I smirk, examining the dogs. “Dibs on the Chihuahua.”
She fights a smile. “You’ll take that back, I promise. Besides, you’ll be working on all these dogs. Just like I will.”
“Wait…what?”
“You’ll need to wash, dry, brush, trim the toenails, and brush the teeth of each of them. Those are the duties of my bather.”
“Is that all?” She doesn’t miss the heavy sarcasm lacing my voice.
“If they need it, you’ll also have to express their anal glands.”
We stare at each other for a moment as I try to determine whether she’s joking. When she doesn’t crack a smile or burst into laughter, I contemplate thanking her for the opportunity and continuing back home. Mum and Dad’s controlling, oppressive nature doesn’t sound half bad in retrospect.
The bell on the front counter echoes through the room. Romilly beams and immediately twists her long, black hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. A little squeal escapes her as she bounces on her feet and gently claps her hands together. “It’s Kujo! I can’t wait for you to meet him. He’s the best. Come on.”
“Did you just sayKujo?” I blink several times as she heads toward the front desk before processing that this is my life at the moment.Sebastian Black, working man. And not just any job. She wants you to express anal glands. Why is it again you’re so obsessed with her?
At the front of The Paw Spa is an elderly lady holding a leash attached to a dog larger than she is. His coat is black with a splash of white on the tummy, and his eyes look yellow at first glance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more terrifying dog in my life, in fact. His gaze locks onto me immediately, like I’m an intruder in his home. I swear his eyes shine red for the half second he takes me in, and then a loud, booming bark rips through his massive body.
No. No way is she going near that thing.Instinctively, I capture her hand and tug her back before she can approach it, earning a questioning glance from her.
“You can’t be serious, Romilly.”
Her face clears. “Trust me.”
She removes her hand from mine and waves at the lady. “Mrs. Camden, it’s a pleasure to see you again!”
“Hello, Romilly.” The elderly woman wobbles toward us, extending the leash forward for Romilly to take. “Looks like you have new help around here?”
I resist the intense urge to step in front of Romilly before she can take the leash, in case the dog decides to rip her face off or something. “I’m Bash,” I tell Mrs. Camden. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“He’s The Paw Spa’s new bather.”
Mrs. Camden looks skeptical as she takes me in. I wonder what she thinks of my crisp button down, my designer jeans and shoes, or my tattoo-covered arms. “What happened to Lana?”
“She’s moving,” says Romilly. “Packing as we speak.”
“First Agatha, now Lana? That’s a shame. I really liked her.”
Romilly stiffens but pastes a smile on. “Don’t worry. Bash here is well-equipped for the job. Or at least, he will be by the time I’m done training him.” She pats my shoulder. I’m hyper-aware of the contact, even after she takes her hand away.
“Just so you know, Kujo doesn’t like strange men.”
Romilly laughs. “No problem. Bash can mostly observe till they get to know each other better.”
“All right, then. Well, I’ll be going now.”
“Bye, Mrs. Camden.”
The woman leaves us alone with her…thing. I can’t even refer to it as a dog because I’ve truly never seen anything like it. “What breed is Kujo?” I ask.
“He’s a Cane Corso.”
Terrifying as he is, I can’t help but admire Kujo’s strong frame and menacing glare. I even kind of relate to him for a moment because here I am, judging the guy by his looks when the same thing always happens to me. I sigh. “Where do we start?”
She gestures to the dog with her chin. “We check him for any open wounds, matting, or dental problems."
“Alright.” But I make no move toward him.
