“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.
“See? It’s like I’m not even here. He goes into the red zone.”
“I’d call this pre–red zone. We still have a chance to get through to him at this stage, but once he tips over and starts barking at a dog, it’s going to be tougher to reach him.”
Cora explained the basics of dealing with Sydney’s leash reactivity as they threaded the sidewalk, keeping a buffer between Sydney and the other dogs they encountered so he’d remain calm. The streets of Old Town were a challenging proving ground, and within a few blocks it was clear that both Fran and Sydney had had enough.
“Nice work, guys,” Cora said. “This is just the first step, but I think he’s going to do great. He figured it out quickly.”
“Yes, yes, yes, we get it, we’ll work hard,” Fran said dismissively and looked at her watch. “The lesson is officially over now, so let’s move on to the important stuff.” She peered over her glasses at Cora. “What in the devil is wrong with Eli these days?”
Cora’s phone rang, and she used it as a redirect to hide the pink exploding on her cheeks. It was a 212 area code—New York—which meant it was probably a robocall. She stuffed it back in her pocket and looked at Fran questioningly.
“Oh, don’t play innocent with me, darling. Something strange happened between the two of you, and he won’t tell me what it was. You might think today was just about Sydney, but I had ulterior motives. I’m going to engineer a run-in when we get back to the office so you’ll have to face each other.”
Her heart surged at the thought of a Fran-mandated meeting. If anyone could fix it, Fran could. “How do you know something happened, what did he say?”
“It’s not what he said, it’s what hedidn’tsay. You always used to come up in conversations with him, and then suddenly—nothing! The second I mention your name, he’s busy on his phone or making a quick exit. I just don’t understand it. Did you root and run?”
“Huh?”
“Sorry, darling, a little Oz slipped out. Did you two ever get together and ... you know...” She made a lewd hand gesture.
“Fran!”
“Sorry, darling! His reactions about you changed so dramatically that I assumed you two had an unfortunate assignation. I knowsomethinghappened between you. Spill it.”
Cora rubbed her forehead and grimaced. “It’s not what you think.”
The whole story tumbled out in a flurry so circuitous that Fran kept interrupting to get clarification. Cora was careful to avoid mentioning the Feretti dogs specifically, but she told her every detail of the near miss with Charlie, the gala, and how Eli had once again saved the day but felt unappreciated.
“And then ... I sort of told him that I have feelings for him,” she finished sheepishly with her eyes downcast.
“Iknewit! I am never wrong about these things!” Fran crowed. “I knew it beforeyoudid! So what did he say?”
“He shot me down before I could even get all of the words out. It was awful. I’m cringing just thinking about it.”
“Pshaw, I can make this right, darling! Easy peasy, Franny to the rescue.”
“You don’t have to,” she protested weakly. “I can see why he thinks I’m awful, and he has every right to be upset at me. Let’s just try to forget it. It’s fine, really.”
They stood facing each other in front of Fran’s building. Fran sighed. “Darling, you are not awful. This is all a ridiculous misunderstanding, but you have my word that I won’t say anything. It will test my limits, but I’ll refrain. Aussie’s honor.”
Cora managed a small grin. “That’s fine. Thank you. I’ve got to run, time for me to hit Rock Creek with my guy. Keep me posted on your progress with Sydney, okay?”
“Oh, you’ll be hearing from me,” she replied mysteriously, and then disappeared with Sydney into the building before Cora could respond.
Cora checked her phone as she made her way to her car. Two new client inquiries, then a voice mail that stopped her in her tracks when she played it.
