“Oh, come on.” I laughed. “There has to be a guy out there for me, someone who fits the bill perfectly and enjoys all the things that I do, just on a manly level.”
“How do you love a puppy in a manly way?”
I rolled my eyes at her and shook my head, kissing the puppy on the nose and setting him back in the cage. Was it truly that impossible to think that there was a man out there like that? Was it insane to dream of someone caring and loving that wasn’t a show boat or extremely narcissistic? If it was, then I was doomed to live alone, the crazy cat lady, for the rest of my eternity. Except I didn’t have any cats at home.
“I’m going to go let the dogs out in the yard to play,” I said, calling to Leena as I walked away.
“Watch out for Mr. Awkwardly Right while you are out there,” she yelled back.
I let all the dogs out of the cage and opened the door to the fenced-in yard, laughing as they shot out in the grass, rolling around in the sunshine. I wrapped my hands around my shoulders, realizing it was already starting to get cool outside. I loved my pups and kittens, and they kept me completely content. Although I knew the connection between me and a man was something that I wanted deep down, I couldn’t help but be okay as long as I had my animals to love me. Maybe I was starting to lose it, surrounding myself with the four-legged kind of love instead of just getting out there and meeting someone.
I sighed and walked through the lawn, petting the different pups that ran up to me, wagging their tails. I leaned down and got a big wet doggie kiss right across my cheek, and I giggled, feeling better already. Who needed the complication of a relationship when you had so much furry adorableness around you at one time?
Chapter 3
Blaine
I had to say, there was something completely miserable about donning a suit on a Saturday, and a really fancy one at that. The wedding was starting in just an hour, and I needed to get to the location so that Caleb would get off my case. I looked at my freshly washed black hair in the mirror and pushed it down, realizing that I probably could use a haircut pretty soon since my cow lick was starting to fight back against me. I put some pomade on it and smoothed it down, checking my rustic five o’clock shadow in the mirror and deciding that it fit me. I knew that was me being too lazy to shave, but I had to admit that every time I went out with this rough shave, I picked up a lot more women. I didn’t know what it was, but they seemed to be attracted to the well-groomed man that looked like t
hey forgot to shave.
I pulled my shirt over my shoulders and reluctantly buttoned it up, tucking it in before grabbing my silver tie. I placed it around my neck and tucked it under my collar, feeling the cool silk fabric between my fingers. Most days, I really enjoyed putting on a nice suit, but today, I just wanted to sit around and watch television. I knew I had to let it go. There was no getting out of it, so I took a deep breath and smiled at myself in the mirror. My fake grin quickly diminished, and I grabbed my jacket and walked into the bedroom. I pulled on the coat and stood in front of the mirror, admiring how good I looked. Call it cocky if you want, but I was a pretty good-looking guy.
I hated weddings. The glitz, the flowers, the giggling bridesmaids, and the little children running around in fluffy dresses was all a bit too much for my single guy mentality. That being said, there was free food, free booze, and plenty of women that would chomping at the bit to find a single guy to hook up with for the night. There was something about weddings that opened a woman’s legs, and I had a hard time believing it was because they were hoping to find Mr. Right in the caterer’s closet with her panties around her ankles. Either way, who was I to deny these beautiful babes the chance to feel pretty and special for one night, at someone else’s happily ever after?
I picked up my keys and my cell phone and put them in my pocket, hoping that I wouldn’t be coming home, but instead, shacking up with one of Caleb’s sister’s hottie girlfriends in the hotel later that night. I whistled as I walked through to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and drinking it before heading for the door. If I was going to be drinking heavily, I needed to make sure I was hydrated. No one wanted a hungover Blaine waking up next to them in the morning. I tended to be a bit grumpy.
“Lights off,” I said loudly, watching as all the lights dimmed except for those lining the windows.
“Have a good night, Mr. Butler,” the computer AI replied in the sultry voice I created for the system.
I bowed my head at the invisible woman and walked out the front door, listening to the locks click shut behind me. It was pretty awesome being able to navigate the technological world like I could, but no matter how cocky I was, I was never into letting on just how smart I really was. It tended to push people away a bit. I went down to the bottom floor and hopped in the car, heading off to the wedding.
When I arrived, I was ushered into the large ornate complex where the wedding and reception would be held. Everything was draped in rich fabrics and covered from floor to ceiling in floral arrangements. A little girl brushed past my leg, giggling as she ran past me and toward her mother scowling at her from across the room. I did my best to keep the irritation off my face and looked over beside the doors to the ceremony room where Caleb was standing, looking dapper in his expensive Armani tuxedo and shiny shoes.
“Hey, you came,” he said, reaching out and shaking my hand.
“I wasn’t aware that I had an option,” I whispered, turning and looking out at all the guests arriving.
“You didn’t,” he replied. “But I know how you like to do your own thing.”
“That is very true my friend,” I said, smiling at a tall blonde walking past. “How is your sister?”
“Completely calm, which is shocking because she is like the most nervous person that I know,” he said, chuckling.
“Yes, I remember,” I groaned. “You forget that I helped her plan your twenty-fifth birthday surprise party. I thought she was going to have a complete meltdown when the cupcakes had blue icing instead of ‘aqua.’”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,” he said, laughing. “You were a real trooper for not killing her.”
“Thought it would be rude since it was your birthday,” I replied nonchalantly.
“Yeah, blood red birthday surprise probably would have put a damper on our friendship,” he said. “But I’d still visit you in the clink and bring you some better sheets for your cot.”
“You are a real pal.” I laughed, patting him on the back. “So, how much time until this whole thing goes down?”
“Uhm,” he said, looking down at his watch. “We will be seated in about ten minutes.”
“I want you to know how much I hate weddings,” I said, leaning against the wall. “It’s all a bit much just to celebrate the fact that the government now controls your relationship, along with everything else in your life.”