“You didn’t tell me about Avery,” she whined.
“Wow, this is getting too Days of Our Lives in here,” I said, shutting the chart. I looked at Josh. “Can we go?”
“Yep,” he said, putting his hand on the small of my back as we walked toward the locker room.
He stopped just outside while I went in to retrieve my purse and wash my hands. When I came out, Ashton was standing in front of him, tears in her eyes.
“Really?” I said to Josh.
“Carissa, I don’t know how more clearly to say it. I’ve been saying it for four months.”
“Saying what? I don’t understand.”
“It happened once. If I’d known you couldn’t let it go, it wouldn’t have happened at all. I’m just going to say this one last time: I’m not interested in a relationship with you. Please stop contacting me.”
Ashton puffed out her chest again, taken aback. Her mouth trembled, and then she glared at me before stomping off.
Josh raised his eyebrows and then formed his mouth in an O shape before blowing out. “She’s different.”
“Sounds like you broke her heart.”
“I told her before we went to her place—which is filthy and smells like baba ganoush, by the way—that I wasn’t looking for a relationship. She said she wasn’t, either.”
“No one has accused Ashton of being rational.”
“You’re rational, and sensible, and selective … I kind of like that about you.”
I chuckled. “That sounds so boring.”
“Definitely not boring,” he said, opening the passenger side door.
He drove us to an apartment building just three blocks from mine. When he shut off the engine, I reached for the lever but hesitated. “Is this your place?” I asked.
“It is. I just need to grab my wallet. I was in a hurry.” He flashed what I was sure was his most charming grin, and then he pushed out of the car and jogged around to my side, opening my door. “You don’t have to come in if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“Does your apartment smell like baba ganoush?” I asked.
He laughed. “No.”
He took my hand and held it until we reached the front stoop, seeming disappointed to let go. He started to use his key, but the door swung open.
“Oh!” a woman said. She wasn’t much younger than me, with a dirty blonde bob and thick glasses.
“Good timing,” Josh said.
“Who’s this?” she said, stepping aside so we could walk in.
“This,” Josh said, gesturing to me proudly, “is Avery Jacobs.”
“Nurse?” Cinda asked, pushing up her glasses.
Josh chuckled, looking down for a second. “Yes, she’s a nurse.”
Cinda nodded. “Nice to meet you. Your fur baby has been checked on thrice, walked, played with, and I’m sorry to report, he barfed in your kitchen.”
Josh made a face. “What did you feed him?”
“I cannot confirm nor deny that I am now out of Cajun-style deli meat.”
“Cinda, I told you he can’t handle that shit.”
She suppressed a giggle. “But he loves it so much! You can’t even tell. I bleached your entire floor and ventilated your apartment. I also did your dishes, because … gross.”
Josh seemed confused. “I didn’t have any dishes in the sink.”
She thought about it. “Maybe that was someone else’s dishes. You all run together. I’m heading out for work.”
“Babysitting the Ramsey twins still?”
“They haven’t killed me yet,” she said as she passed.
Josh shut the door and grabbed my hand again, leading me up two flights of stairs to the second door on the right. He grabbed the knob. “This is me.” He motioned across the hall. “That’s Cinda. I always know she’s home because of the kids screaming.”