“I can’t pick a puppy for him.” She practically groaned. “That would be like him picking out knives for me. I went by the pet store where Dean bought Pierre, but the owner didn’t like my idea of bringing all of the puppies he has by the house.”
“I see,” she replied as neutrally as possible, trying to imagine that conversation.
“You deal in concierge services, so I thought you could arrange a showing.”
Brooke murmured her thanks when the waiter set their cafés down. Turning to Madison, she said, “I can make something like that happen.”
Madison reached for her café, her feet tapping under the table. “Good. Thanks.”
Brooke joined her in taking a sip of her coffee. “What about Pierre?”
Madison blanched, rattling her saucer as she set her cup down. “What about him?”
God, she hated being the bearer of bad news. “Dogs and birds aren’t exactly friends in the wild. I’m sure a dog can be trained, but usually dogs hunt birds.”
“They do?”
Oh no! Were those tears in her eyes? “Like I said, I’m sure training would?—”
“So we’ll train the pooch.” She was gripping the table’s edge again. “Pierre is a pro with everyone he meets. Everything should work out. I don’t leave Pierre out around the house much anymore anyway.”
Brooke didn’t comment. She knew exactly why you wouldn’t let a talking parrot wander the house freely during a new relationship. God, if Madison wasn’t so upset it would be funny.
“Besides, Dean will need him for Pairings by Pierre next month when it opens.” Madison worried her mouth. “He can take him more often if needed. It’s not like Pierre doesn’t spend much of the day with me at the restaurant. We’ve got lots of options if he and the dog don’t click.”
Studying her friend’s strained face, Brooke asked, “Are you sure? You and Pierre?—”
“Yes. Kyle needs a dog. We’ll make it work. That’s what you do in a relationship, right?”
“Absolutely.”
She found herself pausing. She’d known Madison for ten years now. Hearing her talk about puppies and relationships was like watching a fashion designer you thought you knew create an entirely different look, like going from neutrals to pastels.
“Stop looking at me like that,” Madison practically growled.
“Sorry. Consider it done. Do you have a day and time in mind?”
“Tomorrow afternoon?” She grimaced. “Shit. I don’t know if he’s free. Besides, I should be there to explain my thinking, right?”
Brooke only nodded. Madison was exhibiting a completely new side of her character.
“Monday maybe, since no one works on Sunday in this town.” She fiddled with the rim of the ashtray on the table. “That’s one of our days off. Any time after ten would work. I’ll have him at the house.”
To hide her smile, Brooke picked up her phone and wrote it in her task list. “I’ll text you the time and details by the end of the day.”
“I could almost kiss you.” Her laughter sputtered out. “God, I should have asked for your help before.”
Brooke finally joined in, chuckling herself. “It’s official. Hell has frozen over. I need to buy some ice skates.”
Madison started muttering. “I knew you’d enjoy this. Now, the second item. Can you arrange for Kyle to drive a really fast car on some racetrack close by? The one I found online is too far away, and he won’t want to leave town right now.”
Since she knew Kyle loved hot cars, this part of Madison’s plan made more sense. “I’m sure I can arrange a driving experience for him. Are you planning on going too?”
Her teeth clamped over her lower lip. “I probably should, huh? Do that whole couples thing. Shit. Maybe in the spring. Surely we’ll calm down some by then. We’d need to find a Sunday or Monday. But not around Sunday dinner.”
“Got it,” Brooke said, punching it into her phone.
Madison rubbed her face again, the picture of a tortured woman. “How much time do you think it’ll take up?”
