His Redemption

by Nikki Chase-Coakley

  Instead of turning from the now spotless bird room to lead the way up to his office, like she expected, Tony remained where he was looking at her as if he were trying to figure something out.

  “Is everything alright?” She finally asked.

  “Sure, why?”

  “You have this weird look on your face and it’s making me wonder if I did or said something wrong.”

  “No, nothing’s wrong.”

  “And yet you’re still staring.” She persisted. “Do I have bird poop on my head and you’re trying to find a way to tell me?”

  Full blown laughter erupted from him and it made her want to join him. He had a wonderful laugh, all joy and genuine pleasure. The rich baritone notes poured over her like warm honey and sent shivers down her spine. All of these observations she tried her best to ignore and followed him up the stairs. In the confines of his small office he seemed to take on new dimensions. His shoulders and upper body looked massive and well –muscled, tapering down to slim hips and long- long legs. She could almost imagine him swinging a club during cavemen times dressed in an animal skin. The image did nothing to calm her racing heart. He was just that yummy -a term she loathed but perfectly described the man in front of her.

  Snap out of it girl, he’s not your type. Her inner voice demanded.

  And what type is that exactly? Another part of her asked.

  He’s just wrong for you. That’s all. You know you’ve sworn off men. They’re all dogs and this one is probably no exception. He's probably a great big schnauzer ready to sit up and beg for a little tail then leave once he gets what he wants.

  Yeah, but as good as he looked maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have him sniffing around.

  Sarah ignored the argument going on in her head between her logic and her hormones and tried her best to be polite as Tony poured her a cup of coffee. The confined space was crowded with a pair of old fashioned file cabinets tucked in the back corner on either side of the only window in the room. Piles of papers and catalogues were stacked on nearly every available space with a few random items such as dog treats and chew toys to help liven the place up. By comparison, her nearly empty office looked positively enormous. After serving her, Tony took a seat on the edge of his desk and outlined what it was he expected of her as his new store manager.

  “As Mike may have mentioned, I have two shops; this one and another one in the South Shore Mall across town. For the most part this shop is a better set up. We have more space for storage and a bigger sales floor which affords us the ability to offer a larger variety of pets and supplies for the customers. This facility is also the only one of the two that sells fish and exotic pets. That part of the business, believe it or not, earns more money each year than the kennel or even the bird room. It’s probably because fish don’t require the same type of care that dogs and cats do. Also, rental homes that don’t allow pets will more often than not allow a fish tank provided it’s well maintained. That part of the business is my personal baby. Your primary concern will be the first floor which includes the kennel, the bird room and all the merchandise on the main sales floor. Occasionally I will sit down with you to talk about sales strategy since I understand you have a degree in marketing in addition to one in business management.”

  She tilted her head to study him over the rim of her cup. “Sounds like it could be a lot of fun. Tell me about the other shop and why you’re not all that happy with it.”

  His smile grew wider looking suitably impressed with her observation. “You picked up on that?”

  She shrugged. “It was in your body language not to mention your tone. You really don’t like that branch much. Tell me why.”

  He sighed tiredly and ran a frustrated hand over his face then scratched his head. “I can’t explain it. It’s in a great location with lots of foot traffic and we make sure the space is always clean and well maintained. Unfortunately, the same rules that apply here don’t seem to go over very well there. I get that there isn’t as much space for the dogs or cats and we have a smaller variety of pets and supplies but still. I can’t figure out why it’s not doing as well if not better than this sales floor.”

  She thought about that and finally asked. “Would it be overstepping my bounds if I asked to see that space? Maybe I can offer some suggestions.”

  “I don't see why not but first I want you to get familiar with the routine and how things are done here. If you have any new ideas on how this place could be better run I want to hear about that first. Once you’re comfortable with that you can tell me what you think about the other space. Hopefully it won’t take you long to get up to speed. It’s a pretty straight forward operation really.”

  She set her cup down and gained her feet once again. “Sounds like a plan. Why don’t I get back to work so I can be of more help?”

  He stood as well and they made their way back down the stairs. By the time they’d reached the main floor the store had opened and Ashley had arrived. She was helping to clean the kennel since Sarah and Tony had already taken care of her area.

  “How many people are usually assigned to clean the kennel each morning and feed the dogs?” Sarah asked as they watched through a wall of windows while two girls went about cleaning the room. Nearly all thirty cages held an occupant that was barking with enough noise and enthusiasm to make a person crazy. Thankfully the door was closed and the noise had been seriously muffled.

  “Usually, only one but as you know today was a special situation so Christy asked Ashley to help her out here.

  Sarah continued to assess the situation with a critical eye. “How long would you say it normally takes to put this room in order?”

  Tony thought about the question for a bit before answering. “It depends on how many animals we have on any given morning. For the most part, I would say that it takes at least three hours for the puppy side and another two or three for the small animals’ side."

  While he spoke he pointed to the other row of windows to the right of the kennel. The two rooms were joined in an L shape with a small kitchen area at the crook adjoining both rooms.

  "Why, what are you thinking?”

  “That it would be a better idea to put two people in this area every morning. That way, when the customers start showing up, the kennel will be clean that much sooner. I don’t know about you but to me, there is nothing less appealing then the sight of dog poop when you're thinking about buying a puppy. If I were to come in first thing in the morning to make a purchase and saw a filthy kennel it would make me think about all of those stories you hear about puppy mills. A super clean kennel equates to healthier pets not just in the minds of perspective owners but also in reality. You’re likely to get more customers because of it and the vet will probably be pleased to see how well the animals are being cared for. This helps to cut down on the loss of life and sickness which of course equates to bigger profit margins in the long run.”

  Tony laughed clearly impressed with all that she had already observed about the business and how quickly she was catching on. “I like the way you did that.”

  Sarah was too busy staring at an adorable Siberian husky pup. Distracted she didn't notice the way Tony was admiring her. “The way I did what?”

  “The way you pointed out how a clean store equated to bigger profits. It shows you’re already thinking like a manager. I’m glad Mike hired you.”

  “I thought you were the one that hired me. It is after all your shop.”

  “I only looked at your resume and accepted Mike's recommendation after he’d interviewed you. I have to admit though. You're not at all what I expected.”

  “I hope that’s a good thing.”

  “Don’t worry, it is.”

  She moved away from the view of the kennel and the man that was unnerving her with his intense stare and turned her attention to the far side of the sales floor. The layout was rather odd but appealing. A staircase that looked as if a hole had been cut into the floor to accommodate it sat the middle of
the sales floor. A number of dog leashes and other paraphernalia that went along with owning a cat, dog or bird were on display at various locations throughout the space. Bird cages of varying sizes hung suspended from the ceiling. A large window shaped like a large half- circle provided a view of the rear parking lot and the mall just beyond. This invited customers and staff to enjoy a brief moment of peace in the midst of a busy day. Sarah envisioned herself staring out that window for long moments as she took a break from whatever she was doing at the time. In truth it was her favorite part of the entire shop. She got a good feeling about this job and was truly excited.

  Chapter Three

  Tony looked out that same window two weeks later. Sarah had taken very little time to get acclimated to her new work environment and jumped right in to help out wherever necessary. He liked her management style. She never asked anyone to do anything she wasn't prepared to or hadn't done herself. She was proving herself to be invaluable to him –um- the company and he admired her initiative. At the moment though, he was trying hard not to laugh at her. From his vantage point he could see her walking a very large puppy for which they had been unable to find a home. The animal had gotten so large, in fact, that they had to remove him from the normal sized cage to a pen, situated on the sales floor in front of the kennel.

  Sarah had volunteered to take the nearly seventy-five pound animal for a walk to help him get used to being on a leash. Unfortunately, the dog was nearly as large as she and seemed to be practically dragging her behind him as he explored the small section of grass behind the store. Tony watched as she tried her best to convince the dog to get back inside. She had managed to coax him indoors but judging by the sounds, the struggle was even worse now that they were at the base of the stairs. Smiling to himself, Tony fairly leaped down the stairs eager for any chance to be near her. Since her first day, he'd tried his best to remain professional around Sarah but he could never quite seem to get his mind completely off her smooth caramel complexion or her sweet round ass or her dark glossy hair. Her smile was easy and her attitude was happy and positive. None of these things were working to erase his attraction to her though. If anything it had grown. Her personality- at polar opposites with his own normal state of mind- proved to draw him to her like a magnet. He fed off her positive energy like a starving man and still wanted more. He bounded down the last step in time to hear Sarah begging the stubborn animal to move.

  "He giving you a hard time?"

  She gave Tony and exasperated look over her shoulder. "Yes, the little beast won't budge. It’s my own fault really. I never should have let him tire himself out like that knowing he would still need enough energy to get back inside."

  He bent to easily scoop up the sleepy bundle of fur and turned towards the stairs. Sarah followed behind looking suitably impressed with his strength. Tony's ego took flight. Yeah he knew it was a macho reaction but it felt good to be able to show her how big and strong he was. Sarah caught up with him just as he set the puppy down in his pen.

  "Thanks for your help. I doubt if I could have gotten him up here on my own. He's so stubborn and he weighs a ton."

  Her low, sultry voice cast some kind of spell on Tony making him want to listen to her all day long. She could have read from the phone book and he would have listened with rapt attention. If she’d read Dr. Seuss he probably would have cum in his pants. There was just something about this woman that had him acting like a preteen boy with his first look at a pair of tits.

  As if the furry little rascal knew she was talking about him he popped his head up over the side of the bin and gave a sharp little yip. Sarah smiled and gave him a scratch behind the ears before unsnapping the leash from his collar. "The next time you want to get some exercise I won’t be anywhere near the pushover I was today. You’re getting way too big to have someone carry you."

  The dog licked her hand, gave another bark before he lay back down to curl into a ball amidst the clean wood shavings. Sarah laughed and looked up to see Tony staring at her. He couldn't seem to help himself. She fascinated him and the look of pure joy on her face was irresistible. He felt as if he were having an out of body experience when he dropped an arm across her narrow shoulders and pressed a kiss to her brow.

  "I doubt you’ll have any more problems with this guy. The big baby probably thinks you’re his owner now."

  Ducking her head, she kept her gaze averted. "I wish I could keep him but I can’t. Besides, he's not the only one I would like to take home. If I gave into the urge half the creatures in here would be hanging out at my place."

  Images of Tony going home with her, danced in his head for just a moment before it occurred to him to wonder why she hadn't reacted to his kiss just then. He tried to study Sarah to gauge her reaction but she wasn't looking back.

  "Uh, alright then," he finished awkwardly removing his arm. If you don't need my help for anything else I think I'll head out to check on the other shop. You can reach me on my cell phone."

  She nodded. The fact that she wouldn't face him was a neon sign considering how comfortable she normally seemed to be with him. "Sarah?"

  She lifted her head then. If he didn't know any better he could have sworn she was blushing. Her eyes bounced from place to place not staying on any particular spot and definitely not meeting his gaze. It worried him. Had he just made a terrible mistake? "I'm sorry. I- probably shouldn't have kissed you just now. I hope that didn't make you uncomfortable."

  "No," Sarah denied shaking her head furiously. "That wasn't it. I- I just wasn’t expecting it that's all. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. Really- Tony don't give it another thought. You go on to the other store. I'll keep an eye on things here, alright?"

  He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to leave. Inside, Tony was feeling pretty pleased with himself. He may not have set out to test her attraction to him but he'd managed to do it anyway and what he discovered definitely seemed encouraging. At least, he hoped he was interpreting what he saw correctly. If he wasn’t he could be in for a world of complications.

  ∞∞∞

  The sound of exuberant laughter filling the entire main floor drew his attention as he descended the stairs. Tony stopped at the landing and looked around thinking one of the animals had gotten loose and the girls were racing around trying to recapture whoever was trying to make an escape. Breaking his promise to stop swearing he let loose a vicious F-bomb and raced around the corner to see what the problem was and if he could help. As he reached the main section of floor he quickly scanned the area. The place seemed devoid of customers. Even the kennel was surprisingly quiet. It was afternoon. The area was clean and most of the puppies appeared to be taking a nap after their morning exercise. He turned his head then toward the small animals section of the room and was blown away at what he saw.

  Lori’s and Sarah's laughter floated out the open door to greet him. The two women were standing in the middle of the long narrow room and they appeared to be looking up at something. A cage had been opened and right before his eyes Tony watched his newest acquisition, a ten week old white Persian kitten with stunning blue eyes daintily stepped out of her cage to land on Sarah's shoulder. Rather than leap from her perch like he'd expected, the kitten playfully batted at Sarah's pony tail while the woman climbed up onto a stool to clean the animal's cage. As if the cat were trained, she stayed like that until Sarah finished her task and had set a clean litter box in place along with fresh water. Then, as if on cue, the cat leaped from Sarah's shoulder back in to the cage so it could be secured. Tony stood transfixed watching the scene unaware that he was staring.

  It had been like that with nearly every animal in the store. It amazed him that Sarah had somehow gained the trust and affection of so many creatures. It wasn't unusual to see her surrounded by puppies all vying for her attention while she worked. One day he'd watched as she vacuumed the sales floor with several birds perched on her shoulders as if she'd raised them from hatchlings. This particular scene, though, was somet
hing he had never witnessed before. It left him absolutely dumfounded.

  Sarah turned her head a moment later and nearly jumped out of her skin. Clearly she didn't think anyone had seen her stunt with the kitten other than Lori. The two women exchanged a look and Sarah blushed prettily before averting her gaze.

  "I didn't know you had such a knack with animals." Tony commented later. He'd finally caught up with her in her office as she ate lunch.

  "It's not something I advertise and it’s not really as impressive as you might think. I just love animals and for some reason they seem to pick up on that. It's hardly something you put on your resume."

  "Still, it's pretty impressive and it would have been a nice thing to have told us when you were interviewing for the position."

  She shook her head and set her sandwich down. "It's not that big a deal Tony. Besides, my ability doesn't always work."

  "What do you mean by ability? What exactly can you do? Talk to animals or something?"

  Sarah frowned. "Don't look at me as if I were some kind of freak. No, I can’t talk to animals. I was referring to the fact that I am able to read creatures. Animals are easier than people because their facial expressions don't complicate things but there are times when I can read people too, body language, the look in their eyes that sort of thing. It's not a psychic talent or anything it's all about paying attention to details that's all. Which is why you shouldn't look so amazed."

  He stifled a grin then. She looked so cute when she got riled. "What do you see when you look into my eyes?"

  That same startled expression he'd seen earlier on her face was back but she quickly lowered her head to study her hands. "You don't really want me to answer that."

  "Why not?"

  She lifted her head her eyes suddenly conveying compassion and he felt a strange sense of- something. He wasn't sure if it was fear, apprehension, shame or all three. It was that last one that put him on the defensive. “I’m not sure I like the way you’re looking at me. I’m not an axe murderer.” He snapped.