“It’ll be fantastic to have an extra person to help out during the lunch shift,” Madison extended a hand which Autumn took. Madison’s grip was more delicate than Autumn had anticipated, and she found herself softening her own hand’s pressure.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to leave Autumn with you? Since this is her first time, take her with you on a couple of your last walks. Then next time you can start taking dogs out on your own.”
“I think I can handle that,” Madison grinned.
“It was so nice to meet you. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other as you settle into a volunteer routine,” Jordan smiled and gave Autumn’s hand one more shake. The woman turned on her heel with almost surgeon-like precision and walked back through the doors.
Madison started off by explaining their rules for how each dog should be handled. Then she went over the leash protocols as well as which dogs could or could not be walked together. When she was finished with her explanation, she walked Autumn to a kennel that housed a small wire-haired dog.The dog was a light tan with extra bushy fur above the eyes and two protruding bottom teeth. The dog seemed to have a natural inclination towards shaking.
Autumn gave the dog an appraising glance. Were they sure he would make it through a walk? Madison seemed to read her mind and gave the leash a tiny tug. The dog trotted forward and gave Autumn an appraising glance of his own.
“This is Nick. He’s not as old as he looks. And he loves his walkies,” Madison cooed.
“Fair enough. I’m sorry to have misjudged you, Nick.” Autumn watched as the dog trotted proudly at the end of the leash. He seemed to be flaunting his flawless leash manners.
“What’s Nick’s story?” Autumn couldn’t help but be curious.
“Nick was surrendered after his owner died. The owner’s kids didn’t want a dog and couldn’t find anyone else to adopt him. So here he is. He looks a bit gruff but he’s a real sweetheart.”
“Aw, poor little guy.”
“Exactly. There are some real heartbreakers around here.”
“Is this what you do for a living? Work at the shelter I mean?”
“No, not at all. I run my own flower shop. Last year I started volunteering here. I wanted to help out somehow. And I love animals, so here I am.”
“Oh, you’ll have to tell me the name of your shop. I’m always looking for a good florist to work alongside.”
“Rose and Thyme is my shop. What do you do for work that leads you to needing a florist?”
“I’m an interior designer. There are so many spaces that can be really brightened up with the right floral arrangement. Now whether the customer keeps up with the arrangements is another story. But for a big reveal, flowers always make a space feel more positive.”
“Wait a minute, did you say you’re an interior designer?”
“I did,” Autumn answered, a little taken aback by the woman’s enthusiasm.
“Do you work mostly on people’s homes, or do you also work with businesses?”
“I work with both. I’ve only been in business for myself a few years. I’m definitely still trying to build up a client base.”
“That I definitely understand and can sympathize with. My best friend is opening up a lesbian bar on the beach. She’s put in a lot of hard work to get the place functional. But whenit comes to aesthetics,” Madison shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.
“Let’s just say aesthetics aren’t her strong suit,” Madison finished with a laugh.
“I gotcha. I would definitely be interested in at least meeting with her. If we seem like a good fit, then I’m definitely in. Tell me about your friend.”
They walked down a sloping path until they were finally standing on the beach. Autumn watched as Nick’s excitement noticeably grew, his tail wagging at near double the speed as before. Madison smiled down at the dog, walking him to the waves.
“My friend’s name is Quinn. She’s just moved here after a bit of bad luck.”
“Oh, that’s unfortunate.”
“It is. She was engaged and ready to buy a house when she found out that her girlfriend was cheating on her. They broke up and the girlfriend moved into the house with the new woman.”
“Okay, ouch,” Autumn gasped.
“Exactly. She didn’t have anyone left in Vegas, so I told her to move out here with me. She was looking for a job and found this beaten down bar. Immediately she decided it needed to be a lesbian bar. So, she bought it.”
