“No, thanks.” Felicity glanced around, then swallowed nervously. “I just want to give you a gift from me to you. No money changed hands, it’s not generic, and I worked on it all myself. It’s something you want and can’t get for yourself. I—” Her nerve failed her as she handed over the document. “I hope you like it.”
Cooper’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as she accepted the piece of paper and unfolded it.
Felicity’s doubts swam circles in her stomach as she watched her read.
Then Cooper sat heavily on the couch and read some more. “Wait. Is this what I think it is?”
“Your building’s owner, Lawrence Tubman, letting you keep Brittany with you? Yes.”
Felicity had spent over a week on this, digging until she found out that Tubman had used one particular man for all his property deals: a lawyer known in certain circles for particular legal irregularities in property valuations.
Long story short, the lawyer was rumored to be bribing or schmoozing city officials to get his wealthy clients a rarely used tax abatement—namely 421a—applied to their property deals, which slashed many thousands of dollars off how much they owed the city in fees. It was curious how 421a only ever seemed to be applied to the mega-rich’s apartment sales but no one else’s properties, and usually only when one particular lawyer was on the job.
Felicity had paid Mr. Tubman a visit and pointed this out while explaining how much she loved solving mysteries and puzzles. She mentioned in passing how one or two of Bartell Corp’s thousands of reporters might be interested in investigating 421a exemptions—particularly why the sneaky rule was used just for the ultrawealthy. Just a general story, of course. No names. But senior city officials might decide to then investigate past deals of all 421a valued properties.
Mr. Tubman, being a rather smart individual, had asked what it would take for Felicity to be less interested in solving certain puzzles and mysteries. Felicity had then mentioned how much owners loved having their pets with them in their apartments.
Now, as of nine this morning, all of Mr. Tubman’s three residential buildings were pet-friendly. What a coincidence.
“I can bring Brittany here?” Cooper’s voice broke, hope leaking from her voice. “She can stay home with me for good?”
Felicity nodded and pulled out her phone. She walked back to the door, sending a quick text: Now.
Moments later, a honey-brown blur scampered down the hallway. As Felicity widened the door, Brittany burst into Cooper’s apartment, following her nose to her old home and adored owner.
“Brit!” Cooper squealed. She crouched and flung her arms around her dog, who enthusiastically barreled Cooper over, flattening her onto her back.
Brittany then set about licking a layer of skin off Cooper, who kept laughing and crying out “down, girl” and “arghh” between gasping laughs.
Felicity glanced at Amir, who was smiling from ear to ear, a plump tear running down his cheek as he placed all the dog toys and Brittany’s little bed just inside the apartment door.
“Thanks,” Felicity told her driver with a smile.
“My pleasure, Ms. Simmons.” Amir lingered a moment, his brown eyes warm as he soaked in the sprawled-out woman laughing helplessly, pinned down by a bouncing, gleeful dog whose tail was swishing back and forth. “That’s a sight to see,” he said softly. Amir wiped his eye discreetly before turning and leaving, closing the door behind him.
Felicity looked back at the joyful Cooper-Brittany swirl. Her heart contracted at the sheer delight of them both. “I could come back, if you like. Let you two get used to Brittany being home again?”
Cooper’s eyes were shining with tears. “She’ll calm down in a minute. And don’t go. I just… I’m overwhelmed. How?”
“I keep telling you I’m very good at what I do.” Felicity smiled confidently. “Sooner or later you might believe me.”
Cooper sat up. “I believe.” She said it so earnestly. “Truly. You’re a goddess.”
Felicity laughed. “Well, you’re officially good for my ego.” She lowered herself to the floor beside Cooper and Brittany. “Just so you know, when I got Mr. Tubman to make this change, I convinced him to do it for all residents in all his buildings. I didn’t want you singled out for attention, and I thought you’d feel weird getting special treatment that others couldn’t have. So…here we are. Pets for everyone.” She grinned.
After burying her face in Brittany’s fur for a long hug, Cooper looked up. “You really are something else, Felicity Simmons.”
Oh no. Was Cooper crying?
Felicity panicked, glancing around furiously, unsure what to do. Were there tissues anywhere? Was she supposed to pat her on the back and say “there, there”? That’d be condescending, though, wouldn’t it? She agonized for another moment and then went with what she most wanted to do. She slid an arm around Cooper and whispered, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Cooper said between sniffles. “I really am. I really, really am. A bit embarrassed to be making such a fool of myself, but hey, it’s not every day something like this happens.”
Brittany licked her salty cheek, which caused Cooper to laugh again.
“So,” Felicity said carefully to double-check that she hadn’t misread the room, “I did okay on my assignment?”
Cooper burst into tears. Proper ones this time, which Felicity regarded with even more alarm.
“Sorry. Christ, what you must think of me. I just hadn’t realized how much I’ve been aching for Brittany to be home with me. And yes, Felicity, my God, you did more than okay. You gave family back to me. This is the greatest gift anyone could have given me. So you proved me wrong.” She met Felicity’s eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You really do get me, don’t you? You knew what I most wanted.”
Felicity tightened her arm around her. “I hoped I did. And I’m hoping I’ll have an opportunity to get to know you a lot better. So if you could stop saying ridiculous things like ‘I’ll dump you as soon as I get bored with you being a lowly vet as I climb higher’ or whatever, that’d be good. Because for a start, I’m already at the top now; and second, where on earth am I going to find anyone kinder or more decent than you in my cutthroat world of corporate media?”
“Flatterer.” Cooper smiled through her tears.
Felicity gently wiped them away with her finger. She met Cooper’s eyes. “I’m serious, Sandy,” she said, using her first name with great care. “I want to be with you. I also have no intention of going anywhere, in case you’re afraid you’d be left behind and I’ll be jet-setting the globe. I know that, thanks to your childhood, you aren’t interested in moving around. So FYI, aside from occasional travel for work, I have this wicked power called delegation.”
“You’re really not going anywhere?” The question was laced with something painful.
Felicity understood the question wasn’t just about geography. It went a lot deeper. “I’d really like to hang around and get to know you properly. Please say that’s what you want, too. More of us together.”
Cooper looked down at the legal agreement Felicity had given her, the typing now splotched with tears, then looked back up.
“Well, I can’t have Brittany moping around without you. I swear all this past month she kept looking for you behind me every day I arrived at work.”
“Well, yes, quite right. We can’t let your dog down.” Felicity leaned over and gave Brittany a blissful scratch behind those floppy ears.
In return, Brittany’s soft eyes gave her an adoring look that melted her heart into a puddle.
