by Mya O'Malley
“Oh, Annie, Annie. This isn’t a great way to make a first impression, and the lying on top of it doesn’t help.” He made a disapproving clucking sound and shook his head.
“Are you serious? You know what? This is clearly not going to work out. Have a nice day.” The complete nerve of this guy. Who does he think he is?
“Oh, Annie?” he called. She moved to look back at him.
“You have no idea what you have just missed out on. No idea.”
“Oh, Craig, I think I do have an idea and that’s why I’m running out of here as fast as I can.”
She did not look back.
* * * *
It was funny because usually Sam was the first person that Annie thought to call in a situation like this one. But now, Annie dialed Aaron’s number and proceeded to tell him what a jerk bachelor number four had turned out to be. Instantly she remembered that she didn’t ask how his date with Suzie had gone.
“I’m so sorry, Aaron! I forgot to ask how it went with Suzie. I’m an idiot!”
“Hey, no. Your problems are just as important as my problems. No worries.”
“Tell me. Are you okay?”
Aaron hesitated a brief moment. “You know what? I am. I’m finally okay. I owe that to you. The conversation that we had the other night stuck with me. It made sense. I do deserve better.”
Annie was so happy to hear that Aaron hadn’t succumbed to the charms of that nasty woman.
“I went out to dinner with her and, I don’t know, for the first time I saw through her. Saw through her beauty, her games, her lies. It suddenly became crystal clear. I want nothing to do with her, nothing.”
“I’m happy for you, I honestly am.”
“Listen, sweetheart, I have to go, but you still have one more lucky bachelor left and he could just possibly be the one.”
“Oh, please. I’m so happy that you’re okay, Aaron. I mean it.”
“I know you do, now go on, do your thing.”
“Bye.”
Annie was going to rush home and get this over with; she was beginning to think that it was impossible for bachelor number five to be even halfway decent. When this was all over, Samantha was going to owe her big time for putting her through this jungle. Yes, that’s honestly what it was out there, a proverbial jungle.
Chapter Fourteen
Trying to secure a leash on Tiny was like trying to place a lasso around a wild horse. He fought and pulled for all he was worth. “Stop it! No matter what, you’re still going to the vet. It’s time for your re-check, so deal with it.” Tiny barked and continued to struggle.
“Sometimes I wonder if I should have gotten a poodle instead, boy. Watch it!” He finally grabbed hold of the collar and snapped the leash on with a resounding click.
“Got you!” Shane cheered. Tiny dropped his head down to the floor and whined.
“Sorry, dude, but we have to go. I promise you that it will be painless this time. Not like last time, ouch.” Shane winced just thinking about what Tiny had been through.
The veterinarian’s office was nearby, just a few minutes down the road. He pulled into a parking spot just as he spotted a woman waving excitedly from outside the nail salon.
“Oh no.” It was Lori. He slammed his fist down on the steering wheel. It was too late to hide. He had to be polite. Forcing a smile on his lips, he slowly opened the door to step outside.
“Shane! Shane! It’s me, Lori!” She ran, flashing bright red nails in the air. Wondering how she could run in the high heels she was wearing, he nodded and stepped forward.
“Lori. Nice to see you.”
“Oh, wow! This must be your dog, Tinny.” She leaned over to pet the dog.
“Tiny. It’s Tiny.”
“Huh?” She didn’t get the reference.
“Like the oxymoron, get it?”
“Uh. Yeah. Anyway, what are you doing here?”
Casually pointing to the sign on the door behind her, she burst out laughing.
“Oh my goodness. I’m such a silly. Come, I’ll go in with you guys. It’ll be fun!”
Fun? Being with Lori right now was way down on his list of things he considered to be fun. How was he going to get out of this?
“No, that’s okay. We’re good. As a matter of fact, Tiny gets nervous at the vet with new people tagging along.” Where did that come from?
“That’s ridiculous! You’re so silly. Come on.” She actually grabbed Tiny’s leash right out of his hand. Sometimes he wished that Tiny was a vicious attack dog.
“Lori, give me the leash.” He followed her inside while she laughed and grabbed a seat, holding the leash tightly. Fine, let her play her little games. He was growing tired of her daily text messages and he was prepared to tell her just that when the appointment was over.
“Tiny?” A woman’s voice called from just outside of the hallway. His jaw nearly dropped to the floor when saw who the voice belonged to.
“It’s you!” Shane and Annie shouted in unison, their eyes wide.
“It’s you!” Annie pointed her finger at Shane in disbelief.
“It’s you!” Shane pointed his finger right back at her, shaking his head.
“Okay, I’d say that much is clear, so who are you?” Oh no. Lori’s jealous side was rearing its ugly head.
“Who are you?” Annie gave it right back to her.
Lori crossed her arms protectively across her chest. “I…I’m with him.”
“You’re not with me.” Shane shook his head firmly.
“Oh please, of course I am. I’m right here.” She leaned over to hug Tiny. The traitor of a dog licked her face up and down with kisses.
Shane couldn’t believe his luck. What were the chances that he would meet up with Annie when Lori was there, uninvited?
No wonder Annie wanted to run for the hills. Every time she saw him, he was with another woman.
Standing face to face, neither Annie nor Shane said a word. Annie didn’t have to say anything. Her feelings for him were obviously quite clear. Curtly, she escorted the trio into the examining room.
Silently, Annie went through the routine of weighing the dog and looking at his sutures. Politely she inquired about Tiny’s behavior and healing. Upon finishing, she faced Shane and without making eye contact, she spoke.
“The doctor will be in to see you in a moment.”
“Annie, wait…”
“Honey, look at Tiny! Look, he wants you.” Lori squealed.
If looks could kill, Lori would be stone cold dead.
Annie rushed out of the room, a look of confusion plastered on her face.
Once Annie was out of earshot, Shane let Lori have a piece of his mind. He was fuming mad and he wasn’t afraid to let her know it.
“Who do you think you are?” he spluttered.
“Who, me?” She feigned innocence.
“Lori, I want you out of here right now. Leave!” He spewed.
Just then, the doctor and Annie walked into the examining room. Annie’s poker face would win the card game hands down. Tiny panted and practically pounced at the doctor as he approached.
“Well, well. What do we have here? Just my favorite patient, that’s all. Come here, big guy.” Tiny slobbered kisses up and down Dr. Peters’s face. Annie was staring at the door straight ahead of her.
After a careful and thorough examination, Dr. Peters gave Tiny a clean bill of health. As soon as it was clear that the exam was over, Annie dismissed herself without saying goodbye. Giving Lori the evil eye, Shane walked back out to the waiting area to pay the bill. Lori stood there by his side, playing out this charade until the bitter end.
Grabbing Tiny by the leash, Shane walked outside to the parking lot. He ignored Lori as she followed them to the car. Finally, he had enough as he moved to face her.
“I don’t know what pathetic little game you were playing in there, but as of right now, I want you to permanently lose my number. Do not, I repeat, do not ever call me or contact me in any way e
ver again!”
“Oh, what’s the matter? Did I ruin your chances with Blondie in there? The next woman in your long line of conquests?” The harsh tone of her voice sickened Shane to his very core.
“You’re sick, now get out of my way!” He tried to open the door to the driver’s side of his car, but she stood blocking the door.
“Move!” He repeated, more forcefully this time.
“Fine! But you’ll be sorry!”
Looking at her with a mixture of pity and disgust, he shook his head.
“I already am.” His door slammed and he started the engine. Backing up, he glanced backwards and noticed Annie standing inside the waiting area of the vet’s office, looking out the window, no doubt witness to the drama in the parking lot. Boy, did he despise drama, but somehow he seemed like a magnet for it lately.
* * * *
He blew it. There was no other way around it; he just blew any shot whatsoever of having a chance with Annie. He couldn’t believe Lori. As a matter of fact, the second Shane walked through the door, he called Nick and informed him of Lori’s bizarre behavior. Nick was apologetic and swore he would have Lisa give her friend a call and set her straight. No more blind dates. The way he was feeling right now he would venture to say no more dates, ever, period.
Pacing around the living room while Tiny stared up at him in concern, Shane felt an idea begin to form. Yes, that was it. He grabbed his keys and told Tiny to stay put. He had business to attend to.
Driving down the street, he glanced at the time on his dashboard. It was ten minutes to one o’clock. He knew that the office was only open on select Saturdays, and then only until one o’clock, so his timing was perfect. Pulling into the parking lot, he drove into a spot near the rear. Now all he had to do was wait.
Fifteen minutes ticked by at a snail’s pace. Yawning, Shane forced his attention to the door, which was opening slowly. Boy, was she beautiful. The sunlight hit her golden blond hair as she wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck. She seemed to be scanning the parking lot. How could she know? Now that he was here, he wondered if this was the wrong move. Should he duck and forget about this nonsense?
A black sedan pulled up to the front of the office. Shane watched as a young man pulled up to Annie. He stopped the car and Annie opened the door to let herself in. She leaned over and kissed the man on the cheek. He reached for her and they had a long embrace. A burning knot formed in the pit of Shane’s stomach. She was taken. He should have known. But then why did she seem so upset whenever she spotted him with another woman? Maybe he misread the signals. Maybe she just thought he was a Class A jerk. Defeated, Shane knew he was through pining away for this woman he had never had the chance to get to know. He guessed some things were just not meant to be.
Chapter Fifteen
As if she wasn’t already in a bad mood, things went from bad to worse. That man Shane had ended up being the owner of her favorite patient, Tiny. Not only that, but Shane brought his girlfriend with him to the vet, meaning that they were obviously pretty tight. The girlfriend, by the way, seemed like a witch. Of course, Annie felt instant attraction the second she laid eyes on him again, too. And to make matters worse, she wanted to cut out of work a few minutes early and then her car died. And now Dr. Peters wanted her to work on Saturdays? He assured her that it would only be once or twice a month at the most and then only a half day. She had called Sam, but she couldn’t pick her up, so luckily Aaron was free to help her out.
“I’m so sorry to hear that he ended up being such a player.” Aaron reached over and tousled Annie’s hair.
“I know, right? I mean, how does he even find time to date all of these women? And that girlfriend, ugh. I would have thought that he would have better taste than that.” She cringed just thinking about that whining woman.
“Well, look at the bright side, now you don’t have to wonder about him anymore. He’s taken, he’s a jerk, so now move on.”
It made perfect sense to Annie. A sense of calm and relief spread through her body. She didn’t need to wonder about this guy anymore. He was just what he appeared to be, a player. Well, this girl didn’t play with players. With an open mind, she would contact bachelor number five, her last lucky suitor, and hope for the best.
“Do you need to call for a tow truck?”
“I already called one. Dr. Peters recommended a guy, he should be there soon.”
They rode in companionable silence, the kind that comes only when you’re truly comfortable with someone. Leaning her head back on the seat, Annie sighed.
“I do feel a sense of relief. It’s like this fantasy that I built up surrounding this guy just crumbled, you know?’
“Oh, I know.” He reached over and rubbed her knee.
“Hungry?”
“Sure, what do you have in mind?” Aaron asked.
“I would love a nice juicy cheeseburger.” Smiling like a child, she was practically drooling at the thought.
“Mmm, you got it. A cheeseburger it is.”
* * * *
Charlie’s was the place to go when looking for the best burger in town. Annie chose the double burger with pickles, ketchup and mustard. Specially selected fries were a must. Despite Annie’s protests, Aaron picked up the bill. They found a free table at the side of the room.
Munching away on her cheeseburger, Annie asked how things were going with Suzie.
“It’s not. I told you that I’m finished with her.”
“So, she hasn’t tried to contact you at all?”
“I wouldn’t say that. She’s tried, but I’m at the point now where I’m ignoring her calls and texts. She’s getting the hint. I haven’t heard from her in a few days.”
“Good. Just ignore her, it’s for the best.”
“Let me get that.” He leaned over and wiped ketchup from the side of her mouth. A young couple with two small children walked in and sat at the table next to them. The youngest child, a girl around two years old, started to whine. Annie kicked Aaron playfully under the table.
“Could you see yourself with a wife and kids anytime soon?”
He glanced over and rolled his eyes, chuckling. “Honestly? I’ve been thinking about it more and more lately. I want the whole family thing.”
“I could just see you now. Softball games, soccer games, ballet…”
Was she mistaken or did Aaron just blush?
“Yeah, yeah…”
“Anyway, what’s new in the dating life of Aaron Grady?”
“Nada. I don’t think that I should continue this online thing any longer, but then where do you meet a nice girl in this day and age?”
Annie spread her arms around dramatically. “Look around. You never know, the love of your life might just be in this room!”
Aaron placed Annie’s hands down, embarrassed. “Come on. Quit it. Really, though. I think I’m done for a while.”
“Never say never.” An idea struck Annie and she wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before. A large grin spread across her face.
“Oh no. No way. I’ve seen that look before. Whatever you have brewing in that scheming mind of yours, the answer is no.”
“Okay, hear me out. I have this friend and her name is Melanie. She’s great, and a sweet girl.”
“And what’s the hitch? Why is she still single?”
“She’s twenty-three years old and there is no hitch. She’s quite pretty, too.”
“What does she look like?’
“She’s got long, black hair and olive skin.”
“You know, that’s actually my type.”
“I know, what I wonder is why you considered going out with me in the first place if you don’t like blondes?”
“It’s not that I don’t like blondes, I just prefer dark-haired girls. Besides, you were the exception. You were just so adorable, I had to meet you.”
“You’re a charmer, you know that? It’s settled, then. I’ll text Melanie today and see if she’s interested.”
&
nbsp; “What does she do for a living?”
“She’s a teacher. She teaches pre-school in the city.”
“Hmm. A teacher, huh?”
Just then, both children at the next table started crying simultaneously.
Annie chuckled as she glanced at her friend.
* * * *
Bachelor number five responded to Annie’s message within a few hours. His name was Eric and he was a contractor in the city. Stating he was excited to hear from her, he suggested meeting at an upscale restaurant in Mystic, a charming town a few miles away located on the Hudson River. Once Annie saw the name of the restaurant he had suggested, she grabbed at her chest. Rena’s? Wow, this guy didn’t do anything half way.
She accepted and had a feeling that this date was going to be different. Perhaps this one had potential. Eric had given Annie his cell number, something none of the other men had offered. Interesting. Perhaps she should call him before the date, just to get a feeling about whether or not there might be a connection. Their date was scheduled for Thursday night, so that gave Annie some wiggle room in deciding when would be the best time to call Eric. Deciding it would be smart to ask him when was a good time to call, Annie typed away. The response came back within seconds.
No time like the present.
A smile formed on Annie’s face. No time like the present, huh? Okay, bachelor number five. She lifted up her cell and punched in the numbers on the screen. The phone rang and rang, what was the deal here? Didn’t this guy just ask her to call him now? Feeling irritated, she was about to hang up.
“You passed.” A male voice came through her cell.
“Excuse me?” Did she hear him correctly?
“I said, you passed.”
“Passed what?” This guy was getting on her nerves already.
“Annie, I wanted to see if you gave up easily, because that’s not an admirable trait, but you didn’t, so you passed.”