gasp—“or we can swing by your place to pick up an old pair of sneakers. What do ya say? Look at the poor guy. Mack can’t wait to get to the beach.”
The old dog glanced up curiously at the sound of his name before huffing a breath and collapsing on the cool wood flooring. Liz giggled beside me and gave Jake a halfhearted swat on the arm.
“You obviously don’t know Brandon well. He’s kinda fussy about his shoes. Even his sneakers. There’s no way you’re going to persuade him to go. Do you mind closing, Bran? I’ll go with Jake. I promise to lock up tomorrow for you.”
I looked from her to Jake and back again. Didn’t she know he was gay? Or was this like high school all over again? Liz was pretty, very sweet, and unpretentious. If I’d known any single, straight men interested in dating, she would be one of the first people I’d think of. Jake wasn’t that guy. A second glimpse told me what I feared might be true. She had a somewhat hopeful look on her face while she waited for my answer.
Dammit. I had to go. If only to give him a piece of my mind about leading her on.
“Thanks, Lizzy, but I guess my sneakers will survive a short beach excursion. If not, I’m sure Jake and Mack will reimburse me,” I added sarcastically.
“Happily.” Jake’s wide grin split his face in two. “Let’s get going. The worst of the traffic should be over by now. I’ll get Mack in the car and meet you out front. See you soon, Liz.”
I watched Lizzy’s expression closely when man and dog finally exited the store. She let out a wistful sigh. Her long hair fell into her right eye, impeding my ability to gauge her reaction, but her smile seemed sincere, if a little weak.
“Why are all the good ones gay?” She groused with a pout.
“Hmm. I usually ask that very question about straight guys.” I brushed the hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. “Wish me luck. If I get swept out to sea, let’s hope my designer footwear doesn’t perish with me.”
Lizzy chuckled and playfully pushed me away, assuring me she’d do a good job locking up.
“Oh, and Bran?” I stopped with my hand on the door, waiting for her to continue. “I approve. He’s hot. Good luck.”
She blew me a kiss and turned away, leaving me with a strong desire to protest. I dodged a couple of tourists with large shopping bags as I made my way toward Jake’s SUV, which was parked nearby. The window in the back was half open, and Mack’s happy, panting face suddenly popped up in an excited greeting. I could hear the steady thumping sound of his tail against the seat. I laughed as I reached inside to pet the top of his head and scratch behind his ears. He mewled contentedly with a blissful expression on his face.
“Hop in, Bran. We’re wasting daylight here!”
I flashed a dirty look at Jake through the window and whispered loudly, “He’s bossy. Why do you hang out with him?”
“’Cause he loves me. Let’s go, Good!”
I was practically flung backward in my seat the moment I closed the passenger side door. Someone was in a hurry to get to the beach.
“Geez, Ricky Bobby! Slow down.”
“Ricky Bobby? Is that from Talladega Nights ?” Jake chuckled.
“Yeah—Whoa! You missed the turn. Go back to Robertson. My house is the other way.” I pointed lamely out the car’s window while the scenery on Santa Monica Boulevard sped by.
“No can do. We’ll waste too much time if we go to your house first. Besides this wa—”
“Hold up.” I turned in my seat to give him my fiercest glare. “You said you’d go by my house first so I could grab my sneakers.”
“Nice try. I haven’t forgotten that much about you, Bran. If I took you to your house, you’d say ‘thanks for the ride, have fun at the beach.’ So I’m taking away your opportunity for escape. Don’t worry. You’ll like it.”
“I’m not worried about anything other than your sanity. This is a form of abduction. I’m not okay with this!”
Jake
The old dog glanced up curiously at the sound of his name before huffing a breath and collapsing on the cool wood flooring. Liz giggled beside me and gave Jake a halfhearted swat on the arm.
“You obviously don’t know Brandon well. He’s kinda fussy about his shoes. Even his sneakers. There’s no way you’re going to persuade him to go. Do you mind closing, Bran? I’ll go with Jake. I promise to lock up tomorrow for you.”
I looked from her to Jake and back again. Didn’t she know he was gay? Or was this like high school all over again? Liz was pretty, very sweet, and unpretentious. If I’d known any single, straight men interested in dating, she would be one of the first people I’d think of. Jake wasn’t that guy. A second glimpse told me what I feared might be true. She had a somewhat hopeful look on her face while she waited for my answer.
Dammit. I had to go. If only to give him a piece of my mind about leading her on.
“Thanks, Lizzy, but I guess my sneakers will survive a short beach excursion. If not, I’m sure Jake and Mack will reimburse me,” I added sarcastically.
“Happily.” Jake’s wide grin split his face in two. “Let’s get going. The worst of the traffic should be over by now. I’ll get Mack in the car and meet you out front. See you soon, Liz.”
I watched Lizzy’s expression closely when man and dog finally exited the store. She let out a wistful sigh. Her long hair fell into her right eye, impeding my ability to gauge her reaction, but her smile seemed sincere, if a little weak.
“Why are all the good ones gay?” She groused with a pout.
“Hmm. I usually ask that very question about straight guys.” I brushed the hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. “Wish me luck. If I get swept out to sea, let’s hope my designer footwear doesn’t perish with me.”
Lizzy chuckled and playfully pushed me away, assuring me she’d do a good job locking up.
“Oh, and Bran?” I stopped with my hand on the door, waiting for her to continue. “I approve. He’s hot. Good luck.”
She blew me a kiss and turned away, leaving me with a strong desire to protest. I dodged a couple of tourists with large shopping bags as I made my way toward Jake’s SUV, which was parked nearby. The window in the back was half open, and Mack’s happy, panting face suddenly popped up in an excited greeting. I could hear the steady thumping sound of his tail against the seat. I laughed as I reached inside to pet the top of his head and scratch behind his ears. He mewled contentedly with a blissful expression on his face.
“Hop in, Bran. We’re wasting daylight here!”
I flashed a dirty look at Jake through the window and whispered loudly, “He’s bossy. Why do you hang out with him?”
“’Cause he loves me. Let’s go, Good!”
I was practically flung backward in my seat the moment I closed the passenger side door. Someone was in a hurry to get to the beach.
“Geez, Ricky Bobby! Slow down.”
“Ricky Bobby? Is that from Talladega Nights ?” Jake chuckled.
“Yeah—Whoa! You missed the turn. Go back to Robertson. My house is the other way.” I pointed lamely out the car’s window while the scenery on Santa Monica Boulevard sped by.
“No can do. We’ll waste too much time if we go to your house first. Besides this wa—”
“Hold up.” I turned in my seat to give him my fiercest glare. “You said you’d go by my house first so I could grab my sneakers.”
“Nice try. I haven’t forgotten that much about you, Bran. If I took you to your house, you’d say ‘thanks for the ride, have fun at the beach.’ So I’m taking away your opportunity for escape. Don’t worry. You’ll like it.”
“I’m not worried about anything other than your sanity. This is a form of abduction. I’m not okay with this!”
Jake
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