Elevator Pitch (Hapless In Love #1)

6. The Big, Red Dog

6

the big, red dog

Greyson

Manhattan, NY | September 9, 2023

It’s been a week since my run-in with my new neighbor, Selah. She wasn’t kidding when she said she doesn’t leave the house much. It’s not like I’ve been waiting, hoping to run into her, but let’s just say that Cliff and I have gone on walks more frequently than usual. Not that he’s complaining. We’re on our way back from the neighborhood dog park. We’re enjoying these last few days of summer before the leaves start to change and the nights get shorter.

I finished the book she was reading the other night and prepared an elevator pitch for when I saw her again. I know she was being shy and didn’t believe that I would read it. I need to let her know that I not only read it, but I enjoyed it. Lilith Keene is a genius, and I hope that she’s finished reading it already because I need to talk about this with somebody. I’m not expecting us to have a book club, but I’ve never read romance before and was pleasantly surprised. I’d love another recommendation if she’s up for it.

I don’t know why I’ve put so much thought into what to say when I see her again, but I won’t dig too deep into that. I’d be lying if I said that Aileen’s comments at the engagement party aren’t still ringing in my head. I’ve toyed with the idea of updating my profile ever since, but I haven’t even looked at it until today. While we were at the dog park, I sat while Cliff played and stared at my profile for—I don’t even know how long, but I was interrupted when my mom called. We chatted for a while, and I’m glad she didn’t ask about my love life. After we disconnected, I thought more about it and decided that updating my profile wasn’t a good idea. Neither would be wasting a woman’s time who’s on my app hoping to find her perfect match.

On the way home, I’m yanked from my thoughts, literally, when Clifford starts pulling on his leash. I look to where he’s dragging me, and I notice a woman strolling up the block, her curls whipping in the wind as she approaches my building. We’re a good distance, and I’m thankful for his harness, otherwise, he’d knock that woman down. I stop walking, and he gets the idea, slowing down in front of me. I want her to walk freely without being bombarded by my giant dog.

She moves her loose curls out of her face as she greets our doorman with a soft smile. They speak briefly before he lets her inside. Her tank top shows off the tattooed sleeves on her arms, and her ripped jeans reveal peeks of ink on her legs. I’ve never seen this woman before. We’re not far behind her, and once we’re in the lobby, he is still dragging me toward her, and I stifle my laughter.

Cliff can be a real handful sometimes. While he’s very friendly and loves attention, he’ll accept it from anyone, although he prefers it from women. He’s a great wingman whenever I’ve needed him to be, but he doesn’t flirt for my benefit. He sees potential friends in anyone he can smell another dog on.

She’s waiting near the elevator and rifling through her tote bag as we get closer. I stand a good distance beside her, but Cliff has other plans. He eyes her curiously, and once he sniffs her shoes, he succeeds at getting her attention. She retrieves lip balm from her bag and applies it, smiling down at him.

“Hi, Mister. You’re not shy at all.”

His tail wags excitedly.

She eyes the leash and looks over to me, asking if she can pet him. I nod assuredly. She bends her short frame to pet his head as we wait for the elevator.

“What’s his name?”

I turn toward her, watching their interaction. “Clifford.”

She looks to me and quips, “Because he’s a big, red dog?”

“Exactly,” I say with a smile.

She adds, “Well, I have a Dalmatian named Marshall. So, I ain’t judging.”

That makes me laugh.

“It’s nice to meet another dog owner who doesn’t take naming them too seriously.”

The elevator dings, and a few of my neighbors get off, greeting me and Cliff as they pass through the lobby. Unfortunately, none of them are Selah.

It would’ve been nice to run into her again.

She gets on first, and we follow, standing opposite her. I press my floor and quickly check my phone. The doors close, and we ascend. She’s looking through her bag again and takes out a book, placing it under her arm as she continues sifting through it. She retrieves her phone and fires a text before slipping it into her pocket. I get a quick peek at the book before she drops it back in her bag. It’s the same one Selah was reading and that I just finished.

“You read Lilith Keene?” I ask her.

She wrinkles her face in confusion and asks, “ you read Lilith Keene?”

“Well, I just read that book you got there. I saw my neighbor reading it and thought I’d check it out. Finished the other day. ”

She gives me an inquisitive look. “And what were your thoughts?”

I put my hands in my pockets, leaning against the wall as I answer. “It was a lot funnier than I’d expected a romance novel to be. I expected banter and angst, so I was happy it had plenty. The characters were lovable, and it was well-written. This book made me more interested in the romance genre, and I’m excited to read more from this author in the future.”

“And what about the spice?”

“I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I was hoping I’d run into my neighbor again so I could talk to her about it, but we seem to keep missing each other.”

“Hmm. This neighbor of yours, does she have long, curly hair? Not much of a talker? Always has an e-reader in her hand?”

I tap my chin. “You forgot captivating, but yeah, that’s her.”

She gasps dramatically. “How could I forget to mention she’s a fucking baddie? I should’ve led with that.”

“I would’ve caught on sooner if you had.”

She chuckles. “I’m about to see her at book club. Anything I should pass along?”

“If you could let her know that I read the book and I’d like another recommendation, that’d be cool.”

The elevator dings, and the doors open.

She says, “I can do that. And who should I say this message is from?”

“Grey,” I say, holding the doors open.

“It was nice meeting you. I’m Daya.”

“It was nice meeting you, too.”

“And it was nice meeting you ,” she says to Cliff with a quick head rub as she exits the car. She waves and proceeds down the hall.

The doors close, and I say to Cliff, “good boy. You’re getting another treat. ”

He stares lovingly while I rub his ears.

Clifford’s been a pretty good wingman today, and what were the odds of that?

Now she’ll be looking for me, and I won’t be hard to find.

See you soon, Selah.