I hope I’m as good a friend to them as they are to me.
Channing put his phone away and held Max’s hand. Los Frisco was a generally very welcoming place to people of all identities and preferences. It felt so good to be able to walk hand in hand with Max and not fear any nasty comments or judgmental looks from strangers.
After a quick pit-stop to pick up two flat whites, Channing and Max made good time in their walk to Bark Buddies. On arrival, it was clear from the chaos going on that their arrival was perfectly timed.
With the potential dog adopters arriving in less than an hour, there was a serious amount of work to get through, and Teddy wasn’t shy about letting everyone know just how much…
‘Okay, guys and gals. We need to work our asses off!’ Teddy said, looking as cute as ever in his Bark Buddies uniform. ‘This is a big day, and I want us all to smash it. Remember, we’re doing this for the dogs!’
With that, everyone cheered, and the hard work could really begin.
Channing may have had a lazy start to the morning by his standards, but from this point onward it was very much a case of being back to some seriously strenuous work…
* * *
The morning and afternoon spent at Bark Buddies was incredibly fun, hard work, and ultimately very satisfying. Channing was so happy to see a huge number of Los Frisco residents come and check out the center and fall in love with the dog who they would hopefully rehome in due time, once all the relevant checks had been undertaken.
‘Boy, that was something,’ Channing said, taking a small sip on the beer that Max had bought for him. ‘And this bar is actually kinda neat too.’
Max laughed.
‘See, I told you that you’d like it!’ Max said, putting his hand on Channing’s knee. ‘And what about Tracker? He had a fun time, but I don’t know if he met his forever family.’
‘I know, I felt so bad for him in the end,’ Channing said. ‘But he’s such a big dog. I can see why that might be off putting. I mean, I’d love to have him, but my place is too small. I’d want a bigger garden for him to rumble around in.’
‘He’ll find his home one day,’ Max said reassuringly. ‘He’s got too big of a heart not to. It just has to be the right person who sees his potential and can handle him.’
Channing and Max toasted to a hard day’s work and also to their beloved Tracker. After sinking the first beer in quick time, Max decided to go up to the bar to get another round in. Unfortunately for him, he did this at precisely the wrong moment. Suddenly, the bar had filled, and Max found himself four deep as he waited for service.
‘Hang on kid, I’ll be back soon!’ Max said, shouting over the suddenly loud bar.
Channing smiled and waved back enthusiastically. He didn’t drink beer all that often so waiting an extra few minutes before diving into the next beer might not be such a bad thing. Hopefully Max would pick up a little bag of French fries at the bar too. All the work at Bark Buddies had given Channing an appetite for some junk food.
However just as Channing was about to message his friends to say what a great time he had at Bark Buddies, he looked up and saw a figure towering over him.
‘Um, hello?’ Channing said, eyeing up the imposing figure with suspicion. ‘Can I help you?’
The man was at least six feet three inches and had a notable scar that zig-zagged just above his left eyebrow. His thick moustache and wicked smile were a strong look, but Channing wasn’t feeling this stranger’s energy at all.
Suddenly, Channing wanted Max to arrive back from the bar in double-quick time.
‘I’m here with someone, so…’ Channing said, hoping to put off this stranger’s unwanted attention.
‘Well why not make it a threesome then?’ the man said, a creepy tone to his voice.
With his black t-shirt and tight-fitting black jeans, the man’s strong physique and tattoo-covered arms were intimidating to say the least. Channing was strong for his size, but he knew that a man like this was a whole other ball park.
Channing looked anxiously over toward the bar and felt a sense of relief when he saw Max walking toward them. However Channing’s relief turned to fear when he saw just how angry Max was. If Channing didn’t know better, his instincts were telling him that Maxknewthis creep…
‘Hey, stay the fuck away Judd,’ Max said, slamming his drinks down on the table. ‘I don’t want you in a hundred miles of my boy.’
‘Well maybe I wouldn’t have to be,’ Judd said. ‘If only you’d answer my messages…’
Channing was alarmed.
This didn’t seem like a good situation whatsoever. If anything, the mention of this Judd guy sending Max messages was the worst thing of all. Why hadn’t Max mentioned the messages? Or mentioned Judd?
Suddenly, Channing felt a little bit insecure.
