Trying to look like you don’t care how you look, when you definitely care how you look, was an art form. I’m not sure I managed it in real life. I think I sort of pulled it off on video, but everyone knows that how you look matters a lot on video, so they pretend less.

I scrutinized my reflection in the mirror. These linen shorts and loose linen button up shirt were just the thing for the summer heat. I looked great in pink, and from what I’d seen in this town, no one would think twice about me wearing it. I hoped Rhett liked it too.

Oh this old thing? I woke up like this.

Sure you did.

Rhett doesn’t care how you look. Last night didn’t mean anything. That’s what I told him, so now those are the rules.

Even as I said it to myself I knew it was a lie.

I don’t know what happened, but something did, and it was not like anything I’d ever experienced. Rhett kissed me and all thought left me. It was just me and him and the universe, and…

Heat crept up my chest. I felt the blush in my cheeks. Fucking pink cheeks! They betray me every time.

It’s hard to be cool when you can’t hide your physical reactions.

We made out for a while, if you can call it that. And he was all thick muscles and strong arms and that mouth, his stubble, and the heat of his desire pushing into me. I think of it now and a vortex swirls inside me and I have to follow his earlier instructions.

Remember to breathe.

Then Rhett thanked me for dinner, kissed me on the forehead, gathered up his puppy, and retired to the guest house.

And he was gone.

That was it.

I was in his arms. It was him and me.  Me and him and no one else, except his sleeping puppy. Then just like that, it was over. I was home alone, wondering if it had been a dream.

I thought he was supposed to be some kind of man slut? He just kissed me and left?

Not that I wanted to sleep with him, because of course I didn’t, but he didn’t even give me the satisfaction of turning him down.

The voice of reason inside me reminded me that he lived in my guest house. A complication like that did not rank high in the list of Good Ideas for the Summer.

My list of Good Ideas for the Summer: Remodel the bathroom. Hide out. Be a hermit.

Mr. June walked into my life and everything turned upside down.

I got ready early. I paced, and then, he appeared. Right on time. He couldn’t even be annoying and make me wait, be late, give me an excuse to throw him over.

Not that he was under. He wasn’t anything. It didn’t mean anything. Right? I needed to get out of my head.

“Good morning,” Rhett said, flashing me his dazzling sunny smile. He walked up the path with Tiger trotting beside him.

“It’s one in the afternoon,” I said. I felt contrary, for no good reason whatsoever. One in the afternoon was our scheduled time.

He grinned wider. “So it is.” He looked up and shielded his eyes from the sun. “It’s getting hot in the middle of the day, and is going to get hotter. If you want to move this to earlier in the morning to avoid the heat, I’m game.”

“And disturb your beauty sleep?” I kicked my toe at a rock. I was being irrational. I was the one who couldn’t get up in the morning.

“Hey, are you okay?” Rhett tilted his head and looked into my eyes. I averted my gaze — I did not have the fortitude for his baby blues.

“Oh, I’m fine,” I waved my hand away. “Just thinking about last night and…”

Rhett raised his eyebrows and waited for me to finish my sentence.

“What you said about my YouTube problem. I think you’re right. I need to figure out a way to bring back the passion.”

“Passion is important.” He raised his eyebrows and smiled at me, like he was waiting for me to say more.

I wasn’t walking into that any further than I already had. I changed the subject. “Tiger did well yesterday, and we can repeat today what we did then. But another step is necessary, and a window of opportunity is closing.”

Rhett leaned  over and stroked Tiger on the head. “What are you talking about?”

“Socialization,” I said. “Your puppy needs to meet one hundred different people before he gets much older.”

“Ha! One hundred people?” Rhett smiled wide, his big white teeth shining in the sunlight against his tanned face. “I’m not sure there are one hundred people in this town.”

“We both know that isn’t true,” I said. “But it requires planning  on your part.”

He shrugged. “No problem. Is that it?”

“No, he needs a list of novel experiences as well.”

“Novel experiences?” Rhett rubbed his chin. “What does that even mean? I take him hang gliding?”

“God no!” I laughed. “It means he has positive exposures to all kinds of sounds and events and places while he is young. Then when he is older those things won’t spook him.

“He is a little timid sometimes,” Rhett said, looking down at his new best friend. “This will fix that?”

“Somewhat. Part of it is his breed, and his white coat. It makes him a little more high strung. But with some proper and careful training, he will be a most excellent dog.”

“A most excellent dog,” Rhett repeated, still smiling down at his dog. “I like that.”

“So after our training, you should start on his one hundred people. You really can’t afford to delay.”

“On one condition,” Rhett said.

“What’s that?” And why was I so annoyed? I didn’t like being rejected. Not that I was, really. The handsome and cool fireman kissed me and refused to turn it into a one-night stand. What a…horrible person.

In my mind, I rolled my eyes at myself.

Rhett seemed to be waiting for me to rejoin him in the here and now. When my eyes met his, he said, “You need to meet one hundred people too.”

“No, I do not!”  

He nodded vigorously. “Oh yes you do! How long have you lived in this town?”

I scowled at him. “A few weeks.”

“It’s been more than a few weeks.” he said. “Even I know that. And how many people do you know?”

I thought about it. I knew Sarah, but I knew her before I moved here. I knew Beckett, her vet friend. I knew David and Mike. There was Earl who drank coffee at the drugstore and worked at the hardware store and Emily and Angel and the other old guys at the pharmacy. I’m sure there were others I couldn’t think of right off the top of my head. I knew Rhett.

“I’m waiting for an answer,” he teased.

“I’m thinking!” I grumped.

“Maybe ten?” I guessed.

“Ten!”

“I don’t need to know everyone in town or meet one hundred people.”

“Don’t you? Let me ask you this. If your doorbell rang, what would you do?”

“Go in a back room and wait for them to go away, duh,” I said.

He gave me an important stare.

“What?” I said. “I’m not a dog. I’m not at risk for biting people, or acting badly when they…come into my space.” I could barely finish my sentence. “Fine! I’ll go with you to meet all the people,” I grumbled.

“Woo hoo!” Rhett fist pumped the air. “Okay, let’s get our training part done so we can go downtown. It’s a gorgeous day for a walk!”

Great. I had to meet a bunch of people, and I had to walk.

Maybe my YouTube career wasn’t so bad after all.  

Later, as Rhett situated Tiger’s blanket in the truck, I couldn’t help myself. “I thought we were walking,” I smirked.

“Are you crazy?” Rhett winked at me. “It’s like eighty six degrees outside. We might…get warm and stay warm if we walk!”

I laughed out loud, despite myself.

“Seriously, it’s a little far for Tiger, don’t you think?” Rhett said.

“Yes, you’re right, it is. When he’s an adult, walking or riding your bike to town while he runs beside you will be excellent for you both. Right now, that is too much and could injure him.”

“Hop in the truck, mister. I have someone I want you to meet.”

How did he turn the socialization tables on me and get me to climb in his truck so I could go meet random people? The internet was fine, the number of followers existed in an abstraction. One million followers meant a certain number of average views. This meant a certain amount of income on average. Everything had a place in an equation. And I didn’t have to…meet anyone face-to-face. I just spoke to the camera, and the dashboard that felt like a video game told me my stats.

This? This was like…meat suit stuff. In person, in the flesh, brush up on your manners because you’re going to need them.

But if a dalmatian that arrived in a cardboard box by courier could do it, I could too.

“Almost there,” Rhett said. Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize we’d even left, but he was right. We pulled into a driveway to a cute little postwar bungalow. The immaculate front yard even had a picket fence, and an explosion of flowers.

“Do you want to know where we are, or would you like it to be a surprise?” Rhett asked.

I surprised myself and said, “Surprise me.”