“Now? I thought…” It didn't make sense, but she grabbed her purse when Lee motioned toward the door.
“We have to pick up a little something first.”
Feeling a tad nervous, she climbed into Lee’s Mustang. The last time they left the office, they became embroiled in a most unusual adventure. What was he so eager to pick up along the way, prophylactics? Did he think scheduling a date was the same as having already gone on one? Fuming at the nerve of his macho ego, she couldn't help wonder where they would wind up next.
Jumping on Key Highway, they sputtered through construction delays, leaving Maryland behind and shooting past the District of Columbia on 495, at last merging on Route 1 toward Virginia.
When the ignition cut off, Galaxy was staring at a taupe Colonial with the iconic picket fence, columned porch, pretty slate shutters and an Alexandria Realtors sign staked on the lawn.
Stepping out, she was hesitant but couldn't contain her curiosity. “Fitzy lives here?”
“No, you'll see.”
“It's a bit fast for us to be shacking up, isn't it?”
When he laughed, she sighed relief that he got the joke, although she was still a little wary it could be true.
The doorbell summoned a barking dog, followed by a blonde woman slightly younger than Lee. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. A small boy pushed past, happy to see him.
Gal’s heart sunk. He said he wasn’t married, but she never asked if he ever had been. She eyed the child, an anxious pang tightening her chest.
Lee turned to see Gal’s bewildered face and was about to explain when the boy shouted, “Unca Ree, come see the Rego Deaf Star I just builded…”
Gal exhaled in relief. The kid hung off his arm as they shuffled inside. Uncle Monkey Bars introduced Gal to his sister Lainey and nephew Travis, who didn't waste time pulling him into the open family room.
“Elaine,” his sister corrected, extending her hand. “Well, technically it's Shelby Elaine, but he still calls me by my kid nickname.” She rolled her eyes in his direction. “Leland, it’s not like I still call you Bubba.”
Gal snickered at both names, childhood banter alive and well.
“Touché, Hermit Crab.”
“I was a bookworm and didn't get out much, so the kids in town cleverly cooked that one up.”
“I was head chef,” Lee admitted with a wink, snapping Legos together.
“Well, you can call me Lainey if you want. It's so nice to meet you. Lee never brings girlfriends over.”
“Likewise, but we're just co-workers,” she blushed. “Did you go abroad for finishing school, too? Were you—what do they call it—a debutante?”
“Oh, yes, we had to suffer through those pesky etiquette classes, but we didn't go to finishing school.” Pouring coffee, she placed a hand on her hip, addressing Lee with a laugh as he strolled into the kitchen. “Are you still trying to impress the ladies with that line?”
“Why, you phony…” Gal smacked his arm, amused.
“Hey, you were the one to guess it. I just played along.”
“He did get sent away, though. That much is true. Pops shipped him off to military school one summer after he set the neighbor's barn on fire.”
Gal about sprayed them with a mouthful. “You did not!”
Lee looked sheepish. “I told you I was hell on wheels.”
“He and a bunch of hooligans swiped old Zebadiah's tractor, plow and tiller and the morons decided to race. I don’t know what you were thinking.”
“Wrong day to be bored. I bet them the tractor could outrun horsepower. We were fourteen and all hyped about cars. Horsepower sounded so fast, you know? We wanted to see for ourselves.” Guffawing at the stupidity, he continued. “Well, the horses were dragged down by all that hardware so even clocking the max at 25 mph, I was whizzing right past the beasts. But Billy Bob's horse got spooked and made a sudden turn. I over-corrected to avoid him, crashing into the barn, which ignited like kindling!”
“Goodness, Lee! Did you get hurt?” Gal reached out, stroking his arm in concern, but had to admit she liked this side of him.
“He got banged up, but it was the hay bales that saved you, wasn't it?” Lainey rose to pluck a basket of just-baked muffins from the island, not missing a clue. Coworkers, my foot!
“Hay? That's flammable, isn't it?”
“Yes, but the tractor plowed right into a stack of the stuff, creating a makeshift tunnel, padding me before completely incinerating. Billy's quick grab of the fire extinguisher saved the day. I was fortunate to walk away with a few first degree burns, stitches and a dislocated knee. But boy, old man Zeb was pissed!”
“No doubt. He made you boys work off the damage instead of pressing charges. You're lucky he was so lenient. Plus Pops promised him he'd have you whipped into shape at the Academy.”
“West Point?” Gal asked, tearing off a hunk of strudel topping.
“Marine Military Academy. And yes, it’s as strict as it sounds. Hated it at first but it wasn't all bad. There was time for outdoor fun. I ended up doing the last three years of high school there, and it did inspire me to go to West Point so I can't say I regretted it. Put me on the right path.” Grabbing a crumbly treat, he turned it upside to eat bottom first.
Galaxy was impressed. “Wow, you really turned things around. Wait, you said shoving a kid into a locker got you banished.”
“Oh, a caboodle of crime got me exiled. The barn was just the last straw.”
The women groaned as he collected the cups and saucers and washed them in the sink. “So, how’s the house sale going?”
“Slow, but I’m glad we have this showing this morning. It’s impossible to keep the house clean with a four-year-old.” Just then the sheepdog lumbered in, showing off a rawhide rope toy, plunking himself down with a loud thud. “And especially this guy! I’m so glad you offered to take Harold to the park today.”
Gal’s head was spinning from this strange detour. “We came to pick up Harold?”
“Yes, it helps them out and also gives us a little break from the office,” he nudged. “It’s so stuffy being cooped up in a cubicle.”
“Oh, right,” Gal nodded. “That's a great idea! It’s a beautiful spring day, so a park break sounds lovely.” She bent down to pet the dog, who resembled a mop. His eyes were hard to see through all the fleece.
“Thanks, Lee. Stay for lunch when you bring him back. You too, uh, Galaxy was it?”
Gal was amazed she got it right, despite Lainey’s transparent tone. “I know, strange right? My mother's life dream was to become an astronaut but in those Ukrainian times she was discouraged. So she’s a science teacher.”
“Oh, it’s a shame she had to give it up.” Lainey clipped Harold’s leash on him and handed the reins to Lee.
“Yeah, but she's happy teaching. She says rockets would’ve made her space sick anyway!”
Lee listened as the girls laughed, wondering if any of it was true. It sounded credible enough, but with secret agents, you never could tell.
“Okay, Sis, got to run. Good luck! I hope this is the bite you need to sell the house.”
Out on the porch, Gal quipped, “I hope it's the only thing that bites.”
“Ol' Harry here is a harmless rug,” he assured, giving the dog an affectionate scratch. It took both of them to squeeze him into the car.
“Why exactly are we bringing the dog with us?” Gal asked between sloppy kisses from her new friend.
“You’ll see,” Lee hinted as they drove into the city.
Gal wasn't sure she was up for another surprise.
They parked, then went for a stroll. Harold was in his glory, running to each hydrant and cherry blossom tree until he spotted a squirrel. He made a mad dash for the rodent, nearly pulling Lee's arm out of the socket. Gal chased after them, heels in hand.
When she caught up at a corner, her hair had escaped the loose bun but Lee’s demise was much worse—a jumbled mess with three other dog leads wrapped around
his legs, tying up his ankles.
“Oh no, the dog walker!” Gal fretted, their lie the day before coming true. She tried unraveling the cords before he tripped but got wound up too. The canine chaos only made things worse as Lee and Gal faced each other tethered in knots. When they fell together, Gal on top, tumultuous waves spilling over her face, they both started laughing.
“What were you saying about Twister?” she teased.
“Hmm, nice… pink zebra!”
She looked down to see her push-up bra playing peekaboo. Lee couldn’t resist and kissed her anyway. It was a good thing all the barking and traffic reminded them they were on a public street.
“Cool your biscuits, hombre,” Gal ribbed, feeling the usual arousal. “So…this is why we went out of our way to pick up your sister’s dog?”
“No, he is!” Lee gestured to the figure standing over them, unknotting the labyrinth of leashes.
Chapter Nine
G al looked up and realized the dog walker she had seen yesterday wasn’t female after all, although he did sport the same shock of black curly hair and lime green tourist hoodie. It was odd attire for a man in his fifties.
Once the bunch of loops loosened, they stepped out of the woven mess, thanking him for the rescue.
“I hope none of the pups were hurt,” she offered, brushing off her skirt and readjusting her fuchsia top with the cloak collar.
“They seem to be fine.” The nervous man with the nasal voice examined each paw. He straightened, sliding his round, wire frames up the bridge of his nose, looking more like a mad scientist than someone who exercised canines.
“This is embarrassing,” Lee began. “I was bringing you a client. I heard you were the best around.”
“Oh thanks, is that what you heard? These pooches are my best friends. They’re all I have.” His brown eyes clouded over.
“I can tell you love them,” Gal said. “We feel the same about Harold.” She ruffled his frayed yarn.
“I do. They’re the only ones who listen to me. They never interrupt. No one else takes me seriously.” He gave the canines a quick scratch behind the ears, then sensing he was disclosing too much, flipped back to professional mode. “Well, my rate is fifty an hour. I’m Fitz, by the way,” he introduced himself. “From Kennedy Kennels and Dog Walking.”
“Oh, I’m Lee-um-Louis, and this is… Gail,” Lee stammered, sharing a knowing smile with Galaxy, who wanted to slug him.
Fitz shook their hands. “Glad to meet you, Liam Louis and Gail.” He whispered their names three times. When he saw their skeptical expressions, he explained. “Oh, that’s a memory trick.”
“I'll have to try that sometime. Did you say Kennedy Kennels? Must be great for business in this area. Are you related to the former president?” Gal asked, not wasting time.
Fitz squirmed. “Well, I am, not that anyone believes me. That’s the problem!” He scrunched his brows and Gal could see a fleck of anger in his pupils as he yanked a clump of hair.
“I suppose there are a lot of Kennedys out there,” Lee suggested. “All trying to get a piece of the prestigious pie.”
“But I bet if everyone traced their roots, it would lead to the same family tree,” Gal soothed, not wanting to ignite any craziness. It was obvious Fitzy was a lit fuse.
“But I truly am! I’m a direct descendant of JFK. My mother was famous too, you know, but they just wanted to cover that up. A big hush-hush over politics and Hollywood. So not fair! They still want to snuff me out even though they're both long gone.” He kicked a metal trash receptacle.
“I’m sure you are, Fitz.” Gal patted his arm. “Wait—Fitz, is your actual name, Fitzgerald, as in your father’s middle name? Has anyone done a DNA test? There must be a way to prove it.”
Fitz ran his free hand through his unruly hair. “Yes, it is, not that anyone will listen to me to even try it.” His left eye twitched. It was starting to spasm, and he didn’t want to make a bad first impression, so he pretended to adjust his lopsided glasses. “Hey, don’t worry about me. I have my business and furry friends to keep me busy. If I didn’t have this, I’d die of loneliness. Did you want me to walk your dog too?” He reached for the leash.
“Well, to be truthful, we’d like to get to know you better before we entrust our dog to you,” Lee stated. “Do you have a business license or something we can see?”
Fitz looked suspicious. “Wait a minute. Are you two cops or something? What’s your deal? Did those White House narcs hire you to trail me? I swear, I only tried putting pressure on them to give me my rightful heritage. It wasn’t a threat as they say. I didn't mean to set the flag on fire. Honest.”
“Oh my, Fitz. No, we aren’t cops but how did that happen?” Gal exchanged a troubled glance with her partner. No wonder Anita seemed upset that he was on the premises.
“I got mad when they tried escorting me out the door. I had a lighter in my pocket. It calms me to flick it. I guess I went too far because it flared up instead. I'm a smoker. I know, I know, I'm trying to quit. But never mind me, it's not important. We are here for the dogs.”
“Oh wow. Did your pants catch fire?” Lee meant it sincerely but couldn't help feeling amused at the double meaning.
“No, it was in my hand, thank goodness. I just happened to be close to the drapes.”
“Those too?” Gal's stomach knotted. This was getting out of hand fast.
He reached again for the leash.
“We just don’t know where you live or where you’ll take Harold. What’s your route, you know, in case we need to pick him up early?” Lee was reluctant to hand over the dog as if he ever intended to.
“Yeah, the last walker we hired didn’t run her charges. She just tied the dogs to a bicycle rack while she sipped away at the cyber cafe,” Galaxy fibbed. Lee was impressed, almost believing it until he remembered they only borrowed Harold a few minutes ago.
Fitz looked them over carefully. “So, what do you want to know? I gotta start moving. The natives are getting restless.” He motioned to the two collies and Great Dane who were starting to wrestle.
“We’ll walk with you. So, where’s your main office?” Gal was wary of the herd ahead, not wanting to trip again.
“I work from home. All I need is a cell phone, no overhead cost. My place doesn’t allow pets, so this business is the best of both worlds.”
“So, there aren't any kennels? That's false advertising,” Lee probed, testing tempered waters.
“Well, no, it's just the name of the b-b-business. Like a t-title of a b-book, right?” Fitz stood his ground but showed signs of distress.
“Book titles hint at what books are about,” Lee agitated. “If I was reading Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace and it was about a flower arranging elf, I'd be pretty damn mad.”
Beads of sweat dampened his hairline. “Oh, man,” he whined, pulling on his upper lip. “I never thought about it th-that way. Is it against the l-aw?”
“No, it's not, Fitz,” Gal reassured, patting his arm. “Companies do it all the time.”
Lee glared, exasperated. What was she doing? He tried again. “So, you spend all day with mutts, huh? It must get lonely.”
“Yeah, don't you crave human interaction?” Gal added, nervously following his lead.
“Well, yeah, of course,” he trembled, a shadow ebbing over him. “It just doesn't work out. People tend to write me off. They -t-tell me I g-give off a w-weird vibe.” He looked like he would become unglued at any moment. Would he unveil more information about his life? Lee and Gal were on the edge of their seats. Just then, they turned a corner and Fitz adjusted the leashes. “I’m having an interaction now with you unless you’re not human?”
“You got me there,” Gal smiled, feigning a laugh. “But what I meant is, do you have a significant other? It’s so much better to share your life with someone special.” She made doe eyes at Lee.
Fitz followed her gaze, a tad irritated. “Are you newlyweds or something?”
L
ee chuckled. “No, we’ve been married for ten years, but hey man, your private life is none of our business. Sorry if Gail was too nosy. She’s like that.”
Gal grabbed Lee's hand, forcing a bubbly smile. “Yeah, sorry Fitz. When I’m in love, I just want the whole world to be in love too.”
“Th-Th-That’s nice,” he stammered. “Well, there’s this lady who works at the bakery. I’m kinda sweet on her I guess. She gives me extra frosting when I order my daily cupcake.” Fitz stopped and pointed to a shop across the street, The Affectionary Confectionary.
“Oh, that sounds promising,” Gal squealed. “Maybe you should ask her out. I know it’s nerve-racking at first, but keep it simple.”
“Nah, I don't know. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly a ladies' man. I wouldn’t want to screw up a good thing. Look, you guys seem like nice folks, but I have to return these pups to their owners soon and pick up a few more. I haven’t done their grooming yet. I always return a dog in tip top shape—that’s the Kennedy way.”
“Well, that’s an extra benefit I’m sure their owners appreciate. You know what? I’m sure we can make a permanent arrangement to walk Harold. Right, Liam?”
“Yeah, we’ll talk it over. Nice meeting you, Fitz.” Lee extended his hand, leaving him near the diner.
“Wait just a second,” Fitz called after them, his Iditarod crew leading the way.
Lee and Gal flinched before turning around. Had he caught onto them?
He dug into his pocket, producing lint and a business card. “If you decide, give me a call. I'm out of town next week so think fast.”
On the drive back to Alexandria, Harold crammed his head out the window, drooling all over Gal’s neck. “Did I mention I’m not much of a dog person?” she asked, reaching for a tissue.
Lee grinned. “I'll add it to the list. So what did you think of Fitz?”
“He sure likes to bank on the Kennedy name.''
“Probably good for business but I'm not buying it. I don't see any resemblance to either alleged parent. Do you think he’s harmless?” They went into a tunnel, and Harold ducked back in.
Behind Frenemy Lines Page 7
