Stalked

by Jamie Begley

  Gripping the handle of her umbrella tighter against a burst of wind, she was about to push through the door when a pitiful whine caught her attention. Stopping from going inside, she instead turned toward the tiny dog that was whimpering.

  “Aw… you poor baby.”

  Giving her tea a regretful glance, she dropped it in the trash can beside the door. With her umbrella turned inside out, she threw that away, too, before bending down to the wet dog that whined louder when she held her hand out, trying to coax it closer.

  “You’re such a pretty girl,” Zoey cooed, even though she couldn’t tell if the wet dog was male or female, and she didn’t want to be bitten trying to find out.

  Hoping the soft tone of her voice would lure the dog nearer she ignored the pelting rain and waited patiently for the stray to sniff her hand before taking a step closer. After the dog warily did, Zoey slowly raised her hand to stroke her rain-coated head, running her hand through the fur and searching for a tag that would clue her in to the dog’s identity. Not finding one, she continued to croon, feeling its trembling from fear and the rain.

  “Let’s get you out of the rain, and then I’ll find you something to eat.” Expecting to be bitten, she picked the stray up into her arms. The dog was lighter than the umbrella she struggled with over the last two blocks.

  A sweep of a tongue on her cheek showed the sweet pooch was happy to be out of the rain as she carried it under her arm to the elevator that would take her to her office’s floor.

  “You’re such a sweet girl,” she mummered. “We need to find a vet for you, see if you’re microchipped, and then get you back home.”

  She tucked the dog closer to her as the wiggling stray nearly jumped out of her arms when the elevator doors closed. “Don’t be scared. It’s just an elevator,” she explained, trying to calm the shaking animal as the elevator started moving upward to her floor.

  Her nose crinkled at the odor emanating from the damp fur. Not only did she need to search for a vet, but a groomer was going to be next on the list she was mentally compiling to care for the stray that was ecstatically licking her hand as if she were a treat.

  The gloomy day that started off with grey skies, coupled with getting drenched by an inconsiderate motorcycle rider, had now turned brighter as she laughed and smiled at the dog’s antics.

  Walking down the hall after the elevator ride, she held the dog firmly as she reached in her pocket for the key to her office.

  “I didn’t know you have a dog.”

  Zoey turned when a pretty blonde came out of the office behind her.

  “Hi, Penni. I don’t. I found her outside. Isn’t she cute?” Turning, she showed her newfound friend off.

  The woman raised a brow at her calling the dog cute, making it obvious that Penni didn’t think the dog should be described as such.

  “Is that why you’re so wet?” Penni gave her a considering look before her eyes dropped to the the animal she held. “That’s a male dog by the way.”

  Zoey tilted the dog up so she could stare down at the soulful eyes that were filled with unlimited pools of love. “You sure? I think she’s a girl. How can you tell?”

  Penni waved her hand toward the dog. “Take my word for it. It’s a boy.”

  “That’s okay. He’s still cute.” Zoey raised the small dog to place a quick kiss on its head to show she wasn’t disappointed at the sex of her new friend.

  Penni grinned at the show of affection. “Yes, he is.” She reached out to pat the dog’s head, only to snatch her hand back when it started growling at her.

  “Aw… he’s just scared.” She held the dog tighter to instill warmth into the shivering creature, wanting him to feel safe in her arms.

  Penni stared at the dog doubtfully. “He doesn’t seem scared to me.”

  “He is… I can tell.”

  “You couldn’t tell if it was a female or male, but you can read his emotions?” Penni took a step back at the low growl emanating from the animal.

  “I have an affinity with animals,” Zoey assured Penni, who was giving the dog another reproachful glance.

  “How many dogs have you had?”

  “Technically?”

  “Yes.”

  “Only one, but I dog-sat when I was in college.”

  Zoey ignored Penni when she rolled her eyes at her.

  “Okay… I’m going to the coffee shop to get Grace some coffee. You want me to get you one?”

  “I would love another lavender tea if that wouldn’t be too much trouble?”

  “No trouble… Another one?”

  “I had to throw the one I had away. I was afraid he would take off running when I picked him up.”

  “It looks like running away is the last thing on his mind.”

  “Animals sense I love them.”

  “You love anything that breathes.”

  Zoey could see the skepticism on Penni’s face when the dog she was holding growled at her again.

  “And would you mind stopping at the convenience store next to it and get a couple cans of dog food? He’s hungry. I would run out myself, but I have a client due in a couple of minutes.”

  “No problem. I’m glad to help if it means he won’t eat my hand.”

  “Buster wouldn’t harm a flea, would you, boy?” Zoey lifted the dog to croon in his drooping ear.

  “You’ve already named him?” The short-haired blonde gave her a curious look.

  “He looks like a Buster; don’t you think?”

  Penni gave Buster a once-over. “I do.” Her friend’s facial expression didn’t match her quick agreement, nor did she sound authentic. But Zoey didn’t care. She liked the name and the name felt perfect to her.

  Zoey decided Penni would like Buster when she got to know him better. Some people just didn’t warm up to dogs the way she did.

  “I better go. I wouldn’t want to keep Buster waiting for his food. He might eat you before I get back, the way he’s licking you.”

  “He’s just grateful to be out of the rain,” Zoey told her, turning to open her office door as Penni started down the hall. “Oh, Penni, do you know a good vet? I want to get Buster checked out and make sure he’s not microchipped before I get too attached.”

  Penni turned back. “I’ll text you the name of mine. You shouldn’t have named him before you found out if he belongs to someone.”

  “He doesn’t,” Zoey said confidently. “Who would let something so sweet get out of their hands?”

  Penni shook her head at her. “Just wait until you know for sure before you start picking out doggie beds.”

  “I already have one. I’ve been planning to adopt a dog for several months now. I just couldn’t find the dog with the right vibe. This one has it.”

  “What vibe does this one have?”

  “That he needs me,” she answered simply. “By the way, did you see the tweet I sent out?”

  “No. I never look at my phone until I have my coffee. Why?”

  “A motorcyclist ran over a puddle and drenched me. That’s why I’m so wet. I thought, since you know most of them in town, you would know who he is. I want to tell him that he should be more considerate to pedestrians.”

  Zoey switched Buster to her other arm as Penni took her phone out her purse and read the tweet. When she looked back toward her, her face was impassive.

  “Never seen him before. He must be new to town.”

  “Thanks anyway.”

  “No problem.”

  Zoey hurried inside her office before she dropped the wiggling dog. Going into the bathroom, she shut them both inside before placing Buster gently on the floor. Then she took two towels out from under the sink, first drying off the dog before drying off herself.

  “You’ll like Penni when you get to know her better.” She talked to the dog in a soothing tone while rubbing the fur with the fluffy towel. “She manages Mouth2Mouth. That’s an indie band, in case you don’t know. Penni works with her friend Grace, who’s married to Ice
. Her husband has a lot of friends who ride motorcycles.”

  When the dog began trembling, she scooted him closer to her as she knelt on the floor of the small restroom.

  “You don’t like men? Poor thing. Was one mean to you? There’s no need to be afraid of him. I’m sure he’s just as nice as Grace. He doesn’t come to their office often, so you’ll probably never meet him anyway.”

  Buster sat down on his hind legs at her assertions.

  “That’s why I asked Penni if she knew the motorcyclist who sprayed me this morning. Penni’s husband, Jackal, rides one, too. I think they belong to a club who rides for fun.”

  When Buster stood up at the name again, reacting in fear, she decided it might be better not to mention male names again. Choosing another topic of conversation, she rose from the floor to dry herself.

  “I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Zoey.” Taking off her brightly colored scarf, she opened one of the drawers in the vanity to grab a brush. Smoothing out the wet curls of her dark brown hair, she then hung the flimsy scarf on the towel holder to dry.

  Putting the brush back in the drawer, she opened the bathroom door, making sure the dog was following behind her as she went to the couch in her office.

  She was coaxing Buster onto the couch when her client walked into the office.

  “Good morning, Felix!” She rose from the couch to hug the client she had been working with for the past six months, watching Buster closely to see his reaction at a male in the room.

  “I don’t know about good. It took me ten minutes to find a parking space because it’s raining,” Felix complained, walking toward the couch.

  Zoey was relieved to see Buster give an unconcerned look as he approached.

  “What did I tell you about being negative?”

  “That when I want to be negative, find something to be positive about.”

  “And…?” she prompted.

  “Focus on that instead of the negative.”

  Zoey motioned for him to take a seat on the soft couch that was covered with bright pillows. As he was getting comfortable, Penni knocked on the open door, drawing her attention.

  “Your tea and Buster’s food.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.” She took the items from her, setting them down on the coffee table in front of the couch.

  “I was happy to do it.” Penni shook her head when Zoey tried to give her the twenty that she took out of her pocket. “It pays you back for all the cups of tea you bring to me and Grace. We’ll call it even.” Penni took a step back when Buster started to growl at her again. “I’ll talk you later. I need to get busy if I’m going to be able to keep my lunch date with Jackal.” Going to the door, she kept an eye on Buster, who started growling louder at the mention of Jackal’s name.

  At her hasty exit, Zoey gave the dog a reproachful glance.

  “Sorry about that. Buster is having issues with certain names.”

  “Cute dog.”

  “I think so too.” Zoey gave him a wide smile. “We’re going to start over, and you’re going to tell me something positive that happened to you this morning,” she said, taking a seat on the opposite side of the couch then patting the cushion next to her for Buster to jump back up.

  Felix appeared to have to think hard for an answer that would meet her criteria of being classified as positive. “I wasn’t late for my appointment with you.”

  “There you go!” Her praise had Felix straightening on the couch. “Being more punctual was one of the goals that you wanted to accomplish by working with me. Are you ready to get started?”

  “Yes,” he said, smoothing down his rainswept hair.

  “Relax, Felix. These tapes are only to monitor your progress.” Zoey pressed the button on the compact black controller for the camera that pointed at where he was sitting. Reaching for the iPad on the table, she pulled up Felix’s file. “How is your homework coming along? I told you to go out on three dates last month. One with a woman you asked out based on how attractive you found her, another who you had something in common with, and the third was someone you weren’t sexually attracted to and had nothing in common with. Did you succeed?”

  “Partly. The one I found attractive looked at me like I was crazy for asking her out; the second one stood me up; and the third one, we had dinner, and then she blew me off when I asked her out again.”

  “That’s great. You’re moving in the right direction,” she enthused, typing her notes onto the iPad.

  Felix’s eyes widened. “How’s that great? I struck out.”

  “The only ones who struck out were the women who didn’t give themselves a chance to know you better. Your objective was to start dating again. Before I gave you the assignment, how many dates had you been on in the last year?”

  “None.”

  “There you go, and just having one now isn’t bad. I told you not to expect a romantic connection right away. The goal was to increase your pool of acquaintances so you don’t feel as lonely. This month, I want you to ask out six women using the same criteria as before, just doubling it.”

  “You want me to be humiliated again?”

  “I want you to be empowered,” Zoey gave him the motivation he couldn’t find for himself since his relationship had ended. “Each time you ask a woman out, you’re building your confidence and building friendships along the way.”

  “How is being rejected building my confidence?” he scoffed.

  “That’s being negative. What if all six accept your invitation? What if one does, but this time, you find a real connection with the woman you ask out? Even if none do, it will be easier to ask, and that’s putting the ball in your court instead of theirs. You hired me to be your life coach because you were tired of life passing you by. Now you are deciding whether to go out and with whom, instead of sitting on your couch and binge-watching television.”

  “It’s still embarrassing.” A red tinge began forming under his shirt collar.

  “Rejection always is, but it’s how we deal with it that makes us stronger. You’re exercising your mind like a bodybuilder does their muscles. They do planks to reveal the body they want. Think of rejection the same way as planks. You have to get through them to sculpt the person you want to become.”

  “I’ll try,” he replied half-heartedly.

  “Don’t try. Achieve, Felix.” Zoey used positivity to impel him forward into the life he wanted to achieve. “The only person holding you back is you. Moving on,” she changed the subject. “I see you’ve visited Cory. Did he pick that outfit for you?”

  “Yes. I have to admit, I didn’t want to hire a personal stylist, but he has given me the confidence to wear clothes that I would have never picked out for myself.”

  Zoey hid her smile when he meticulously swept away a piece of lint off the grey trousers he was wearing.

  “I like the haircut,” she complimented, stroking Buster’s fur as he lay docilely beside her. “Have you been practicing your meditation?”

  “I have. At first, I didn’t want to take the time for it each morning and night, but I am sleeping much better.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Zoey commented as she continued to stroke Buster’s fur.

  “When did you get a dog? I’ve never seen him here before.”

  “I met Buster this morning.”

  “Was that before or after the motorcycle drenched you?”

  “You saw my tweet?”

  It always gave her a thrill when someone remarked on her tweets. Sometimes she felt as if she was tweeting to a dark void of nothingness. Even though she received many comments on her social media nothing was as good as hearing the comments in person.

  He nodded. “I’m one of your many followers.”

  “It was right after. If I let getting wet ruin my day, I wouldn’t have found Buster.”

  His eyes crinkled at the corners, showing she got her point across. “Can I pet him?”

  “He can be a little standoffish, so slowly hold out
your hand closer and let him smell it….” She gave a small laugh when Buster licked the hand held out to him. “That’s so sweet. He likes you, Felix.”

  Her client smiled back at her, his face lightening into a more youthful appearance.

  “I haven’t had a dog since I was a teenager. I can’t have one in my apartment.”

  “How long have you lived there?” Zoey resumed stroking Buster when Felix took his hand away, showing him how pleased she was with him. She was a great believer in positive reinforcement.

  “Six years.”

  Zoey hadn’t missed the longing in Felix’s gaze when he pulled away.

  “Have you thought about changing it up and moving somewhere else?” she suggested as Buster scooted along the couch to sit next to Felix, greedily wanting the attention of both humans.

  Felix’s smile brightened at the dog’s behavior. “Not really. It’s close to work, and it fills my needs.”

  “It’s not meeting the need of you owning a pet if you want one. I think a pet would be good for you. You would be able to take it on walks and meet new people at the dog parks.”

  “That might be an idea I should think about. I would like to have a dog, maybe two,” he conceded.

  “Start with one. Then, if you enjoy it, get another. Everyone needs a friend.”

  “What if you find his owner?” The look he gave her was one he had probably given to several of his employees when he wanted to gauge their response. Felix, knew she grew attached easily when she cared about something. He was more discerning than most men would be. He had a tech company that was worth more than she would ever make in a dozen lifetimes.

  “Then I will give him back. I wouldn’t want to be the cause of anyone missing this little guy. I bet his owner is worried sick. You want to help me feed him?”

  “I would love to.”

  2

  Stump brought his motorcycle to a stop, gravel shooting out from his wheels. The three brothers standing by the entrance of the Predators’ clubhouse stopped talking.