by V. M. Burns
“But?”
She sighed. “But he can be a bit of a snob at times, and he certainly doesn’t know anything about bookkeeping, but then, I don’t know if that’s his fault. I was ordered to hire him.”
“Well, I’m not looking for romance. I’m still adjusting to being single and coping with the emotions from my husband’s death.”
“That’s a lot to work through.”
“Besides, all he did was help me open a couple of doors. It’s not likely that I’ll see him again.”
She smiled and took a sip of coffee. Something about her smile made me ask.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s just that there is a museum gala next month—to raise money for charity, of course. You don’t have to attend, but it’s expected that the senior staff support the events. Technically, you’re a contractor, not officially on staff, but...it might help me to convince the board to hire you full-time if you make a good impression.” She sipped her coffee.
“No pressure. Just show up at the gala and impress the board of directors?”
Jacob sailed into the room and refilled the water. He grinned as he cleared away the dirty dishes and then turned and walked out.
I worked the rest of the day in my office and tried not to think of Freemont Hopewell, which was more challenging than I would have thought. The fact that my work involved trying to make sense of his bookkeeping and accounting left me puzzled and frustrated. Thankfully, Freemont hadn’t worked here long. The previous accountant had used the standard accrual accounting method. Everything was neat and orderly. All of the amounts balanced. It was a thing of beauty. I had yet to divine exactly what method Freemont had used. Frequently, columns didn’t balance, and when they did, there was usually a miscellaneous entry added in the exact amount needed for the balance to zero out; however, there was never any notation that justified the entry.
“This doesn’t make any sense,” I muttered.
“Anything I can do to help?”
I jumped. I hadn’t heard Jacob enter.
“No, I’m sorry. I was just talking to myself.” I smiled. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
He smiled. “I knocked, but you were so engrossed in those books, you must not have heard.” He walked to my desk with a tray. “Linda Kay says you have to keep your strength up.” He placed the tray with steaming-hot broccoli cheddar soup and a chicken salad sandwich on my desk.
“Hmmm.” I sniffed. “That smells amazing.” I looked at the clock on the wall. “It can’t be that late.”
Jacob nodded. “Yes, it’s almost three, and you haven’t budged from your desk.”
I opened my desk drawer and pulled out my purse. “How much do I owe you?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Courtesy of Linda Kay.”
I pulled out a twenty. “Then please let me pay her back.”
He stood at the door with one hand on his hip and another on the knob. “That’s between you and Linda Kay, but since I’ve known her a lot longer than you, let me tell you she will be insulted if you try to repay her kindness.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “It’s a Southern thing. We’re always trying to feed people and get them married off.” He winked. “Now eat up.” He walked out and closed the door behind him. After a brief pause, he reopened the door and stuck his head in. “By the way, you can place orders online from the café and have lunch delivered. They will even run a tab.” He smiled. “One of the perks of working here.” He ducked back out and closed the door.
The soup smelled wonderful and tasted even better. Once I got a good whiff, my stomach growled. I devoured the soup and sandwich in record time. While I ate the sandwich, I quickly went online to the café’s website and set up a tab. I ordered lunch for the rest of the week and gave them my credit card number.
Something told me Linda Kay wouldn’t accept my money, so I wracked my brain, thinking of a way to pay her back for her kindness. She was a very nice person. I swiveled around in my chair and stared out the window at the view. I would thoroughly enjoy working here full-time. I liked Linda Kay and Jacob.
There was a tap on the door.
“Come in.” I swiveled around.
Jacob entered with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. They were a lovely mixture of bright orange Asiatic lilies, pink carnations, red asters, and lavender button poms. They were in a glass vase.
“Wow. Is that for me?”
Jacob smiled and lifted an eyebrow as he handed me the card. He quickly left the room.
I took a whiff of the flowers and then opened the card.
Something to brighten your day the way your smile brightened mine. —Freemont
Jacob re-entered the room carrying two vases; one was a beautiful crystal, while the other was Asian. “The flowers are lovely, but that cheap vase will have to go.” He held up the two options. “Which do you prefer?”
I stared. “They’re both beautiful, but the Asian one seems a bit busy, don’t you think?”
He stared at the vases. “You’re right. We’ll definitely go with the Tiffany.”
I nearly choked. “Tiffany? You don’t mean Tiffany, like real the Tiffany, as in Breakfast at Tiffany’s?”
He smiled. “Yes, darling, I mean Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of Charles Lewis Tiffany. The Tiffany.” He placed the flowers into the vase. “This is a peacock blue favrile glass vase designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany circa nineteen hundred.” He recited as if conducting a tour as he arranged the flowers.
I nearly collapsed when he poured water into the vase. “I can’t believe you’re putting water in that vase.”
He turned to look at me as he placed the vase on my desk. “Well, we wouldn’t want your flowers to die, would we?” He smiled.
“But that vase is a Tiffany. We can’t actually use it. I mean, aren’t there rules about using the museum’s possessions. Besides, it must have cost a small fortune.”
“It did cost a fortune, but it doesn’t belong to the museum.” He grinned. “That’s Linda Kay’s vase, and she believes in using objects, not just putting them on a pedestal and admiring them.”
“But I would be terrified someone would break it or”—I whispered—“steal it.”
He waved a hand. “It’s insured.” He turned and walked out. At the door, he turned around and came back. He picked up the Asian vase. “Mustn’t forget this. Perhaps we’ll use the Ming another time.” He grinned and pranced out of the room.
I stared at the door for several seconds and then tentatively leaned toward the flowers and smiled as I took a big whiff.
“They are beautiful.” Linda Kay motored into the room. “And that vase is perfect.”
“I can’t believe you have a real Tiffany vase and that you’re letting me use it.” I rushed over and hugged her. After a few seconds, I quickly stood up. “I’m so sorry, I’m sure that’s not allowed, I didn’t mean to...I mean, I haven’t worked in a long time, and I know there are all kinds of rules about harassment, and I’m sorry.”
Linda Kay smiled. “Honey, you’re in the South. We believe in hugs.” She grinned. “Well, I believe in them anyway.”
I reached down and hugged her again. “I’ve never been this close to an actual Tiffany vase.” I stood up and stared at the vase of flowers on the desk.
“Well, you just need to get used to it.” She smiled and leaned forward. “Touch it. You know you want to.”
I tentatively reached out a finger and touched the vase. “I just touched a real Tiffany vase.”
“Oh my God. Are we still talking about the vase?” Jacob waltzed into the room. He turned to Linda Kay. “Your husband, Edward, is waiting for you.” He turned to me. “Didn’t you mention something about obedience class?”
I glanced at my watch. “I completely forgot.”
“That’s what I’m here f
or.” He smiled. “Now get out of here, and I’ll lock up. You can admire the flowers and the Tiffany vase tomorrow.”
I grabbed my coat and purse, took one last glance at the flowers and the beautiful vase, and headed out.
Chapter 9
I made it home with just enough time to change into comfortable clothes and shoes. I changed Aggie’s collar to the flat leather one Dixie recommended and grabbed the six-foot matching leather leash. I had convinced Stephanie and Joe to come along by bribing them with the promise of dinner at Dixie’s mountaintop home. I grabbed the string cheese from the fridge, and three adults and three dogs piled into my SUV and headed to the East Tennessee Dog Club, which was located at the base of the mountain we’d need to scale to reach Dixie’s house.
The building wasn’t fancy. It was long and flat, with a metal roof and a gravel parking lot. However, according to Dixie, the selling point for the dog club purchasing the building was the fact that there were over three acres of land behind the building, most of which was fenced and provided plenty of space for parking.
We pulled into the parking lot. I recognized Dixie’s RV and pulled in beside her.
“That’s one nice RV.” Joe admired the luxury vehicle Dixie used to travel around the country with her standard poodles.
“It’s nicer than most houses inside too,” I said as we disembarked with our dogs. “She used to drive her standard poodles, Chyna and Leia, around in style when she was competing in conformation.”
“What exactly is conformation?” Stephanie asked.
“Have you ever seen the Westminster Dog Show on television?” I asked.
Stephanie and Joe both nodded.
“Well, that’s conformation.”
“Actually, conformation is where dogs compete against the breed standard.” Dixie came outside and opened the door to her RV. Two of the most regal black standard poodles on the planet pranced out of the RV. They stretched several times and then walked over to a grassy area near the side of the building, squatted, and took care of their business. When they were done, they walked over to Dixie and sat by her side.
At the sight of her friends Leia and Chyna, Aggie had gotten excited and was barking and running, trying to get them to play. I was struggling to keep her quiet and had managed to get her leash wrapped around my legs. Eventually, I gave up and bent down and picked her up. “When can I learn to train my dog to behave like that?” I pointed at the standards.
Dixie grinned. “Aggie is a good dog. She’s a quick learner. All poodles are. Once she understands what you want from her, she’ll be able to do it. However,” she turned to face me, “the training is more for you than it is for her.”
“Great.” I followed Dixie and her beautifully behaved dogs into the building and hoped I would learn as quickly as the poodles.
Joe and Turbo and Stephanie and the golden retriever came behind.
Inside, the building was crude. It had a concrete floor with metal walls that weren’t insulated. There were rustic shelves that weren’t fancy but serviceable. In the main section of the building, there were various pieces of equipment affixed to the wall by chains. There were two large inverted Vs, one on each side of the room. In addition, there was what appeared to be a ramp and a balance beam. The floor in the main section had a large rubber mat.
Dixie stood in the middle of the floor and welcomed everyone. Leia and Chyna lay in their queenly fashion on either side of her.
Stephanie and Joe found two folding chairs and sat.
Dixie took attendance and then welcomed all of us. “Welcome to East Tennessee Dog Club—or ETDC, as we call it. My name is Dixie Jefferson.” She started by introducing her dogs. She walked about six feet away from them while she talked. Her dogs didn’t budge from their positions. She then turned to face her dogs. “Chyna, come.”
One of the standards stood and walked to Dixie. She didn’t stop until her nose was at Dixie’s belly button. Then she stopped and sat. Dixie made a move with her left hand and the dog stood and scooted its butt around so she was sitting perfectly straight at Dixie’s left side.
We all applauded.
After a brief moment, she said, “Okay.”
Only then did Chyna move. Dixie rewarded her with a treat, which she pulled from a small pouch she wore around her waist. She bent down and gave the dog a pet. “This is Champion Chyna, Ninth Wonder of the World. She’s a champion show dog in both AKC and UKC, and she has obedience and agility titles.” She then used a hand signal, and Leia moved from her prostrate position into a sit. Then Dixie made an elaborate arm motion, and Leia moved in front of her and sat. With a hand signal, Leia then moved to sit beside Chyna. “And this is Grand Champion Galactic Imperial Resistance Leader, or Leia.”
A short man with a bald, egg-shaped head and a large mustache, who had a choke collar on a large German shepherd, raised his hand. “What does that mean?” He looked around the crowd for support but didn’t get much.
“The titles champion and grand champion mean both of these dogs have competed in and won titles in what is known as conformation, which is where each breed of dog recognized by the American Kennel Club is judged against the breed standard. If you’ve seen the Westminster Dog Show on television, that’s conformation.”
The bald egghead snorted. “A beauty contest for dogs.”
“Actually, it’s not a beauty contest.” Dixie crossed her arms but maintained a smile. “You have a German shepherd dog, sometimes called an Alsatian. There is basically no real difference between Alsatians and German shepherds. Alsatians were from the Alsace region of France, and German shepherds were from Germany. Between the wars, the British didn’t want to call their dogs German and changed the name to Alsatians. Later, the name was changed back to German shepherd dog. It’s one of the few breeds that includes dog in the name, at least in English.” She walked over to the dog. “This is a breed that is a good working dog.” She held out her hand. “May I?”
Egghead handed her the leash. “He’s a big dog, not like those princesses.” He chuckled. “Sure you can handle him?”
Dixie grinned. “I’m sure.” Once she had the leash, she removed the choke collar. She took a flat collar and simple leather leash from a back pocket and put it around the dog’s neck. She then took a treat from her pocket and showed it to the dog. Initially, he got on his hind legs and attempted to take the treat. Dixie made a quick leash correction. “Off.” He tried once more. She repeated the movement and the command. The dog stopped jumping and sat. When his butt was down on the floor, she smiled, gave him the treat, and petted him. “German shepherds are smart and eager to please. They’re energetic.” She ran her hands over the dog while she spoke. “They should have a deep chest and be solid.” She picked up the leash and walked. The dog pranced beside her. Eventually, she broke into a run around the inside of the building. The dog adjusted his gait to match hers. When she stopped, the dog stopped and looked at her. She adjusted the dog’s legs and then moved out to the end of the six-foot leash and stood. The dog stood without moving. “They should be alert, and they require a good amount of physical and mental exercise.” She released the dog and gave him a treat. The dog wagged his tail and stared lovingly at her. She petted him affectionately and then walked him back to Egghead and handed him the leash. “This is a very fine example of the breed. During conformation, the judge compares each dog against the breed standard. Is the dog the proper weight, is it alert, and is it ready to work? What does the dog’s gait look like?”
Egghead took the leash and looked sheepish.
The other people in the room all applauded.
“But we aren’t here to learn conformation,” Dixie said. “We’re here to learn basic obedience.” She walked back to the center of the room. “What I showed you with my dogs was what we teach in competition obedience. This is to show you what is possible if you want to keep working with your dogs.”
Egghead raised his hand again. “That’s all great, but when would we ever need all of that hand-signal stuff?” He chuckled.
I noticed a few of the people roll their eyes.
“For normal everyday life, you may never need hand signals.”
“I think it’s great, and I’d love to be able to do that.” A large African American woman with a white dog I recognized as a West Highland terrier stared at Egghead. “So I’d appreciate it if you would shut up and let her continue with the class.”
There were lots of grunts of approval, and a couple of people applauded.
“Thank you, but it’s okay.” Dixie looked at Egghead. “I don’t mind skeptics. All I ask is that you keep an open mind.”
Everyone nodded.
“Good. Now, we have a couple of guests with us tonight.” She pointed to Stephanie and Joe. “Stephanie has found this beautiful dog.” She petted the golden retriever, who stood and wagged his tail enthusiastically. “We don’t know much about him, but someone has spent quite a bit of time training him.” She quickly demonstrated the hand signals she’d used previously when my neighbor had tried to claim him. Once again, the dog followed the signals and was rewarded with a treat and lavish praise. “Joe is a police officer with the Lighthouse Dunes, Indiana, K-9 Unit, and this is his partner, Turbo.”
The crowd applauded.
“If we have time, perhaps Joe and Turbo will do a demonstration for us at the end of class?”
Joe shrugged and nodded.
“Great. Now, let’s get down to work.”
Dixie was an excellent instructor. She stayed in the middle of the room with her two dogs and positioned each of us around the outside like the numbers of a clock. She demonstrated each command with one of her two dogs and then walked around from person to person and watched as we emulated what she had shown us. The first lesson was about teaching your dog to come when called and teaching the dog to sit on command.
“One thing I want to stress is the importance of only giving a command once. You need to give each command one time and one time only. If your dog does not obey, then you must either go and get him or physically place him in position.”