The usual smells greeted him. Clean doggy smell, that some would describe as wet dog, but Marcus simply couldn't agree. Coconut detangler, clean towels—everything that made up the unique smell of his dog grooming parlour.
Marcus lifted his chin. Whatever the day would bring, he’d tackle it head-on, to his best ability.
THE MORNING STARTEDwell, but quickly headed south, when Marcus’s second appointment with two Yorkshire Terrier sisters, Sparkle and Twinkle, who’s owner insisted they be groomed together, turned into a nightmare appointment.
‘They’re normally good as gold when I bathe them together at home,’ insisted a very animated owner, as she stood close to the bath, doing her best to stop the sisters from trying to jump out.
Marcus was already exhausted, after no sleep and no breakfast, his body running on nothing. He could feel his normally endless patience starting to thin.
‘We’ll just have to bathe them one at a time.’
‘No, no, they’ll be all right in a moment when they settle down.’ The owner’s arms were waving up and down, making the sisters more agitated, not calmer.
Marcus heard the tinkle of the doorbell, but was so distracted, he didn’t have the capacity to look at who had just entered.
Large forearms suddenly loomed forward, unclipping one of the sisters, and a deep calm voice told the owner exactly what was about to happen.
‘You need to sit down and let us do our job. Your presence is only exacerbating the situation. Your pets are clearly agitated by each other and need their own space. I will bathe this one and Marcus will bathe the other.’
Marcus couldn’t meet Rowan’s eyes. Embarrassment consumed him. Not because of the fuss the little terriers were making, but because of last night.
Sparkle and Twinkle instantly started yapping as soon as they were parted. ‘Oh erm, if you insist... They do seem calmer now,’ the owner said.
‘Yes, I do insist.’ Rowan and Marcus watched the terrier’s owner retreat back to the waiting area.
Marcus could feel Rowan’s eyes burning into his profile. Rowan lowered his voice. ‘This is strictly professional. I’m here to help out when I can until Georgina comes back.’
The shower head turned on in Georgina’s bath station, but Marcus still couldn’t bring himself to look that way. He’d finished washing his terrier, and quickly dried her with a towel, before grabbing the dryer. The dryer hummed between them, and the terriers’ yapping covered the worst of their lowered voices.
Matching Rowan’s low tone, he replied tersely. ‘I didn’t ask for your help.’ He didn’t need Rowan to answer to know his replyhad not been well received, the thick atmosphere which was making it hard to breathe, answered for him.
His chest suddenly felt tight, and he couldn’t stop himself from spinning to face Rowan, but he wished he hadn’t. The dark look that met him made him wither—made his legs feel boneless. All his emotions came bubbling to the surface. ‘Y-you can’t keep stepping close and then backing up, making me think I’m imagining what’s happening between us.’
Rowan’s heavy lids did little to conceal the storm of emotions that raged in his dark eyes. ‘You think every wounded thing can be fixed with kindness... But it can’t.’ He continued to bathe the terrier, none of his inner turmoil affecting how he washed the small dog.
Marcus’s fists balled at his sides. ‘You think blaming yourself forever is the same as loyalty. Well I have news for you, it isn’t!’
Rowan’s eyes closed and his nostrils flared. When he spoke, Marcus barely heard him. ‘I’ll finish what I’m doing, and then I’ll go. This clearly isn’t going to work.’
Marcus felt as though a dagger had sunk into his chest. He nodded and turned away, trying his best to continue drying the other sister, as his hands trembled.
As they stood just feet away from each other, it might as well have been a mile. Time seemed to stop moving, seconds stretching into minutes, minutes feeling like hours, before Rowan finally finished drying the terrier he’d been tending to.
Calmly, he walked the dog back to its owner, and without a word, or a glance in Marcus’s direction, he left the salon.
Marcus’s stomach pinched.
I’m fine. It’s all going to be okay.He told himself, feeling like it was the furthest thing from the truth.
It took all his effort to draw a smile, hand over the other sister to her owner, and make another appointment with the terrier’s owner.
When they had left, Marcus looked down at the appointment book. What he’d written was all wrong. He couldn’t even getthatright.
Feeling overwhelmed, he headed for the sanctuary of the tearoom.
Holding onto the counter, he finally let his barrier down. His eyes welling, and his bottom lip trembling.
The door to the tearoom opened and for a moment Marcus let hope get the better of him. He spun around, only to see Christine entering.
