Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
“Okay. Sorry if I sound silly.”
“You don’t sound silly at all. I like that you’re jealous at the idea of me meeting Littles.” He pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Let me put the money in the safe and we’ll head home to meet Tawny.”
“Take your time,” she told him.
A few minutes later, he came out in his coat and suggested, “Let’s go out the back and get my car. I’ll drive you to yours and then I can follow you home.”
“That’s a great idea.”
As they reached his car, a bunch of teenagers hung out nearby in the circle of one of the lights. “Hi, Deke! Are you working tomorrow?”
“I don’t think so,” he said, waving back at them as he helped Maya into the car.
“Friends?” she asked when he slid into the driver’s seat.
“They’re friends of the owner, Rose. She introduced us, so now, I guess they’re my friends as well,” Deke explained as he started the car.
“That’s nice. You can talk to everyone,” she said longingly.
“You can as well. Roll down the window and shout hi.”
“I can’t do that. They’ll think I’m weird,” Maya protested.
“Nothing and everything is weird to a group of teenagers hanging out in the mall parking lot. Try it.”
Swallowing hard, Maya rolled down her window and shouted, “Hi!”
The teens turned to look and waved. “Hi, Deke’s girlfriend.”
Maya laughed and waved back. Collapsing against the seat, she looked at Deke who slowly reversed the car out of the parking space. “If only making friends in real life were that easy.”
“It could be. Why not say hi and see what happens? Some people will be too busy, and that’s a loss for them. Others will be so happy that someone spoke to them that they’ll be wonderful.”
“I’ve always been shy,” she explained.
“And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. You get to be however you choose. If you want people to be friendlier, then try being their friend first. Maybe they’re an introvert as well. There’s your car,” he said, pointing to it.
“You’ll follow me home?”
“I will. Shall we buckle your tigress into the passenger seat so you can discuss names on the drive home?” Deke suggested.
“Yes, please, but she’ll have to share the seatbelt with my flowers.”
Deke chuckled. “Of course.”
Maya unbuckled their seatbelts before hugging her new stuffie to her chest. She smiled up at Deke as he opened her door and offered her a hand out of the car. Rocking up on her tiptoes, Maya pressed a kiss to his lips before stepping away. “I’ll give you my card inside.”
“Minx. I’m going to enjoy all these kisses. Best Daddy idea ever.”
Deke grabbed the bouquet of flowers from the passenger seat before holding his hand out for hers, and they walked to the apartment building entrance together. With one hand, he gallantly took her key ring and fitted her small mailbox key into place. Opening it so she could grab everything inside, he held the hinged door out of the way before locking it securely. At her door, he used the key she showed him to open that as well.
Maya looked around quickly as she walked in. She normally kept her apartment tidy but wanted to make sure she hadn’t left anything embarrassing out. To her relief, the living room looked spotless.
“Please sit down and make yourself comfortable. Let me grab Tawny. Would you hold her?” she asked as she handed the tigress to Deke.
When she came back into the room, Maya held a stuffed lion against her ear. “Tawny, you can ask Deke yourself. Come meet him and a new friend I made today.”
Perching on the edge of the couch, Maya sat Tawny on her lap. “Tawny, this is Deke and Princess.”
“Ah, I see you settled on a name,” Deke commented.
“Yes.” Maya moved the lion a bit closer so he could sniff Princess’s paw. To her delight, the gallant lion kissed it before sitting back with a twinkle in his eye. “Oh! I think he likes her.”
“Of course he does. Tawny is a very intelligent lion,” Deke complimented as he made eye contact with the beast.
“Would you let him sniff your hand?”
Deke held his hand out so the lion could check him out. “Hi, Tawny. I have looked forward to meeting you.”
The lion growled in response but didn’t attack.
“Tawny! That’s not nice,” Maya rebuked him.
“It’s okay, Maya. He needs me to show him that I’m going to take care of you properly. Let’s give him some time. I’m glad he doesn’t just accept every Tom, Deke, and Harry.”
Maya stared at him for a second before laughing. “Let’s let Tawny and Princess get better acquainted.”
She moved the two stuffies to the chair next to the couch where they could talk. As she returned to the couch, Deke guided her to sit on his lap. Instantly, she ricocheted to standing.