"Bye, Erin," Robin said with a smile as she handed the girl's mother her receipt. "And bye, Elmo," she said to the Great Dane they had with them. Elmo was doing his best sit/stay, knowing there was a treat in it for him.

Robin laughed at the hopeful look in his eyes and the long string of drool that was hanging from his lip as she reached into the tin for a cookie. She gave it to him, and he quickly gobbled it up, looking from Rob to the tin wistfully as he remained in his sit/stay, tip of his tail twitching, deep brown eyes looking soulfully into hers.

"Oh, okay," Robin relented, reaching into the tin for another cookie.

"You spoil him," Erin's mother said with a laugh, shaking her head.

"How can I say 'no' to those eyes, though?" Robin asked as she closed the register.

"Whatever, see you in two weeks," the older woman said. "Come on, Erin, come on, you con artist," she said to Elmo, tugging on his leash.

He rose, seeming to smile sheepishly at Robin as they exited through the automatic doors into the blazing summer heat of central California.

"Hey, you." Robin felt someone twitch at her long braid, and knew who it was before she even turned around. She would've recognized him from the smell of his Stetson aftershave, even if that hadn't been his favorite way to greet her for the past three years.

"Hi." She turned to face her ex, who looked so good it hurt. His hair was smoothed away from his face, which had just the right amount of stubble and made Robin want to run her hand over it. Then he smiled, and Robin felt her tummy flutter, along with an overwhelming desire to step into his arms.

She took a step back to ensure that this didn't happen, and crossed her arms, just to give her something to do with them as she smiled back. "What's up?"

"A bunch of us were thinking of going out to the lake tonight," he told her. "You interested? I asked Peri already, and she said she'd go if you would."

Robin didn't have to ask if Tina was going. Still, it was nice that Miles was comfortable enough with her as his friend to ask her himself.

"Sure," she answered. "Sounds like fun."

Rosewood Reservoir was about half an hour away from Warren, and because it was just over the county line, there were no fire restrictions there, and they could build small ones along the shoreline where there was no grass.

"Super." Miles grinned at her. "You know, Rob, I'm so glad we can still be friends."

"Of course," Robin nodded. "Why wouldn't we? We've known each other since we were kids, we were friends first, weren't we?" She gave him a playful shove.

"And you like Tina, don't you?" Miles took a step closer, halving the distance between them. "She's worried that you might not, and it's really bothering her."

"Oh no! Tell her she's being silly," Robin assured him. Except for her horrible, annoying, chirping voice and inane, idiotic things she says, you know.

"That's what I said," Miles assured Robin, nodding. "But she won't listen! She's so sensitive, you have no idea. I think it's because of her being oriental."

"Asian."

"What?"

"Objects are oriental," Robin told him. "People are Asian."

"Oh, right." Miles nodded. "Anyway, she's Korean, and I think that's what makes her so sensitive."

"Korean-American."

"What?"

"She's third generation Korean-American," Robin informed him. "She's an American citizen, and so are her parents, Miles. She's never even been to Korea, and neither have they, none of them even speak the language."

"Right," he said again with a vague smile.

Robin shook her head. "It is easier knowing who you're with," she said to her ex as she turned away to ring up a teenager with a nose ring, eye makeup and an iguana on his shoulder who was holding a jar of iguana food.

This remark sailed high over Miles' head, just as she'd known it would, and Miles gave her a cheerful wave as he ambled off down one of the aisles, clipboard under his arm.

"Didn't you used to date that hairdo?" The kid with the nose ring asked.

"I did indeed," Rob responded, laughing at "hairdo."

"What in the hell did you see in him, sister?" Nose ring continued. "I mean, I don't usually go for older women, but man, I could show you a better time than him for sure."

"Older women?" Robin gasped as she counted out his change. "Just how old do you think I am, anyway?"

"You're Robin Taylor, right? I'm Kirby Levine, you used to babysit me, remember?" He nodded at her. "You must be what, 22, 23?"

"I'm 22," Robin admitted. "Little Kirby? Wow, you grew up, didn't you?"

He gave her a heart melting smile. "I did indeed," he responded, echoing her earlier words. "I used to have such a crush on you, man. You were the hottest babysitter I ever had." He turned to go. "Still are," he tossed over his shoulder. "Later."

Robin turned back to count and bundle some of the singles in her drawer when someone spoke to her from behind.

"Did I hear right? You used to babysit that Robert Smith wannabe?"

She turned to see Remi grinning at her, hands shoved in his back pockets, white teeth gleaming. He shook his head, making his thousands of dark, shining ringlets bounce and dance all over his head. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Shut up, Remi, that's what he said, basically," Robin said, pretending like she was going to throw a pen at him. "He can't be more than 15 or 16, I swear, it's just all the makeup and hardware that makes him seem so old."

"I know, I know," he assured her. "I also heard him call you the hottest babysitter he ever had."

Robin could feel the blush creeping up her neck. Great.

"Hey." She closed her drawer and turned to him. "What do you think of Peri?"

He looked at her speculatively, leaning on the counter, arms crossed. "The one who hired me with the curly blonde hair?" He nodded. "Yeah, she's really nice, and cute. Why?"

Robin shrugged, trying to seem casual. "No reason, just asking." She turned to him. "So a bunch of us are going to the lake tonight after work, wanna come?"

"The lake?"

Robin shrugged again. "It's what we call Rosewood Reservoir. I mean, this is the Central Valley, there aren't really any actual lakes around here, but it's wet and it's cool, and we roast hot dogs and stuff, have beer and wine and all that, you know. Someone brings a guitar and pretends to be Ed Sheeran or whatever. It's kind of fun." She smiled. "Since it's your first time, I can give you a ride if you like so you don't get lost. It's out in the country, just over the county line, close to Oakdale."

"Sure, why not?" Remi nodded. "Should I bring something?"

"Everyone usually brings a sixpack of something, and a bag of some kind of snack, and then we share," Robin explained. "It's pretty low key. You want to give me your address?"

"Well, I live out the other way, closer to Altamont Pass, so it might be better if you pick me up here," Remi suggested. "Otherwise it's going to take you nearly an hour out of your way."

Robin nodded. "Okay. Don't forget to wear something you can swim in, and a towel."

"Got it." He saw an employee approaching and snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, Becky's supposed to spell you on register so I can help you do something with the fish?"

Robin rolled her eyes. "That's right. A couple of the tanks are over stocked, so we have to separate them into some empties that we have in the back." She grinned at Remi. "You ready to get wet and smelly?"

"Bring it on, baby," Remi responded.

They headed back to the fish annex, where Robin pointed out the crowded tanks.

"See this one and this one? They're only feeders, but they're way too full, I think they're starting to eat each other or something," Robin said.

"Ew, do they do that?" Remi asked with interest.

"I don't actually know," Rob admitted. "I do think, though, that if they get scale sicknesses, they can transmit them to each other through the water, so we have to get the sickies and the deadies out, and move a bunch of the healthies to another tank." She unlocked the wheels on the bottom of the tanks, and got Remi to help her roll them to the back room where the hoses and drains were.

She looked at Remi, who was laughing.

"What?"

"The sickies, the deadies, and the um, healthies?" Remi repeated, holding his stomach as he laughed, curls bouncing.

"Yeah? So?" She gave him a look, eyebrow raised.

"Nothing, nothing, you just really have a way with words," he finally said, getting his laughter under control. Robin could see tears clotting his long, curly lashes.

There were tanks in the back room, filled with water that had already been treated and were ready to be filled with fish.

"Okay, so the deadies go in this lined trash can, the sickies go in this tank here--" she gestured. "What?"

"You don't just throw the sick ones away?" Remi asked, surprised.

"Well, we're supposed to, but Grandma M doesn't mind if I leave them in a tank back here," Robin told him. "I mean, most of them die pretty quick anyway, but I can't stand knowing that I'm basically suffocating them to death, you know? It's the equivalent of putting a plastic bag over a cat's head, isn't it?" Rob looked down at the ground. "Go ahead and laugh at me, everyone else does. Yes, I know they're just fish, they don't have higher brain function or whatever, but I don't care." She looked up at him, indignant, lips pressed together, brown eyes flashing.

Remi put a hand on Robin's arm. "Hey! Hey. I'm not laughing. I think it's sweet." He nodded for emphasis. "Am I looking at a fellow vegetarian? Am I?"

Robin nodded. "Are you one, too? I have to tell you, there aren't many of us here in the valley."

Remi smiled, pleased. "I am, I am." He held out a hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." After he let go of her hand, he continued speaking as they began to separate the fish. "You can't imagine how hard it is to be a vegetarian with a Puerto Rican grandma. She acts like I stabbed her in the heart when I turn down her cooking. I mean, she knows I don't eat meat, but she insists on cooking roast pork, and these little beef turnover things, things she knows I won't eat--hey, hey come back here, you little fucker!"

Much splashing ensued as they stood on stools and bent over the tanks, first catching the sick ones, then snagging the dead ones, and finally grabbing about half of the healthy ones.

"So I know you moved out here to be close to family," Robin began as they worked. "What else? You grew up in Orlando, right?"

Remi nodded. "Moved there from Puerto Rico when I was a baby, went to high school and college there, then came here to help my family get the ranch going."

"What kind of ranch?"

"Apples, mainly, with a few apricots, some cherries."

"What was your major in college?"

"Biology. With a minor in business."

Robin looked at him surprise. "Hey, me too!" Her look changed to one of curiosity. "How do you go from being a bio major to helping to run a ranch?"

Remi shrugged, an eloquent gesture that conveyed hopelessness and fatigue. "I wanted to be a veterinary surgeon, believe it or not," he finally said. "But my family needed me on the ranch, so I came here to help out for a bit, and time sort of got away from me, that's all."

Robin sat up, holding her little net in her hand. "How long? Remi, how long have you been here, helping your family with the ranch?"

Remi swallowed. "Three years."

Three years?

"How old are you?"

Remi looked at her, a small smile on his face. "I'm 26."

Robin's eyes opened wide. "You're kidding! You look like a teenager. I mean, you look like you're 18, maybe!"

Remi grinned. "It's my build, I think. I'm so skinny.

"So are you ever going to become a veterinary surgeon?"

"Well, there's a lot of schooling involved, you know?"

Robin nodded. She did know, probably better than anyone else here.

"They let me get this job here at PetWorld, even though it's busy season at the ranch, so I could at least be around animals, which is terribly nice of them, considering how much they need me right now. But at least I can help them with the paperwork of running a ranch, because they don't have my English skills, either, not to mention my business minor. So I'm still helping. I'm just really busy, but it's worth it to see the birds and kittens and stuff, you know?"

Robin nodded again. She knew.

"Anyway," Remi said, shaking his curls briskly, "that's enough of that shit. "Let's talk about something else, okay?"

"Sure," Robin agreed. So she spent the next half hour telling him the history of PetWorld, and Grandma and Grandpa Miller, leaving out everything about her and Miles, the heir apparent to the whole kit and caboodle.

"Oh god, we smell terrible, I bet," Remi declared when they were finally finished.

"Yes, no doubt," Rob agreed, nodding. "And we also got off about nine minutes ago," she informed him. "It's 5:09." She gestured to the clock on the wall behind him. "So get home, get showered and changed, and be back here by about 7:30? Can you manage?"

He nodded.

"I usually give Peri a ride, too," she told him. "So we'll meet you here then, in the northwest corner of the parking lot."

"Right, see you then."