Page 17 of Taking the Pitch
I pull my bottom lip into my mouth and bite down. I hate this question. Most people roll their eyes when I tell them he’s an emotional support animal, like I’m just using it as an excuse to take him everywhere with me, when in fact he’s not a regular support animal. “He’s, uh, an emotional support animal,” I tell him, looking him in the eye, wondering if he’ll do the same. But to my surprise, he doesn’t.
“What’s he trained to indicate?” he asks, completely shocking the hell out of me.
“He, uh. I–” I stumble over my words, my mind trying to process the fact that Judd’s not judging me like so many people have before. I take a breath before trying to answer him again.“I have anxiety, severe anxiety, and he can sometimes stop me from going into a full-blown attack by bumping me with his nose.”
Judd nods again. “So when he bumped you at the library, he was trying to prevent an oncoming attack?”
I drop my eyes and nod. Embarrassment taking over that I was on the brink of an attack at the library and that Judd of all people noticed. Usually the library is a safe space, but between the stress of my program being at risk of shutting down and the stress of traveling for my book tour, my nervous system was already maxed out.
Judd closes the short space between us and reaches out, gripping my chin and tipping it up to make me look at him. His delicious scent invades the small space between us. “Don’t ever be embarrassed about that,” he whispers. “Do you understand?”
My breath catches in my chest and my heart rate skyrockets like it does when I’m anxious, but this time it’s not the anxiety making it race. It’s the zap of energy I feel when Judd touches me.
“I need to hear you say it, Amelia. Do you understand that isnothingto be embarrassed about?”
“Y-yes,” I manage to whisper.
“Good.” He drops my chin and steps back to his place against the wall just as the elevator comes to a stop. The elevator dings and the doors open, waiting for me to make my exit.
On wobbly legs, I convince my feet to move and leave the elevator, turning around just in time to see Judd give me a wink before the doors close completely and continue its ascent to the penthouse.
Leaving me wondering,
What the hell just happened?
A half bottle of wine later, I’m soaking in the tub, still replaying what happened in the elevator.
What the fuckwasthat?
I take a sip of my wine when my phone pings, announcing a text. Wiping my soapy hand on my towel, I set my wineglass down and grab the phone off the table next to the tub and unlock the phone, reading the group text.
Charlie
So how did today go? Judd mentioned you not liking him? Did he do something?
I sit up so fast, water threatens to slosh over the edge. He tattled on me to Charlie?
Me
He tattled on me? Wow, I did not expect that. Was his ego damaged?
I set my phone back down and pick my wine glass back up as my phone pings again.
Hazel
Uh-oh, did the meeting at the library not go well?
Charlie
He didn’t tattle. I asked him how it went and he straight up said you didn’t like him. And knowing you, something set you off. Sooo, what happened?
Me
He looks… different out of uniform.
Hazel
Oh do tell.
