Keeley was in a foul mood as she waited in front of the faux apartment building where Aaron had dropped her off. It was 9:00 AM on a Saturday, which would have been unpleasant enough, but she'd overslept trying to recover from a hangover and hadn't had time to do her homework until after work. She'd worked tirelessly to complete everything before the midnight deadline, sacrificing even dinner. She'd finished, but at a significant cost: she was awake until 3:00 AM due to her disrupted sleep schedule. Stress, sleep deprivation, and the prospect of seeing her least favorite person equaled one very grumpy Keeley.

She deliberately dressed as casually as possible to embarrass him. Aaron was always ridiculously image-conscious; this would serve him right. She wore her hair in two pigtails, showcasing her inexpensive white star-shaped earrings. Her purple tee shirt featured a swarm of monarch butterflies; she paired it with light wash jean shorts, mismatched patterned crew socks, a colorful beaded bracelet with a tiny wooden heart charm, and bright yellow knock-off Converse All-Stars. A Bugs Bunny bandage just below her knee—a result of a shaving mishap—completed the ensemble. Jennica had bought them as a joke, but since regular bandages were unavailable, it was her only option. Initially embarrassed, Keeley now found the silly bandage rather fortunate; Aaron would despise it.

A shiny black Mercedes pulled up, and the passenger window rolled down. To her surprise, Aaron was driving. She hadn't seen him drive personally since they were in Boston. Even more surprising was his unusually casual attire. She couldn't recall the last time he wore jeans—admittedly, they probably cost more than her dad's car—and his short-sleeved nautical striped button-down shirt was a departure from his usual style.

"Nice bandage," he remarked as she got in. It was almost certainly sarcastic, so she ignored it.

"So, where are we going? Some fancy breeder's place?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "No, my…friend…recommended Happy Paws Animal Rescue in Brooklyn."

Her jaw dropped. Aaron at an animal shelter? In Brooklyn? Was this some sort of Twilight Zone episode?

"…I've walked by there before."

"Oh good, so you know where it is. I thought I might have to use the GPS."

Silence filled the car for several minutes before Aaron spoke again. "I didn't know you liked graphic tees."

Unsure if he was teasing—his tone was monotonous as usual—she answered sincerely.

"You only ever saw me at school, so you wouldn't have seen me wear them. I usually don't wear them during the week anymore because I'm supposed to be professional as a doctoral student. Now they're for home or weekends, but I do like them. They're fun."

"Your whole outfit kind of screams 'fun' today," he said with a slight smirk.

He…liked it? Actually liked it, or at least found it amusing. Unbelievable.

"Thanks, I think," Keeley said, utterly confused.

"You're welcome."

The conversation lapsed again as she processed his words. They were halfway to Brooklyn when she had a sudden realization.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, startling Aaron so much that he slammed on the brakes, causing the car behind them to honk angrily.

"What is it?"

"We should probably buy the cat supplies before we get the cat," she said sheepishly. "Can you give me your phone to look up the nearest pet store? I don't have a data plan."

He wordlessly handed her his latest iPhone; it was password-protected. "What's the passcode?"

"Zero eight zero eight one zero," he said nonchalantly.

Both his lock and home screens were default images. How boring. Keeley thought about her own phone: Molly was her background, and a picture of her and her dad was her lock screen. Her roommates also used photos of friends and family. Of course, Aaron used the defaults—he didn't seem to value anyone. He wasn't close to his parents, and she doubted he had any real friends. Yet, he'd mentioned a friend who suggested the animal shelter…what kind of person would befriend someone who rescued pets?

She turned on the data and searched on Google Maps. A Pet Palace was a mile away, but would the impeccably stylish Aaron Hale tolerate a retail chain store?

"The closest one is Pet Palace; is that alright?"

"Yes."

Unexpected, but fine. She directed him, taking on the role of navigator.

Upon arriving at Pet Palace, it was clear Aaron was out of his element. Keeley suppressed a laugh and led him to the cat section.

"Okay, you'll need food and water bowls, a litter box, a scratching post, and various toys to see what it likes…" she scanned the shelves, recalling her own Molly's essentials.

She turned to him. "Do you want to pick things and ask for my advice, or should I just choose? I've never done this before, so I don't know what to expect."

"By all means, choose for me. I trust your superior judgment," he said seriously, stepping back and putting his hands in his pockets.

Was this Surprise Keeley Day? He never solicited her opinion, and now he wanted her to choose everything without input.

She pushed aside her confusion and focused on selecting items. The sooner she finished, the sooner this favor would be over.