‘Have you owned a dog before?’ he asked.
‘When I was a child. Obviously, my parents looked after it, so I’ve no experience of caring for a dog on my own. But I’m willing to learn,’ she added.
‘That’s good. Why do you want one now? I’m not being nosey,’ he said. ‘I’m merely trying to ensure that we re-home the right dog with you.’
‘Don’t I get to choose?’ Nora had assumed she’d be able to pick the one she wanted.
‘Yes and no,’ the man replied cryptically. ‘I’ll see which dogs might be the best fit for you – and you for them – and we’ll take it from there. Why now?’ he repeated.
She was trying to think what might be an acceptable reason, but found herself blurting, ‘I’ve got diabetes.’
‘Okay…’
She could see Jakob trying to make the connection and failing, so she went on to explain, ‘I need to lose weight andincrease my exercise.’ Which translated, meant that she actually had to start doingsome.
Jakob didn’t look enthralled. ‘You’ve heard the saying that “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas”? You don’t have a dog just so you can lose a couple of pounds.’
Nora took a deep breath. ‘You don’t understand. I’ve gotthisfor life. Diabetes doesn’t simply go away when you lose weight. I’m going to have to keep active and watch what I eat forever, because if I don’t…’ She trailed off and swallowed.
The hard lines of Jakob’s face softened. ‘I see. I didn’t realise.’
‘Everyone has heard of diabetes, but most people don’t understand what having it actually entails.’ She blew out her cheeks. ‘If I’m honest, I don’t fully understand, either. I’m still trying to get my head around it, and I think it’s going to take a while. Getting a dog will be part of my new life, because it’s going to need a drastic change.’
Jakob was nodding thoughtfully. ‘Okay, so we’ve established what a dog can do for you; now, what canyoudo for adog?’
‘Oh, right. Um, I can give it a loving home, I’ll walk it twice a day, it’ll come to work with me—’
‘What do you do?’ Jakob interrupted.
‘I’m a hairdresser. I have my own salon in Picklewick.’
‘So you’re the boss? You don’t need to ask permission or wait for a “bring your dog to work “day?’
‘I did check with my staff first, to make sure they’d be happy with a dog around the place all the time, and they are,’ she added defensively. She’d even phoned Paige, the part-timer whocovered Andrea’s days off and holidays, and she hadn’t minded either. In fact, they all seemed delighted at the prospect.
‘Do I take it you’re looking for a confident dog who likes people?’
‘Does that mean I’ve passed the test?’
The man smiled. ‘It means that you sound like a suitable person to adopt a dog. Just a couple more questions, okay?’
She nodded, wondering what could he possibly ask her now: did he want to know her shoe size, her favourite colour, what she liked to watch on TV, perhaps?
‘Are there any children or other pets we need to consider?’
‘No.’
‘Anyone else in the house, like a partner or an elderly parent?’
‘No.’
‘What kind of property do you live in?’
‘A house.’
‘Will the dog have access to a garden, and if so, is it secure?’
‘Yes, to both.’
