Dev slowly knelt down to the dog’s level and avoided direct eye contact as he dropped his bag by his feet and offered it and his hands for the husky to smell. “Yeah, you seem like a good boy, don’t you?” Dev spoke to the dog, who rewarded him with a sniff and a quick lick on his cheek. “Hey, dude, we don’t even know each other!” He chuckled at the dog who took direction from his owner and left them be, vanishing into the family room.
“Okay, so this last one, she’s a bit too enthusiastic for anyone’s good. She’s… well. You’ll see. Prepare to be knocked on your back.”
Dev had time to open his mouth to ask what the hell, but didn’t get the words out when a medium-sized cannonball bowled him over. The dog was wagging. Thewholedog. Not just the tail. It didn’t step on him, just wiggled like crazy around his head and tried to lick him to death.
“Oh my God!” Dev finally sputtered. “Make it stop!”
“Missy, go find Grace,” the man said firmly, and as if miraculously changed into another dog, the bull terrier stopped the wiggling, looked mournfully at Dev and then its master, and walked to the other room.
The guy offered a hand for Dev. “I think I forgot to introduce myself. I’m sorry about that,” he said as he pulled Dev up. They almost bumped chests, which took Dev close enough to smell something earthy and almost piney. Cologne? “I’m Leaf DeWitt. I’m Seth’s partner. He likes the word husband more, but we’re not married.”
Dev stilled then. He stared at the man, trying to comprehend the situation. The familiar grasping fingers of his anxiety wrapped around his chest. “I… uh….”
“Dev, it’s okay. Come on, come sit down. You look a bit pale.”
“I didn’t know—”
“Come with me, okay? I’ll explain.”
Dev let himself be led to the couch and sat in one corner. The man, Leaf, took a spot a bit away from him.
“He forgot to mention my existence?” Leaf asked.
“Uh… y-yeah,” Dev replied, trying to keep his breathing even.
Suddenly there was a keening sound from the dog bed in the corner of the room, and Dev turned his head to look at the pit bull that made it. His vision swam a little on the edges, and he realized he’d forgotten to breathe again. Shit.
The dog was suddenly there. She jumped on the couch and pressed her body against Dev’s side.
“Shit, Dev, I’m sorry,” Leaf said, and Dev blinked. Leaf had moved to his other side and was holding a water bottle. When did that happen? “Listen to her. Breathe, okay? She’s trained to spot anxiety. I should’ve realized it before she did. I’m so sorry. Here, take a sip of this when you can.”
Dev knew his anxiety well. He also knew that whatever this dog therapy thing was, it was helping. He took the offered bottle of water and sipped it gradually, while the dog stayed still under his arm.
After some time, he registered things other than the dog and how cold the water was when he swallowed it, mainly the warmth just barely touching him from the side where Leaf still sat.
Dev turned to look at Seth’s partner. How the fuck had he gotten it all so wrong?
“You have such beautiful eyes,” Leaf said suddenly. “I can understand the appeal.”
“Appeal?”
“Yeah. Seth thinks you’re attractive as hell.”
“W-what?” Dev jerked back from Leaf, colliding with the dog against his other side.
She seemed to deem his anxiety gone and jumped off the couch again.
“No, let me explain this to you in a way that is less weird, okay?” Leaf lifted his hands in surrender and waited until Dev relaxed again.
“Okay?”
“My Seth… he’s… he isn’t very connected to his emotions sometimes. He doesn’t even realize that he’s into you. I can see it. Hell, he’s been gushing about you in our Skype calls ever since you went to lunch together.”
Dev felt his jaw work but didn’t really know what to say yet.
“I suppose he’s been sending some mixed signals. Flirting, yet not really?” Leaf smiled, his eyes filled with kindness and amusement.
“Yeah,” Dev breathed out, chuckling despite himself. “Jesus, that man is confusing sometimes.”
