And the opportunity is simple—we’d better not stare slack-jawed, googly-eyed, and phones at the ready when the high-profile new clients stride in.
Which means it’s boss time.
I push back in my chair, the wheels scraping against the concrete, loud enough for everyone to hear and scatter back to their posts. But even when I leave my office and enter the chaos of the main room, it’s just that—chaos.
An Irish Setter is taunting a Greyhound mix with a rope toy. A Mini Aussie Shepherd is covering up a rubber bone under a dog bed. And a Husky is…well, yammering in the middle of the room.
But that’s nothing compared to my employees.
Who are, unfortunately, staring at the window that leads to the street, where a black SUV—the electric kind made by a Swedish EV maker that’s become all the rage—appears to have just let out two women with glossy hair, big sunglasses, and big smoke-gray dogs. One wears jeans and the other a sundress, and they’re giggling as they chat with Chloe.
Who’s kneeling and saying hi to the pups.
The actresses are rising stars—Chloe told me their names—but I can’t take my eyes off the redhead and the way she handles both the dogs and the talent. Even from a distance, she’s got both a sense of calm and charm, from her smile to the easy way she has about her.
But…I can’t get distracted either. Tearing my gaze away, I clear my throat and survey the chaos in front of me, focusing on my job,justmy job. “Listen up, team,” I say, my voice loud enough to be heard over my team but not too loud so as to startle the dogs. It’s enough for the staffers to turn around. “Every now and then we’ll have a high-profile client. It’s not our place to take pictures for social media, for friends, or for cred. Treat them the same as you’d treat any other client—with love for all creatures, and with kindness and compassion. And respect for privacy.” I gesture to the place—the grooming stations, the daycare, the front counter. “Let’s get back to work.”
Hazel sighs. “Okay, Mister Serious Boss.”
My ears perk. Is that what Chloe called me? Even though I’m not technically her boss.
“Yeah, Grumpster,” Levi adds in a playfully pointed jab.
Nisha shakes her head, standing closer to me. “I’m with the grump. We need to look busy.”
“You need to look busy because it’s your job,” Zuri says, backing me up, but then side-eying me as she adds to the staff while gesturing to me. “But he is all business. I mean, that suit.”
I glance down at my pressed pale-pink shirt—tailored, of course—sage-green tie, and dark slacks. “It’s not a suit,” I say.
She waves an airy hand. “Details. Now don’t worry, Mister Serious Boss. We’ll be good.”
But this is my business and my name, so I hang around by the front counter when Chloe heads into the training nook with the shiny new clients. One of them stops in the doorway, her jaw agape—the one in the sundress. “The color scheme is perfection!”
“It’s so perfect I’m dying,” the one in jeans echoes.
“I’m glad you like it,” Chloe says, then ushers them in.
I’m both a little smug and a little proud. I helped, yes. But she picked the colors. She was right. As she gets to work, I stand at the counter, working on my reports, while trying not to steal glances or listen in. The door to her nook’s ajar though, and my ears are sharp.
“I’m a big believer in positive training,” Chloe says.
“Like the name,” the brunette actress in the sundress says—Saffron, I think. Sundress Saffron.
“Exactly. Dogs do better when they get rewards. If you want to brush their teeth but they’re refusing, you need to set up a reward system. If you want them to stop barking, you can reward them for being quiet. They do much better with treats than negativity.”
“Like men,” the other one chirps—Ava Hartley, I believe. She’s the one wearing the jeans, and her hair’s in a ponytail.
Chloe laughs. “Well, your words, but you might be right.”
“I mean, if I want my boyfriend to get me a cup of coffee, all I have to do is show a bra strap. It’s instant caffeine,” Ponytail says.
Chloe laughs again. “Sounds like you’ll get the hang of this in no time.”
They laugh, then focus on the dogs. But a few minutes later, Sundress Saffron adds, “Oooh, I need to show you my new place. I already rented one in town.”
“Did you hear there was a last-minute casting fallout?” Ponytail puts in. “The woman who was supposed to play the librarian got picked up for a feature.”
It’s all industry gossip until one of the big Mastiffs barks. “This is a perfect chance to work on the bark training like we talked about on our call,” Chloe explains.
