Page 33 of Strawberry Cake

Decan pulled the phone away from his mouth. “Marco would like to know if you’re up for dinner with us.”

“Always.”

After choosing a carrier, they returned to the shelter where Hope helped him get his new friend into the car. She followed him to his place and went off to find parking while Decan situated himself. Mr. Grumps had actually taken the car ride well. He’d barely even seemed fazed as Decan checked him over. He reached into the bag and grabbed a few treats, feeding them into the carrier. He was glad to see that Mr. Grumps took them without hesitation, maybe after living on the street and losing his leg he was just happy to be taken care of.

Hope appeared, opening the passenger door with a smile. “I see you two are bonding. How was the ride?”

“He didn’t complain at all. Didn’t even seem uncomfortable.”

“Such a good boy.”

While Decan held Mr. Grumps on his lap, Hope insisted on carrying everything else. The only thing left behind was a bag of cat litter they would return for. Inside, Hope told him it was best to just find a spot to set the carrier down and leave the door open for Mr. Grumps. She also explained it was best to keep the box there for the first week or so to keep the cat’s safe space nearby. Decan anxiously watched the box out ofthe corner of his eye as they unpacked everything else. Mr. Grumps didn’t appear until he heard the sound of a can of food opening. He trotted over to see what all the noise was about and sniffed the food, deciding it was worth his attention. Hope offered to get the litter bag herself but Decan insisted, leaving Mr. Grumps to his dinner and returning to the parking deck.

Hope

Decan returned with Marco, who carried paper bags in his hands. Mr. Grumps had found a spot on the couch and was curled up, seemingly unbothered by the change of scenery.

“So, where is my new rival?” Marco asked, setting the food on the table.

“Already feeling at home and comfortable on the couch,” she laughed, curiously eyeing the bags. “Is that Chinese I smell?”

“Yep.” Marco followed Decan to the couch and sized up his opponent. “Well, that’s not really competition at all, is it.”

Decan reached out and scratched his new friend’s ear. “Did he eat?”

“A little.”

Marco rolled his eyes. “Look at you, changing your whole life within a week. First a girlfriend and now a cat. What’s next? Your midlife crisis?”

“Jealous, Marco?” she teased in return.

“Nope, living the bachelor life.”

“He still hasn’t grown out of his hoe phase,” Decan explained, taking to setting up the litter box in the guest bathroom.

Marco followed Hope to the kitchen where she pulled out plates and glasses for them. “You serious about him?”

Well, so much for pleasantries. As it was, Hope had seen this interrogation coming. After all, she expected Laura to do the same. “I am.” The answer came easy.

“He’s been through too much shit already. I don’t want to see his heart broken too.”

“I’m not here to hurt him.”

“He has bad days.”

“I know, and we’ve talked about it.”

Marco crossed his arms and fused his brows. “What do you see in him?”

“A kind, handsome guy who I enjoy spending time with.”

At that, Marco groaned. “Can you be less cheesy please?”

“Fine. He has nice tats, owns his own place and his dick is incredible.”

Marco stared at her for a moment, then broke into laughter. “Yeah, I like you.”

“Good, because you’re not going to get rid of me.”