Collie jolly, p.3
Collie Jolly, page 3
Her phone buzzed in her back pocket. After making sure she had a firm grip on the leash with one hand while Bacchus took a break in the grass, she pulled out her phone and looked at the text from Theresa.
T: How’s it going?
Ashley considered for a moment whether her friend wanted the real answer to that question. Theresa wasn’t one to politely say anything simply for the sake of small talk, and she certainly wasn’t the kind of person to ask a question only for the sake of opening a door to tell her own story. No, if Theresa asked a question, she legitimately wanted the answer. The real answer.
A: I hate this dog. (jk sort of)
T: Liar
A: This might be the only dog in the world I truly hate.
T: You haven’t met enough dogs to have a dependable sample size for that kind of conclusion & I still need pics
That had been the first thing Theresa asked after Ashley’s interview last week. Is the dog cute? Of course he was cute, but all Ashley had wanted to talk about was his even cuter owner.
She snapped a quick photo of Bacchus and his ever-present doggy smile and sent it to Theresa. A few seconds later, her predictable reaction arrived.
T: You are such a liar! It’s scientifically impossible to hate that face
A: Spend ten minutes in a park with him and see how your tune changes.
T: Nonsense he looks like a very good boy. The bestest boy
A: The bestest boy who doesn’t listen and is going to get me fired.
T: This is why we should get a cat, you wouldn’t have to train a cat
Ashley laughed and shook her head at her phone. “Can you believe this?” she asked Bacchus. He plopped onto the grass and rolled on his side in answer.
A: That is quite possibly the worst reasoning for getting a cat I have ever heard. Even from you.
T: And yet, it’s a fact. But seriously, if anyone can do this…you can. I’ve never seen you not do anything you set your mind to
A: Thanks. Really. <3
T: Now get back to training while I search rescue sites for our new roommate…
A: Theresa. No.
T: Can’t talk now, cat searching, bye, good luck!!!
Booms echoed from downtown, and Ashley gripped Bacchus’s leash tightly as he jumped to his feet and barked, wildly searching for the source of the noise. A few seconds later, horns blared in the distance, muted by the buildings and traffic between them and the park. The Christmas parade. Krewe of Jingle. Thankfully, it wouldn’t pass anywhere near them, but clearly, their training session was over.
After several minutes of tugging and pleading, Ashley managed to navigate Bacchus out of the park. She aimed them toward Madison’s house and began their walk back, steeling herself to explain to her boss that she was a complete and utter failure.
Madison stared at the gorgeous new logo on her website header and tilted her head at the computer screen. Then she tilted her head to the other side. Yup. Definitely off-center. Still. No matter what she tried, she could not get the darn thing just right.
A thump at the front door grabbed her attention. Bacchus. Slamming his front paws on the door. She knew that sound all too well. Three soft knocks followed, and Madison opened the door for the pair a few moments later. The door was unlocked, but she knew by now that Ashley wouldn’t walk in without knocking first.
Bacchus barreled through the door, dragging Ashley behind him. His behavior was much better lately, and his improvement in just a week with Ashley had been seriously impressive, but he still had a way to go before he would be fit for anyone else after a year of neglect. She only had herself to blame for that, but she was doing the right thing now. She was fixing what she’d broken, and every day she didn’t have to walk that thing was a day she was grateful Ashley had entered their lives.
“How’d it go?” she asked.
Ashley bent to remove Bacchus’s leash and hung it by the door. “Well, it went.”
It pained Madison to hear that note of defeat in her voice. Their first public training session had obviously not gone the way Ashley had hoped. Madison wasn’t at all surprised, but Ashley was always so optimistic and cheerful and determined. Disappointment, even a tiny bit, weighed so heavily on her.
Then, she realized the day and the warning she’d given Ashley just before they left. “Oh, gosh. You didn’t run into the parade, did you?”
Madison shook her head. She still had her coat on. Not that Madison expected her to stay. She was there to work, not keep her company.
“No, we could hear it just before we came back, but it was far away,” she said. “It just…didn’t go as well as I’d planned.”
Madison pressed her lips together to hold back a grin. From day one, Ashley had come in with a plan. She seemed to live a life of plans on top of plans and an endless string of goals and checkboxes and militant optimism. Despite Madison’s warnings, Ashley had no idea she was facing her nemesis: Bacchus, the plan-killer.
She wanted to take some of the pressure off Ashley, to tell her that all she really needed was for him to behave enough so they could hand him off to someone else. He needed to be well behaved inside, he needed some structure and boundaries, and he needed to be able to walk without taking out half the neighborhood in the process. Madison didn’t need him to be perfectly behaved in a park or in crowds. Someone else could worry about that later.
But Ashley and Bacchus had grown so attached to each other so quickly this week, Madison didn’t think she’d handle the news well that this gig was temporary or that Bacchus was on limited time there. She knew she needed to be honest about that soon, but she couldn’t pile that on top of the disappointment already clear on Ashley’s face.
“It was the first try. Everything was new,” Madison reassured her. “I’m sure the excitement will wear off a little next time.”
Ashley shot her a look of doubt, then they both looked at Bacchus shaking his stuffed lamb toy.
“Okay,” Madison added. “Maybe not. But I have faith in you.”
“Well, at least one of us does.” Ashley sighed and looked at her feet, then shook her head. When she re-established eye contact, her determined gaze was back. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to mope. I’ll turn Bacchus into the perfect fluffy gentleman. I promise.”
Her optimism was downright infectious. Madison almost believed every word of it. She would have if she hadn’t already known Bacchus. “I’ll settle for him not eating my shoes.”
Ashley smiled. “Next on the list.”
“Can I get you something before you leave? Something to warm you after that walk?” It was warm for early December, but the wind was still cold and cutting and Ashley had spent nearly two hours out in it. “Some tea? Hot chocolate?”
“No thanks,” Ashley said. “I need to get back and change.”
“Right. It’s Saturday. I’m sure you must have plans.” Madison easily forgot that other people have plans on the weekends. She couldn’t remember the last time she had weekend plans other than binging some new series on TV.
“Nothing fancy. Just going to the Algiers bonfire with some friends.”
“Oh, nice. I’ve never been to that. Always said we’d go see the bonfires along the river one year on Christmas Eve, but never did it.”
Ashley bit her lip and paused for a second. “Do you have plans tonight? I have a friend who lives on the west bank so we park at his place and bring folding chairs to the levee and hang out. There’s a band, but it’s really low key. You’re welcome to join us.”
“That sounds nice.”
Madison was surprised at how nice that really did sound. She hadn’t even hung out with her own friends much lately. They used to have gatherings and dinner parties and attended cocktail hours and concerts together…but after last year, she didn’t have the energy for much. She stopped hosting things, but she stopped joining her friends for things too. Soon, the invites stopped coming.
She’d never really liked hanging out with people she didn’t know—she’d always been much more comfortable in small groups with close friends—but sitting by a bonfire with Ashley and her friends was shockingly tempting. The thought of it gave her a sudden, overwhelming desire to know what kinds of people Ashley hung out with. Who did she confide in? Who made her laugh and how? All the questions a boss most certainly did not ask about an employee.
Madison pulled her thoughts together and aimed a thumb at the computer desk in the corner of the living room. “Thanks for the invite, but I’ve got a hot date with my website.”
Ashley looked at the computer. “Updating your business page?”
“Yeah, I need to update some plug-ins and back up the site.” She felt her body get heavier with every word. She hated this stuff. “I really need to update everything while I’ve got a light schedule this week. My design, my information, the whole thing. Ugh, it’s taking me forever. I’m the worst at all of this.”
“If you want, I could help with some of that.” She put her hands up in defense. “Sorry, don’t mean to overstep here. I mean, if you get stuck and need or want help, I’d be glad to.”
“Oh, I couldn’t—”
“You absolutely could,” Ashley said. “Seriously. I’d be glad to.”
Madison felt a buzz run through her at the sight of Ashley’s warm, inviting smile. “Thanks. I appreciate that. I’ll work on it some more today and let you know if I need a hand.”
“Good,” Ashley said. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to take a break and watch stuff burn with us?”
Madison nodded. She needed the break, gosh did she, but this was a boundary she wasn’t going to overstep. No matter how much she wanted to. “I’m sure. But thank you.”
“Okay. If you change your mind, just text me. Always room for more on the levee!”
Madison smiled and walked Ashley out. She’d noticed herself smiling a lot more lately with Ashley around, and it wasn’t just because Bacchus wasn’t such a jerk anymore. That helped, but it was more because Ashley’s mere presence in a room made the world feel lighter somehow.
As she waved goodbye from the porch while Ashley started up her practical gray sedan, Madison realized she couldn’t remember the last time she felt this light or free or…almost happy. When the car drove off down the street, she shook her head and hugged her sweater tightly around her body, blocking out the chilly breeze that had kicked up and cut across her front porch.
But the breeze was the least of her problems right now. She went inside and closed the door, shutting out the cold December air. But there was no door to shut out her growing attraction to Ashley. She would have to figure out how to ward that off all on her own.
CHAPTER 4
Ashley pulled the legal pad, pen, and book from her tote bag and placed them in her lap. She covered them with her hands to hold them in place, then pushed herself gently on the big, metal porch-style swing overlooking the river. A heavy blanket of gray clouds covered the area as a chill prompted Ashley to wrap her jacket tighter. A perfectly dreary day to stare out across the water.
She didn’t like waiting near Theresa’s restaurant on the edge of the Quarter, even if she could find an empty bench outside. Too many tourists. Too much noise. Too much…everything. All of that was the New Orleans of TV commercials and web ads and brochures. Those tourists and that noise fed the city and its people. But there was so much more to New Orleans than all of that.
That’s why she found herself out at Crescent Park time and time again. It sure as hell wasn’t any safer to sit here, and it certainly wasn’t what most people would call “pretty.” It was a long, linear space carved out between the river and the decay of the city, the bottom edge of gentrification and neighborhoods filled with short-term rentals.
But peace lived here. As much as Ashley craved lights and music and decorations, especially during the holidays, she needed this place too. She needed the quiet, where all she could hear was the sound of runners’ shoes on the pavement and the river sloshing against the Mandeville Wharf. Later in the day, soft Dixieland jazz danced in the air from the steamboat running its river tours. Sure, it smelled like mud and garbage and sometimes dog crap from rude short-term renters not picking up after their morning walks, but it was real. When she was working all the time in a brightly lit cubicle, she needed to get out here once in a while and bathe herself in the sights and smells and sounds of the tangible world.
Ashley returned her attention to the book in her lap. Dog Training for Dummies. She’d picked it up from the library a few days ago after she’d watched and bookmarked every dog training video she could find on the internet. She had some better books on hold and a couple on order, but this one had worked so far to help her create an initial training plan.
She’d given up on park training, for now, and refocused her attention this past week on discouraging him from chewing. She bought him new chew toys, hid Madison’s remaining “good” shoes, and coated the chewed up ones with bitter spray. They spent some extra time just hanging out in the living area after mini-training sessions, so Ashley could catch him in the act and correct his behavior if he went for the shoes.
It worked, and within just a couple days, he wouldn’t touch the shoes by the door. Yesterday Ashley even tested him by bringing out some of Madison’s newer, in-tact footwear and swapping them for the bitter, chew-ed up ones. He barely even gave them a glance. In less than a week, she’d cured him of one of his most obnoxious habits. Or at least his most expensive one.
So now it was time to move on to a new trick. She wasn’t at all looking forward to distraction training again, but eventually, they’d have to give that another shot. Maybe this weekend.
A tall woman approached from the side, and Ashley looked up to make sure it was the bright ray of sunshine she had been waiting for.
Theresa stood over her wearing a black polo shirt and her tight curls held off her forehead with a gold paisley scarf serving as a headband. She held up a brown paper bag and shook it gently in the air as she approached and plopped onto the bench beside Ashley. The smell of seafood and fry oil wafted under Ashley’s nose as Theresa pulled out a gigantic, paper-wrapped sandwich. The little Creole restaurant Theresa worked at might be known for its gumbo, shrimp creole, and jambalaya, but this gem of a sandwich was the real star of the menu as far as Ashley was concerned. Especially since they took turns buying it on Theresa’s discount.
Ashley grabbed a stack of napkins from the bag as Theresa unwrapped the fried shrimp and oyster po-boy and handed half to Ashley. Shredded lettuce poured out of the sides, but Ashley didn’t waste a second to shove a corner into her mouth before any of that delicious seafood coupling tumbled out.
Theresa nodded at the book and legal pad in Ashley’s lap. “Your new boss being a taskmaster?” She attacked her sandwich and ripped off a big bite.
“No. Madison’s great. I swear, I even saw her smile at Bacchus the other day. It was the cutest thing too. She has this one little freckle that raises every time she smiles, and I swear her eyes literally sparkle.”
Theresa froze mid-chew, staring at Ashley, then resumed and swallowed. “I was referring to your boss the dog.” She tilted her head and gave a judgmental look. “But maybe we should discuss this gushing word avalanche about your person-boss instead.”
Crap.
“What, I can’t like my boss?”
“Like how?”
“Not like that.”
Theresa smirked. “Sure.”
“Seriously.” Ashley dabbed a napkin at some mayo on the side of her mouth. “For one, she’s my boss.”
“Go on. Let’s pretend I’m the one who needs convincing that crushing on this Madison person is a bad idea.”
Ashley thought while she took another bite. And she thought some more. She thought about how Madison always wore tank tops inside her apartment, and how her long, iron-straight hair dangled over her bare shoulders. Then she thought about how Madison had this confident ease about her, more than just being comfortable in her apartment surrounded by her stuff. She was comfortable in her skin in a way Ashley couldn’t really relate to. But how all of that confidence dissolved when she talked about doing anything outside of her house.
“Mm-hmm,” Theresa said, wadding up the sandwich wrapper and tossing it into the empty bag.
Ashley let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t have time for a relationship.”
“Never stopped you before.” Theresa eyed her warily.
“And look where that got me.” Her last relationship hadn’t been to blame for her layoff, but she couldn’t help wondering if she hadn’t been so busy trying to make things work with her ex all summer that maybe she would have been more productive at work. Sure, she’d put in tons of hours, more than anyone else in her department, but maybe she’d been distracted. Maybe she could have done more. Maybe she could have made herself more indispensable, so when the layoffs came late that fall they would have found a way to keep her on staff.
“So you plan on never dating anyone again? Ever?”
“At least not until I get back on track,” she said. This whole dog training thing couldn’t last forever, and she really needed to start sending out resumes again. Hopefully, the industry would pick up again early next year and there’d be some openings eventually. She needed to stay focused.
“Not even a holiday fling?”
Ashley laughed. A holiday fling sounded as delicious as hot chocolate and Christmas karaoke, but she needed this job. She wasn’t about to lose it just because her boss was cute. “Especially not a holiday fling.”
Theresa frowned, but she clearly recognized a losing argument when she saw one. “Well then, that leaves room in your life for only one thing.”
“What?”
Theresa gave a wide, mischievous grin. “A cat.” She pulled out her phone and showed the screen.
Ashley reeled back at the sight of the cream-colored blur climbing a cage door, its mouth open wide. “What is that?”
