THEA
Ipulled into the driveway and cut the engine. I didn’t even know if I had the energy to get out of the car that had the distinct aroma of dog. I had stopped trying to get rid of it. I barely noticed it myself. Half the time I didn’t know if it was the upholstery or me that smelled like dog. The moment I opened my car door, I heard the barking.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.”
My dogs were barking at the headlights in the driveway. Nothing got by my little buddies. I grabbed my purse and walked up the cracked pathway to my front door. There was a package waiting on the front stoop. I couldn’t remember if it was a dog food delivery or something else. I picked it up, unlocked the door, and walked inside.
I was immediately bombarded by my three dogs. “Hey, guys,” I greeted them. Kona, my German Shepherd mix, was the pushiest. She demanded attention. I rubbed her head and kissed her nose before moving to Bryce. He was the Pitbull. He was big and muscular and looked scary as hell, but he regularly got his ass kicked by Peppy. Peppy was a holy terrier. Peppy was another mystery mix, but the Chihuahua was strong in him.
“Alright, alright, give me a minute.”
I tossed the package on the couch and put my purse on the small table in my entryway. They were all very good dogs. I could leave them alone without needing to kennel them. I had a doggy door leading into the fenced backyard, giving them complete freedom. The backyard wasn’t big, but it was big enough for the three of them. They were all older and a little on the lazy side.
Kona hopped on the couch to inspect the package. I kicked off my shoes and went to the kitchen to grab one of my guilty pleasures—a canned margarita. I opened the can and took the first drink. It had been an extra-long day and I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about imbibing.
“Hey, Kona, don’t tear into that,” I scolded.
The dogs were used to getting bones, toys, and treats in the mail. Usually, I let them tear into the packages. Now, they thought every package was for them.
“Who wants dinner?” I called out.
People said dogs didn’t understand language. I called bullshit. My dogs all ran to their bowls and waited. After dishing up their food, I went upstairs and stripped off the scrubs. They had their own dirty clothes basket. I didn’t wash my scrubs with my normal clothes. I dressed in sweats and a tee and went back downstairs. Kona and Bryce were already outside doing their business after scarfing down food. Peppy was taking his sweet time as usual.
My stomach growled, reminding me I had not eaten since breakfast. I found a frozen meal in the freezer and popped it in the microwave. While I sipped my cold drink and waited for my meal, I looked around the kitchen and dining room. I needed to repaint the walls. Every time I took a minute like this to look around, I saw the splotchy paint. I saw the work that still needed to be done.
I loved my townhouse. When I bought it with my father’s help four years ago, I had grand plans. I was going to paint and renovate. The townhouse was from the fifties and most of it was all original. The woodwork was beautiful, which was what sold me in the first place. Dad had warned me it would be a lot of work. I didn’t listen. I usually didn’t. When I got an idea in my head, I rarely listened to reason. Back then, Dad had been around a lot more. He promised to help me with some of the renovating.
That was pre-Stacey. Two years ago, the woman had entered our lives. It had divided my life into pre-Stacey and post-Stacey. Dad wasn’t around anymore. He wasn’t stopping by with Chinese food to talk about his day. He didn’t come over for birthdays or holidays. He was just gone from our lives. We lost our mom suddenly, with no warning. We were losing our father slowly and it was like I could do nothing to stop it.
Kona raced back into the house and immediately went to the couch. She was tearing into the package. “Kona, no!”
I grabbed the package from the couch and carried it to the table. “You’re very pushy,” I told her. “It doesn’t say Kona, it says Thea.”
I opened the box to find another box with a big black ribbon. “Oh, this is fancy,” I cooed.
All three dogs were staring at me. They were just as intrigued as I was. I pulled the ribbon and then lifted the lid from the box. It was a beautiful black velvet gown.
I ran my hand over the soft fabric. I gently pulled the dress from the box and held it out to inspect it. It was designer and so far out of my price range I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it cost.
I very carefully folded it in half and put it in the box before grabbing the note from the box. “Thank you for agreeing to go with me. I promise to make it worth your while.”
I couldn’t help but smile. There was a P.S. at the end of the note. “Don’t let this get covered in dog hair.”
I actually laughed, even though it was somewhat insulting. I was used to wearing dog hair. I barely even noticed it anymore. I put the lid back on the box to try and keep the dog hair away. The fabric was a dog hair magnet. I would have to take the dress outside and get dressed if I wanted to keep it free of hair.
I couldn’t believe I was actually going to be going out with Reese. I had gone out of my way to avoid seeing him. Now, I was going on a date with him. Talk about a glutton for punishment.
I reminded myself this was for the animals. For them, I could get through it. We weren’t friends. We weren’t going to be under any pressure to touch or kiss. I just had to show up.
The microwave beeped, alerting me my dinner was finished. I slid the lasagna tray onto a plate, picked up my drink and carried it out to the backyard. As usual, my travels through the house were followed by the sound of dog nails on the wood floors.
I sat down on my tiny little patio with my third-hand patio set. Kona lay down beside my chair like she always did. Bryce sat at the edge of the patio with his ears up and alert. As usual, Peppy tore through the yard smelling along the fence line. The dog was always looking for trouble. He only did it because he knew his big brother Bryce would back him up.
Peppy started barking and jumping at the fence. “Peppy, no!”
The dog stopped barking, but he was not about to walk away from the fence. As usual, Bryce picked up on the alert and rushed over to back up his little dog brother. On cue, Mr. Wedge, my next-door neighbor, popped his head over my fence.
“Those dogs have been barking all day,” he growled. “I thought you said you were taking care of that.”