“You do what? Love me?” He laughed at her. “Yeah, right.” He pointed back and forth between them. “This? This affection is fraternal, not romantic. I get that now.”
Cora couldn’t process what was happening. She needed him to know he was wrong.
“The night you brought Nell home!” she shouted at him. “I wanted to stay and hang with you guys, but you made it obvious you wanted me to go!” The intensity of her response caught her off guard.
“I thought you were only staying out of obligation!” he yelled back. “Like you didn’t trust me alone with Nell!”
“What about Café Fuego? I know you felt something happening between us. You blew me off! I wanted to dance with you for the rest of the night, but then that girl showed up and you never stopped dancing with her.”
“Oh, now you’re trying to blame me? Amazing.” He shook his head. “Yeah, well, Paige and I used to just dance together, but we’ve gotten much closer and things might start to develop. So don’t feel too bad for Mr. Lonely Heart, okay?”
Cora leaned her head against the window and squeezed her eyes shut to blot out what was happening between them. She’d never seen Eli angry—she didn’t think it was possible for Eli to sound stern—yet here she was on the receiving end.
Before she could admit her feelings to Eli, she needed to admit them to herself, and she’d waited until it was too late. He didn’t want to hear anything she had to say, so there was no point trying to convince him that Fran had predicted it.
Little by little, the quirky good egg had won her over.
THIRTY-NINE
* * *
“Can I come in? I’m coming in,” Maggie said, knocking on and opening Cora’s bedroom door at the same time. Cora had been napping more and more in the week since the Feretti dogs drop-off, finishing her daily roster of clients and retiring to the mountain of blankets on her bed.
“Hey, how did it go?” Cora asked, trying to pretend that she hadn’t been sleeping. Fritz barely stirred beneath the blanket.
Maggie beamed at Cora. She looked adorable, a mix of quirky and professional in a high-waisted lipstick-red skirt, faded chambray shirt, and leopard print heels. “Awesome. Amazing. Perfect.” She paused for effect. “C, they offered me the job! They didn’t even want to do a second interview! I am now the institutional giving associate for the Circle Theater. Pending a drug test, which thanks to a month-long break, I’ll pass.” She jumped up and down in place, and Josie hopped excitedly beside her.
“Aw, yay, Mags! I’m so happy for you!” She mustered up an appropriate amount of cheer and reached out to hug her friend.
“It’s all thanks to you. I owe you big-time.” Maggie sat on the edge of Cora’s bed. “Oh, and even better—a super hot guy on the Metro asked me for my number on my way there!”
“Whoa, it really is your lucky day,” Cora answered with a wan smile.
Maggie stared at Cora for a moment. “What’s going on? Is it cosmically impossible for us to be happy at the same time?”
“It sure feels that way. I’m okay, just freaked-out waiting to hear about the show.”
“That’s it? I’ve been pretty caught up in my own shit lately, I’m sorry I haven’t been here here, like, plugged in to you. What else is going on?”
Cora sighed. “You know Eli, my rescue buddy?”
“Of course—I love that dude! Kick-ass dancer. You’re working with his dog, right?”
“I was. But when we went on that rescue errand the other night, he told me that I make him feel used.”
“Ouch. Did you apologize?”
“Yup.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“It’s complicated, Mags. I’ve been suppressing it for a while, but I sort of have . . . had . . . feelings for him. And I tried to tell him but he shot me down, hard.” Cora’s eyes welled up.
“Wait, what? You like him? What about Lord Douche?” Maggie had upgraded Charlie from just a plain douche to a titled one after meeting him. Her breakdown of him the day after the gala had been brutal.
“I’m not stupid, I figured out that he was sort of a jackass, but I ignored it. I was horny, I’m sure you of all people understand that. But he was such an asshole about those poor dogs on the night of the gala. And I haven’t heard a peep from him since. He didn’t even get in touch to see if I was okay.” Cora had kept the details of the Feretti dogs vague, only telling Maggie that she and Eli had taken some stray dogs to a rescue and she had missed the gala. “You know, I never laughed when I was with Charlie. I always felt like I had to be the best version of me around him to compete with Madison. But Eli? He made me laugh and he liked me. It totally snuck up on me. I didn’t even know how I felt. And now it’s too late.”
“It’s never too late! Haven’t you ever watched a chick flick? Let’s jump in your car and make a mad dash for his apartment, where you climb up the fire escape and profess your love!”
“Eleventh floor. Not happening.”
“So he shot you down. He wasn’t interested at all?”
“He had feelings for me, at one point. But now he’s dating that stupid hot blond chick he was dancing with at Café Fuego.” She threw herself back on the bed and blinked away tears.
“Oh, C. We can fix it; once a crush, always a crush, in my book—wait, is that your phone ringing?”
“Probably.” Cora shrugged. “Just another client inquiry, I bet. I’ll let it go to voice mail.” Maggie gave Cora a sour look and jumped off the bed to fetch the phone from her dresser.
“Stop pouting. Only one of us is allowed to be a drama queen, and that’s me. Answer it.” She thrust the phone at Cora.
“Top Dog Training, may I help you?”
“Hey, Cora, it’s Mia Nguyen. Do you have a second?”
Cora’s eyes went wide and she put her finger to her lips to preemptively shush Maggie.
“Hey, Mia, nice to hear from you! I do have time to chat.” Maggie recognized the name and gawked.
“So, Vaughn and I wanted to touch base with you and tell you what’s been going on with the show.” Cora’s heart quickened. Mia’s tone sounded upbeat, like she was about to deliver good news.
“We thought your audition was, like, spectacular. And we weren’t the only ones who felt that way. Dalton Feretti over at World of Animals thought you have something really special, too.”
“Oh my gosh, thank you!” Cora’s voice trembled. She gave Maggie a thumbs-up.
“Our final three were just so incredible. Like, we could go with any of you and the show would be a hit.”
“Oh, wow,” Cora answered agreeably.
“That’s why we had to really pick the meat off the bones, as it were.” Cora had no idea what Mia meant. “You know, the show is going to get a ton of attention since it’s in direct competition with The Doggie Dictator, and our trainer is going to have to do quite a bit of media, so we need someone who can handle, like, the rigors of live TV and interviews and stuff.”
“Um-hm.”
“So with that in mind, we had to go with someone else, Cora. We thought you were so awesome with Honey, but we were concerned that your, um, intensity about Ershovich might leak out. We totally agree with your perspective on him, but we have to keep it completely positive when we’re on the record. Does that make sense?”
Cora was numb. “Um, yes?” She bit her lip to keep from crying. Fritz crawled out from under the covers and began licking her cheek.
“Please know that we all really loved you, though! You’re super special, Cora!”
Not special enough, clearly. “Thank you, that’s nice of you to say.” Cora took a breath to steady herself. “Before we hang up, may I ask who you went with?”
“Of course! I think you know her, Brooke Keating.”
“Brooke is great. She’s going to be great. I’m so happy for her.” Cora hoped she sounded genuine.
“I know, right? We’re thrilled. I hope you’re going to tune in!”
“You bet
, wouldn’t miss it.” Cora played along but wanted to toss her phone across the room.
“Tuesday nights at eight on World of Animals. I’ll shoot you an e-mail so you know when it starts airing.”
“Awesome, thanks again for the opportunity.”
Cora hung up the phone and closed her eyes.
Maggie hopped across the bed and threw her arms around Cora. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she crooned comfortingly. Josie jumped up and muscled her way in between them, offering solace and kisses next to Fritz.
“Can this day get any worse?” Cora sobbed.
“Shhh, it’ll pass. I promise. Cry it out. I’ll get us some ice cream.” Maggie rubbed her back.
“I quit.”
Maggie pulled away from Cora. “Oh no you don’t. Never quit. Take a minute to lick your wounds, then get right back up and kick more ass. Okay? I’ll give you a few days to be sad, then I’m gonna be on you like a flea on a junkyard dog. Got it?”
Cora hiccuped and nodded, then put her head down on the pillow and cried some more.
FORTY
* * *
It was the first gathering of the Boozehounds since Cora’s audition. Winnie had selected a hole-in-the-wall, locals-only spot frequented by bold-faced names looking to go incognito. A few of the men sitting at the bar looked official and pissed off.
“A belated toast to Cora’s valiant effort,” Winnie said, raising a glass.
“To Cora,” Vanessa echoed, and they clinked glasses.
“Sorry I couldn’t be the one to unseat the Hound Harasser. I tried.”
“We know you did,” Vanessa said soothingly. “I’m so mad that Brooke got it. When does that stupid show go on the air?”
“Not sure, but they’re probably well under way shooting by now.” It had been over a month since Cora got the news, and she was finally able to think about it without getting depressed.
“You have to admit she’s a decent trainer,” Winnie said, ever the voice of reason.
“Yeah, but I hate her,” Vanessa said. “And I know y’all do, too!”
They chuckled in agreement.
“Hey, at least we like her methodology. It’s not like she’s going to be choking dogs and forcing them to submit to her,” Winnie added.
“I know, I know, she’s just so . . . fake,” Vanessa replied. “And her client roster! It’s like she wants to know her clients’ net worth before she’ll agree to work with them.”
“I think she’s had her eyes on the prize the whole time,” Cora said. “She knew what she wanted and went for it. I could learn from that.”
“Don’t you dare,” Winnie chastised. “Stay true and genuine and real, okay? The world has enough fakes. Now, if I may, I’d like to shift gears for a moment and brag . . .” She reached down and rooted through her patchwork bag, pulling out a folded newspaper. “Hot off the presses, as of yesterday. My niece’s wedding announcement in the New York Times!” Winnie was happily child-free, but she doted on her nieces and nephews.
“La-di-da, how big-time!” Vanessa exclaimed. “Those announcements are so silly. Just when you think you’ve read the most over-the-top one, you look at the next one and it’s even worse. Or better, I guess.”
“I’ve never read them,” Cora said, reaching for the paper.
“It’s a lot of ‘daughter of this wealthy scion and son of this land magnate are joining their kingdoms,’ but every so often you get a lovely normal couple, like my Bettina and Jonathan. No fancy titles in this one, just a teacher and an accountant who fell in love!”
“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Cora said as Winnie passed the paper to her. Cora glanced at the rest of the well-named couples in the Vows section and the wedding-related article on the facing page. The photograph showed a man kneeling in front of a woman in a lush garden, all hydrangeas and dappled light. The article was titled AFTER FLASHMOB PERFORMANCES, THE QUIET PROPOSAL MAKES A COMEBACK. She studied the photo. The woman had her hands over her mouth, as if she couldn’t contain her excitement, and it was obvious even in quarter view that the man was beaming at her. Something about the photograph nagged at Cora. She read the caption.
“Madison Perry is overcome by emotion as Charlie Gill asks her to marry him. The scene was witnessed only by the photographer, who hid in the bushes until the couple walked into the garden.”
“Oh my God!” she screamed.
“What? What’s wrong?” Winnie asked.
Cora choked on how to convey what she was seeing without having to get into the details. “These people—I, I . . . know them.” She jabbed at the photograph, sputtering. “They’re clients. Former clients.”
Vanessa peeked over her shoulder. “Cute! Did you like them?”
“I . . . uh, hard to say,” Cora answered in a haze as she speed-read the article. She was dumbfounded. The article didn’t list a date for the proposal, but it was obvious that it had happened shortly after Madison had returned from her trip, which had been only a few days after the gala. No wonder she hadn’t heard from Charlie since she bailed on the evening. He had been planning to propose to Madison all along.
The quotes in the article made her feel nauseated. “I knew I was going to marry her the moment I saw her,” Gill said while holding Perry’s hand. “She’s perfect, and I needed to find the perfect way to propose to honor our relationship. I discovered this spot a year ago and knew this was where it was going to happen.”
Cora stared off into space while Winnie and Vanessa chattered, not noticing that she had removed herself from the conversation. The scenario dawned on her slowly; she had been Charlie’s last long con, his final “legal” seduction, before proposing to Madison. He had been able to intuit her crush on him from their very first meeting, and had taken advantage of Madison’s absence to weaken Cora’s defenses one training session at a time. The “total package” comment, the wine, the cute texts, the twilight bed training, and the night at Toya had all been foundation work leading up to the gala, where his con would finally close so he could get married knowing he still had it. That’s why he was so angry when she left him in the limo. He wasn’t concerned for her welfare or worried that she would miss Alice Goodwin; he was upset that his hard work wasn’t going to pay off. Charlie Gill was going to remain unfucked after putting in way more effort than usual.
Cora felt vindicated. Doubtless, she wouldn’t have been able to resist him after drinking too much wine and getting caught up in the glamour of the evening, pact be damned, and in his mind he would have won. Screwed the stupid naive girl and moved back to his unsuspecting near-fiancée. He probably had the ring in his pocket when he kissed her last. Cora nodded her head in silent victory.
“You were right, I was blind,” Cora texted Maggie, along with a link to the article. “Lord Douche indeed.”
She then dashed off an e-mail that came to her faster than she could type, to Madison with a cc to Charlie.
Dear Madison— A warm welcome home and congratulations on your recent engagement! I’m sure your wedding preparations are in full swing but I wanted to make sure that you’re pleased with the work Charlie and I did with Oliver while you were away. Oliver was a wonderful student, and your intended was a devoted and attentive teacher! Charlie went above and beyond in so many ways. I am always available for a one-on-one session with you if you have any questions or need clarification about any of my dog training secrets (there are so many!). And it would be lovely to catch up and see your ring! I wish you the best as you and Charlie embark on this wonderful new adventure. Fondly, Cora
Charlie would shit himself over the subtext. Good.
FORTY-ONE
* * *
Cora pulled up in front of Fran’s office with four minutes to spare, just enough time to park and dash inside. They had traded texts and e-mails in the weeks since the Rivera concert but hadn’t found the time to get together and catch up, and Cora was looking forward to a heaping dose of Fran and Sydney. While the visit wasn’t purely social—Fran was worried abo
ut Sydney’s burgeoning leash aggression during their walks around Old Town—Cora made sure to keep her afternoon open so they would have ample time to chat without having to rush.
She walked into the foyer and was reminded of her first encounter with Eli. They hadn’t talked since the trip home from Middleburg, and she missed him. She hoped that she would run into him, so she wore her lucky green shirt and tamed her hair into a smooth braid.
“You can go right down, Sydney is expecting you,” Lydia said with a smile.
Sydney dashed out to meet her before she was halfway down the hall. “Hello, my friend,” Cora greeted him. “You’re forgetting your manners, aren’t you,” she chastised as he jumped up on her.
“There she is!” Fran swanned out of her office in a flowy asymmetrical print dress and enveloped Cora in a perfumed bear hug. “I have missed you, my dear! We have so much to talk about!”
“I know! I missed you guys, too. I’m bummed about his aggression stuff, but at least we can catch up. Shall we get right out there?” Cora glanced around the office, barely hiding her motives.
Fran watched Cora closely. “We’re ready, darling. Leash in hand and treats in pocket.” She dove in the folds of the dress and fished out a handful of freeze-dried liver. “Even Yohji Yamamoto does pockets now.”
The quiet side street in front of Fran’s building was a block away from the bustling Old Town shops and restaurants. Cora was surprised by Sydney’s walking as they made their way to King Street.
“He’s doing great, Fran. I’m actually blown away.”
“Oh ye of little faith,” Fran chastised. “Believe it or not, we did continue practicing after our lessons ended. He’s fabulous on the side streets and in my neighborhood, but when we get to the main drag, he’s a nightmare. Prepare to watch him unhinge.”
Sure enough, Sydney’s demeanor changed the instant they reached the busy road. His body tensed, and his head swiveled from side to side, scanning the horizon for potential targets.
Life on the Leash Page 25