A Co-Worker's Crush

by Piper Rayne

  The day after New Year’s, I arrive at the veterinarian office to find Frankie already there and checking her phone with raised eyebrows.

  “I’m not late,” I say, walking right by her.

  “We had to be here early to fill out paperwork.”

  “Which you could have done,” I say, picking up Gumdrop. She’s so hell-bent on us co-owning this dog, she can’t fill out the paperwork herself?

  “He’s half yours,” she says, following me inside.

  The person behind the counter smiles and hands me a clipboard. I take it and sit on the bench, putting Gumdrop on the bench next to me. Frankie comes over and puts him on her lap.

  “You know you’re treating me like I’m a teenager, like you have to prove some point that I was irresponsible.” I scribble my name on the sheet.

  “Yes, because buying a dog for someone else is irresponsible.” She crosses her legs and leans against the wall, cracking her neck. She looks exhausted.

  “Jolie asked for one.”

  “Yes, and you need to learn that not everything Jolie asks for she gets.”

  “Why not?”

  “I didn’t see you jumping out of a big giant bag on Christmas morning, offering to be her daddy.” She raises her eyebrows.

  I feel like we’re just going round and round in this conversation. I finish filling out the paperwork and hand it back to the woman.

  “You’ll split the amount, I’m told. Ms. Grant explained the situation.” The receptionist is nice, but she’s clearly taking Frankie’s side.

  After I sign the credit card slip, I fold up the receipt and stick it in my wallet, which I shove in my back pocket.

  We sit and wait, neither one of us saying much. Finally, a lifetime later, our name is called, or at least Gumdrop’s name is.

  The tech is young and hot, and she definitely likes what she sees with me. Hey, call me an asshole if you want, but her eyes linger for longer than is appropriate. Even Frankie notices because she huffs.

  “So Gumdrop is a new pup, huh? I just have to ask some questions.” The tech is bubbly and talks baby talk to Gumdrop. Why do people do that? It makes my balls shrivel up. “Where did you get him?”

  “I bought him from a pet store.” You’d think it would be hard to get a dog on Christmas Eve, but it turns out I’m not the only one who bought a dog for Christmas. Hell, I almost had to pay double to get the thing.

  “I would have adopted one,” Frankie says, smiling.

  “I was strapped for time.” Part of me felt guilty buying a brand new shiny puppy instead of adopting a shelter dog, but I didn’t have any options.

  The tech smiles. “It’s okay. All dogs need a home.” She does the baby talk again.

  Frankie makes the sound she does when she’s annoyed but doesn’t want anyone to know. She did it a lot when I first came on board at Ink Envy, but now she openly sighs or huffs or groans at me. It’s our own form of communication.

  “The doctor will come in and look him over. There are some shots she’ll go over with you.”

  “Shots?” I ask with wide eyes.

  Frankie chuckles.

  “No worries, he’s young, so as long as we make it a positive experience, he’ll be fine.” The nurse runs her hand over Gumdrop and he’s ready to roll over on his back and coo from the looks of it. “I’ll be right back.” She gives Gumdrop a treat that he gobbles up.

  Frankie and I stand in the small room in silence that I eventually decide to break. “I can’t believe how much work a dog is.”

  Frankie looks over her shoulder as she pets Gumdrop, his front paws up on her. “Really? You never thought a four-legged animal that survives on food and water and attention might be a lot of work? It never crossed your mind?”

  I point at her. “There you go again. I thought we were shoving all that animosity under the bridge and moving on?”

  “Yeah, but seriously, you didn’t think it through.”

  I shrug. “I never had a dog. I mean, one of the houses I lived in did, but they kept it outside all the time.”

  She sits down next to me, and Gumdrop climbs over the arms of the chair into my lap, then he curls up.

  I pet him. “I know, I’m the calm one. She’s high strung.”

  Frankie groans, and I look away before she sees me smiling. Why do I love pissing her off so much?

  The veterinarian walks in and turns out she’s just as hot as the tech. What kind of place is this?

  The tech follows the doctor in, and Frankie’s gaze sets on me as though I’m going to make a crass comment or something. Truth is, the baby talk is a complete turn-off. And even if it wasn’t, my dick only responds to one woman in this room and it turns out she’s the one who wants nothing to do with him. At least not more than once.

  “I hear we got a new puppy?” Dr. Renee, as her lab coat states, says.

  “One of us bought it and the other is taking care of it,” Frankie says. I poke her with my finger, and she sighs. “I mean yes, we’re raising the puppy together.”

  “Together?” Dr. Renee asks. “You live together?”

  “No,” Frankie says way too fast for me not to be offended. “He bought it for my daughter.”

  “Oh, that’s so sweet,” the tech coos with a high-pitched voice. “How old is she?”

  “She’s five,” Frankie says.

  Dr. Renee looks at Frankie, and they share some kind of look that makes me think they’re having a silent conversation. And I’m pretty sure what they’re saying is what kind of a dickhead buys a little girl a dog without asking the girl’s mom?

  “Are you two a couple?” Dr. Renee asks, then raises her hand. “I don’t mean to pry, I’m just trying to figure out the together part. Puppies need consistency.”

  “Well, Gumdrop is at my house every night, but we work together, so I bring the puppy into work, then he’s Jax’s responsibility.”

  Dr. Renee chuckles then nods as if she’s seen our case before. I’m certain she hasn’t. If someone told me a year ago I was gonna be in a vet’s office with a dog I bought Frankie’s daughter, I would’ve asked what planet they’re from.

  “Okay, well, that could work, but I do suggest you go to obedience training. That way Gumdrop will learn to listen to you both, and the two of you will be on the same page.”

  “That would be a first,” Frankie mutters.

  The vet takes off her stethoscope and listens to Gumdrop’s heart.

  “And how much is obedience training?” I ask.

  Frankie whips her head in my direction.

  Dr. Renee holds up her free hand while she listens. After she’s done, she puts the stethoscope around her neck. “Heart sounds really good.” She turns to the tech. “Tori, why don’t you go get the packet for new owners? Mr. Owens should probably know the ramifications of his purchase.”

  Frankie laughs and I stare blankly. I’m a straight-shooter, but I’m not rude either. Although I want to tell this woman off, I don’t want to rearrange my schedule again to find a time where Frankie and I can go to another vet, so I let her comment go.

  Dr. Renee surprises me when she continues. “I don’t mean to offend. It’s just a lot of people like the idea of a pet at Christmas, but they don’t think it over. Then a lot of those dogs end up in shelters. Clearly, you two have an unusual set of circumstances and I do hope it works out, especially for your daughter. But I can admit to being skeptical.”

  “Are you throwing shade that we can’t raise a dog?”

  “Jax.” Frankie gives me her favorite “shut the fuck up” look.

  “I’m merely suggesting that it’s hard, and if you’re not even committed to being together yourselves—”

  “We’re just co-workers.” Then I put up my hand. “You know what, you’re our vet, not our conscience, so let’s get this over with.”

  Dr. Renee leans back on the counter, and a tear slips from her eye. Frankie glances at me and nods as though she’s telling me to take care of it.

&nb
sp; I officially have no idea what the hell is going on.

  Before I can say anything, Dr. Renee raises her hand. “I’m sorry. I’m acting ridiculous. My long-term boyfriend broke up with me on Christmas. I bought him a puppy, thinking we’d raise it together, and now I have the puppy and he’s in Bermuda with his new girlfriend he met while buying me an engagement ring.”

  “What?” Frankie asks, and I look on with disbelief.

  Dr. Renee nods and more tears flow. “We met in vet school, and he just said that you know when you know. And he thought it was time for us to get married, but then he met Stacy and he felt something he never did for me.”

  Frankie grabs a Kleenex and hands it to her. “Men are assholes.”

  Dr. Renee looks and nods at me. “Don’t worry, he seems to know he’s an asshole.”

  “I do. I might be an even bigger asshole than your ex. I bought a puppy for a kid who’s not mine,” I say, trying to lighten the mood. There’s way too much estrogen in here.

  They both laugh. Tori walks in and clearly figures out pretty quickly what’s transpiring.

  She shakes her head. “I’m going over to his house and leaving all the fecal samples we get there. It’ll be a surprise for him when he comes home from Bermuda.”

  Then we’re all laughing.

  Dr. Renee blows her nose and washes her hands. “Okay, thank you for understanding. Let’s administer the shots now.”

  Gumdrop’s eyes widen along with my own.

  “We’ll be right back.” Dr. Renee leaves.

  I tug on Frankie’s coat. “I’m not sure I can sit here for the shots.”

  “You’re a tattoo artist,” she says, looking at me as though I’m crazy.

  “Shots and tattoos are different. The people coming to get a tattoo want one and the needle moves so fast you can barely see it,” I shamefully admit.

  “Jax, we are in this together. You will not make me do this by myself.”

  I swallow past the dryness of my throat. “You don’t understand, I hate needles.”

  “No one likes them,” she says.

  I inhale, not wanting to seem pathetic. Fine, I’m sure I can do this. I just won’t look. Gumdrop looks at me over Frankie’s shoulder with those sweet brown eyes. Literal puppy dog eyes. Sorry, buddy.

  Dr. Renee comes in and places three needles on the counter. “That’s good, Frankie, hold him just like that.”

  “Oh no, Jax was going to hold him.” She tries to hand him off, but Tori stops her.

  “He’s relaxed, let’s keep him like that.”

  I’m blessed with Frankie’s death stare again because she’s stuck in this position. I could easily duck out, but I’m sure Frankie would drag me back by my boots.

  After Dr. Renee is all gloved up and ready to administer the shot, Frankie looks over her shoulder.

  “It’s really quick,” Dr. Renee says.

  Gumdrop wiggles and I pet his head to calm him, stepping closer to Frankie and putting my arm around her waist. She winces when he squirms, and she has to grip him tighter. I turn away so I’m not looking, but I’m trying to be there for her.

  Then Dr. Renee administers the needles. It isn’t until the third that Gumdrop realizes what’s happening, but then he’s not having any of it. Frankie can’t keep control of him any longer, so they try to do peanut butter off a spoon, a treat, but nothing is working. Finally, Tori has no choice but to be a little more forceful with Gumdrop and the shot gets done.

  “Excuse me,” I say, walking out of the room and into the bathroom where I lose my entire breakfast in the toilet.

  Shit, I hate needles.

  After rinsing my mouth and washing my hands, I leave the bathroom and find Frankie waiting.

  “Did you just throw up?” she asks.

  I nod.

  She hands me a pack of mints from her purse. “Thank you.”

  “For what? I didn’t do anything.”

  “You didn’t leave me even though you’re obviously deathly afraid of needles. You stayed, and we did it together.”

  Trying to play it off, I shrug. “I thought you’d kick my ass if I left.”

  Her shoulders are free of the tension that usually fills them. “Still, it means a lot to me. And I’m sorry about giving you so much shit about Gumdrop. I know you were trying to help.”

  Are we actually standing in the middle of a veterinarian office and having a civil conversation? I’d better go buy a lottery ticket because my luck is sure to run out soon.

  Chapter Twelve

  Frankie

  * * *

  I pick up Jolie from school since Sandy has to work late. The minute she walks out of the building, it’s clear something is wrong. She’s strung tight and walking fast, determined to reach me, her backpack swinging from side to side. I bend down to get a hug, but Jolie stops right in front of me.

  “How was your day?” I ask.

  “Where’s Gumdrop?”

  “He’s at Ink Envy with Jax. What’s going on?”

  She looks behind her and I follow her vision to a little girl who’s always talking to her mom whenever I see her. She’s got blonde pigtails and is dressed like she lives on the other side of town. The rich side. They probably belong to the country club.

  I stand and grab Jolie’s hand. “Let’s go.”

  But Jolie tugs her hand free. “Mommy.”

  “What?” I ask.

  She looks back again. “That’s Annabelle. Her parents are doing the snowman building contest in the gazebo this weekend.”

  “Okay…”

  “She asked if I was going.”

  “And?” Please tell me you told her no. I cannot build a snowman this weekend, and I’ve already been monopolizing everyone’s schedule.

  “I told her we were. Then she told me that her dad is an engineer, so she’s going to win.”

  I look at the girl as she’s about to walk by us, and she says, “Bye, Jolie, see you tomorrow.”

  The mom smiles, but the girl is definitely being sarcastic.

  “Honey, I don’t think I can do it. This weekend is hard.”

  Jolie slams one foot on the concrete and crosses both arms. “We can never do anything fun. You always have to work.”

  Then she walks in front of me and I follow, giving her time to cool off. When we enter Ink Envy, she stomps over to the chairs, takes off her coat and throws it down, then pulls out her notebook.

  “Jolie,” I say, waiting for her to look up.

  She does, and I point at the jacket. She slides off the chair, walks over, and picks up her jacket. Then she hangs it on the last hook of the coat hanger since it’s the only one she can reach. She stomps back over to where she was sitting.

  Everyone’s staring at us because this is not Jolie’s usual behavior. At least not when they’re around her. She’s usually happy here, so I’m the only one who sees this side of her. I don’t even have the heart to be upset about her reaction. I get it. I do. I do work a lot, but that’s because we have a lot of expenses. Especially now that I have to pay a lawyer.

  “What’s up?” Dylan asks, looking up from the tattoo he’s working on.

  Jax is busy with a tattoo, but I can tell his attention is focused on our conversation. Lyle is holding Gumdrop, and it speaks volumes that Jolie didn’t immediately run over to him when we came in.

  I sit in my chair, my client due in ten minutes. “Jolie’s in a mood.”

  “What’s up, Jolie?” Dylan asks.

  “Nothing.” She crosses her arms and huffs.

  “You’re not going to tell them?” I say.

  Her eyes narrow at me just like the other night when I told her she wasn’t leaving the table until she ate her broccoli. “No.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell them then.”

  I turn to them, but my eye catches on Jax’s tattoo. It’s stunning and I know he drew it, which grabs me even more. He wipes the client’s skin and looks up at me, so I try to act as if I’m not gawking. He’s so talented
. He shouldn’t be in Cliffton Heights. Hennessy was right about that much.

  “No, I will. You’ll make me sound dumb,” Jolie says.

  I hold out my hand as she crawls over to the chairs that have their backs to the stations and peers over them. “I wouldn’t have, but by all means.”

  “My friend Annabelle is always saying how her parents go to all these places. For Christmas, she was on a beach with palm trees. Now they’re doing the snowman competition by the gazebo this weekend.”

  I meet Dylan’s gaze, and he sighs, understanding. I already went over my schedule with him, so he knows I’m almost completely booked. But after Christmas, I needed a busy weekend to pay it all off. Plus, Mr. Holder hasn’t cashed my check yet, and I need to make sure there’s enough in there for it to clear. I really need to call him about that. Last time we spoke, he told me that it must’ve been the holidays delaying things at the bank, but he knew I was good for the money.

  “Mommy says we can’t do it because she has to work. She’s always working. And Santa brought me Gumdrop instead of…” Jolie stops talking.

  All of us wait to see if she’ll reveal what was in the letter.

  “What’s that, sweetie?” I ask.

  She looks at Jax, then down at the floor. “Nothing.”

  My heart beats rapidly and disappointment weighs heavily on my shoulders. Talk about mommy guilt.

  “Is this the same Annabelle who told you she rode an ostrich in Australia this summer?” Jax asks, and Lyle laughs. I forgot about that story.

  “Yeah,” Jolie answers.

  Jax looks at Dylan over his shoulder and I know what’s happening. I can almost read the silent conversation between them.

  “No, you don’t,” I warn.

  They both smirk and look at Jolie.

  “We’ve got you. Where do we sign up?” Dylan is the one who says it, but I know Jax is on board.

  “Really?” Jolie screeches, a huge smile on her face. “Both of you will help me?”

  They look at one another again and nod. “Yep.”

  “Yay! Mommy, can I go next door?”

  I chuckle at her quick change of mood since she got what she wanted.

  Lyle puts Gumdrop down in his bed that Jax bought for him. “I’ll walk her over.”