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Ughhhh, hang-ups were almost as fun as the ones that bit your head off. People could be so rude sometimes and… hesitated. She heard a noise outside and called Donna’s cell phone.
“Hello?”
“Donna – it’s June. Hey, did he ever come back?”
“No. We never saw him again. Why? Did you hear from him, or see him?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Are you coming in tomorrow?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m waiting for an email back from him or to see how tonight goes.”
“What do you think…”
“I’m not sure,” she cut off the other woman, not really wanting to speculate or go through multiple scenarios with her. After Mark died, Donna had made a list of reasons that maybe she didn’t know about Mark’s addiction.
That did not help things in the slightest – even if the older woman was trying to be helpful… supposedly.
Hearing another noise outside, she turned off the kitchen lights where she was sitting, and moved towards the window… only to freeze.
There, in the small front yard in front of her mobile home, was something she would never ever forget. There were two chairs set up – with a sheet between them, stapled to what looked like two broom handles driven into the ground creating a ‘wall’. A man with blond hair sat there in a lawn chair, while another lawn chair sat on the opposite side… and he was holding a bouquet of red roses.
There was a cardboard sign on a pair of stakes that had runny spray paint on it that was barely legible… and said ‘The Dating Game’ – next to a picnic blanket complete with a tray laden with food.
… And he waved.
He saw her.
Instead of moving, she watched as he simply sat back in the lawn chair and relaxed, like he wasn’t going anywhere. Hesitating, she opened the front door and locked the screen door.
“Why are you here?” June said bluntly.
“Hello, little Minx. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
She paused as he stood up and held out the roses to her – and June shook her head, only for him to sit back down and pull out a piece of paper.
“Guess you don’t want to go through this list of questions then?” Ian said simply… and waited.
Curse him,she thought, knowing that she was going to take the bait. She had no idea what was on that slip of paper unless he was trying to recreate the Dating Game or play Twenty Questions… and saw something wiggle by the picnic blanket in the fading light, hesitating again.
Something moved!
Now she was good and hooked like a bear caught in a trap. Unable to fight it, she unlocked the door and stepped outside… curious.
“Oh – and you should absolutely come meet Gigi, my new girlfriend,” he chuckled, and she saw red. The man was horrid and obnoxious… and handsome.
“C’mere Gigi… come see Daddy,” he crooned, and the thing that wiggled, suddenly jumped out from under the blanket and wobbled precociously towards him, jumping up and down at his ankles – and she froze.
“Ian, is that…” she hissed in disbelief, staring at a bundle of fur with two little black eyes. “Is that a Yorkie?”
“A baby Tea Cup Yorkie, and I just happened across this sweet little girl as they were walking into the shelter with her – she’s a tiny thing and…”
June was drawn forward, looking at the little scraggly brown and tanned mop that needed a trim as the puppy turned to look at her. Kneeling down, Gigi gave a little bark and ran over, trying to climb up her skirt… and sliding down the material, causing June to laugh nervously.
She looked up at Ian and saw him leaning forward, watching her with a softness to his gaze.
