“I said we’re fully booked,” she repeats.
“Oh. Okay,” I say as my dog wags his tail.
Zuri whips her gaze back at me like she’s wondering what she did wrong—and I feel like an ass.
Well, you are one.
When I turn around, Chloe’s in the training nook working with a client.
“Yes, the key is positive reinforcement. And that’s one of the things I like most about dogs. They’re dependable and reliable. Even if things don’t go their way, they keep showing up for you.”
My gut twists. Yup. I’m the villain in this story.
I walk to my office, shut the door, and stay in there with Mister Dog.
At least I didn’t fuck up with him.
* * *
I’ve got one hour till my meeting, but at three, my phone rings. Alexandra’s name flashes on the screen, and my stomach plummets. But I man up and answer it.
“Sawyer here.”
“It’s Alexandra. Can you meet me earlier? At Pick Me Up? I’m there now.”
That’s all she says.
I answer with a stoic, “Yes.”
She must be ready to axe me now.
When I head to the door to leave, with Mister Dog trotting into the dog play area, I try not to look at Chloe’s training nook. But it’s impossible not to, with her bent over her tablet, taking notes.
All at once, I wonder…Did I mess things up for her business? I rap on the door even though it’s open.
She looks up, but her expression’s unreadable. “Yes?”
“Did I…Are you? Is everything okay with your business?”
Her brow furrows. “Yes.”
The clock on the wall ticks interminably loudly. The dogs’ barks from the other room seem to echo in the space as she stares at me, saying nothing.
“Good. I was concerned.”
She arches a brow. “Were you?”
It’s…doubtful. And I deserve that too.
“I was. Of course I was. I want things to go well for you.”
“We don’t always get what we want,” she says, and shit, that hurts. But I take it on the chin. “Anyway, I’m fine,” she adds, all tough woman and strong. “In fact, I’ve had new inquiries. So really, thanks.”
She returns to her work, ignoring me, and I suppose I deserve that. Her dismissal.
I head down the block to the coffee shop, draw a deep, steadying breath, and prepare to take Alexandra’s news like an adult.
Not like a robot. Or a human with a beef.
