He hands the leash back to me, smiling blandly. “Here you go.”
I’m pretty much a mess after that. We practice getting Athena to walk next to me. She has two more temper tantrums about it, but neither require Mason’s intervention. Mostly, he follows three steps behind me, giving quiet but firm directions, and I can feel him along my spine like I’m about to have a stroke.
When our hour is up, I can barely think. Every time Mason gets too close, I want to lean into him and dance away at the same time.
Finally, we settle on a handshake, while Athena—miraculously—lies in the grass at my feet. I do my best to look him in the eye while ignoring the heat of his skin and the way I wish he was gripping more than my hand.
“Thank you,” I say. “This has been very helpful.”
“I’m glad.”
“So how frequently do we get together after this?”
But instead of giving me his spiel on timing and costs, Mason shakes his head.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “This isn’t going to work.”
“What? Why?”
He gives me an apologetic glance. “She’s a good dog. But...I don’t think you and I will be the best fit.”
What did I do wrong? Is this about the knot joke?
“Oh. Okay. I understand.” I don’t, but I won’t make him explain it to me.
“I can recommend a few people. She’s smart, but she’s stubborn. Not everyone will understand her.”
“No, it’s fine. I appreciate you meeting us today. How much for the one session?”
But he only holds up his hand. “It’s fine. Happy to give you some pointers.”
And somehow, that feels even worse. If he lets me pay, I’ll feel like a customer. Respected. Now I’m a charity case.
I’ve still got his leash too. “Is there somewhere I can bring this back to you? When I get a new one?”
“Just drop it off at the coffee shop. Ralph knows how to get a hold of me.”
Right. A charity case and now I’ve been dismissed on top of everything. But our relationship, brief as it was, is a business one. No reason for him to give me his address or anything.
I thank him one more time, then give the leash a tug. Athena hops to her feet eagerly.
“I’ll see you around,” I say, then realize I won’t. Maybe at Bold Brew? I want to see him a lot more than I’d expect.
“Bye, Call Me Charlie.”
He’s already halfway to the parking lot before I think to ask what he meant by that.
4
Mason
Not my most graceful exit,I’ll admit. I might as well have insulted his mother.
Also, I was lying through my teeth. It’s not that I think Charlie and I wouldn’t be a good fit. In fact, we’d probably fit together too well.
I haven’t responded to someone like that in a long time. From the second I touched him, I wanted to surround Charlie and make him mine. I don’t know if he even understands how he comes across. He didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who has a secret seductive superpower and isn’t afraid to use it.
Turns out he’s the older of the two guys in the Instagram picture, though he’s got to be a decade younger than I am, with a pouty mouth and cheeks that go bright pink in the fall air. And every time I touched him to show him how to hold the leash or correct his dog, every time I made a suggestion on how he should respond, he lit up. So eager to please, and desperate for even the smallest crumb of approval.
