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He’s right. I know that he’s right, but I’m desperate, and desperate times call for desperate measures. “What if she goes and meets someone? What if they talk, and she falls in love with his dog, and he asks her out on a date? I can’t let that happen, Calvin. She’s mine.”
“Fine, you can take Louie.”
“Thank you, bro. I owe you one.”
“You owe me like a hundred.”
“Add it to my tab.”
Thirty minutes later, I’ve got the giant boxer in the back of my car. There’s only one dog park in the area, so I find a parking spot a few blocks away and climb out. I hook Louie onto his leash and let him out of the car. The roads here are too busy. I’ll let him loose when we make it to the park.
He wiggles his butt and bounces for joy, tangling the leash around his legs in the process.
“Chill, dude. You’re going to hurt yourself,” I say, fixing the leash.
I’m amazed at how many people are out walking their dogs or playing with them at this time of day. Doesn’t anyone work anymore?
Louie sniffs every tree, bush, and patch of grass he can find, leaving his mark as often as he can. When we make it to the actual park, which is nothing more than a giant field, I let him loose. Louie is a good dog, well trained and friendly. He won’t approach just anyone and listens well to commands. He stays a few feet in front of me as I walk forward, looking back every few seconds to make sure I’m still here. When I stop, he sits at my feet and waits patiently for me to make my next move.
I scan the area for Lizzie but come up empty.
“Let’s go this way,” I say, following a path to the left. I’m not sure why I’m talking to a dog, it’s not like he can understand me. Except maybe he can, because Louie takes a left and follows said path.
A few joggers run by us. One stops and asks if she can pet Louie. She oohs and ahhs over how beautiful he is and then stands up and smiles at me. I know this smile. It’s the I-want-in-your-pants smile. It’s one I ea
sily ignore.
“Have a great afternoon,” I say, nudging Louie farther down the path. The woman’s jaw drops, but I don’t give it much thought. I’m a man on a mission, and that mission is…holding a dog while it rains kisses on her face? I’m guessing the man standing beside her smiling with a gleam in his eye is the dog’s owner.
Oh, fuck that.
9
Lizzie
Never do the same mistake twice. Unless he’s hot. –Liz
“I can’t believe I ran into you here,” I say, nuzzling my face against Ethan’s adorable puppy.
“And I can’t believe you never called me.”
My cheeks heat. “To be honest, I was so upset after the date that I forgot you gave me your number.”
Ethan holds a hand to his heart and feigns being shot. “Ouch.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, laughing at his antics.
He drops his arms and smiles. “No need to apologize. You can make it up to me if you’d like.”
“How?”
“Let me take you for coffee.” He watches me for a second and then adds, “Sophie isn’t ready to say goodbye to you.”
“Are you using your dog to ask me out on a date?”
Ethan laughs. “I’m doing no such thing.”
“Yes, you are,” I say, scratching the fuzzy pooch behind the ears. “You know how much I’m loving this puppy, and you’re using it to your advantage.”
