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My face must be as blank as my mind, but Pam ignores it and continues to feed me information.
“There are recommended insurance companies, his flea and worming schedule, as well as his diet details.”
What the bloody hell? “For a puppy?”
“Yes, Luke, for a puppy.” She’s looking at me with slight amusement, and I just know she’s expecting me to hand him back at any moment. “Here’s a blanket with his mother’s scent on it. And a bag of food to keep you going until you can get to the pet store. You can make a transfer for the thousand tomorrow. I’ll remind you when you get to the office.”
“Bet you will,” I say sardonically, letting Pam dump yet more stuff in my arms. “Can I go now?”
She smiles. “Pleasure doing business with you, boss.”
I roll my eyes and leave, hearing Pam chuckling as she shuts the door behind me. “So it’s me and you, kid,” I say to him, letting him continue to lick my face as I open the passenger door. “She thinks I can’t take care of you.” I place him on the seat and pull his seatbelt across his tiny body, clipping it into place. “There. Safe as houses.” I shut the door and make my way round to the driver’s side, opening the door, finding my new mate is now in my seat. “Hey, you can’t drive, buster.” I pick him up and place him back on the passenger seat, rearranging his belt. “Stay.”
He jumps straight back onto my lap, his front paws on my chest so he can reach my face to lick it to death. “No,” I say as firmly as I can, putting him back where he should be. “Stay.” He looks at me, his head cocked to the side as he sits. “Good boy,” I praise, starting the car. I’ve not even made it to the end of the street and he’s back on my lap. I give up and let him stay. I’ll never get home tonight. “I’m pretty sure this is illegal,” I mutter as I drive home, having to take it easy and negotiate the steering wheel carefully so I don’t smack him on the head every time I take a corner.
When I roll to a stop outside my house, he stands and gets his front paws on the side of the window, his inquisitive face looking up at my home. “Impressed?” I ask him, positioning him under my arm and getting out. “Honey, I’m home,” I call as I shut the door behind me.
Todd appears in my hallway with a beer in his grasp. “Don’t ever say that again or—” His disgust dies and gooey eyes are born. “Oh my God, how cute is that?” He meets me halfway across the hall and forsakes his beer for my new mate, taking him from my arms and cooing all over him. “Who does it belong to?”
“Me.” I dump the endless stuff Pam gave me on the table and sling my car keys next to it.
“Yours?” Todd looks at me, unsure. “You’ve got a dog?”
I shrug it off, like it’s no big deal. Because it isn’t. I head for the bar and Todd follows. Grabbing a beer, I unscrew the cap and check the score.
“You getting lonely in your old age?” Todd sits, and the puppy proceeds to get more and more excitable, jumping up on his chest, licking him everywhere. “What’s his name?”
My beer stops midway to my mouth. “I don’t know.”
“You’ve not named him?” He grabs one of his back legs and lifts. “Thank God.” Todd breathes. “So, what are you gonna call him?”
“Steve.” The name just falls right out, and Todd looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “It’s a good, strong, manly name.”
“Steve? You’re gonna call this cute, little thing Steve?”
“Yes, Steve.” I nod decisively and drop to the couch next to Todd. “All right, Steve?” I say, getting my face up close to his. I get a good long lick up my cheek. “See, he loves it.”
Todd exhales on a light laugh. “Steve it is. Hey, you do realize that Steve here is like the ultimate babe magnet, right?”
My brow bunches as I look at Steve. “He is?”
“Yeah, man. Women go gooey for puppies. You’ll be like the Pied Piper when you take him for a walk, women trailing you for miles.” I watch as Steve settles between us on the couch, smiling when he rests his chin on his paws and looks up at me. He likes me. I can tell. This is going to be a breeze.
“Shut that fucking dog up,” Todd yells, for the millionth time. Steve is howling like I’ve never heard a dog howl before, constant and piercing, even from the kitchen where he’s contained. I slam my head down on the pillow and grab another, covering my face. Just ignore him and he’ll get bored.
