The Blush Factor by Deborah Bladon

Chapter Four

Matthew

“What’s her name?”My boss, Donovan Hunt, asks as he approaches me in the corridor that leads to the examination rooms at Premier Pet Care.

Without missing a beat, I toss him an open mouthed smile. “Moxie.”

That stops him mid-step. Donovan is a few years older than me. He established this vet clinic soon after he graduated from veterinary school. Since then, his patient roster has grown by leaps and bounds. He credits a good portion of that to his millions of Instagram followers.

I’ve never surveyed the list, but I’d guess that the majority of those followers are women. He’s not lacking in the looks department. Truthfully, I’m not either. Our fellow vet, Carolyn Gallo, keeps us grounded. She’s always nearby to remind us that we’re here to treat animals, not score time away from the clinic with their owners.

“Moxie?” he repeats the name of the feline waiting for me in exam room two.

I nod. “I couldn’t tear her off of me. I have the scratches to prove it.”

Narrowing his eyes, he crosses his arms over his chest. “Does she have a sister?”

I’ve pulled his leg long enough. Donovan is fishing for details on why I turned down his offer to go to a Mets game with him on Saturday night. I told him I was busy. He assumed that involved a woman.

It did involve two females. My nieces decided to sneak out of their apartment to head to mine. Fortunately, I live in the same building as my brother and his wife.

After talking with their dad about how they can’t wander around the building on their own, they pleaded with him to let them sleep at my place.

Since my extra bedroom is equipped with bunk beds just for them, I happily agreed to host them.

That meant I had to bow out of the game with my boss at the last minute.

I huff out a laugh at his question. “Chances are, yes, but I have no fucking idea, Hunt. I’m prepping to go into exam room two for another round with her unless you’re feeling the urge to get scratched alive today.”

His gaze falls to the impressive red scratch running down the length of my right hand. “You’re talking about Moxie Acherley.”

I pat his chest through the blue button-down shirt he’s wearing. “The one and only.”

He nods. “I’ll handle it. I took care of her for seven straight years before you showed up. I made it out of the room scratch-free every damn time.”

“Impressive,” I say with a grin. “Point me in the direction you need me.”

“Matilda is in exam room one waiting on me to drain an abscessed anal gland on a Dalmatian.” He perks a brow. “Why don’t you join her while I pay Moxie a visit?”

I square my shoulders and bite back a laugh. “Fuck you.”

“You too, Hawthorne.” He pats my shoulder. “You too.”

* * *

“That went well.”One of our vet assistants, Matilda Wolf, smiles as she comes back into the exam room after showing the Dalmatian and his owner out the door. “You did a great job, Matt.”

She always tells me that, and I always respond the same way. “As did you, Tilly.”

That brings a bright smile to her face. “I’m glad Dr. Hunt sent you in to deal with that because I want to talk to you about something.”

I glance over to where she’s standing next to the open exam room door. I know exactly where this conversation is headed, but I don’t bolt. I stand my ground because one day, sweet, very happily married Tilly will understand that not everyone is on the lookout for a life partner.

If I find mine one day, I’ll be all in, but until then, work and my family keep me busy.

“What’s on your mind?” I ask to give me an extra minute to come up with a response to what I know is going to be an invitation to join her and her husband, Sebastian for dinner at their home in Queens with a single woman Tilly thinks is perfect for me.

I’ve sat through three of those blind dates in the past six months alone.

All of them offered me their phone numbers. I accepted and sent two a text message telling them I wasn’t looking for anything at the time. The third woman tracked me down here, and we ended up having dinner. The night ended with a fuck at her place, and then when I followed up a few days later with a call to tell her that I wouldn’t be seeing her again, she professed her love.

It was too much, way too fucking soon, so I swore off Tilly’s match-up dinner parties.

Tilly twists her wedding ring on her finger as she bows her head. “I know you said you weren’t looking for a girlfriend, but this incredible woman moved into the house across the street from us. She’s a lawyer, drop-dead gorgeous, and has a poodle.”

I wait until Tilly glances up so I can look her in the eye. “She sounds amazing, Tilly, but I’m not interested.”

“If a dinner is too much, we can all meet up for a drink tomorrow night,” she presses. “I’m telling you, Matt, she’s different. I can see you two together.”

I can’t, so my answer remains the same. “It’s a pass for me, Tilly.”

Her blue eyes search my face. “I didn’t think I’d find love until I met Sebastian. My sister kept telling me he was right for me, and I wasted time by not listening to her.”

I have to give her credit for being so damn persistent. “I’m happy that you found the one, Tilly, but that doesn’t change my mind about meeting your neighbor.”

“One drink, Matt.” She sighs. “Meet us at a bar for one drink, and if there are no sparks between you and Fleur, you leave.”

“Fleur?” I repeat. “Her name is Fleur?”

“It’s pretty, right?” Her eyes widen. “You’ve never met a Fleur before, have you?”

Before I can respond, my name echoes over the intercom system. “Dr. Hawthorne to exam room three.”

I start toward the door. “I need to run.”

“Just say yes,” Tilly says softly. “I already told Fleur all about you. She’s dying to meet you.”

One drink can’t hurt, so I nod. “Text me the time and place. No promises beyond that, Tilly.”

“Understood.” She tucks a wayward strand of her brown hair back into the messy bun at the nape of her neck. “I think I just made a match for the ages.”

I don’t have the heart to tell her she didn’t.

This city is filled with beautiful single women, but I’ve yet to meet one that is fascinating enough to capture my attention beyond a night or two. Something tells me that Fleur won’t be any different.