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‘Hello, this is Rhonda Meyers reporting from KA4U News. I’m here at the Brooklane Apartment Complex where resident Marge Wilcox witnessed a suspicious vehicle roaming the area. Good thing she called the police, because it turned out to be the infamous ‘Garbage Can Strangler,’ known for attacking several people, and resulting in many injuries. No deaths reported, and now that he’s behind bars, residents can breathe a little easier tonight knowing he’s not hiding behind the dumpsters that line most alleyways here in Kelly Park.
‘Katie, you were just telling me you knew Marge and that this heroic behavior is nothing out of the ordinary.” She put the mic in my face.
‘That’s right, Rhonda. Marge knows more about myself than I do. Last week she left a bottle of stain remover on my stairs; it was as if she knew I spilled spaghetti sauce on my beige carpet.”
‘A true hero, indeed. Back to you, Chip.”
My phone buzzed. Probably Taylor, but I still rushed to look. I felt… Used. I craved vindication.
But it wasn’t Taylor. It was Samantha from the animal shelter.
We are still on for Thursday, right? I was thinking we could get dinner before. There’s a cafe a few miles down the road that allows dogs. (dog emoji) (salad emoji) (dog bone emoji).
Well, that was an easy question.
I’d love to. Send me the details and we will be there! (dog emoji)
My social calendar was filling upfast.I put Dolly on the couch with a blanket and went rummaging through my kitchen drawer.
“It’s in here somewhere,” I reassured myself while searching.
“Aha!” I found the day planner. It was from a time in my life when I had more hope for my social life but much less activity. I opened it up and filled out the dates. We had a grooming appointment, a new pet owner’s class, and now dinner with a friend. I filled in the couch arrival day and a reminder to call Judy and schedule a time for me to take Dolly over.
I knew my virtual assistant could remind me, but sometimes it helped me to see everything written down on paper. My week was still mostly open, so I started looking online for dog-friendly activities in the area.
“Dolly, there’s a ‘Paws and Paint’ happening at the Art Walk on Thursday morning! Does that sound fun?” She wagged her tail. I would have preferred to stay home but it was no longer about me. I had this little furry creature who liked socializing and deep down, I felt like I was enjoying it too.
My appetite was lost after the evening'sdate, but I still felt like drowning my sorrows in an oversized serving of something. I put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and hit the button. Dolly’s ears perked up when she heard the popping, only to run out of her bed and paw at my legs when I poured the bag into a bowl.
“Oh, does someone like popcorn?” I didn’t see how a bite could hurt, so Igave her a piece and she tore it out of my hand and ran off under the couch where she enjoyed it. I followed her, suddenly concerned she could choke on a kernel.
It wasn’t like we had a vet we could call.
Getting on my hands and knees, I peered under the couch where she was excitedly crunching away on the small puff, leaving nothing behind.
“All is well, then.” Relieved, I vowed to be extra careful with what I gave her and decided I’d look up a list of things that were and weren’t safe.
Right when I picked up my phone for a quick search, it buzzed.New Message from Taylor.
My heart quickened. What could he possibly say an hour later?You went to the bathroom a while ago. Are you okay in there?Do I need to call for help?
“HI! 911? My date went to the restroom at DeCarlo’s, and I’ve just sent Clarissa in to check on her—yes, from the Swimsuit Special Edition—I know, she’s really something. 5’11 and, I think, around 110 pounds. Well, she’s naturally a brunette but the blonde just makes her tan pop. Oh yes, anyway, where were we? Oh, my date has FALLEN IN!”
I’m sorry you decided to leave.
Excuse me? So, is it my fault in his eyes?
He was full of himself if he thought I was even going to respond to this narcissism.
I tossed my phone onto the coffee table and grabbed the remote, settling in with Dolly on the couch with my big bowl of popcorn.
“What should we watch?”
The rain picked up, and I grabbed the second blanket from its bin beside my couch. We were so comfortable and relaxed. I felt contentment wash over me.
There’s no place I’d rather be than here.
We found a thriller to watch about a con man who stole library cards andchecked out horribly embarrassing titles in their names but never returned them. Then he created a card for himself where he would personally request all the books he already had, alerting the library staff that the books had gone missing, which put heat on the victims.
