Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
“No,” Dylan said. He laughed. “I only married her because she told me she was pregnant. Yeah, after we got married, had a short honeymoon, and I started to insist on doctors’ appointments, she told me she had a miscarriage.”
“Wow!” She was totally shocked.
“Yep, turns out she was looking for a good life, and I provided it.” He shrugged. “I got sucked in by a gold-digging bitch. No, I didn’t love my wife, but … I … I didn’t want my kid growing up without a dad, so I did the right thing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. What about you? Do you love your husband?”
She didn’t even want to get into that. “No.” She tried not to say anything more but it was like the words were being forced right out of her. “Kind of hard to love someone who said you fit the image of the company they were working for. They wanted a frumpy woman, who people imagined him starting a family with. Instead, he ended up making a family with his little slut. His words, not mine.”
“You’re not frumpy.”
“Thanks.” She took another sip of her coffee. “I don’t know if this makes it any better or anything, but we’re not all … gold diggers.”
“That I do believe. I’ve sworn off women, though. I want nothing to do with them. All I’m interested in is Buttercup.”
“I’m sworn off all men. Maybe we should start a club.”
“Sworn off the opposite sex club?” Dylan asked.
“Yeah, we could both be members, and to join, you just need to have an ex that has betrayed you in some way.”
“I like it. Our slogan should read something like, ‘fuck ’em, everyone else did’.”
Robin couldn’t help bursting out laughing. She had no choice but to put the cup down, and then she covered her mouth, trying to contain the humor. “I’m sorry, it’s not funny and I really, really shouldn’t be laughing.”
“But you are.”
“It’s just so funny,” she said.
And much to her surprise, her grump of a neighbor began to laugh as well.
For several minutes, neither of them did anything but laugh. Buttercup laid on her spot and went to sleep, seeming so peaceful.
“This is good coffee,” Dylan said.
She picked up her mug. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t laugh.”
“Why not? It’s funny. That’s life for us and it has a way of kicking us in the ass, and there’s nothing we can do about it. We’ve got to learn to laugh at the small things, right?”
“Yeah, you’re right. We really do.” She held her cup up. “So how about it, we agree to enjoy life, laugh at the small things, and hate men and women?”
“You’ve got yourself a deal there, sweetheart.”
He clinked his cup with hers, and she couldn’t help but feel a warmth that ran through her whole body.
It felt right.
It felt … good.
****
“All these colors are hurting my eyes,” Dylan said.
“You don’t have to decide right away. In fact, you don’t have to make any decisions at all.” Robin folded up the cards with all the different paint colors and tones, and everything in between. “See, gone.”
“Buttercup needs to go for her walk. You want to tag along?”
“Ugh, sure, if Buttercup doesn’t mind me coming along.”
It had been two days since they had formally introduced themselves, and between Buttercup and his request that she decorate his kitchen and his home, they had rarely been apart.
In fact, in the last two days, he’d not checked his emails, work or personal, and it felt so damn freeing not to be connected to any of that crap. It was the first time he’d taken a proper break. He knew deep down that two days wasn’t a big deal, but it was to him.
“Of course not. Buttercup loves you tagging along.” The moment he picked up her lead, Buttercup was there.
She’d been bouncing somewhere in the living room, enjoying his beautiful white sofa, but he didn’t mind. He loved Buttercup so damn much.
Bending down, he secured the lead to her collar. “You don’t mind, do you, beautiful? You want Robin to come for the walk with us?”
Her tail was going and he chuckled, getting to his feet. “See, she wants you to come and enjoy some fun with us.”
They stepped out of his home and he looked up the street, and sure enough, there was a small group of people. There was a much older woman, a couple of men, and some other women. They looked like a rather strange bunch. He had noticed on several occasions they didn’t look happy, but as he and Robin stepped out together and began to walk toward them, there seemed to be a happiness that swept over the group. As he passed them, he nodded in their direction and then continued walking.
Robin seemed to be completely oblivious to them. He hoped they weren’t burglars or kidnappers.