“Are you ready?”he asked.
“Yes.I want to know where we are.”
He lifted his hands from her eyes, and she squinted and then looked.“An animal shelter.”
“This is one for dogs.I know they’re all over the city.”
“Why are we at an animal shelter?”
“Because I have an agreement with myself that every time I go to a gala, I match a donation or double it sometimes, to an animal shelter.”
“How did I not know this?”
“Because this is not one I put down on the books.This is what I take out of my own money, and it’s not to look good, nor for tax deductible or some shit like that.This is exactly what I do.”
Abigail’s mouth was open just a little.
“I’ve surprised you?”he asked.
“Yeah, you have.This is incredible.I am shocked right now.This is a shocked expression.”
“Shocked?”
“You like dogs?”
“I love them,” he said.“Come on.”He took her hand and led her into the animal shelter.
“Hey, Catherine,” he said, talking to the older woman behind the counter.
“Roman, I was wondering when you were going to return.”
“Catherine, I’d like you to meet my Abi.Abi, this is Catherine.She is the one who founded this place, and has been running it for nearly thirty years.”
“It’s so good to meet you.He never brings a woman to this place,” Catherine said.“That must make you special.”
“I don’t know if that makes me special or someone he’s comfortable sharing this side of himself with.”Abi turned to him, and there was a look on her face he couldn’t quite decipher, but she appeared intrigued.
“So, have you come to meet the newbies, see some of the oldies?Work?Or donate and leave?”Catherine asked.
“I’d like to show Abi around a little, and then you can put us both to work, and once that is done, we’ll talk donation.”He would give Catherine everything she needed.He specifically asked her to never allow a dog to be put down.If she needed the funds to help, he would donate.Anything to keep them happy.
“You’ve got it.”She handed him a key.“You know the drill, and anything you need, you let me know.”
Catherine gave him a hug, then he took Abi’s hands and showed her what he loved, that was part of his private life.No one knew about this.He kept it secret.
“You’re a dog lover?”Abi asked.
He looked at each of the dogs in cages, and it broke his heart to see them that way.Catherine always made sure they got as much time as she could allow them out of the cages.She rarely went home.It bothered her so much leaving the dogs here even overnight, that he had funded her to hire someone as the night shift caretaker.It was also hard for Catherine to trust anyone else with the dogs, as there had been a few employees who didn’t have the best record with patience for the dogs.
“Yeah, I’m a dog lover.”
“But you don’t have a dog,” she said.
“I know.My life is so hectic that I don’t want to adopt a dog and then not be there for him or her.”
He saw the smile on Abigail’s face.“You now, I know the guy that owns the building where I work, and the whole top floor is so spacious, that if he wanted to, he could totally bring a dog.”
Roman looked toward her.“I travel.”
