I chuckle. “That obvious, hey?”
“You’ll get the hang of it. Not much different to your girlfriend, I’d say. Lots of love and affection and the feeling of safety. She’ll be yours for life.”
My brows rise toward my hairline. “It’s that easy?”
She winks at me. “Possibly. Don’t overthink it. If you ask me, you’re overfeeding her.”
I stop in my tracks.
“I see everything, young man. You at the dumpster behind her apartment and then her needing to go again, too much food. One cup a day of dry kibble and maybe a chicken, rice, and veggies meal each morning. Like I said, don’t overthink it.”
“You have dogs?” I ask, as we start walking the path.
“You could say that.” She smiles, patting my shoulder. “See you round, Petal.”
I stop dead.
But the old lady is back to her run, waving as she races ahead and out of sight. Who said New York was a big place? Seems to me it’s more like a small world kind of vibe.
She must work at the shelter? Be a friend of Tennison’s?
Whatever the case, I’m grateful for the advice.
The wind whips up, and I feel revitalized in a way I’ve never been after a shift before. Maybe it’s the interaction with the older lady. Maybe it’s my new companion. “You wanna run, Petal? Stretch your legs, girl?”
I take off at a slow jog to see if she’ll move alongside me. As she falls into a steady trot, I pick up the pace, and she lopes along.
Maybe this will work out, after all.
Thirty minutes and another pit stop for Petal later, by the bin this time, I’ve leaned on the kindness of strangers once more for a baggie. A young couple walking a pair of poodles were kind enough to lend a hopeless dog dad a spare.
We walk home, me feeling more confident, and Petal happy as a pig in mud as she wags her tail, her tongue lolling in her head with every pant.
A shower and a rest sound like a good reward. A couple hours’ sleep always peps me up enough to return to the daytime routine normal people of the city live by.
We trot into the building, taking the stairs. Sliding the key into the door, I unlock it, and we walk in. Petal pulls out of my hold and jumps onto the sofa.
“That your spot, is it?” I say, raising a brow. She simply stares back at me with those brown eyes that remind me of the dark hues of someone else’s gaze.
With that thought, I tug my shirt from my back and pad to the bathroom. The shower bursts to life, and I strip down. Making quick work of washing up, I slide grey sweatpants up and run a hand through my hair to tame the damp locks before trudging to my bed. My California king that’s like sleeping on a damn cloud cost a small fortune, but a man needs his sleep. Especially when he has to run into burning buildings for a living.
I flop onto the mattress and groan when my weary body sinks into its heavenly softness.
“Fuck a man sideways, this is . . .”
My eyes fall closed before I can finish the thought.
Something wet slides over my cheek, pulling me from a deep sleep ever so slowly.
Again.
And again.
I crack one eye to find Petal standing on the bed beside me. Her wet nose pushes against my cheek. Her tongue travels the length of my jaw before I raise a hand and pat her head.
“Yeah, I’m awake. I’m awake.”
I sit up and drag myself to the edge of the bed.
