by Lacey Black
When I slip into my seat, he says, “Knock it off.”
“What?” I ask innocently.
“Pssh! You know exactly what you’re doing. Don’t sleep with her,” he whisper-yells so no one can hear him.
“I wasn’t going to,” I defend.
And I wouldn’t. I can’t. Not when my head is full of images of my blonde stranger on the porch from last night. It’s hard to think of anyone else but her, which to be honest, is throwing me off my game. Add to it the parting comments from the other woman I’ve been randomly texting, and I’m a practically a walking hard-on today.
“What’s going on with you?” he asks, knowing me too well.
“Nothing,” I reply as Savannah, one of the bakery’s part-timers, delivers our drinks.
“I call bullshit.” He gives me a pointed look as he takes a drink of his smoothie.
“Where’s Cricket?”
“Don’t even try to change the subject. What’s going on with you?” he asks with a little more authority. He’s not going to let this go until I talk.
Exhaling loudly, I lean in so the entire room doesn’t hear me. “I met someone.”
His eyes go wide in shock. “Really?”
“Yes,” I tell him, but to be honest, I’m not really sure which woman I’m talking about.
“And…”
I shrug. “And it’s still pretty early, man.” I’m not about to tell him I don’t even know either of their names. “Can you just let me figure it out?”
“Okay, sure. Just know I’m here if you need me,” he states. My hazel eyes meet his, and I nod in understanding and appreciation.
“Hey, guys!” Cricket sings as she enters the bakery and makes a beeline for our table.
“Hey, babe,” my brother practically coos the moment his fiancée slides into the chair beside him, his lips meeting hers in greeting.
“Hi, Royce.” Cricket is all smiles as she takes the empty seat across from me.
“Cricket. You come to your senses yet and ready to leave him for the better Rigsby?” I tease.
Rueben growls almost immediately, making me laugh. “You do that on purpose,” Cricket chastises with a laugh.
“Is Royce bothering you, Cricket?” Mom asks, as she approaches our table with a tray of food.
“What? Why am I the guilty party automatically?” I ask my mom, enjoying the way her hazel eyes sparkle with laughter.
“Because I know you, Royce.”
I reach over and take the food before she can serve us. She may work here, but I hate she has to do that. I instantly notice a fourth plate, so I scoot over to the chair against the wall, freeing up the closer seat for Mom.
“How are you, Jackie?” Cricket asks, as she dives into her pasta salad.
“Wonderful, dear. How’s work?” she replies before taking a bite of half a ham panini sandwich.
“Busy. Our awards night and fundraiser is Saturday,” my brother’s fiancée replies.
With a mouthful of food, I ask, “Do you need a date? I’m free Saturday night.” I barely get the offer out before I’m kicked in the shin under the table. “Ouch, fuck!” I grunt, dropping my food to rub my leg.
“Serves you right, dick,” Rueben replies casually, as if he didn’t just use his fucking boots to try to break my shin.
Giving Cricket a pointed look, I ask, “Do you see how mean he is?”
She smiles wide and giggles. “I believe you had that coming, Royce.”
“My boys have always had a knack for pushing each other’s buttons,” Mom murmurs.
“Oh, Jackie, my mom and sister are coming down next weekend to go dress shopping. Can you go too?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as Mom offers her a wide smile. “I’d love to go with you, dear. Thank you for inviting me,” she replies, reaching over and squeezing Cricket’s hand. She glances back at me. “Big plans for the afternoon?”
“Actually, I thought about adopting a dog,” I tell my family between bites of my slaw.
“Really?” my brother and his fiancée both ask at the same time. Rueben’s is more skeptical, while Cricket’s is definitely excited.
“That’ll be fun,” Mom agrees.
“I’ve been wanting one for a while now, and I figured now is a good time, since the weather is still decent. Training a dog in the winter would suck,” I state.
“And Rueben can help you when you’re at work and the puppy needs to be taken outside,” Cricket chimes in, causing her fiancé to gape at her in surprise.
“What?” my brother asks, sounding offended.
She shrugs and turns her eyes on me. “He can practice now for when we get a puppy.”
“Say what?” he barks without a touch of bite. “Since when are we getting a puppy?” Cricket just smiles sweetly and bats her long eyelashes. I watch as she leans over and whispers something in his ear. His eyes widen and his cheeks turn pink as a wolfish grin spreads across his lips. “Apparently, I’m getting a dog too,” he says eagerly, making me laugh.
“What kind are you looking for?” Mom asks.
“I’m not exactly sure. There’s a few on the county’s Humane Society page I’d like to look at.”
“Well, bring it by when you decide.”
“Us too!” Cricket adds between bites of her sandwich.
We finish eating just as Mom is summoned back to work by the growing lunch crowd. I clean up our mess on the table and slip up to the counter to tell her goodbye. I place a kiss on her cheek as she hands me a small white bag. “What’s this?” I ask, my mouth already watering for whatever treat is inside.
“Must you ask?” she deadpans.
“Strawberry cream cheese bars?” I ask, like a kid who just received permission to go into a candy store.
She nods in reply. “One strawberry and one peach,” she says with a wink.
“I knew I was your favorite!” I bellow, just loud enough for my brother to hear.
He steps up and reaches for the second bag in her other hand. “Oh, look at that. A bag for her real favorite son,” Rueben says, as he leans over and kisses Mom’s other cheek.
“You two.” Mom glances behind us. “Cricket, this one’s for you,” she says, reaching behind the counter and grabbing a small platter of treats.
My mouth drops open. “What the hell?”
Cricket just giggles and steps forward. “At least now we know who the real favorite is. Thank you, Jackie. I’m sure everyone will love these back at work.”
“Good.” Mom looks over to me and my brother and adds, “Now, go. I have to get back to work. Be good, boys.”
“Bye, Mom. Love ya,” I reply as I head for the door, my brother and Cricket hot on my heels.
I find my brother’s vehicle parked beside mine when we get outside, Cricket’s SUV on the opposite side of that. He takes her dessert tray and places it on the passenger seat before pulling her into his arms and kissing her soundly. For a second time, something clenches in my chest, almost choking the air out of my throat. I have to look away.
“Make sure you send me that puppy pic, Royce,” Cricket demands with a playful grin.
I return her smile, but not for the reason she’s probably thinking. My very first text exchange with my new friend comes to mind, the dick pics she apparently received. Our exchanges are playful and fun, something I’m not used to having with the opposite sex outside of the bedroom.
“Will do,” I reply with a wave, climbing into my truck.
Pulling out of the lot, I contemplate my next move. I have a few loads of laundry to do at home, but for some reason, my truck doesn’t head in that direction. Instead, I find myself off toward the address I saw online. It takes a little longer to get there, considering it’s the tail end of the noon hour, but when I finally do, I’m a mixture of nerves and excitement.
I shut off my truck and just sit there, staring at the large brick building with images of cats and dogs on the windows. Is this really what I want? A dog is a big commitm
ent, one I can’t take lightly. Not only could there be extra time with training, but my daily schedule would be altered to accommodate a dog. Plus, I don’t have anything. I’d need food, bowls, a bed, and crate. I’d need to register him with the city, possibly deal with groomers, and keep up with his vet needs. Hell, I don’t even go to the doctor myself. Am I ready for this responsibility?
The answer is yes.
I’ve been thinking about it a long time now, and always tell myself “someday soon.” Well, as I open the door and climb out, “someday soon” is today.
The moment I pull open the front door, I can hear barking coming from the back. The front room is pet-friendly with bright yellow walls and old brown chairs. There are photos covering the walls of happy families with their new dogs or cats as they prepare to take them to their forever homes. A young man sits at the counter, a grin on his face as he places the phone on its cradle and turns to me. “Can I help you?”
“I was wanting to check out some dogs today.” My heart is pounding in my chest like a jackhammer.
“Awesome,” he sings, spinning in his chair and coming around to meet me with his hand extended. “We’d be happy to help. I’m Landon, the manager. Come have a seat.” He grabs a clipboard and pen and leads me over to the old chairs.
We go through a few questions about what I’m looking for, Landon smiling the entire time we talk. “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited. We have a handful of larger breed dogs that would be perfect for you. Would you like to go back and see them?”
“Absolutely,” I reply, standing up and wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans.
Why am I so damn nervous?
Seriously, I wasn’t even this anxious when I went to pick up my junior year prom date, who just so happened to be a senior with well-known oral skills. She proved it about halfway through the dance in the parking lot too.
Landon leads me through a door and the barking becomes louder. We pass a large room with a handful of cats inside. Some are sleeping, one is eating, and a few play with toys. I instantly think back to my conversation with Bestie and the cat she said she had as a child. She would probably get a kick out of seeing them all.
We proceed through another doorway and find a wall of kennels, two high. They’re all separated by a metal frame for stability, with smaller dogs on top. “So why don’t you take a walk along this wall and let me know if you’d like to see any of the dogs. There’s a sign on the front that tells you their breed, age, and name,” Landon instructs, stepping back and giving me space.
I slowly walk along the wall, checking out each dog, including the smaller ones. I can’t help but smile. There are pups of every shape and size, every color and breed. Some lounge and sleep, while others are spinning in circles in excitement at seeing a person. Tails wag eagerly and a few even bark when I approach.
A medium-sized dog with big floppy ears gives me those puppy eyes, and a bark of laughter slips from my lips. “Bucky has the face down pat,” I say over my shoulder to Landon, who lingers off to the side.
“Oh, he does. He’s been here about two months, but I know his day is coming soon.”
I nod and keep walking, recognizing this decision is much harder than I expected. I suddenly realize if I were able to take them all and give them a loving home, I would. In a heartbeat. Unfortunately, that’s not an option for me, so I keep walking until I reach the empty kennel at the end.
Suddenly, a loud bark pulls my attention behind me. When I turn, I see a large mix breed dog, wet from a bath, sitting in the middle of the floor. He’s on a leash with a shelter volunteer next to him, trying to dry him off. A smile instantly spreading across my face, my heart galloping around in my chest.
I squat down on a knee, and something flashes in that dog’s eyes. He takes off like a bullet from a gun, pulling free from the volunteer, and running right for me. He hits me with a wall of wet dog hair and rains kisses down all over my face. I don’t even know when I started laughing, but I am, petting this big, hairy dog with a tail so wild it would probably hurt if you were hit by it.
“Royce, meet Jack,” Landon says, as he walks up beside me and reaches for his leash. “He was just enjoying a bath and apparently couldn’t wait to be dried off to say hello.”
My face hurts from smiling so widely as I scratch behind his ears. “Landon, I think I’d like to take Jack home with me today.”
Chapter Six
Quinn
I start to wonder if this meeting will ever end. After I’ve given my principal’s report, I sit back as they go through different committee reports and school correspondences, including the latest financial statement. We’re a private K-12 school, funded through tuition, fundraising, and grants and have been very fortunate to have maintained a balanced budget for several years. Of course, it helps having alumni benefactors who’ve left money to the school in trusts and wills.
When the meeting finally draws to a close, a few board members come over to talk. As anxious as I am to get out of here and throw on a pair of lounge pants, my attention is required here. I spend a few minutes chatting with Mrs. Louise Seymour, a retired faculty member of our school, as well as Mr. John Billingsly, the president of the board. Both are anxious to start working on a plan to upgrade the old wooden bleachers in the gymnasium with something a little safer and easier to retract. It’s an expense that will be great but needed.
“I’d like to present estimates to the board next month, Quinn. It’s something that’s been on our list of future repairs, and now that the school heating project is complete, I feel this is a worthy next plan for our fundraising efforts,” John says as he adjusts his tie.
“I agree. I can start working on gathering estimates and have some available for the board at our next meeting,” I confirm, making a note in my planner.
“That would be great,” he agrees, offering a hand to shake.
When he walks away, Louise gives me a smile. “You’re doing a fine job, Quinn.”
Louise was the outgoing history teacher when I was hired as her replacement at Grace Private School. We were able to work together throughout that summer, her offering precious guidance to a young educator, straight out of college. I learned so much from her and often leaned on her for advice regarding lessons and projects. I was a very hands-on teacher and loved bringing history to life in the classroom setting. She was also the one who recommended me to the board for the principal position three years ago.
I had a newly earned master’s degree in education and eager to use it. When our principal received an offer at a larger school upstate, he left big shoes to fill within these school walls, but I’ve enjoyed the challenge. It’s definitely a much more rewarding job than even I could have anticipated.
“I think the meeting went well,” Louise says, her voice still holding the hint of authority it had in her teaching days.
“I agree.”
“You’re doing an exceptional job, Quinn. I’m proud of you,” she adds with a warm smile.
I’ve always looked to Louise for the advice in this field. My own mother is a homemaker, while my dad works as a mechanic. Neither really knew much about my profession of choice, even though they’ve been supportive my whole life. That’s why I gravitated toward Louise when it came to matters of my career.
“It’s been a joy to serve the board and students in this capacity. You know, after I enrolled in those night classes for my master’s, a few times I wondered if I was making the right choice. I mean, did I really need to accumulate more debt in my early thirties when I still had some from college? But now, even with that mountain of student loans, I’m so thankful I proceeded with the schooling. This is definitely the job for me,” I state openly.
Louise just smiles that familiar, warm grin, reaches over, and squeezes my arm lightly. “Like I said, I’m proud of you, Quinn. You are absolutely the right person for this job,” she says, causing a hard lump to form in my throat.
“Thank you,” I whisper, emotions grabbing hold and
refusing to let go.
“I should be on my way, dear. Maybe we can meet for lunch soon?”
“I’d love that, Louise. I’ll call you first of next week to set it up?”
“Sounds wonderful. Take care, dear,” she says, as she pulls me into a hug. It’s familiar, her rich floral perfume tickling my nose and making me smile.
I watch as she exits the meeting room, followed by the few lingering board members. When I’m finally alone, I breathe a deep sigh and kick off my kitten heels. It’s been a long day, working over thirteen hours, only breaking long enough to grab a takeout crab salad from the deli down the street. Then it was right back here, preparing for tonight’s meeting.
It only takes me about twenty more minutes to wrap everything up and shut off the lights. I make sure my office is secured, slide my shoes back on my feet, and head out the side door that leads to the staff parking lot. As I’m walking to my car, my phone chimes with a text in my purse. My guess is it’s one of two people, and the thought of it being from Rigsby has my heart fluttering in my chest like a butterfly. I force myself to leave my phone where it is until I’m secured in the cab of my car. Then, and only then, do I pull it from my bag and click on the message app. The moment I see the name, I smile.
Rigsby: I have someone I’d like you to meet.
Me: Is that your intro, and then BAM, dick pic?
Funny, because suddenly an image pops up on the screen and starts to download. My heart skips a beat at the prospect of actually getting an inappropriate picture from Rigsby. Something tells me, I wouldn’t be at all disappointed.
But it’s not the image I was expecting. Instead, I see what can only be described as a smiling dog. A bubble of laughter spills from my lips.
Rigsby: Meet Jack, as in Jack Daniels.
Me: Oh my goodness, that face!!! *insert heart-shaped eyes emoji*
Rigsby: He’s got a lady-killer smile, what can I say? It was like we were meant to be together.
Me: I don’t have a wide knowledge about dogs. There’s definitely German Shepherd in him, right?