Puppy Love

by Gloria Herrmann

  It was now Friday, which meant Tiffany could let off some steam with her girls as they celebrated Friendship Friday. It was this thing they’d always done since forever. The girls would meet at one of their homes, the hostess would provide lots of lovely carb-infused snacks, one of them would pick out a cheesy romance movie and one would bring the booze. It was a grown-up slumber party with all the trimmings. It was all about lounging around in pajamas with no makeup, messy hair and getting drunk while gorging on forbidden foods. Basically, it was the best day of the week. Even with Molly wrapped up in everything Owen, she still managed to set aside time for her besties and that even included their special Friday nights.

  If she could just get through the day, Tiffany knew that there were drinks waiting at the finish line for her. After this nightmare of a week, it couldn’t come quick enough. She eyed her cell phone and saw that it was only ten in the morning. Tiffany groaned out loud and a few seconds later her office door was nudged open and in strutted Sir McCartney.

  “You…get out,” she ordered. He plopped down on the floor, letting his hanging jowls fan out on her floor. His chocolate eyes looked up at her and his fat tongue folded out. Nope, he wasn’t going anywhere. She huffed. How am I expected to work when this dog just waltzes in and does whatever he wants? To be fair, he wasn’t doing a whole lot of anything. In fact, he did nothing at all. It was all the heavy breathing and snoring that annoyed her, as well as the simple invasion of her personal space. This creature was an extension of Colin and she wanted nothing to do with him or his master.

  Tiffany crinkled up her nose as a foul odor released into her office. “You are just plain nasty, you know that?”

  Tiffany rose from her chair and stepped over the brown lump to get through to Colin’s office. She saw him bent over his desk, his eyes trained on some papers in front of him. He had his reading glasses on, which meant he was fully focused and was not to be disturbed. The glasses only added to his sex appeal. Tiffany had to admit the nerdy black frames only made him look more intelligent and hotter. Damn.

  She cleared her throat and begged for the butterflies in her stomach to go away. He frowned then looked up. Colin slowly peeled the glasses from his eyes, holding them loosely between his fingers. Well, that is wickedly hot. It took everything inside Tiffany to not shove those papers off his desk and attack him. Settle down, girl. She was going to have to rely on her trusty battery-operated boyfriend to get her through.

  “Yes?”

  “Your dog is in my office.”

  “So?” He shrugged and threw her an annoyed glare.

  “Well, I’m not quite sure how I’m expected to work while he keeps…um…well…passing gas.” There was no nice way of putting it.

  “His farts are awful, aren’t they? I’m terribly sorry. I tried switching him to different food hoping it would be a little gentler on his belly,” Colin explained like a concerned father. Tiffany could care less about his diet. She wanted the dog out of her space. Now.

  “Do you mind removing him?”

  “Oh, Tiffany, come on. Pauly likes you.” Colin motioned toward her office. She turned and looked to see little brown legs fully extended behind him as he rested in a comfortable position. “Look how happy he is there.” The tiny nub of a tail had started to move at the mention of his name.

  “Why don’t you make him your assistant?” Tiffany offered sarcastically.

  Colin rolled his eyes and placed his glasses back on his face. “Was there anything else?”

  “Yeah, you removing that little stink bomb from my office,” she said with a bit more bravado than she’d intended.

  Colin huffed. “Come here, Pauly. This mean lady doesn’t want you in her office anymore.” The dog didn’t budge. Colin returned his focus on the papers in front of him and said, “See? I told you he likes you. He doesn’t want to be out here with me.”

  “That’s not my problem.”

  “Take it up with Sir McCartney.”

  Seriously? There had to be something in the employee handbook that said something about this type of nonsense. Employee abuse, maybe?

  Tiffany stomped away and went back into her office that now smelled like nothing but foul dog farts. She fished through her purse that was hanging behind the door to see if she had some perfume or body mist to try and neutralize the air. Nothing. Now she had to tolerate the stench. Note to self…purchase air freshener, immediately.

  She looked down at the sleeping English bulldog and tried to nudge him with her toe. “Hey, you, Sir McCartney. Time to hit the road, pal.”

  He opened his eyes briefly, then resumed his snooze. He had no desire to move or be bothered by her.

  She tried again, this time a little more forcefully. “Wake up, you.” Slowly the dog rose from the floor, pausing to stretch in some sort of weird canine yoga pose. He then shook with total excitement, wiggling and shaking his entire stubby and fat body. Tiffany pushed him away and he looked at her again, a pained expression in his eyes as he strolled out. She was hit by a brief moment of guilt, but then Tiffany shut the door and was glad to be rid of the stinky pest. Or am I? She kind of missed him the moment he was gone. A teensy part of her had to admit Sir McCartney was so ugly that he was cute.

  Chapter Six

  “I will gladly take another, my dear,” Tiffany replied as she held up her empty glass to Molly.

  “These mudslides are pretty amazing.” Mackenzie slurped more from her glass, draining it of the chocolate concoction then handing it off, now empty.

  “They go down so easily, too,” Tiffany commented as she enjoyed her growing buzz.

  They were inside the large living room at Molly’s. Well, it had been Owen’s place first. The home was gorgeous. It was rustic, comfortable and had enough of a modern flare for Tiffany’s taste. She remembered how afraid Molly had been when it had come time to decide whether or not to move in.

  Tiffany watched as Molly poured more of the chocolate goodness from a thick glass pitcher into each of their tall glasses. The kitchen and dining room were part of the living room. It was a large space, but the flow was easy and great for entertaining. She couldn’t help but notice how relaxed Molly was in the space, just fluttering about in the kitchen barefoot. This was definitely her home now.

  “Have I mentioned how much I love this house?” Tiffany said when Molly returned to the table.

  “Only like a million times,” Molly replied as she handed Tiffany a drink. “Hey, why don’t we take this party outside to the deck?”

  Mackenzie and Tiffany agreed. A little cool air would be lovely. That was the thing about summers in Seattle. They were glorious and absolutely perfect, a reward for putting up with all the crummy rain the remainder of the year.

  Once outside, Molly lit a few candles and they all sat around a glass patio table. The stress and frustration from the entire week melted away as her drink slid down her throat. God, she needed this. She needed her girls. They were the one constant in her life.

  “You are totally avoiding the elephant in the living room. What’s up with Murphy?” Mackenzie asked playfully. “I know I haven’t had to post bail money yet, so I’m assuming things are better.”

  Tiffany nearly choked on her beverage. “Ha! Far from it. Mac, I still might be hitting you up for that bail.”

  “How is he that awful?” Molly asked with a confused expression on her face. “Such a shame. From the way you describe him, he sounds super-hot.” Molly fanned herself as she took another sip.

  “He’s hot, but you wouldn’t believe the crap he pulled on me this week. So he tells me to go and get his boy…” Tiffany started to tell the story, but both Mackenzie and Molly stared at her in surprise.

  “He has a son? How did I not hear about this until now?” Molly asked.

  Tiffany laughed and took a large gulp of her drink. “Oh, you just wait. It gets much better.”

  She proceeded to explain the whole encounter with Sir McCartney, every last detail about how she scoured t
hat plush condo high and low for a toddler that didn’t exist and how she had to entice the stubborn bulldog to follow her back out to the car. Tiffany went on to tell them how much Colin doted on Sir McCartney and what a little stinker that bulldog was. Both were too busy laughing by the end of Tiffany’s tale.

  “Oh dear, that’s crazy. I love the name, though.” Mackenzie giggled and shook her head, her blonde hair swinging against her tan shoulders. “This Murphy fella is rather clever. You gotta give him that.”

  “I still don’t get the whole Paul McCartney thing, but whatever floats his boat.”

  “The Beatles, Tiff. He must be a huge fan. Plus, Paul McCartney kinda looks a little like an English bulldog,” Molly explained.

  “I personally thought he looked more like Angela Lansbury,” Mackenzie added with a wink.

  “Now that’s funny, Mac.” Molly covered her mouth as she laughed hard.

  “I still don’t get it. Evidently, I live under a rock. Who is Angela Lansbury?” Tiffany asked.

  They both looked at her like she was crazy.

  Molly grabbed Tiffany’s arm and said, “Seriously, Tiff? You’re joking, right?”

  Tiffany shook her head. “I don’t have the faintest idea who she is.”

  “Murder She Wrote? Bedknobs and Broomsticks? Beauty and the Beast, for Pete’s sake,” Mackenzie rattled off. “Any of these ring a bell?”

  “Maybe.” Then she shook her head. “Nope, not really.”

  “How do you not know who she is? She’s a friggin’ legend, Tiff,” Molly added.

  Tiffany felt dumb and out of touch. Usually she was the one that knew all the latest trends.

  Mackenzie shoved her large cell phone under Tiffany’s nose. “Here, look. That’s her.”

  “Oh, I know who she is,” Tiffany answered. “So Paul McCartney looks like her?”

  “Gimme my phone. I’ll show you.” She slid her finger across the screen. The light from the phone washed her face in a blue light. “Here.” She handed the phone back to Tiffany.

  “Oh shit,” Tiffany let out, then burst into laughter. “He totally does.”

  “Told ya.” Mackenzie seemed quite satisfied with herself.

  “He does look like Sir McCartney,” Tiffany stated frankly.

  “That’s because he is,” Molly said.

  “No, Colin’s bulldog. It’s the jowls.” Tiffany grabbed her cheeks to emphasize her point.

  None of them could hold it together and started to break out into hysterical laughter, something that happened every Friday night without fail. Thank God for Friendship Fridays.

  * * * *

  The weekend sailed by far too quickly for Tiffany’s liking. It was Monday and her office smelled like Sir McCartney—aka Angela Lansbury, when Colin wasn’t within earshot.

  “God, you smell,” Tiffany informed the snoring dog as she sprayed more air freshener. She looked at the meaty lump that refused to leave her office. “What am I going to do with you?”

  She returned her attention to a series of emails that needed to be answered. Fully absorbed by an inbox of countless messages, Tiffany was startled by the knock on her door. Colin popped his head in.

  “Tiffany, you have a moment?”

  “Sure, feel free to join us.” She pointed at the bulldog that was deep into his nap.

  “Aww, he adores you,” Colin said, a smile on his face as he stepped carefully over his dog.

  “Yeah, lucky me.”

  “It is kind of foul smelling in here. You should probably get that sorted,” he suggested as he pinched his nose.

  “Me? I have a solution. Get your dog out of my office.” She smiled at him sweetly.

  “Oh, you’d miss his company,” Colin teased as he leaned back in the chair, crossing one leg over the other, making himself comfortable.

  Tiffany was surprised how at ease she was beginning to feel with him. Maybe things wouldn’t be so terrible after all. It would help matter if she weren’t so damn attracted to him.

  “I can’t even close my door because he moans when I do. Have you found him a baby sitter yet?”

  “Actually, that’s why I needed to speak to you. I need to fly out for a business meeting and I need you to look after our wee lad while I’m away.”

  “Excuse me? Um, Colin, I know I’m your assistant, but dog-watching is not something I’m interested in doing.”

  “You get along famously with him. You two won’t even notice that I’m gone. Besides, it’s only for a few days. I can’t be away from my boy for too long.” Colin looked down lovingly.

  “Colin, maybe I have plans. Did you ever consider that?” she complained.

  He gave her a knowing look. “Then change them.”

  Tiffany rolled her eyes then thought of an idea. “My apartment building doesn’t allow pets,” she lied.

  “Like Mr. Sprinkles?” He raised his eyebrows at her.

  “Cats are okay, but not dogs. I could lose my apartment if they catch me with Mr. Stinky over there.”

  “Well, you can stay at my condo.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  “Why not?”

  Unable to think quickly on her feet, she waved the proverbial white flag. “Fine. I’ll watch him.”

  “Good. I’ll have a car bring you by tonight.”

  “Wait, what? Tonight?”

  Colin smiled as he rose from the chair. “Yes, tonight.”

  “I’ll drive myself. And thanks for the ample notice, Colin,” she said.

  “Anytime, love.” Just like that he left her office, leaving her with a snoring Sir McCartney.

  Tiffany released a huge sigh. “So it’ll be me and you for a few days. Think we can keep the farting to a minimum?” As if right on cue, he let out a small toot. “Gross.” Tiffany reached into a drawer and retrieved the air freshener. She hesitated after spraying the scented mist. “Might as well leave this out, buddy.”

  * * * *

  She pressed the doorbell button. Even that looked expensive. Tiffany smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles on her skirt. Her feet were killing her as she stood there waiting, but that was a small price to pay. The shoes were gorgeous. Her outfit might very well be on point, but she knew her hair was anything but. It had started out in a perfect French twist, but by lunch it had been hanging loose and now it was in an awful sloppy bun. She hadn’t had time to change or make herself cute before picking up her stinky bundle of joy.

  Why did I have to get roped into watching this dog? It really was quite a bit to ask of her. If this dog was Colin’s pride and joy, why did he trust her with him? Tiffany gritted her teeth as she pressed the doorbell again and waited. She heard movement this time and when the door opened, there stood Colin and she melted, just a little. Why does this man have this effect on me? He was dressed casually, jeans and a plain, gray-cotton T-shirt. His hair was damp and she could smell the light hint of soap. It all brought her back to the hotel suite. So much had happened recently, Tiffany began to question if she’d even ended up in that room with this same guy. Was any of it real?

  “Tiffany, I was worried you might have tried to skip out on us,” he teased. Colin moved to the side and ushered her inside.

  Something smelled delicious and Tiffany’s stomach gurgled. That’s embarrassing. It dawned on her that she hadn’t eaten anything since lunch.

  “It smells wonderful in here. I didn’t realize you could cook,” Tiffany commented as she stood awkwardly in the entrance of the condo. She noticed even more of the elegant details of the home as she waited for Colin to get Sir McCartney. Tiffany wished he would hurry so that she could be on her way.

  “Glad you think so, because I cooked dinner for us.” Colin moved past her and motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen that was just off the living room.

  “Oh, that’s okay. I’m not hungry,” she lied as her nerves went wild.

  “That’s not what your stomach said a moment ago.”

  “Yeah, but remember what you told me about m
ixing business and pleasure,” Tiffany countered with more sass than she’d intended. Colin pointed toward some stools and she took a seat on one that was in front of a breakfast bar topped with granite. She watched Colin peek in the oven, looking very domestic with an oven mitt and completely unlike the man she was getting to know as the new CEO of Blue Moose Coffee.

  “Tiffany, this is dinner—food, nothing more.” He closed the oven and grabbed two glasses from a cabinet. “Wine?”

  Is that really such a good idea? Obviously, alcohol was what had gotten her into the mess she was in with him.

  “Maybe just water. I really can’t stay long.”

  Colin threw her a sly grin. “Why? Do you have plans?”

  “No.” She couldn’t help but feel like she had walked into a trap. “I just think that maybe—”

  “We’re not thinking. We’re eating.” He opened a bottled water and poured it into one of the wine glasses he had set in front of her. Colin then poured himself some red wine. Its rich and robust scent wafted toward Tiffany.

  “Colin, can we talk?”

  “Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?” he teased as he swirled his drink and sniffed at it.

  “Well, not really. I really want to discuss—” she started and he held his hand up.

  “Nothing happened.” His eyes, dark and smoky, suggested that something had, but the slight frown told her that Colin was being completely honest.

  “Really? So we didn’t…you know?” Tiffany asked.

  “Nope. Your virtue is fully intact, as is mine. Well, from that night, anyway.” Colin grinned and gave her a sexy wink.