A Different Slice

17 - Distractions (Naomi)

After meeting Brinny, Naomi was unsure how to feel. The woman seemed nice and loved her dog and her boyfriend, but she also had nicknames for Kieran. He'd settled into that environment like a second home, which meant he spent a lot of time there. Not every day, according to him, but enough that he was still probably interested in her. She was bustier than Naomi, had curvaceous hips, and a petite stature most men preferred over Naomi's intimidating height and athletic figure.

Let it go. Tonight was about Rusty and work, not you.

But it was hard to brush it off because Kieran's attention was the distraction keeping her stable this week. His sweet and funny messages made her smile and forget about her pain. Greg was radio silent, and she had acted the same toward him as much as that hurt. Marc had texted to check on her, but it wasn't the same as hearing from the man she'd loved.

At least Shivanna was home tonight, judging by the lights on in the house. As Naomi left her car and grew closer, loud music with a strong bassline vibrated the doorstep. Once she stepped inside, Shivanna cruised around the living room, dusting shelves to the rhythm of the beat. She turned down the volume after spotting Naomi.

"Hey, how was training? New client, right?"

Naomi set down her bag and nodded as Cleo trotted over to inspect the unfamiliar smells on her clothes. "Kieran's friend Brinny." Once Cleo had her fill, Naomi grabbed another rag to help Shivanna clean.

"Oh." Shivanna's interest in dusting faded. "What's she like?"

"Nice enough. She genuinely cares about her dog and seems motivated to train him." Naomi searched for a shelf that was still dusty.

"Mm-hmm, and what about in a non-professional capacity?" Shivanna raised her eyebrows.

"She and Kieran get along well."

"She said bitterly," Shivanna teased with a nudge to Naomi's shoulder. "You should tell him you're out of pizza. Bet he'd be back here in a flash, regardless of how he gets along with Brinny."

Naomi sighed and stared at the photo on the shelf of her and Greg at his brother's wedding. If only she had known all that pining was for nought. Worse than that, she couldn't see their friendship returning to anything but awkward and distant. She'd lost one of her closest friends and longtime loves, which was worse than any of her past break-ups. She pulled the entire frame down to tuck it in the cupboard below.

"I'm not sure about that."

"People don't drop everything and rush to comfort someone out of the blue without a reason."

She'd accused Kieran of many motivations when they first met, but he'd settled on 'I enjoy talking to you.' Since then, he'd grown fond of her hugs as well, although they'd both been left wanting today as they were at Brinny's. She'd wanted to be professional, and he had stepped back once Brinny was around. However, every time Naomi looked at him, he seemed to stare and smile at her like she was the adorable puppy instead of Rusty. Was that a sign?

Is that what you want? You're projecting because you lost Greg, and you're trying to fill a void.

"It's too soon to consider that. He's just being nice." Naomi returned to dusting around Shivanna's family photos and a few group shots with their friends. "How's the hunt for a summer job going?"

Shivanna's raised eyebrow told Naomi she hadn't bought the answer. "The art camp sounds promising, and the pay is decent too."

"No conflict with evening classes?"

"None, and they were open to most of my project ideas."

"That's because you're a genius."

Shivanna beamed. "Thank you, I try. What about your private clients? Are you finding many of those?"