I shake my head. Internally, my heart is begging, pleading with me to get the hell out of this conversation. Something has happened in the last couple of weeks, something life-altering, involving my ability to never settle down and the fact that when I’m around her, all I want to do is settle down. These feelings are uncomfortable. And she’s got a boyfriend anyhow so, once again, I have to let this go.
“You’re fine,” I say, ignoring all internal warning signs to get away from this beautiful woman who is only causing me heartache. “Ask all the questions you want.”
“So how is Rex more work than a regular dog?”
We’ve reached the kennels now, and Rex stares at us from behind the newly fixed fence. “For starters, he can ruin fences,” I say, glaring at him. “He needs lots of exercise, daily ball fetching, and high quality food. Dogs his size can get bloat, which is fatal if not caught early enough and rushed into emergency surgery. Because of that he needs to be calm before and after eating or drinking, and he needs several small meals a day, not one or twobig meals. I just need to find someone capable of caring for him the way he deserves.”
“Wait,” she says, holding out her hand. “This is perfect social media content.” She bites her lower lip and it does things to me that I can’t ignore. “Would you mind if I filmed you and you told me all of that again?”
Hell no, I think. I am not someone who wants to be on camera.
“Uh, sure,” I say. How can I say no to her? “I should run to the house and shower real quick. I’m gross.”
She shakes her head. “No, stay like this. The internet, and my boss, loves sexy sweaty men talking about things they’re good at.”
I swallow. “Okay then. Where do you want me?”
“Can you get Rex out and maybe walk over to that huge tree and we can film underneath it?”
“You sure?” I ask. “You’re not scared to be around him?
“Yes, I am.” Her lips press together and she watches Rex through the fence. His breed is not one to back down from a staring contest, so he watches her right back, body stiff, ears perked up. She exhales. “That is one terrifying looking dog. But, if you put him on a leash, it’ll be okay. I’ll be okay,” she says, drawing in a deep breath and steadying herself. “I have to get this done for my job. I desperately wish I had a different event planning job, but this is the job I do have and I have to get this done.”
“Okay. You just tell me if you get scared and I’ll put him up.”
She nods and waits outside while I step into the kennel and clip Rex’s leash to his collar. She keeps her distance as we walk toward the back of the property to the massive oak tree that’s been here all my life.
“What’s wrong with your job?” I ask after a few moments of silent walking and the sound of Rex’s breathing. “You’re really good at your job.”
“Yeah, but all my success goes to my boss, who gets all the credit and then demands more of me.”
“Ah,” I say. “That’s hard.”
“I wish I could just tell my boss off and storm out of there sometimes, but I’ve got nowhere to go. Not yet, at least.”
“You’ll find something,” I say. “You’re amazing at this job. I say you put your resume out there and let the job offers come rolling in.”
She laughs. “If only it were that easy.”
We film a few videos under the oak tree. It’s awkward talking to a camera, and I fumble over my words a few times. She giggles each time and tells me not to worry about it. “It’s digital. We can delete and start over,” she jokes.
So we do. I quickly realize if I look at Charlotte’s beautiful smile instead of at her phone camera, I don’t feel so awkward talking about Rex and the organization. I’ve never been someone who cares about putting myself online. But if it helps her job, and we can use the content to help my job, I’m happy to suck it up and do it. Plus she called me sexy, and I am still high on that compliment. I might never come down from that high.
The time with Charlotte passes too quickly and before I’m ready to leave her, it’s three o’clock. Mike pulls into the driveway for his meeting with Rex. I stand up, wiping my palms on my jeans.
“Is that the potential adopter?” Charlotte asks, turning to watch Mike’s black truck pull over and park at the admin building.
“Yeah,” I say over a nervous tightness in my chest. “He’s a great guy.”
So why do I feel so worried about letting Rex go?
“Would you mind if I watch?” Charlotte asks. “The whole meet and greet adoption process?”
“Sure,” I say, desperate to keep her around me longer. “Let’s go.”
Mike is here to meet Rex, but he can’t keep his eyes off Charlotte. I shake his hand and introduce him to her, and he reaches out wrapping both of his hands around hers. “Pleasure to meet you,” tells her, holding onto her hands a bit too long for my taste.
Mike is like me—a perpetual bachelor. The way he eyes Charlotte just pisses me off.
