“Yes,” I laughed.“I am a total badass.”
It didn’t mean that I’d be able to save the marsh, though.The cards were stacked against me on this one.
Chapter Four
Remi
“Haveyouimplementedtheexercise routine we discussed at our last appointment?”I asked to the top of Lily’s head.Bending, I ran a hand down Rocko’s brindle coat.He leaned against my thigh, his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.
“I just don’t have time in my schedule.”Lily spoke down to her phone, her fingers pounding on the screen.
“But you’d like an improvement in his behavior?”Keeping my voice clear of judgment was challenging.
She glanced up and then away again.“Yes.”
Much like the bets I would no longer accept from Nora, I would never question her intuition.Lily refused to look directly at me.In our past appointments, she’d rubbed her side-boob on my arm so much it couldn’t be a mistake.I’d smell like her floral perfume for the rest of the day.Not today, though.
When she’d laid her eyes on me, a seductive smile had slipped from her face, and her upper lip had curled in disgust.
I’d never appreciated feeling unattractive before.
“I would suggest those exercises; I think he’d really respond to them.I know it’s a time commitment, but he’s eager to please.He just has so much energy.”
Her eyes grew, almost comically, with desperate hope.“Will that fix him?”
“There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with him.He just needs training.”
“I’m just really busy right now.What about a medication?Is there a medication I could give him instead?”
I refrained from pointing out that she’d found time to visit me once a week for the past four.“I would only suggest medicine for a medical intervention.I know we’ve talked about this before, but being such a large dog, there’s less room for error.Rocko doing normal dog things, jumping on a kid, for example, could put him andyouin trouble.He’s a normal, excitable, adolescent dog.I think he’d respond well to obedience classes.”
She pouted, tilting her head to one side.“I just wish I had someone to help me, you know?”
Uh-oh.The magic of the scrubs was wearing off.
I avoided her subtext.“Is there a reason you got such a big dog?”
“I like big ...dogs.”
I pinched my lips between my teeth, my eyebrows drawn together.Was she comparing me to a dog?Was I supposed to project myself onto Rocko?Or was she making a sexual innuendo, and “dogs” was being used to replace “penis?”
At a loss, all I could say was, “Well, you have a big dog now.I don’t see how another appointment here could help you.My suggestion is obedience training.”
She looked at me through her eyelashes, her bottom lip plumped out.“Do you think you could help me with that?I could cook you dinner.What’s your favorite dish?”
Fuck.
My fingers paused scratching behind Rocko’s ear, and he barked in protest.It bounced off the walls, rattling my eardrums.
“I would not suggest myself for that.You really should refer to the list Nora emailed,” I responded.
“Then why don’t I cook you dinner, anyway?A thank you for the free visits.”
“Uh, I appreciate that.But it’s not necessary.”
She lifted a delicate shoulder.“Let’s not call it a thank you, then.We’ll call it a date.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.I’m Rocko’s vet.We shouldn’t muddy the waters.”
