It wasn’t like I expected her to eat from my hand.
Shaking my head, I put the overripe fruit on the step and walked to my driveway. I still couldn’t believe Mark had my car towed here and the battery replaced.
What a guy.
The parking lot was all but empty when I got toAMC, so I parked beside Dr. Duvall’s lone sedan, balancing donuts and coffee in one hand and unlocking the back door with the other. The clinic was quiet, and the only sounds were Chick’s and Duck’s meows as they circled my legs demanding treats and attention. I’d barely booted up my computer and gotten one powered donut hole in my mouth before there was a sharp knock on my door.
Looking up, Dr. Duvall was frowning at me, glasses perched on his head and arm crossed across his chest. He was good-looking for an older guy, reminding me a little of a Martin Sheen. That was if Martin Sheen had a permanent scowl on his face that made his forehead lines stand out against his white hair. He pursed his lips, the twinkle in his blue eyes gone. It was like with each day that passed, he was more miserable with his job and had lost whatever drove him to become a vet in the first place.
“Good morning, Larry,” I mumbled around a mouthful of sugary goodness. “I brought you a black coffee, and there are donuts in the...”
He held up a hand and cut me off, already ruining my mood before I could reach for his coffee.
“Dr. Crews. We need to discuss the raises you suggested. I was curious if you were going to take a salary reduction to cover the costs?”
“What?” I swallowed the donut that had turned into a cement block in my mouth.
“A five percent increase is unreasonable,” he said, squaring his stance like he expected me to put up a fuss. “The most I’m willing to do is two.”
“Two percent?” Clenching my fists, I stood up and sent my chair into the wall behind me.“Our vet techs haven’t had a raise in two years. Five percent was the minimum amount I suggested. Anything else is unacceptable.”
“That’s not your decision to make.”
“It is, actually.” I crossed my arms, ready for this fight. A pushover, I was not. “I own fifty percent of this clinic and have an equal say in the decisions. Our employees deserve this, and you know that. Why are you pushing back so hard? I’ve worked through the budget, and this is something we can more than afford to do.”
He hung his head, and for a second, his stern features softened, and he looked like he did when I joined the practice. He looked like a man that carried a burden and not one that went out of his way to make my work life miserable.
“Fine.”He sounded exhausted, and his fingers trembled slightly as he ran them through his hair.
He kept his eyes on the floor as he walked out, throwing his hand over his shoulder in a half-hearted wave.
I mulled over his words and wondered if I’d been unreasonable these last months. But that couldn’t be right. I’d crunched the numbers...something had changed. My phone beeped, and a warm feeling spread across my belly, erasing the tension creeping up my shoulders.
Officer Handsome: Morning, Dr. Cutie. Got a useless fact for me?
Me: Good Morning. Did you know that some species of cicadas can lie dormant for up to seventeen years underground?
Officer Handsome: I did not. Do you know what’s brown and sticky?
Me: Brown and sticky? Do tell.
Officer Handsome: A stick.
Me: OMG!
Officer Handsome: Well, you said I’m a Cat Dad, might as well tell Dad Jokes.
Me: All you need is New Balances and Cargo Shorts.
Officer Handsome: I prefer the term Utility Pants.
Me: Well, I hope you and your Utility Pants have a good day. How’s your girl?
Officer Handsome: Not eating as well as she did yesterday.
Me: Bring her in tomorrow. I can fit you in the late afternoon.
Officer Handsome: Thank you. That works. Later, Cutie
