Barking Maddy's Puppy Love

by S M Mala

  ‘I’m going to miss Phyllis really.’ Maddy grinned as Stan flashed her a look before smiling. ‘I am her other parent, so we will take equal custody.’

  ‘Give me strength,’ Stan said as he sprinted off ahead.

  They got to the woods part of the park, and she knew this was the moment for her to find a detour. She had spent most of the week plotting her shortcut without telling Stan. The only thing she hadn’t bargained for was the muddy ground in the shaded areas. Considering it was warm and dry, it should have soaked up the moisture. It was the fourth time she had checked straying off the beaten path. It was a done deal and would slice a lot of the running out.

  Maddy looked around, knowing people couldn’t see her, and ran as fast as she could through the brambles and the grass. She couldn’t help but laugh at her deviousness and knew not to film what she was doing, should it end up in the wrong hands.

  As she jumped over the fence, she hadn’t seen the large ditch and fell straight into the deep puddle, gasping out of shock. When she tried to get out, Maddy realised she was stuck to the side of the fence and tried to pull away, unable to move.

  ‘This is what you’ve been up to,’ she heard him say, peeking over the fence while holding his phone. ‘This little angel is cheating!’

  ‘Stan! Turn that off!’ she shouted, trying to run away, but realising she couldn’t. ‘Go away!’

  ‘If I leave, you’re going to be stuck all day!’ Then he started to laugh hard and jumped over the fence, landing on the hard ground. ‘I thought you checked it all out?’

  ‘How did you-.’

  ‘I knew you were up to something. Even waking early today, I figured you weren’t going to do the whole thing.’ Stan walked closer as she tried to pull away again, but only slipped into the thick slick of mud. ‘You’re stuck.’

  ‘Tell me something I don’t know.’

  ‘This isn’t very charitable, and it’s dishonest considering you’re running for money to donate to the hospice.’ He stopped laughing. ‘Your tail is caught in the fence.’

  ‘That’s your fault for letting it out of the Velcro strap!’ She stood up and noticed half the suit was covered in mud. ‘What am I going to tell people when they see this?’

  ‘That you were cheating?’ Stan shook his head and held his hand out. ‘Just step out and stand to the side.’ She grabbed his hand and stepped up but was being pulled back. ‘Take off the suit, and then I can loosen the tail.’

  ‘You want me to stand in my underwear in the middle of the park?’

  ‘No-one can see. Come on Maddy. We need to start running and fast. They’re going to know you’re missing.’

  He yanked down her zip and held the suit as she slipped off her trainers and stood to the side. The suit was slowly pushed down, and Stan was on his knees, looking right into her crotch. She noticed he smiled then held out his hand, gently tugging the tail which was loosened. Stan put her rucksack on his back.

  ‘You could have done that when I was standing in there,’ she said, watching him slowly get to his feet, all the time looking into her eyes. ‘I can’t run with a muddy outfit. It will dry and turn heavy.’

  ‘You should have thought about that before trying to cheat.’

  Stan held out the suit as she walked onto a dry piece of grass. He got the item and was trying to remove the mud by using the grass.

  And he kept glancing at her with a little smile as she covered her bra covered chest with her hands.

  ‘It’s nearly gone,’ he said, checking the fur. ‘It needs a wash.’

  ‘I’ll have to get stain remover for grass stains as well as mud.’

  ‘Don’t moan and come here.’

  Maddy walked towards him and stepped into the suit. This time he slowly zipped her all the way up, pulling her hood over her head. She knew he was examining her body until they made eye contact. Something happened in the pit of her stomach, and she realised it was completely lustful towards the man. ‘Put your trainers on, and we’ll find a way out.’

  If she didn’t know any better, Stan was acting as if he fancied her. And something was seriously stirring in her loins when they looked at each other in the eye.

  Then he grabbed her hand and ran further into the woods.

  ‘This is the wrong way. We have to join the others,’ she said, wondering where he was going.

  ‘Follow me for a moment.’

  She jogged along, feeling the wet material against her skin and the smell of dampness through the mud. Maddy pulled a face as Stan got out his phone and was filming their path.

  ‘You can’t do that! People will know I took a detour.’

  ‘This is a solution to a big problem.’

  ‘What solution?’

  ‘Just wait and see.’

  He upped the pace, not letting up as she followed, being dragged down by the weight of the suit. She’d not been into this part of the park before, wondering where he was taking her, then he stopped.

  Stan turned and gave a big bright smile. She realised he had found a short cut and grinned back.

  ‘Make a wish,’ he said, and just about as she was going to think about her desire to snog him profusely, he went behind her and gave an almighty push into her back. She fell forward and straight into a pond. ‘I expect you wished for the mud to get washed off!’

  Spluttering and unable to speak, due to swallowing pond water, she managed to scream at him, ‘You bloody mentalist! What did you do that for?’

  ‘You were both covered in mud and very sweaty. I was cooling you off and-.’

  Maddy managed to jump out and tried to punch him, but he was ducking her attempts.

  ‘I hate you!’ she shouted, dripping wet.

  ‘It’s a freshwater pond, so that’s good,’ he laughed pulling her hood as she still tried to place punches on him. ‘You’ll thank me for it later!’

  ‘Never!’

  ‘You said you wanted to wish at the Trevi Fountain. It is closer and only around the corner from where you live.’

  ‘I’m soaked all the way through! This is horrible!’

  ‘Madeleine Berkeley, seeing you try and cheat the people who have donated money and trusted you to run properly, is horrible. This is your comeuppance for not playing nicely.’

  For once, Stan had made a valid point.

  And from how he drenched her, the man obviously had no sexual or romantic motions about her at all.

  That was for certain.

  But he did manage to cool her down, including her ever-increasing libido when it came to Stan Franks.

  ‘Thanks for the dress.’

  Maddy was standing in a cubicle in toilets of the pub. Stasia was waiting for her to come out. ‘I want to kill your brother. Is that okay?’

  ‘I know that feeling all too well,’ sighed Stasia. ‘Luckily I had my overnight bag with me. Are you okay for underwear?’

  ‘Yep, I bought a spare set, but I thought I could put that on under the dog suit.’

  Shaking her head, she was going to seriously try and smother Stan with a pillow when he slept that night.

  She couldn’t figure him out other than he was in a strange mood and taking it out on her.

  ‘Go and join Ted. I’ll fix my hair and then face the rabble.’

  ‘How did you end up in the pond?’

  ‘I got lost, and Stan found me.’

  There was no way she was going to explain her cheating plan and that Stanley Franks rumbled it; got her to stand in her underwear then pushed her into the pond.

  Putting her wet trainers into a plastic bag and stuffing them into her rucksack, she had her foldaway ballet pumps and put them on. Maddy looked down at the cerise dress that reached her knees. It would have been short on Stasia compared to her.

  She got a clip and pinned up her damp hair before shaking her head.

  Spotless.

  Spotless and dressed in plain clothes, Maddy didn’t feel right. She was determined to drink three glasses of wine and get Ted to ca
rry her home.

  Heading out of the toilets and into the main area, she knew everyone was in the garden, enjoying the summer sunshine. Her legs ached, and she wasn’t going to speak to Stan, who promised to get her dog suit dry cleaned. Hardly a word was exchanged when he pulled her out of the pond, mostly because he was laughing too much while dragging her soaked body around the park. Ted and the others couldn’t help but laugh while Maddy swore she was going to punch Stan when they were alone.

  There were loud laughs from the table, and she knew Stan was showing footage of her on the fun run.

  They stopped when she walked in, and a silent hush replaced their boisterousness.

  Stan turned to smile then did a double take when he looked at her.

  So, did some of the others.

  Maddy turned her nose up in the air and walked to the bar knowing they were probably going to laugh at her escapade. Phyllis came running up to her, so she picked up the dog and carried her, so she could get a drink.

  With her glass of wine in hand, she walked back out and sat on a table away from the group placing Phyllis beside her.

  ‘Maddy, you look…’ Eugene said, sitting opposite her.

  ‘Wet? I know. I’ll dry off soon.’

  ‘No, you look different.’

  ‘No spots or bows. It’s a little plain,’ she sadly replied, shaking her head solemnly. ‘This is Stasia’s dress, and it was this or go home and miss afternoon drinks.’ Maddy glanced at Stan who had obviously gone home and got changed before returning. He was now wearing shorts, shirt, and a matching hat. ‘And I’m plotting my revenge.’

  ‘You look grown up,’ continued Eugene. ‘Less girlish and womanlier.’

  ‘Oh.’ Maddy noticed Stan had overheard as he glanced over. ‘Thank you, I think. Where’s your lucky lady?’ she asked, knowing she was going to blush.

  ‘She’s over there,’ he replied, and Maddy noticed Eugene wasn’t diverting his eyes from her, so she looked over and smiled at his woman.

  Bonny didn’t look very happy as she turned and said something to a woman she was standing near.

  ‘You better join her,’ Maddy whispered, patting Phyllis’s head. ‘I think she misses your company.’

  ‘Oh Madeleine! You made me laugh! Watching Stan drag you to the finish line gave me such joy! I filmed it.’ Ted sat next to her, squashing her side. ‘And you look incredibly gorgeous tonight. Considering I removed that same dress from Stasia’s body not so long ago, I know that outfit very well.’

  ‘Don’t make my tummy churn and destroy any film you have of me,’ she mumbled, recognising Eugene’s jealous glare as he got up and walked towards Bonny. ‘He was nice again. Must like pink.’

  ‘Must like you.’ He nudged her in the side. ‘How much did you raise?’

  ‘Lots.’ Maddy smiled and kissed his cheek. ‘And my poor feet ache plus my ears are blocked due to being pushed into the pond. Bloody Stanley Franks!’

  ‘For someone so upset you were laughing non-stop.’ Ted smirked. ‘You like Stan Franks, and don’t I know it.’

  ‘He’s okay.’ Maddy felt herself blush and looked at her drink then at Phyllis. ‘He’s moving out on Tuesday because he’s sick of me and I know Pearl hasn’t even decorated the place. He’s rushing things. I don’t object to him staying longer.’

  She noticed Ted was looking at her but this time not smiling. He examined her face then pulled a ringlet.

  ‘He’s Stasia’s twin,’ whispered Ted. ‘And that would be a little tricky if you and he did get together.’

  ‘I never said that!’ she hissed, shaking her head and making sure no-one heard. ‘We’re friends, sort of.’

  ‘Stan isn’t the guy for you. I know he likes you but not in that way.’

  ‘That way?’

  ‘You give him much amusement.’

  ‘I see.’ She couldn’t hide at the massive dent to her ego that her lodger wasn’t interested in her luscious looks and thought she was funny. Good for a laugh and little else. ‘That’s good then. No double wedding.’

  ‘I’m not getting married and you better clear your head about Stanley. He still likes Giselle, so anything he’s up to with you isn’t serious.’

  ‘He’s up to nothing with me!’ she hissed intensely disappointed that he wasn’t interested, and her friend knew it. ‘And Giselle hasn’t been in my home, so that’s not exactly true.’

  ‘He’s biding his time.’ Ted looked pissed off. ‘Don’t fancy Stan. It’s too close to home, and things aren’t particularly wonderful between Stasia and me at the moment. You making a move would only complicate things.’

  ‘Are you going to split with her?’ she whispered, her heart racing. ‘If you do that then I won’t see Phyllis! Have you thought about that?’

  ‘Or do you mean Stan?’ Ted grimaced. ‘Or both?’

  Maddy frowned and looked at her glass of wine then the dog.

  ‘I don’t want to see you get hurt,’ he continued, gently stroking her bare arm. Stan flicked another glance over, and this was loaded with suspicion. ‘And I feel bad about a few things that have happened recently.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ he sighed tiredly. ‘I need to protect you a little bit more. You know I’d never do anything to hurt you.’

  ‘That sounds ominous.’ Maddy wondered what he was talking about. ‘Are you guilty about something?’

  ‘I wouldn’t be the only one,’ replied Ted looking at Stan.

  ‘I ache,’ she said, gulping back her drink. ‘I want to get something to eat and then go to bed.’

  ‘I’ll get you it.’ Ted then grinned. ‘Little Maddy running around, or more to the point, being dragged around like a doggie. He certainly made you run. Did he make you pant?’

  ‘Listen,’ she said, making sure people were out of earshot. ‘I like him, and we’re friends. We share Phyllis as parents, so I have to get on with him.’

  ‘You’ve monopolised his dog, and now you want to do it to the man.’

  ‘I thought you’d approve. Why don’t you want me to like him?’

  ‘Because, darling Maddy,’ he said stroking her cheek. ‘I don’t want to see you get upset. Or hurt. And Stan will do both because any fool can see your head over heels, but you don’t know it.’

  ‘No, I am not!’ she snapped at him, making him burst out laughing. ‘Don’t say things like that!’

  ‘Everyone can see other than him and you.’

  ‘I’m not that blatant.’ Maddy sipped her wine and involuntarily eyed up Stan’s backside then decided to look away. ‘I’m not.’

  ‘If you say so.’ He got up and stretched his arms. ‘A burger coming up for the world-class athlete.’

  ‘And another wine.’

  ‘You’ll be pissed.

  ‘I need to be.’

  She sat and looked at Phyllis, whose head was on her lap, stroking the dog gently and thought hard.

  It could be the reason everyone looked at them when they were together and smiled. They knew she fancied the arse off him and he wasn’t interested. Maddy let out a sigh and knew she should let Stan happily leave her house to quash the rumours.

  Even though they were true, and she desperately fancied him as well as enjoyed his company.

  Certain moments Maddy thought she could be in love with her reluctant lodger but knocked that on the head. She just wasn’t used to someone being nice, funny, charming, kind and enjoying her company without trying to fleece her money then get her into bed; or the other way around.

  Then she had the most terrible thought.

  What if she was in love with Stan?

  Unrequited love would be awful.

  Ted’s comment about him not being keen on her fanciful ideas about Stan, mainly because it sounded like he was going cold with Stasia, could mean there would never be an opportunity.

  Maddy solemnly looked at her drink and knew that was the sign she was destined to be alone and become the eccentric aunt to Pearl and Ted�
��s brood of children. She thought about living in her home with dogs.

  That would alleviate her longing for a family.

  ‘What are you thinking now?’ she heard Stan say, who was sitting opposite her and put down a glass of rose under her nose. ‘There was a lot of angst and emotion there.’

  ‘I’m in pain due to doing exercise against my will.’ Maddy didn’t look at him but examined the full glass. ‘Pink is such a pretty colour, don’t you think?’

  ‘It’s a beautiful colour when you’re wearing it.’ She darted her eyes up at him then frowned. ‘What?’

  ‘Don’t play me for a stupid fool, okay?’

  ‘I was giving you a compliment,’ he replied, aghast. ‘You look beautiful in that dress.’

  ‘What do you want?’ Maddy held Phyllis closer to her, not wanting to wake the sleeping dog. ‘You must have got sunstroke.’

  ‘Barking Maddy, what is it with you?’ Stan started to laugh, and she caught Ted staring at her. ‘You were at your best and funniest today.’

  ‘Ted says I give you much amusement, but he didn’t say it like it was funny. He said it like it wasn’t right.’ Maddy looked at Stan who tipped his hat up, so she could take a better look at his face. ‘How?’

  ‘I want to tell you something, but not now. You do give me a lot of amusement in a good way, not bad.’ Stan blushed then sipped his beer. ‘Some people might think different including yourself.’

  People were gathering around Ted, and she watched her friend frown before putting on his glamorous smile. Then she noticed Stan was staring at her, examining her face.

  ‘You’re sick of looking at me, aren’t you?’ she whispered, shrugging her shoulders. ‘It’s okay, I get it.’

  ‘You don’t get it.’

  ‘Well, I get you were pretty pissed off at me this morning and were rather aggressive.’

  ‘No, I wasn’t.’

  ‘I think you were.’ Maddy sipped her wine. ‘I irritate you, I can tell.’

  ‘Not as much as you used to.’

  ‘You’re becoming immune to it.’ Maddy broke out into a bright smile. ‘It happens.’

  ‘Barking Maddy,’ he whispered, pulling at a curl of her hair. ‘What is it about you?’