“The Crescent City Canines shelter is great. Maria takes really good care of them, so they don’t seem to mind going back.” I hadn’t really thought about whether it was hard for me to take the dogs back. Mostly because owning a dog never seemed like an option to me. “My life isn’t really set up to have a dog.”
The words didn’t sit quite right in my head as I said them, but no one was paying much attention to me anyway. They were both focused on Jasper in what looked like a clearly reciprocated love fest.
“Could we adopt him?” The little girl looked up at me with such longing in her eyes.
It was on the tip of my tongue to sayof coursewhen I caught her mother’s wary expression.
“Having a dog is a huge responsibility. And Jasper has a ton of energy. He’d need a place to run and lots of walks,” I said. The little girl nodded, clearly more interested in solving problems than being deterred. “Maria vets all the adoption applications tomake sure the dogs end up in homes that are a good fit for both them and their people. If you and your mom talk about it and are really interested, that’s the place to start.” I turned to look at the mom, unable to fight the pleading eyes of girl and dog any longer. “The shelter is also always looking for foster homes.”
“I’m not sure we could fall in love with a dog and then give it to another home.” She kept her gaze on her daughter and the dog, cuddled together now and sharing deep thoughts. “You’ve given us a lot to consider. We should go.”
I waited as the little girl reluctantly got to her feet, giving Jasper one last hug before taking her mother’s hand. The dog watched them walk away, and I reached down to scratch behind his ears. If Jasper could speak, I imagined he’d be pitching what a good boy he was and how he didn’t really need that many walks.
“Come on. Let’s go get a treat.”
We walked the few blocks to one of my favorite dog-friendly outdoor cafes, with tables lining the sidewalk and plenty of space for the dog to lie down.
“Who’s this handsome guy?” The young woman in a black T-shirt with the café’s logo set a bowl of water next to the dog.
“His name is Jasper, and he’s been a very good boy today.” The dog gave me anow you’re getting with the programlook. “He’s definitely earned a treat.”
He had, but even if he hadn’t, I’d still be getting him something yummy as part of his day out. Treats didn’t always have to be earned.
“Fantastic,” said the server. “What can I bring you guys?”
“A double order of bacon for him and the oyster po boy with fries for me.”
“Anything to drink?”
I glanced at Jasper’s now mostly empty water bowl. “Just water for both of us, please.”
I opened the fitness app on my watch to check our mileage, and it vibrated with the distance. Jasper raised his head but didn’t bother to sit up. The run had worn him out, which meant his behavior problems were an energy management thing and not a temperament issue.
I made a note in my phone to mention it to Maria. Some of it he’d grow out of, and the rest could be managed by a family who wanted him to succeed and came up with ways to help him instead of punishing him and expecting him to work against his nature. I glanced down at the dog stretched out at my feet and tried not to feel too much of a kinship.
If I was going to get all Zen about it, it was about seeing someone for who they really were and not trying to force them into some kind of predetermined box. My family had done that for me. It was the reason I was sitting in a café on a gorgeous day with work I loved and a sense of purpose that kept me engaged. Maybe someone could do the doggie version for Jasper.
14
“Ilove this one.” Meredith emerged from the dressing room wearing a floor-length, emerald-green sheath dress with a gossamer-thin overskirt that flowed behind her like unfurled wings.
The butterfly cocoon analogy wasn’t lost on me. With her fair skin and natural red hair, she was the kind of woman who drew attention in a flour-dusted apron and chef’s coat. But the dress transformed her into someone else entirely.
I believed anytime a woman got dressed, she created an illusion. Sometimes it was with Spanx and false lashes and a bit of careful contouring. But more powerfully it was the persona a woman slid on with the clothing. My friend could rule the world in this dress.
“Meredith’s getting laid.” Alex accompanied her singsong voice with a chair wiggle, her dark ponytail swinging in time. “Seriously, your date is going to take one look at you in that and lose his mind. Best get the biscuits ready ahead of time because you’re going to be up all night long.”
“That’s the idea, isn’t it?” I stepped behind Meredith, watching her face in the mirror as I unclipped the barrette holding back her mass of hair. Her auburn mane fell aroundher face in soft waves that could be coaxed into gorgeous curls by a skilled hairdresser. I made a mental note to schedule appointments for both of us the day of the event.
The dress hugged her curves, the careful cut emphasizing the swell of her hips and breasts and accentuating her narrow waist. She was part Celtic goddess, part mermaid, and all sex.
“You don’t think it’s too obvious?” She turned in front of the mirror, looking at the way her hair cascaded between her shoulder blades, pointing like an arrow to the drape of fabric sitting just below the small of her back.
“I think it’s exactly the right kind of obvious,” I said, taking a pair of very high-heeled sandals made of crisscrossing jeweled straps from the salesclerk and bending to help Meredith step into them. I wouldn’t let her go out wearing something too slutty, but if her goal was to have sex, this dress would get the job done.
“With the shoes, it doesn’t even need to be altered. You should get it. It’s perfect.” Alex sat with her arms crossed over her chest, nodding her approval. She wore a pencil skirt with a cashmere cardigan and the dark-framed glasses she’d just gotten. The effect was somewhere between successful author and professor, both of which fit her. “And then you should have no-strings- attached sex before you forget what it’s like.”
“Okay.” Meredith glanced over her shoulder one more time to look at the back of the dress. “I have a good feeling about this. Jason is a decent guy, right?”
