It whines again, sitting back on it's hind legs and setting one of its front paws on my shin.
We stare at each other for a few moments before I squeeze my eyes shut and release a frustrated breath.
"Fine, I'll walk you, but only this once, and only because it's my fault your owner can't."
I stand from the sofa, and the little fluff ball yips excitedly, running circles around my legs as I pick up the ridiculously bright pink lead from the floor.
"Oh, come on. Just move, please," I beg, tugging on the lead. "People keep staring and taking pictures!"
The little mutt just stares at me, lying on the pavement without a care in the world.
We've been stood here for close to five minutes, and my embarrassment is growing with every second. A group of women stand across the road with their phones pointed at me, wide grins on their faces.
"Come on, you little fucker. We're two streets away."
I glance around, hoping no one's close enough to hear me pleading with a bloody dog, and thankfully, no one is, but she stillrefuses to move. If anything, she makes herself more comfortable, resting her head on her front paws.
"I am not picking you up," I bite out. "I already look ridiculous walking around with you. If I pick you up, and pictures surface on the internet of this, no one will ever take me seriously."
When she still doesn't move, I huff, shake my head, and step to the side of the path, leaning my shoulder against the glass window of a shop front.
My phone begins to ring in my pocket, and I yank it out, lifting it to my ear without even checking who's calling.
"What?"
"Well, someone's got their knickers in a twist," my sister says, giggling.
"What do you want, Soph?" I ask, tugging on the lead again in the hopes it'll move.
"Maybe I just wanted to check on my big brother and see how he's doing?"
Rolling my eyes at my sister's response, and the lack of movement from the mutt at my feet, I scoff.
"We both know that's not what you're calling me for, so spit it out. I'm busy."
She laughs so loudly I have to pull the phone away from my ear.
"Yeah, I can tell you're busy," she says, breathless from her bout of laughter. "How are the streets of London treating you tonight, brother?"
Scowling, I glance around.
"Are you watching me?"
She literally cackles in my ear again, incoherently trying to speak to me, but I can't understand a word she says as my eyes continue darting around all the buildings surrounding me, looking for cameras.
"Have you got Kaleb stalking me?" I ask, my cheeks flaming from anger and embarrassment at the possibility she's been watching me argue with an animal for the past five minutes.
"I'm not watching you, Dom. You're not entertaining enough," Kaleb says through the speaker. "Well, usually you're not anyway, but now you're acting like Dr Dolittle, I might consider watching you more often."
The amusement in his tone pisses me off, and his words send a fresh wave of humiliation rushing through me.
Using my shoulder to hold the phone against my ear, I bend down and quickly scoop the mutt up from the floor, tucking her under my arm and hoping my thick puffer coat shields her from the eyes on me across the street.
"There's pictures, isn't there?" I ask quietly, yanking my hood over my head and dropping my gaze as I rush through the darkening streets, back to my apartment.
"Yeah, there's a couple of pictures already circulating," he confirms, snickering. "You look cute, Dom. The Pomeranian suits you well, man."
"Fuck you," I spit, ending the call and forcefully shoving the phone back into my coat pocket as I near my building, keeping my arm securely around the wriggling body I'm trying to hide.
