Belle’s heart melted. “Oh, poor things.”
“They have each other.” Erik bent down and allowed Babydoll to smell his hand. She looked so small compared to him. Babydoll shivered, her entire thin body quaking.
“We need to make sure they stay that way.” Belle caught a flash of the camera man and she looked right into the camera. “These animals are pair bonded. We’re hoping to find a giving soul who will be willing to give them a home. If they’re not adopted today, I hope someone watching will give them a chance.”
Erik wrapped his arm around her shoulder and nodded at the camera. “I hope so too.”
“All right, the show is about to start,” Mary said.
Belle accepted the leash for the cat, still amazed that the animal walked on a leash. She’d only seen a few cats on leashes, mainly in large cities like New York, but rarely in Seattle. Ribbon sat down and began to lick his paw.
Erik had a bigger problem. Babydoll was so petrified, she piddled on the floor. Mary tsked, grabbing a towel and spray cleaner. “Poor little girl. This has been much harder on her than it’s been on Ribbon.”
“She’s so sweet,” Belle said. Ribbon stopped grooming and went over to Babydoll. The little dog barked and licked her friend. Tears pushed at Belle’s eyes and she wished with all her heart she could adopt them both.
“We’ll find them a good home,” Erik said.
She offered a trembling smile, trying to get her emotions under control. She knew what it was like to lose someone you loved. After losing her mom, she felt just like Babydoll, scared and alone. J.J. was her Ribbon. Once she found him, she’d had a piece of her heart restored. But there was still a huge chunk missing.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Erik scooped up Babydoll, the frail animal barely weighing anything. Her shivers subsided the second he’d tucked her into the crook of his arm. He had a soft spot for animals, and apparently women he couldn’t have. Well, one woman in particular.
Darius sauntered into the room. Per usual, he wore his signature suit, despite the encroaching heat. “Are you two ready?”
Belle fixed her lipstick one last time before she picked up Ribbon. The cat draped his body over her arm, relaxed and laid back. “I am now.”
“Let’s do this.” Erik stroked Babydoll’s head with his finger, hoping to calm her down a bit. The last thing he wanted was for her to lose control of her bladder while he was carrying her.
The crew had worked hard transforming the old warehouse so it resembled a high-end fashion show. Darius led the way out to a runway that looked about thirty feet long and six feet wide. People were standing on either side of it, eager faces waiting for the show to begin. Erik was used to crowds, fan appreciation day being one of his favorite events. He chanced a glance at Belle and saw that she was staring straight ahead.
A huge screen was mounted above the stage, broadcasting their faces so the crowd could see them and the animals better. Darius walked out first, microphone in hand. “Welcome everyone, to Pet Appreciation Day and Erik’s date with Belle. Today, we’ll be showing you all some adorable animals that need a good home. The first two are Babydoll and Ribbon.”
With Babydoll on his left arm, Erik linked arms with Belle. “Smile and looked happy for the camera,” he said, forcing one of his own in place. She’d been affected by the animals’ story, the threat of tears in her eyes had been gut wrenching. It had taken all his self-control not to cup her cheek and try to soothe away her heartache.
She was a compassionate woman and his respect for her went up another notch.
“Ribbon and Babydoll are best friends. Their owner died—" Darius paused as the audience erupted in awes. “But one of you can make sure these two friends can stay together.”
Babydoll began to pant, her pink tongue hanging out farther from her mouth. She had a few teeth, her brown eyes bulging. She was so ugly, she was cute.
Erik stopped next to Darius. The guy dipped the microphone toward him and he took it. “I want to thank you all for being here for this very worthy cause.” They applauded and he shared a genuine smile with Belle. “Like Belle, Babydoll isn’t used to being in the spotlight, but with a little bit of TLC she’ll shine like the sweet dog that she is. As you can see, she’s an older girl and she depends on Ribbon.”
Belle touched his hand and brought the microphone toward her. Lowering her head to speak, her hair brushed against his hand, the subtle smell of her shampoo teasing his nose. “Ribbon is a handsome guy, very distinguished with his tuxedo markings. And, he’s mobile.” Bending at the knees, she lowered him to the stage and stood upright.
“Ribbon walks well on a leash and one of his favorite things is to walk with Babydoll.” She took a few steps forward with the cat and Ribbon obediently went with her. Back at his side, she spoke into the microphone once more. “Any woman would be lucky to have this dapper cat on her arm.”
Laughter sounded and a few women nudged each other. Erik’s chest swelled with pride. She really was something. He couldn’t pick a better person to do this with.
“If you’re interested in Babydoll and Ribbon, please put your name on the list.” Darius shifted on his feet and pointed to the sign-in station near the back entrance. “But we’re far from done. Erik and Belle will be back with your future pet brought to you by his future Fiancé.”
“Damn, that was subtle,” Erik said. Even though he was getting used to Darius by now, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever met the real guy.
“You have to hand it him; he knows how to sell and market his own product.” Belle rounded the corner and scooped up Ribbon.
Babydoll’s shaking had subsided a bit but was still prominent. He continued to stroke her fur. “True. But the person who does my marketing is equally as talented and is much more pr... palatable.” He’d almost committed a faux pas by calling her pretty. A very unprofessional thing to say about his agent, no matter how true it was.
From the way she cocked her brow, she’d caught his slip. “Good save.”
