As Georgina handed Christine her tea, Marcus bustled into the cramped storeroom, clapping his hands together with enthusiasm. ‘Good morning, Christine. Right then, Georgina. Are you ready for a busy day?’
Christine took a sip of her tea and shimmied her eyebrows. ‘She’ll be fine. Don’t worry love, I'll be right next door if you need me. Good luck on your first day, Georgina.’
With Christine sending her on her way with best wishes, Marcus led Georgina to the grooming area. ‘Now, we'll start you off easy. I've got a regular coming in first thing—a sweet little Shih Tzu named Muffin. She's a perfect beginner dog.’
Georgina nodded, trying to focus on Marcus's words, but her mind kept drifting back to her date with Matt. She shook her head, determined to concentrate on her new job.
The bell at the front door chimed, and moments later, a woman who Georgina didn’t recognise holding a fluffy white dog entered. ‘Good morning, Marcus, I hope Muffin's not too early for her appointment?’ Georgina deduced the woman must have been one of Marcus’s client’s who’d come from his other premises which used to be located outside of the bay.
‘Perfect timing,’ Marcus exclaimed. ‘Georgina, why don't you seat our client in the waiting area and bring Muffin to the grooming station?’
Georgina approached the woman with a warm smile. ‘Good morning. I'm Georgina, and I'll be assisting Marcus today. May I take Muffin?’
The woman hesitated for a moment, then handed over the lead. ‘Be careful with her, please. She can be a bit nervous with new people.’
Georgina nodded reassuringly and bent down to Muffin's level. ‘Hello, beautiful girl,’ she cooed, reaching out to pet the dog.
What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion.
Muffin, startled by the unfamiliar hand, let out a high-pitched yelp and bolted. The sudden movement caught Georgina off guard, and the lead slipped from her grasp. In a flash of white fur, Muffin darted towards the partially open back door, which led to a small, fenced yard.
‘Oh no!’ Georgina gasped, her heart racing. ‘Muffin, come back!’
Marcus and the owner both turned at the commotion, their eyes widening as they saw the escaping dog.
Without thinking, Georgina sprinted after Muffin, following her into the yard. The little dog was surprisingly quick, zigzagging between potted plants and garden furniture.
‘Muffin, sweetie, it's okay.’ Georgina called, trying to keep her voice calm despite her panic. She could hear Marcus and the owner following behind her, their footsteps urgent on the patio stones.
Muffin darted under a bench, and Georgina dropped to her knees, peering into the shadows. The dog's eyes were wide with fear, her tiny body trembling.
Taking a deep breath, Georgina remembered something her father had once told her about approaching scared animals. She lowered her voice to a soft, soothing tone. ‘It's alright, Muffin. No one's going to hurt you. Why don't you come out and we can be friends?’
To everyone's surprise, Muffin's trembling slowly subsided. She inched forward, her nose twitching as she sniffed Georgina's outstretched hand.
‘That's it, good girl,’ Georgina murmured. After what felt like an eternity, Muffin finally crept out from under the bench and into Georgina's arms.
As Georgina stood up with Muffin securely in her embrace, she turned to face Marcus and the owner, both of whom were staring at her in astonishment.
‘I'm so, so sorry,’ Georgina began, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. ‘I should have been more careful and—’
But to her surprise, the owner cut her off with a warm smile. ‘Don't apologise, dear. I've never seen anyone calm Muffin down so quickly. She usually takes ages to warm up to new people.’
Marcus nodded, looking impressed. ‘You've got a natural talent with animals, Georgina. That was quite impressive.’
Georgina felt a wave of relief wash over her. ‘It was? Thank you. I'm just glad Muffin's okay.’
As they made their way back inside, with Muffin now contentedly nestled in Georgina's arms, Marcus leaned in and whispered, ‘I think you're going to fit in just fine here. Now, let's see if you're as good at grooming as you are at dog wrangling.’
Georgina couldn't help but laugh, the tension of the moment finally breaking. As she settled Muffin onto the grooming table, she felt a newfound confidence. Maybe she had a knack for this after all.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of fur, shampoo, and wagging tails. By closing time, Georgina was tired butexhilarated. As she helped Marcus clean up, she couldn't help but feel proud of how she'd handled her first day—unexpected drama and all.
As she left the shop, her phone buzzed with a text from Matt:
How was your first day?
Want to grab dinner and
