Love is a Finite Experience

by B Anders

  “Right, you turned all green and ran screaming out the door.”

  “So sue me. I wasn’t expecting you to be a natural blond.”

  “So you noticed, anyway I’ll have to take a rain check.” Courtney stepped passed Harper and put one foot into the tub. "Right now she and I are going in together. She's never going to face anything scary alone again if I can help it."

  Harper sat on the toilet lid and watched in silent awe as Courtney knelt in the shin high water next to the shivering animal. Courtney's voice was a low, soothing litany of promises offering up the pleasures of a dry bed, and a belly full of food and in return, all the dog had to do was cooperate. Whether it was the words, the tone, or just Lady Luck smiling on them, Harper was never certain. All she knew was a dog that had been beaten too much was allowing a total stranger to wash and bath her wounds. Harper herself felt carried away by the sound of Courtney’s voice. Courtney would ask for each item in the same calm almost musical tone, and like a trance, Harper would offer up each in turn and then take the bottles back when Courtney finished with them.

  "Urg, we need to drain the tub and rinse her off with clean water before the EPA declares this a disaster zone," Harper said with a wrinkle of her nose. The water was bubbly and muddy with a hint of red.

  Courtney frowned. "Think the running water will freak her out? I don’t know if she’s ever been given a bath, and from the looks of things, I’m betting never."

  "Let me get the ice bucket. We can fill it with warm water and use it to rinse her off. We can keep the flow to a trickle if we need to."

  "Good thinking. She's being awful good, but her heart is hammering away," Courtney said. “She’s terrified, and if we’re not careful she might bite.”

  “She doesn’t look like a bitter to me. She won’t be alive if she was a bitter. If she had gone for an arm or a leg, Bubba would have shot her. He kept her because she was small and submissive.”

  “I guess you’re right. Let’s go with the bucket.”

  “Okay, you’re the boss.”

  “Harper…I wish…I’m sorry about the job. If only…”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just an expression. I don’t want you feeling bad about…you know ancient history. I’m going to get the ice bucket, and you focus on that wet soapy thing with the tail in the tub.”

  “Harper?”

  “Yes, Pumpkin. You need anything else?”

  “No. Just hurry with the bucket will you?”

  “Your wish is my command”

  The bucket approach worked better than expected, and when they were finally satisfied, they had washed off all the soap along with the dirt and blood, Harper held out the towel she had been sitting on.

  “Here use this. I was sitting on it. I warmed it up with my body heat.”

  "Hey, I guess it's true dogs really do like the smell of ass," Courtney laughed as she watched the dog snuggle deep into the towel with a little wag of her tail.

  Harper feigned offense as she began to gently towel off the pup. "I have you know my butt is like a spring meadow."

  "Don’t lie to me I've been traveling with you for three days, and it’s more like a cow patty."

  Harper grinned, "Okay, fine, but I won't be warming up towels for you anytime soon."

  "And, I'm grateful for that." Courtney stood and looked at disgust at the grime coating her stomach and legs. "Eck. I’m going to have to scrap this muck off of me."

  "Don’t worry about her. You strip off and get into the shower. I'll get the pup dry and comfortable in the room."

  "Deal," Courtney sighed looking much happier than when she first entered the bathroom. “I stink of shit and God knows what.”

  "And, while you’re cleaning up," Harper got up and headed for the door as she spoke. "See if you can think of a name for our little friend here."

  "Oh that's easy," Courtney said with a bright smile. "Boston. I’m going to call her Boston. That way I'll never be far from home again."

  ***

  December 7

  Harper was hanging up the phone when Courtney emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

  “Still sleeping?” Courtney smiled when she saw the little dog curled up in Harper's lap. “She’s so sweet.”

  "Out like a light," Harper said with a wink. "For a few minutes, she was actually purring, I swear. Maybe she’s a cathound."

  "More like a pit bull mix, I think. Did she eat?"

  "I think it's better to get her to the vet on an empty stomach."

  Courtney stammered, "Do you think she's that badly hurt?"

  "The wounds don't look bad just some cuts and bruises, they’ll heal up on their own. But I'd like to have her checked out properly in case there’s internal bleeding. We also need to have her tested for heartworms, and she needs to get her shots done. Just in case they didn't get her set up right." Harper took a deep breath before she spoke again. "And, we need to find out if she's chipped. If she is then we need to have our story straight."

  Courtney sat on the edge of the bed. Harper watched as tears formed in Courtney's eyes.

  "I've never stolen anything before. Never did anything illegal. Now in the span of a couple of days, I’ve been handcuffed, pepper sprayed in the face, and now I’ve stolen someone’s dog out of their own backyard.”

  Harper was reassuring as she stroked Courtney’s arm. “We saw a dog with a plastic jug over its head stumbling through the thicket at the edge of the highway. We stopped, and the dog came right to us when we called out to it. We figured it was either lost or abandon, so we didn't hang around to see if the owner was nearby." Harper smiled, "After all, two women alone on a lonely stretch of highway, we shouldn't be expected to put ourselves in danger. Every good ole Florida boy would agree with that."

  "Okay, sounds reasonable. Then we say exactly what we did. Cleaned her up and found a vet. Did we find a vet?"

  "Yep," Harper answered. "That was the story I just fed them, and they said we can come right over. So, hurry up and get dressed so we can get Boston fixed up."

  "Hope this works."

  Harper waited until Courtney walked back to the bathroom with some clean clothes, before she leaned forward to kiss the cold snout resting on her lap.

  "I hope so too," Harper whispered.

  ***

  "I see what you mean," the vet said after examining the dog. "Looks like some kind of neglect, but I wouldn't go as far as abuse. It could have gotten its head stuck in the plastic jug all on its own. Dogs that are lost or abandon tend to get into trouble with no one looking out for them. They're so starved for food they'll put their snouts in any just to get a nibble of something."

  Harper felt the tension running through Courtney and hurried to interrupt the conversation. "That could be the case. Did you find a chip on her? Is she some kid's lost pet?"

  The vet shook his head. "No chip. That is a little odd. It's pretty standard at all shelters and legitimate breeders. But, it doesn't mean anything in and of itself."

  "Can I cut to the chase?" Courtney finally had enough.

  "Sure.”

  "You don't have enough proof to say the dog was abused in court, but I have all the proof I need. Got to say, I've gotten very protective of our little friend here and I don't want any more harm to come to her."

  "I can assure you, our local animal control is very responsible," the vet didn't like the tone Courtney was using. "She’ll be housed in the kennels, they’ll feed her once a day, and they'll allow a certain time for her owners to come and get her."

  "And, if they don't?" Harper asked knowing the answer.

  The vet shrugged. "If you're asking if it’s some kind of fancy dancy no kill shop then no. The animal will be euthanized if it isn’t adopted out within a week. The shelter here deals with hundreds of unwanted animals every month. They have strict rules about overcrowding."

  "No fuckin' way that is going to happen to our baby!" Courtney was livid.

  "Watch your language,
ma'am. This is a Christian establishment," the vet's cheeks went red with anger. "And it's a dog, not a baby. It doesn’t have a soul. That’s what’s said in the good book. We'll do what we can, but at the end of the day, it's just an animal."

  Harper took the opportunity to jump into the conversation. "Dr. Morris, what my partner is trying to say is," Harper emphasized the word ‘partner’ and saw a look of distaste cross the vet's face. "We can provide her with a good, stable home. I can give you my vet's name back in Massachusetts to vouch for us, if needed. We intend to take the dog with us after you give her the shots she needs to be up to date."

  The vet sneered, "That ain't how I'm inclined to do things. We do things good and proper here."

  "Understood," Harper continued and kept Courtney quiet with a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. "But, I'm sure there is something to make you more inclined to do this our way. What will it take?"

  He gave a contemptuous sneer. "You Yankees are all alike. Pushing good folks around to do your own agenda. Well, fine. I'll tell you what it will take. I want five hundred dollars upfront." The vet snapped. "That’s cash, right now, in my hand. And, that is over the cost of the visit."

  "Done," Courtney stuffed her hand into her jeans and pulled out a wad of cash. Turning slightly away from the man, she pulled off a stack of bills and placed them on the examination table.

  "Shit, should have figured you'd have more than that in your pocket what with that fancy car and all." The vet cursed his lowball price.

  Courtney smiled as she scratched behind the dog’s ear. "Don't feel bad. We would have walked away without him if you asked for six."

  "Right, like you would have just walked out of here. People like you are just dog nuts because you don't know how to have real human relationships. You don't even know how to have sex the way it ought to be done. You're all screwed up in the head."

  "Then it's your lucky day. Our little perversion has made you five hundred dollars richer. Now, if could you give our girl her shots, we’re just a little pressed for time." Courtney stated in a flat even tone.

  The man hissed between his teeth as he turned to the page in the file where the rabies vaccination would be recorded. "What's the dog's name?"

  "Boston," Courtney said, and the dog wagged her tail.

  "Figures," the vet mumbled as he went to retrieve the syringes. "Flaming liberal freaks from the most fag controlled state in the Union."

  Harper saw Courtney bite down on what was most certainly a stinging rebuttal. Harper knew it was only a matter of time before Courtney would finally lose it and rip into the man, and while letting Courtney teach the red neck, cow fucker a lesson about fucking with them did hold some appeal, Harper didn't want trouble. The vet could still call the deal off and take the dog from them. The pup would not be safe until they were on the road again.

  "Honey," Harper said to Courtney as she wrapped an arm around the other woman’s waist, causing a shiver of revulsion to run down the man’s spine. "Why don't you go outside and settle the bill? That way, as soon as the vet finishes the shots, we can get out of his hair, and he never has to see us again."

  "That's the best idea you've had since you walked in here this morning with that dog," the vet chimed in with a glare. "Tell Clara at the desk your total is two hundred and fifty cash. I don’t do credit."

  Courtney shot Harper an evil look, but left the room. With Harper holding the dog still, the vet quickly finished up with minimum fuss. Still Harper could almost swear the dog was pushing its thin body against her every time the vet moved. Between shots, the man muttered curses under his breath as he scribbled down his notes. Once he was finished, he handed the file over to Harper.

  "Take this and don't come back ever, you hear. And tell your fairy friends to stay the hell away. I don't need to do business with your kind." The man paused for a moment while Harper cradled the dog into her arms. "And, if you even think of calling the stinking liberties disunion on me, I'll tell Petey where to find you and his dog, and I can guarantee that he’ll be mighty grateful for that piece of information. People in these parts don’t take kindly to outsiders coming in and causing trouble."

  "You know, it ain't bright to threaten shit to somebody you don't even know."

  "What's to know? You’re just a couple of dykes with more money than brains looking to cause trouble for real men trying to keep their families fed."

  "Oh," Harper smiled grotesquely. "Courtney is loaded, she comes from old money, and yes, she’s a solid upstanding citizen, won’t jaywalk if she could help it. But, she has a weakness for damaged things, like that dog or me for instance. You see, I’m not from old money. My folks were shit poor, and I’ve got nothing in the way of an upbringing. In fact, I'm just out of the hospital for my last mental evaluation. Seems people think I'm a danger to myself.” Harper let the smile slip from her face. “Or was it to others? I don’t rightly remember because I'm not responsible for my actions, which is why Massachusetts doesn't like the idea of me having a gun. But, that ain't the case in this great state of Florida. You guys even have that, stand your ground rule. Beauty of that is, I could say I feel all threatened by you and blast you out of your shoes, and I probably wouldn't even have to show up in court.”

  "Get out," the vet tried to sound confident, but he was beginning to sweat. "And don't you come back."

  "I hope that means you won't give me a reason to come back and pay you another visit. Gotta love a state without waiting periods. Cause, when you want a gun, you want it like now. Know what I mean?" "

  "Get out of my office!" The vet was now ashen face and visibly shaken. "Clara, Clara, we’re done. See this customer out."

  Harper smirked, "No need for the fine southern hospitality. I can find my own way out."

  Without a backward glance, Harper walked past the frazzled woman in the vet’s reception and through the sliding glass doors to the car waiting outside. Carefully tucking the excited dog under her left arm, Harper managed to get the passenger door open and flopped into the seat with her wiggling package. Courtney smiled as she reached forward to help Harper pull the door close, before adjusting her earpiece. Harper realized Courtney was on the phone.

  "Beckerman, it most certainly is possible. I checked the website. Just make the call and have things ready for me when I get there later today. It will be early evening at the latest." Courtney listened impatiently to the voice on the other end of the line. Harper watched as the other woman’s jaw clenched tight, and her long fingers began rapidly tapping the steering wheel. "Listen, it isn’t rocket science. If you can't handle this simple arrangement for me, I'm going to need to rethink your value to the team. I promise you, I could have this done in two phone calls tops. Yes, I'm sure you can figure it out. Text me the info when you confirm the arrangements." She hung up without another word.

  "Everything okay?" Harper asked as she reached over and gently rubbed the back of Courtney’s neck. “Fuck, you always this tense?”

  Courtney moaned softly. "God, you’re good. Everything’s fine. Just my PA running his mouth as usual. I told him to book a kennel at Graeme’s World. He said he doubted he could get one on such short notice. Can you believe that? Before he even tries, he's ready to give up."

  "Kids today," Harper chuckled. “Don’t know what impossible is.”

  "Well, with the expensive Liberal Arts degree he has, he'll be cleaning toilets with a toothbrush if he fucks this up."

  “Wow, kinda tough on the help aren’t we?”

  “Well, I just want things to be perfect.”

  “Pumpkin, they already are. Isn’t that true, Boston?”

  The dog’s tail began to wag vigorously at the sound of her name. Both women laughed.

  “What did you and the guy back there talk about?”

  “Oh he was giving me some dog grooming tips.”

  “Harper, don’t lie to me. You didn’t threaten him did you?” Courtney asked.

  “Me? Threaten somebody? Really, are you asking me
that?"

  “You didn’t threaten him then?”

  “I didn’t threaten to hurt him.”

  “Wait a minute, I'm hearing a subtle difference here.”

  “Yup.”

  “Harper, what did you say to the man.”

  “I just mentioned I was in the market for a gun, and I'm not entirely mentally stable.”

  “You threatened to shoot him? Should I be worried?’

  “Absolutely not,” Harper stated with certainty.

  “You sure.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “And I can trust you on that?” Courtney asked.

  In reply, Harper leaned over and quietly kissed Courtney on the nose causing the other woman to blush slightly.

  "Okay," Courtney cleared her throat, her face flushed a deep shade of pink. "I’m going to take your word for it. Ladies, time to get back on the road. Sit back and relax, because the next stop is Graeme’s World!"

  "The Land of the Sugar Gliders," Harper mumbled. It was a joke from years before. A lifetime before going away to college, getting her first job, her own place. But, it was a memory she would not be able to scribble down. Try as she might, she could not write it down on the map with her arms full of happy, bouncing dog. Then it suddenly struck her that it didn’t matter if she didn’t commit the memory from long ago onto paper, she was finally living a moment in an adventure worth remembering.

  ***

  "Wow," Harper's jaw dropped.

  Courtney glanced at Harper in surprise then quickly switched her focus back to the road leading to the gateway to Graeme’s World. "What? I thought you were here before. What’s wrong? Why are you surprised?"

  "You know how people say things are always better in your memory? That reality is usually a big letdown?" Harper whispered the next few words, "But, this is so much better than I remember it. It’s beautiful."

  Courtney reached over and squeezed Harper's hand as it rested on a small pile of sleeping fur. "I'm glad it’s more than what you expected."