More Than a Song

by Chris Paynter

  “Yeah, you, too, C.J.”

  As she hung up the phone, Tina walked through the front door of the store with the sandwiches.

  “They didn’t have any green peppers for your veggie sandwich. Sorry.” Tina set the bags on the counter. “Hope you’re not too disa—” She stopped in mid-sentence. “What the hell’s wrong? Your face is all red.”

  Which made Dani blush even more. “Nothing. I made that call to C.J. James and—”

  “And she has that kind of effect over the phone?” Tina asked with a sly grin. “Imagine what effect she’ll have in person. Are we rethinking our ‘I’m going to remain celibate for a year’ thing now?”

  “Shut the hell up and give me my sandwich. I never said I planned to be celibate for a year. I simply said I wasn’t ready to date.”

  “Touchy, touchy.” Tina handed over the bag. “I have to say I’m immensely curious about this chick now.” She hopped up on one of the stools and opened her bag.

  “I liked the music from her website,” Dani said. “I’m purchasing twenty copies of her latest CD for the store.” She didn’t say she’d heard C.J. James’s voice for the first time the evening of her breakup with Katie. She just hadn’t known at the time that C.J. would be playing at Carl’s.

  Tina munched on her ham sandwich. “Maybe I’ll check out her website on the computer in the office when I’m done here.”

  Dani tried to understand why she’d gotten so flustered. She almost missed Tina had asked her a question.

  “What do you like about the songs?” Tina asked.

  “They have a great blues sound to them and a folk sound, too. She reminds me a little of Bonnie Raitt. I think they’ll definitely sell here.”

  Tina stared at her and put her sandwich down. “That does it. The way you’re acting has convinced me that I definitely need to meet this chick. If you plan to go to Carl’s to hear her sing, like you said you were last night, I’m joining you.”

  There was that protective side of Tina that she loved so much. Dani took a bite of her sandwich. “Sure, Tina, you can join me. God forbid I do something for myself,” she said between bites.

  “You love me, and you know that I’m always looking out for you. That’s not a bad thing.”

  “No, it isn’t. You’re a good friend.”

  The front door jingled, and Monica and Estelle strolled into the shop.

  “Hi, guys,” Monica said as she walked up to the counter. Estelle began wandering around the store. Dani glanced over at Tina who rolled her eyes—she really did need to show some restraint, Dani thought.

  “How’s it going, Monica?” Dani asked.

  “We’re good.” Monica glanced beside her to find that Estelle was no longer there. The two had been dating now for three months, which was about ten weeks longer than Dani had given it. “Do you have that new book in stock that you raved about?”

  “Summer on the Cape, right?” Dani asked. She put down her sandwich and came around the counter.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take you away from your lunch.”

  “My sandwich can wait.” Dani picked up the book from the display. “This is what you’re looking for.”

  “Thanks.”

  “How’s business at your shop?” Dani asked as she rang her up. Monica owned an antique store about three blocks down the street.

  “It’s picking up. You know how the tourists usually start coming into town right now. I’ve especially had good luck with some older lesbians who travel down from the north.”

  Dani agreed. They seemed more apt to spend money in her store, too. The younger women typically came in and browsed but usually left with maybe one book, if that.

  “Estelle? Are you ready? I had the ‘Out to Lunch’ sign set for us to be back in fifteen minutes,” Monica said.

  “Why don’t you head on back. I think I’ll take a walk around town after leaving here.” Estelle hadn’t even bothered to pop her head around the bookshelves when she was speaking.

  Monica sighed. “Thanks, Dani. I’ll let you know what I think of the book.” Monica waved it in the air on her way out the door. She glanced once more in Estelle’s direction as she left the store.

  Tina glared at the bookshelf Estelle was behind as if Estelle could see her. It was good she couldn’t. Tina would have bored holes through her with that look. Not even two minutes after Monica walked out, Estelle left and headed in the opposite direction. She smirked at Dani and Tina through the window as she passed by.

  “Man, I could just throttle that little weasel,” Tina snapped. “Fucking bitch.”

  It was Dani’s turn to sigh, but this time she didn’t offer up any protest. “Let’s hope Monica ends this soon. For her sake.”

  Tina stomped off to the office, red-faced. Dani knew better than to go after her. Soon, Dani heard C.J. James’s voice coming from the computer speakers. Dani waited for Tina’s critique. When she didn’t come out right away, Dani figured she still needed to stew.

  Since it was slow, Dani pulled out the latest Advocate magazine and caught up on the news around the country. The rest of the day went by quickly. Business picked up right before closing with four sizeable sales at five-thirty.

  Tina was balancing the register when she said, “I have to agree. C.J. James has a hell of a voice. She’s one nice-looking chick, too.” She paused. “I’m still going with you and the others to Carl’s.”

  Dani entered the office and shut down her computer. “Tina, you have nothing to worry about.” She carried the deposit slip to the front counter. As she filled it out, she said, “Do you think you can take this to the bank tonight? Frodo has an appointment with the vet for his shots, and I need to get him there by six-thirty.”

  “Not a problem. I can even close shop before I leave.”

  “Thanks. Remind me to give you a raise!” Dani shouted as she headed out the back door.

  “I do!” Tina shouted back. “Every freaking week!”

  As Dani drove to her house, she thought back to her very public breakup with Katie. They’d been drifting apart for months. Katie hit the bars with their friends more often, not caring that Dani begged off. What Dani dubbed “The Twitter Incident,” when Katie said she was moving back to Indiana, really shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise. Still, breaking up on social media and keeping the apology to less than 140 characters was cold. She hadn’t talked to Katie since and had no intention to contact her.

  Dani pulled into the drive. First things first, she thought. She lifted the box out of the backseat and carried it into the house. As she placed the book in her bookcase and closed the glass door, she thought back to Tina’s words. Yeah, to Dani this was her Gutenberg Bible.

  She retraced her steps outside, picked up her mail, and went back into the house. As she walked toward the back door to get Frodo’s leash, Dani checked her phone and noticed she had a voicemail. It was from Brenda in New York.

  “Hey, Danster. I wanted to double-check that the package arrived there today. ‘Package.’ Lord, it sounds like I’m talking about drugs or something. If you could give me a call sometime tomorrow, I’d appreciate it. I got notification that it arrived there, but you know me. I worry about everything.”

  Dani hung up the phone and made a mental note to call Brenda when she got back from Frodo’s trip to the vet. With leash in hand, she approached Frodo.

  At sight of the leash, Frodo’s tail thumped loudly against the door.

  “No, Frodo, no w-a-l-k. It’s off to the vet.” Dani wasn’t sure whether it was her tone or the word “vet” he had somehow learned for his vocabulary, but he immediately stopped wagging his tail, and it drooped behind him. “It’s okay, bud. You like Dr. Patterson, right?”

  She led him outside and lifted him into the MINI Cooper. He placed his paws on the dash while he watched her every move around the front of the car. He hopped over the gearshift to jump up on the driver’s side door. She gently pushed him away as she got in. “Give me some room, boy.
” She situated him in the passenger seat.

  He sat straight up in his seat, appearing every bit like a “fur person,” as Dani backed out of the drive. The vet’s office was a few miles outside of town. As he occasionally did on these trips, Frodo pushed his nose hard under Dani’s arm and laid his head under her chin.

  “Frodo, you won’t have to stay there,” Dani soothed. She’d boarded Frodo at the vet’s kennel twice. Since then, Tina and Barb had volunteered to watch him. They adored him and didn’t want to see him traumatized. Dani informed them the only way he was traumatized was by all the attention the staff gave him.

  They pulled into the parking lot, and Frodo spun around in his seat as he watched Dani’s progress around the car. She led him into the office.

  “Frodo Roberts here to see Dr. Patterson,” Dani told Mary, the desk attendant. She felt silly about giving Frodo her last name, but that was how they identified their clients. Mary leaned up and peered over the counter.

  “Aww. Hi, Frodo. How have you been?” He wagged his tail in response. Mary carried his chart to the counter and asked, “Did you get my message that I left for you about Dr. Patterson not being in this evening?”

  “No.” She sometimes had trouble with the voicemail feature from the phone company. Apparently, this was one of those times when the message didn’t take. She was disappointed. Dr. Patterson, a practicing veterinarian for over forty years, was Frodo’s vet since he was a puppy. Dani was always fearful he was going to retire—he had mentioned it a few times.

  “Dr. Springer is able to see him, though, to give him his check-up and shots. She’s new to the practice, but you and Frodo will love her.”

  Dani vaguely remembered receiving a flyer in the mail from their office about their new hire. They’d held an open house to welcome her, but Dani had been unable to attend because of work.

  “That’s fine.”

  “If we can get a weight on Frodo first,” Mary said as one of the other technicians approached the counter. Frodo adored Jake and pulled hard on his leash to get to him as Dani led Frodo to the scales.

  “Hey, Frodo, buddy. How you doing? Been keeping that weight off?” Jake asked. Between the two of them, they were able to settle down Frodo long enough to get a weight.

  “We’ve been watching it as much as possible.” Dani held her breath, waiting for the electronic readout to stop on a number. She breathed out a sigh of relief when the red numbers stopped on “36.” It was only a pound over his ideal weight.

  “Great job, Frodo.” Jake knelt down and rubbed his ears. Frodo jumped on Jake’s leg. “Did you miss me, boy?” Frodo licked him on the face. Jake laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  He gave the leash back to Dani. “You’re in Exam Room 2.” When Jake shut the door, he took out his pen and scribbled down Frodo’s weight on the chart. “Good to see he’s maintaining that weight. I know it’s hard.”

  “You have no idea.” Dani thought back to the numerous times she said no to Frodo’s mournful gaze while she ate at the dining room table.

  He clicked the pen and set it by the closed chart. “Dr. Springer will be in shortly.” He reached down and gave Frodo one more pet before he left.

  Alone now, Dani let go of Frodo’s leash so he could roam the office to smell to his heart’s content. He was busy tracking by the other door that led to the back when it opened. Dani saw Jake enter, but she couldn’t see the doctor because the exam table blocked her as she leaned down to pet Frodo.

  “How are you, little fella?” a soft, melodic voice inquired. “Investigating are we?” When she rose, Dani almost stopped breathing. She was of slender build, a little shorter than Dani, with shoulder-length, dark-brown hair and bright green eyes accentuated by long lashes. The overhead fluorescent light brought out the color in her eyes even more. The kindness Dani saw there was unmistakable.

  “Hi.” She extended her hand to Dani. “I’m Liz Springer.”

  Dani shook her hand. She seemed close to Dani’s age. Perhaps she’d gone directly to veterinary school after earning her undergrad degree.

  “Hi, Dr. Springer. I’m Dani Roberts, Frodo’s mom.”

  “Please, call me Liz.” She leaned down and greeted Frodo again. “Do you mind if Jake picks you up, so I can get a better look at you?”

  Frodo wagged his tail and almost did a little dance in response. Jake swept his arms around Frodo’s legs and easily lifted him up on the exam table. Liz ruffled his ears some more as she talked to Dani.

  “I’m sorry Dr. Patterson was unable to see you tonight. There was an emergency with a pregnant Lab at one of the farms nearby. The family didn’t have time to bring her in. It was supposed to be a hard labor, so he wanted to be there.”

  “I know these things come up. Besides that, it seems Frodo has taken a liking to you already.” Which he had. He licked Liz’s hands while she talked to Dani and pushed his head under them so she’d continue to pet him.

  Liz laughed. “He has, hasn’t he?” She opened his chart. Frodo turned his head and nosed the file. Liz rubbed his ears as she read the paperwork. “He’s in for his annual with his shots?”

  “Right.” Dani couldn’t stop staring as Liz concentrated on Frodo’s file. Dani’s “gaydar” had pinged the minute Liz had locked eyes with her. Or was it only wishful thinking?

  Liz raised her head and caught Dani’s stare. She smiled. Dani’s heart skipped a beat, and her face warmed. Is that smile for me or my dog?

  “It’s good to see that Frodo keeps his weight down.” Liz grabbed the scope and peered in Frodo’s ears. “Has he had any problems with his ears?”

  “No. I know most hounds do, but I’ve been lucky with him.”

  Liz probed his sides, which Frodo didn’t seem to mind. He usually jumped a little when Dr. Patterson did this. Jake held Frodo as Liz put on latex gloves to examine his hind quarters. He didn’t flinch, which surprised Dani. Normally, he hated this part of the exam.

  Liz removed the gloves and tossed them into the large metal receptacle. “Good boy,” she said as she patted his side. “I know that’s not your favorite thing.” She had her back to Dani and Frodo while she prepared the shots. She turned around, and as Jake continued to hold Frodo, she grabbed the nape of Frodo’s neck in one smooth motion and quickly administered the shots. Frodo seemed blissfully unaware of what was going on.

  Liz rubbed Frodo’s ears. “That’s it. You were such a good boy, too.” She lifted a treat from a glass jar in the corner of the table, handed it to him, and kept rubbing his ears. Frodo stared up at her like he’d found a new best friend.

  “I’d say you’ve definitely made an impression on him, Liz.” It surprised Dani how easily the name rolled off her tongue. Normally, when a doctor asked her to call them by their first name, she stumbled over it like it was a foreign language.

  “Think so?” Liz asked, glancing at Dani. A few seconds passed before Liz said, “Well... uh... I guess we’re done here. Jake, you can put him back down from the table.” As he did that, she reached for Frodo’s chart and knocked it to the floor. Some of the paperwork spread out from the chart. Dani knelt to help her gather it up. They both grabbed the same paper, and their fingers touched. They slowly rose together as their eyes met once again.

  Dani realized they were holding the same piece of paper. She quickly let go, and stammered, “S-sorry. I’ll let you take that.”

  Liz’s face reddened, as well. Okay, Dani thought, maybe this isn’t just me.

  “I’ve enjoyed meeting you and Frodo.” Liz slid the papers back into his chart. She petted Frodo, rose to her feet, and offered her hand again to Dani.

  Dani took it and squeezed. “The pleasure has been ours.” She inwardly cringed. The pleasure has been ours? It sounded like something from a BBC show. The only thing missing was a British accent.

  “Take care.” Liz backed up to the other door leading out of the exam room. She kept eye contact as she groped behind her for the door handle. She gave up and with a n
ervous smile, turned, grabbed the handle, and hastily left the room with Jake following her.

  Dani stood there for a few seconds, staring at the door. She glanced down at Frodo who also stared at the door where Liz had exited. Which was odd. He normally was at the other door that led into the office area, ready to head home immediately after his annual exam. He wagged his tail.

  “Yeah, I know, Frodo. I thought so, too,” Dani said quietly as she opened the door to leave. She walked up to the counter to pay. Liz brought Frodo’s chart to Mary and gave Dani another smile before turning away. Dani paid the bill and led Frodo to her car. She glanced back at the vet’s office and caught Liz watching her from the window. She came back to the window to watch us leave. Dani gave a little wave, which Liz returned.

  As she drove, Dani couldn’t get Liz’s beautiful face out of her mind.

  * * *

  Liz walked back to her office to write down her notes on Frodo—at least that’s what she told herself. Instead, she pictured Dani Roberts’s soft, brown eyes. Her short, thick, dark hair was the kind she’d love to run her fingers through.

  “Jesus, what’s wrong with me?” she said soft enough that no one could hear. She wouldn’t want the staff to think their new doctor had any emotional issues. After all, she’d tried to leave those behind in Ithaca, New York. She’d managed to leave her ex there, thank God. That was a year ago.

  Liz was the only one in her family to graduate from college, let alone go on to further her education. Her two older sisters, Laurie and Lacey, were happy to marry shortly out of high school and raise families of their own. Liz received a scholarship to attend Cornell, one of the top veterinary schools in the country, right out of high school. With her grades, she set lofty goals. And she’d reached them. When she met and fell in love with a fellow student in veterinary school, she thought she’d achieved all of her dreams. That had all come to a crashing halt that fateful day when Liz came home early, after completing the last of her exams.

  She’d walked in on Therese in bed with Liz’s now ex-best friend, Rachel. Despite Therese’s desperate pleas that it “meant nothing” and Rachel’s frequent calls and texts to apologize, Liz had moved back home to some place safe since her family still lived in Francis.