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Tillie is slightly obsessed with dogs and has been begging for a puppy for some time now. Whenever I come home after work, she likes to hear about the different breeds I’ve groomed.
“Well, I gave baths to a German Shepherd, a Lhasa Apso, and a Boxer.”
“Aww. I wish I could give doggies their baths,” Tillie says.
“I also gave a Pit Bull a bath and added some rainbow-colored leopard print to his fur.”
“Awesome,” Tillie shouts.
Ryan laughs. “Was the dog well behaved for you?”
“Yeah, he was a doll. Very sweet and well behaved. However, the owner wasn’t as sweet when he saw his dog.”
“He didn’t like what you did?” he asks.
“I may have confused his order with another one.”
“He didn’t want the…” He trails off.
“The rainbow-colored leopard print?” I finish for him, and he nods.
“Nope. I messed up. His dog was only supposed to have a bath and get his nails trimmed.”
“Oh shi-oot.” He catches himself before he utters the swear. Even after seven years we still slip up.
“Yeah, it was a big mistake. I offered to pay for all the work, but he refused.”And then he still tried to give me a tip.
“How did it end?” he asks.
“He was more understanding than I would’ve been. That’s for sure. He didn’t even blink at the cost, even though the work I did added on an extra three hundred.”
His eyes widen. “Three zero zero?”
“Yep, you heard correctly. Crazy, right? With the ridiculous prices we charge, I don’t know how the shop has so much business all the time. But I’m not complaining. It’s a steady job, albeit an uninspiring one.”
“It’s the best job, Mommy,” Tillie corrects.
“Hey, I thought my job was the best,” Ryan says.
“Yours is second best,” she clarifies.
I snort out a laugh. Ryan’s a video game designer, and he makes a very nice living from it. And he gets to work from home, which is extremely helpful to me. Whenever I’m working and Tillie isn’t in school, she’s with him. While things may not have worked out romantically between us, he’s a fantastic father to her. And he also happens to be one of my closest friends.
“It’s good to know where I rank,” he jokes.
“How’s the new game coming along?” I ask.
He winces. “It’s been slow going, but I’m making progress.”
“Tillie, how was your day?” I ask.
“Billy took my pencil.”
“Did you get it back?”
“Uh huh. I told him I was going to junk punch him and he gave it to me.”
“Jesus,” Ryan mutters under his breath.
