Page 18 of Open for Negotiation
“Did he have a microchip?” Scarlett says, bending down to get a better look in the cage.
I stand behind her and watch as she reaches through the metal grate to touch his ear that is flopped over off of the cushy dog bed he’s on. His bottom half is wrapped carefully in a white bandage and he’s completely asleep, no doubt drugged up on some anesthesia and completely exhausted from whatever hell he’s been through.
“No, not at all. He’s very gentle and kind, so I’m not sure if he was a total stray, but whomever had him before certainly didn’t make sure he was safe. He’s going to be all right though.” Danielle is called over for a question across the room and tells us to take all the time we want and leaves us alone with him.
“Hi, little guy.” Scarlett strokes her finger over his ear, “I’m sorry you were so hurt, but I’m happy you’re going to be safe now.”
I reach out and flip over the tag that is tied to the front of the cage.
“He doesn’t have a name,” I say. “This says he’s approximately five years old.”
“That makes me sad,” she replies, sniffing back like she is about to cry. “He’s not a senior dog yet, but older dogs don’t often get adopted. Adding in the fact that he’s going to need some extra help....” She sighs. “I hope you find your forever home, buddy.”
I crouch down beside her and place my hand on her back. “Have you thought about taking him?”
“I think about taking every animal that doesn’t have a home in, but my landlord put it in the lease that I can’t have animals.”
“I can't believe you signed that lease,” I tell her with a bit of a chuckle. “It seems like that would have been a bit of a deal breaker for you, no?”
She doesn’t look at me when she answers, she keeps her eyes on the pup, still rubbing his ear. “I guess I was desperate to settle in somewhere here. I took the first place I could find.”
“There’s no shame in that.”
Desperate to settle? What was the rush? I want to push, to ask more questions, but this definitely isn’t the time or the place.
“We should probably go.”
“We can stay as long as you want, Scarlett,” I remind her.
“I know, but it’s getting late.” She checks the smartwatch adorning her wrist. “Oh my God, it’s really late.”
I don’t think she realized that we’ve been waiting for an update on this guy for nearly five hours. When we step away from the cage, we thank Danielle for allowing us back to see him.
“He’s quite the trooper,” she says.
“Trooper,” Scarlett says with a smile. “That’s a great name actually.”
Danielle agrees, stating she just may be writing that on his information sheet before he’s sent over to the shelter.
By the time we step into the parking lot, the sun has set, the rain has stopped and the moon and crickets have taken the outside over.
“You must be starving,” I say once we’ve settled into the car and pulled back onto the road.
“I could eat.” She leans her head back against the headrest and angles her face toward me.
“All right. Let’s go have that dinner, shall we?”
She smiles and stays silent for a moment before speaking again. “Thank you for being so understanding about all of this.”
“All of what?”
“Me derailing things you had planned because I can’t just even fathom letting an animal hurt like that.”
“You didn’t derail anything, Scarlett. I told you in the waiting room that I just wanted to spend time with you. Would I have rather spent it with you not anxious and sad, of course, but we were on that road tonight for a reason, right? You saved that dog’s life.”
“We saved him.” She reaches over and tentatively touches my hand.
I don’t know what is happening between us. I don’t want to label it. I don’t want to fight it. I just want to enjoy it.
