“Here it is,” Charlie said as he swung open the door. Oliver ran in and banked off the bed as if he desperately wanted to jump up on it but couldn’t summon the springs to make it happen. Cora paused and took in the dramatic, masculine room. It looked like Madison had ceded control of the decorating decisions in the bedroom so that Charlie could get out from under the shabby chic that dominated the rest of the house. The deep foggy blue-gray walls were stacked with oversize vintage architecture prints. The two matching black lacquer nightstands flanking the bed were each crowded with an assortment of books and magazines. Cora identified Madison’s by the pot of Jo Malone hand lotion sitting next to the pile. A large, black, Greek key–patterned rug anchored the show-stopping king-sized bed. The bed was the unmistakable focal point of the room, with a tall black leather headboard and nailhead trim. Cora saw the dent in the pillow on Charlie’s side of the bed and imagined his head resting against it.
“See what I mean?” Charlie pointed to Oliver, who was standing on his hind legs and scraping at the top of the bed with his paws.
“Ooh, he’s going to snag your beautiful linens!” Cora exclaimed, eyeing the expensive-looking white duvet. She made a kissy noise to get him to come to her.
“Can you help? Please? I’m exhausted from his up-and-down all night. Just look at my bags.” He moved closer to her as she slid a half step away from him.
“Looks fine to me,” Cora answered with a nervous smile because maintaining eye contact with Charlie for more than a few seconds was impossible. “Let’s get started.”
She walked over to a low blue-patterned ottoman. “I want to cheat this behavior instead of doing it the by-the-book way, so do you mind if I let Oliver use this?”
“Everything in our house is his, of course you can.”
Cora pushed the ottoman so it bordered the end of the bed. She took a treat from her pocket and put it on the middle of the ottoman where Oliver could see it. He immediately jumped up and ate it. Cora said “up” as he leaped. She took a second treat and placed it on the end of the bed and again said “up” as Oliver made the leap.
“That works. I can just leave the ottoman there until he gets a little bigger,” Charlie suggested.
“Sure, you can do that, or we can show this lazy boy that he actuallycanjump all the way up.”
Cora repeated the ottoman-to-bed process with Oliver a few more times, and then took the cushion off the ottoman and put it on the floor where the ottoman had stood. She put the treat on the end of the bed this time, and Oliver leaped up without a problem, even though the cushion gave him only an additional four inches of height.
“Mind games,” Charlie exclaimed.
“Yeah, sometimes dogs develop weird superstitions, and for whatever reason Oliver thinks that he’s not capable of jumping up without help. Now for the real test.” After a few successes that way, Cora removed the cushion from the floor and again put a treat on the end of the bed. Oliver looked at Cora, then at the bed, and then back to Cora. He sat down.
“Looks like he needs some added inducement. Charlie, would you mind getting in bed?”
“I never say no when a woman tells me to get in bed!” He climbed in while Cora blushed and focused on Oliver.
Charlie patted the bed beside him and said, “Up, Ollie boy! Up, up, up, up!” Oliver looked at Cora and didn’t move.
“Awww, he wants you to be up here too. C’mon, get in, Cora!”
He was right. Cora knew that if she got in bed as well, human-loving Oliver wouldn’t be able to resist jumping up.
“Well, this is pretty unorthodox, but youdoneed to get your sleep.” She perched herself on the opposite side of the bed. The moment she drew her feet up off the ground Oliver sprang into the air, seemed to hover there for a moment, and landed squarely in the middle of the bed.
“Yeah, buddy! There he is, there’s my jumper!” Charlie laughed and petted his dog, who hopped in circles as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just accomplished. Cora joined in, laughing at Oliver’s silliness, which only made him more animated. He sprinted from one side of the bed to the other, pausing in front of Charlie then Cora then back to Charlie, seeming to say, “I did this all by myself! Look at me!”
Oliver flopped on his back and pawed the air, his energy flagging after the mental workout. “Someone wants a belly rub,” Cora said. She edged her way to Oliver and scratched his undercarriage. Charlie leaned in and rubbed Oliver’s belly as well.
“You’re getting double teamed, Oliver. Lucky guy.” He chuckled.
Cora grimaced and imagined what they looked like spread out on the bed together. The scenario was so far past professionalism that she gave in completely. She pulled her legs all the way up on the bed and put her head down next to Oliver, making sure it was far away from Madison’s pillow. “I’m exhausted. I could go to sleep right here.”
“Be my guest, we wouldn’t mind.” Charlie moved in closer to Oliver. “I’m pretty tired, too.” He put his head down so that he was facing Cora. Oliver relaxed in the space between them. Cora closed her eyes for a few moments, and when she opened them Charlie was staring at her. She didn’t look away.
“Bet you’ve never had a lesson like this,” Charlie said softly.
“Never. But that’s what I love about my job. Different every day.” Cora was trembling inside but she managed to keep her voice steady as she spoke.
“Is it weird that we did bed training?”
“Not at all. You had a legitimate training concern, and we addressed it. And now we’re taking a break.” She was amazed that she could explain away the divide they were crossing so coolly.
“Is it weird that we’re still in bed?”
“I don’t feel weird. Do you, Oliver?” Cora tickled Oliver’s belly playfully. Charlie reached over and rubbed Oliver’s stomach, and their hands touched. Charlie slid his hand on top of Cora’s and left it there, resting on top of dozing Oliver.
