Page 103 of Like Cats and Dogs
“Am I the first person you told?” Evan asked.
“Yup. Before Facebook, even.”
“Wow. I’m flattered.”
“Is Paige here? I didn’t see her at the counter?”
“Do you not know your own employees’ schedules? I know them and I don’t even work here.”
“What?”
Evan laughed. “Paige had some big date last night. I’m betting it was a disaster, just like all her other dates have been lately. Either way, she took today off. I haven’t heard from her yet, though, so maybe it was fine.”
“A big date? Do you know who with? Was it that fussy chef Lindsay has been trying to set her up with?”
Evan shrugged. “She didn’t say.”
As Lauren moved to go tell Caleb to have a good day, Evan called out, “If you’re going up there, can you get me a blueberry muffin?”
“Yes, fine.”
Lauren walked through the door. She slid into the line with Caleb and took his hand. “Good morning again,” she said.
“Morning. Everything here looks under control.”
“Yeah, it seems to be. Although I can’t wait until we finally find the right pastry chef, because we’re already down to the last bagel, and it would be nice if we had someone in back who could, like, whip up another batch.”
“Are bagels really the sort of thing you just whip up?”
“I dunno. I don’t know how to make bagels. I’m just saying.”
“Did you figure out the health inspector situation?”
“Diane’s lawyer is supposed to come by tomorrow.”
They got to the front of the line then. Caleb ordered his regular coffee to go and Lauren asked for a couple of muffins.
After Caleb doctored his coffee, he gave Lauren a kiss on the cheek. “I gotta go take care of some animals.”
“My hero.”
“I’ll check on that kitten Mitch brought in for you and let you know at lunchtime if I can. If not, I’ll see you at dinner. Fiancée.”
Lauren smiled broadly. She liked the sound of that. “All right. Fiancé. Have a good day.”
He smiled. “I will. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Lauren watched him go. Then she turned back to the cats.
