wheel the lawnmower out on the front lawn, and I felt like the biggest kind of asshole. My emotions were all over the place, and no matter how many cons I ticked off in the Jenna list, the pros were too great. I could no longer stay away.