Page 96 of Sit, Stay, Love
‘Rose’s Rescue.’
‘What are you up to?’ Ethan asked.
A rush of nerves instantly shot through her. ‘Lying on the couch, watching a movie.’
‘Great. Can I come around?’
Sera rushed to her bedroom, pulled off her daggy sweatpants and put on some clean leggings. She pressed her nose to her armpit, then pulled her leggings back off and hopped inelegantly to the shower, stripping off her remaining clothes on the way.
Showered and smelling less like wet dog and sweat, she pulled her tights back on, grabbed a clean t-shirt – a semi-nice one – and put on some deodorant, which she then sprayed around her room too. She gathered the assortment of clothes lying over a chair and stuffed them into the wardrobe, ran a brush through her tangled hair and looked in the mirror just as the doorbell dinged.
‘Too late now,’ she muttered in exasperation, rolling her eyes at her thrown-together appearance. ‘Coming,’ she yelled out.
She shoved Buffy off the couch in the lounge room, plumped the cushions, marshalled the two dogs into her office – ignoring their forlorn faces – took a deep breath and went to let Ethan in.
He was leaning against a verandah post, with one arm resting above his head, and his other hand tucked into his pocket. His biceps werebulging around the edge of his sleeves, and his t-shirt was riding up just a little, showing a hint of hipbone jutting above the waistband of his jeans. He looked like a magazine cover come to life, and Sera had to gulp back a moan.
‘Hey,’ he said with a dazzling smile.
‘Hey,’ Sera replied with a whole lot of breath.
‘Sorry for the drop-around, but I have an idea I wanted to run past you.’
‘Okay.’
‘Have you eaten? Should we order something?’
‘I’ve eaten popcorn.’
He laughed. ‘Maybe something with vegetables, then.’
He followed her up the hall and into the lounge room.
‘How was your day?’ he asked, flopping onto the couch.
She wiggled in beside him. ‘Good and bad.’ She told him of her plans to fancy up the place before the fundraiser, then the disappointing news about Harry.
He scrunched up his nose. ‘They’re idiots. Harry is an amazing dog, anyone would be lucky to have him. And about the gardens, talk to Lena. Whoever is putting the thing together should be supplying plants and flowers, so you mightn’t need to do much.’
‘I wanted to talk to you about something else.’ She gave an anxious little cough. ‘Lena said you were planning on supporting Rose’s Rescue, like in an ongoing way. That you’d been looking for a local charity to support and put your name to.’
He nodded. ‘Yep. I’m in for the long haul.’
‘It’s just that… you’ve never mentioned anything to me.’ She bit her lip. ‘You’re not using me for research for your new movie, are you? Or to make you look good?’
He stared at her, his eyebrows pulling together. ‘You really think I’d do that?’
The shock on his face made her cringe. ‘No. I guess not.’
‘I’m hurt you’d think I was capable of that. Or maybe flattered you think I’m that good of an actor.’
She laughed lightly and threaded her fingers through his. ‘I’m sorry. I was just a bit thrown, because we hadn’t discussed you being a benefactor. Beyond the fundraiser, I didn’t know your financial commitment to Rose’s would continue.’
His brow was still deeply furrowed. ‘Is it a problem?’
‘No! Well… I guess it makes me a little uncomfortable.’
‘Uncomfortable how?’
