Spencer frowned. It was almost one o’clock in the fucking morning. Most of the city was asleep. So what was this asshole doing knocking on his car window?
Maggie glanced at Spencer, looking distraught.
“You know this guy?” he asked.
She nodded, grabbing her purse from the foot well. “He’s…my boyfriend.”
Fuck. He suddenly remembered Maggie stating she had a boyfriend when she showed up at the party that day. His brain seemed to have conveniently forgotten that information.
“Thanks for dinner and the tickets and everything.”
“Sure,” he said, as she exited the car. Spencer got out too.
“Hey, buddy,” he said, keeping his vehicle between them. He didn’t know if this guy had a temper, and things looked pretty suspicious.
“Hey.” The guy blinked. “Wait a second. Are you…?”
“Yes,” Maggie said. “It’s Spencer Corbett.”
“Holy fuck! I’m a big fan, man. So’s Maggie, but you probably know that already. The name’s Pete. Pete Lamont.”
Spencer walked around to shake the guy’s outstretched hand.
“Maggie told me all about how you found Kirbs and how she’s letting him stay with you until your dog kicks the bucket.”
Maggie winced.
“It’s a known fact that dogs mourn and get depressed, just like people do. In fact, I hope you weren’t giving your dog a lot more attention, especially near the food bowl. Maggie said he wasn’t eating—”
“It’s a girl.”
“Because that can cause an eating disorder.”
Maggie gave Spencer an apologetic smile. ”Pete, come on. It’s late and I’m sure Spencer needs to get some sleep. He was the First Star of the Game tonight.”
“Everybody loves a star, right?” Pete grinned. “‘You don’t have to be a star, baby, to be in my show,’” he sang. “You know that song? It’s an oldie from the seventies. Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.”
“Sorry, man.” Spencer wondered if the guy was lit, because he’d heard whales sing better.
“Nobody under the age of forty knows that song, Pete.” Maggie was pulling Pete’s arm now. “Thanks for the ride home, Spencer. Talk to you soon.”
Spencer lifted a hand and watched them walk up the pathway.
As he got back on the freeway, he tried not to feel like an idiot. Maggie was a smart, sexy woman. Of course she had a boyfriend. A woman that beautiful, that funny, that witty wasn’t going to be long on the market. Hell, she was probably close to being engaged.
And yet, what was Jade doing then, trying so hard to match them up? What was that about? Surely her best friend knew Singing Pete.
The next morning, he was getting out of the shower when the doorbell rang. He immediately thought of Maggie, but realized as he was hurriedly pulling on pants that she was probably already in her classroom, teaching.
“Hello!” a familiar voice called. “It’s Stacy!”
He got to the first floor just in time to see her close the front door. She was wearing a low-cut pair of jeans and a cropped top and he was dismayed to see a plastic container of food in her hands.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” he asked.
“I had some extra shepherd’s pie and thought you might like some.”
“Wow. Thanks.” He knew better than to pop the top and smell it. “What’s shepherd’s pie?”
“It’s English comfort food. Vegetables and meat, topped with mashed potatoes.”
That sounded good to him, but knowing Stacy, she’d done something strange to it. And he was right.
“Soy is really good for you, so I substituted the meat with tofu crumbles.”
“Huh. I don’t eat much tofu.”
“You’ll like this, sweetie. I promise.”
“Okay, thanks.”
He went to the kitchen to put it in the fridge, where it would sit until he could safely throw it in the garbage. She followed him and went directly to Lulu’s bed and crouched to pet her. Her thong made an appearance and Spencer turned away as she greeted his dog.
“Hi, Loobie-Doobie. How are you, sweetheart?”
Stacy rubbed Lulu’s ears enthusiastically and Lulu’s tail wagged. Kirby nosed his way into the group and Stacy paid some attention to him too. She really was good with the dogs even if she was the worst cook he’d ever met, and that included his ten-year-old niece, Bella.
“So, this Maddy woman…”
“Who?”
Stacy stood up. “The person who lent you her dog.”
“Oh, Maggie. What about her?”
“I think you should give her her dog back.”
“I am. Eventually. That’s the deal. I’m only borrowing Kirby until…you know. He’s like Lulu’s caregiver. Once his job is over, I’ll give him back.”
She wrinkled her nose. “That’s very nice and all, but you should have asked me. I would have let you borrow one of my dogs.”
“I didn’t know that Lulu would perk up that way until Kirby was already here.”
“But you know now, right? See, I was thinking, I have two dogs and she only has one. You could give Kirby back so she wouldn’t be so lonely.”
“Stacy, that’s really thoughtful of you, but your dogs don’t get along with Lulu. They didn’t like Frank either when he was alive.”
She pouted. “That’s true, I guess.”
“I appreciate the offer though.”
“Spencer, you know I’d do anything for you.”
He glanced at the clock on the microwave. “So, thanks for the food, but I’ve got to get to practice.”
“Of course.” She walked out of the kitchen, and he thought she had a bit more swing to her hips than usual.
At the door, she stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot. I ordered a new dog house and I was wondering if you could help me put it together next week. It looks kind of complicated.”
“Sure. No problem.”
Beaming, she hugged him tightly. “You’re the best.”
After she was gone, he smelled like her perfume and he went back upstairs to take a second shower.