Fame

by Susan X Meagher

  “The spot we’re going to is right across the street,” Haley said as they stopped at the light.

  Piper gazed across the street, with the early evening light catching her eyes, which looked like the sky just before sunset. Blue. Definitely blue.

  “Poke?” Piper asked, tilting her head.

  “Po-kay.”

  “No matter how you pronounce it, I’ve never had it.”

  “Really? It’s all over LA.”

  Revealing a charming grin, Piper said, “I tend to stick with my favorites. There might be a poke shop two minutes from my house, but I haven’t noticed it. Is it Japanese?”

  “Hawaiian. They call it surfer’s sushi.”

  “Mmm. Hawaii. I’ve never been, but I’ve always wanted to go.”

  “I haven’t been either. Sure sounds nice though, doesn’t it?” As the light changed, Haley led the way, getting between Piper and a big truck that looked like it wanted to jump the light. Oddly, she felt protective of Piper and Delta. That wasn’t her usual way, and Piper certainly didn’t seem like a damsel in distress, but the instinct was still there.

  “Poke,” she said as they stood in front of the storefront made to look like a shack on the beach. “I can smell the…Hawaiian plants. I should have looked up what they were before I started that comment. Clearly.”

  “Since I haven’t been either, your ignorance is safe with me,” Piper assured her.

  Haley grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. “After you.” Then she followed Piper inside after spending another second checking out her butt. Still mighty fine.

  After they’d gotten their food, Haley idly played with the napkin holder wobbling on the picnic table in front of the pseudo shack. It was hard to imagine being on the beach in Hawaii when cars were whipping by belching exhaust, but when she kicked off her shoes and wiggled her toes in the sand the tables were set in, it got a little easier.

  It was a surprisingly warm evening, they had cold beers, and when Haley narrowed her focus to Piper alone, she could imagine a trade wind ruffling her hair.

  Delta was out of his carrier, repeatedly putting his little paws on Piper’s chest, stretching his tiny body out, then leaning over backwards to sniff the table. “Are you sure I can’t give him a bite?” Piper asked. “Fish is healthy, right?”

  Haley planted her elbows on the table, then set her chin on her fists, taking the time to answer thoughtfully. “A puppy’s a blank canvas. The first lines you lay down stay with him for a long time. So…if you want him begging for food every time you eat, go for it.” She watched Piper’s eyes as she looked down at the dog, clearly tempted. “He’ll probably get diarrhea, and it’ll be hard to keep him lean, but don’t let me influence you.” She laughed when she spoke those last words, seeing Piper’s eyes grow wider.

  Piper grasped Delta and tucked him against her hip. “Even though you’re subtle, I got the message. Puppy food only.”

  “That means only. You’ll have to convince your sister to do the same.”

  “Yeah.” A smirk settled onto Piper’s face. “I have tons of influence over her.” She popped a piece of tuna into her mouth, then winced. “The wasabi’s hot!”

  “That’s what makes it good.” Haley ate a piece of her own meal, with her sinuses burning from the heat. “Wow,” she said, fanning her mouth. “We’re going to need more beer.”

  “I’ll go. Back in a second,” Piper said, heading back inside with Delta tucked under her arm.

  When she returned to set a pair of beers on the table, Haley gathered herself and gave Piper the spiel. She didn’t think she’d need it, but it was always better to be too clear than not clear enough.

  “I need to follow up with a detail about our training tomorrow.” She must have sounded serious, because Piper looked at her with an alert gaze.

  “Between now and tomorrow, I might get other opportunities to do some training. I’m going to turn those down,” she said, making sure Piper was tracking. “That means I’m devoting that time to Delta. If you don’t show up, I’m going to have to charge you for an hour anyway. Is that all right?”

  Piper scratched her head as she let out a laugh. “What’s your usual percentage of flakes? Fifty?”

  “No, not nearly that high,” Haley said, relieved Piper hadn’t been offended. “But I still hate to drive somewhere only to sit around waiting for a no-show. Some people would be happy to get paid for not working, but I’m not one of them.”

  “My percentage of no-shows isn’t high either, but it’s not insignificant. I’m most amazed by the people who have a two o’clock appointment and call at two fifteen to reschedule. That happens all the time.”

  “How about the ones who can’t show because they’re sick? I’ve never met more people who get horribly ill ten minutes before they’re due to meet you. LA,” she said, shaking her head.

  “People don’t cancel appointments in Kansas?”

  “Mmm, I didn’t have this kind of job in Kansas, so I can’t speak from experience. I was always a minimum-wage serf in fast food places and things like that. The kinds of jobs we all had to suffer through.”

  “Not me,” Piper said, then shut her mouth like she was trying to catch the words that had just escaped.

  “What kinds of jobs did you have?”

  “Um, none,” she said quickly. “I was babysitting for my sister until I started to work full-time.” She shrugged, adding an overly bright smile. “I escaped flipping burgers to chase a little kid around.”

  “No crummy jobs at all?”

  “Not a one. I picked my sister up at day care and was in charge of her until she went to bed.”

  “That must have helped your mom out a lot.”

  “It wasn’t bad, in retrospect. I would have preferred doing stuff with my friends, but you can’t have everything.”

  “And now you’re picking up her dog from day care. Not much has changed,” Haley said, chuckling at the resigned look on Piper’s face.

  “You tend to stick with the patterns you develop. At least we do.”

  “Just like a dog,” Haley said. “That’s why it’s important to start them off right.”

  “Then maybe I should take Delta and go back to my house. Valley people are more down-to-earth than Westsiders.”

  “You think?” Haley had spent a lot of time in the Valley, and hadn’t noticed many differences in the inhabitants.

  “Yeah, yeah. More working-class realists, versus the people who want to frolic on the beach and write bad screenplays.”

  “Don’t forget the people who buy really expensive dogs at the mall, then hand them over to strangers to turn them into perfect pets.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oops! Could you tell I was talking about you?”

  Piper leaned over and spoke softly. “I won’t tell my sister you dissed her. I’m the innocent in this game.”

  Haley locked her gaze on Delta’s big black eyes. “Are you buying that, fella?”

  As he seemed to do when addressed directly, he gave an excited little whine, then shook his head. That would be a good trick if Piper wanted to spend a little time locking it in. “That’s what I think too,” she said, chuckling. “I think Piper’s more like her sister than she cares to admit.”

  ***

  They’d finished their food, polished off two beers, introduced Delta to nearly every person who walked by, and were debating whether to take another walk for ice cream, yet Haley still hadn’t brought up the reason for the dinner. Piper didn’t want to ruin an otherwise fun night, but she had to get things settled or she’d worry about it for a week.

  “Um, do you have any ideas for getting my little guy used to being in a cage?” He was sitting on her lap, and she picked up his paws and made them move up and down like he was a tiny robot.

  “Not a lot of them,” she said, frowning. “He’s very dependent, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.” As she pondered the question, Haley distractedly picked at the label on her beer bottle
. “I know what I can’t have,” she said. “I can’t have him stuck to Heath’s leg like he was last night.”

  “I understand. You don’t want the other dogs getting jealous.”

  “Huh?” Her head tilted. “I can’t have that because a lot of the dogs we board have medical issues. You don’t want to be giving insulin shots to a dog while Delta’s dancing around your legs. It’s not safe.”

  “Oh. Heath said something about playing favorites.”

  “He’s kind of odd,” Haley said, smiling. “He’s better with dogs than humans. Something that’s true for a lot of us animal people.”

  “So? No suggestions?”

  “Not great ones.” She looked up and met Piper’s gaze. “You can’t have anyone stay at your house, huh?”

  “If they want to drive to Woodland Hills, that would be fine. I just don’t want to be responsible for my sister’s house. You know how it is,” she said, hoping that was true.

  “Yeah, I guess I do. But what if your sister gives the okay? Have you asked?”

  “No, to be honest, I haven’t. I don’t want to worry her. You know how it is when you’re away on business.” In fact, she didn’t want to tell Charlie because she’d happily let strangers into her house. She just didn’t have the proper level of suspicion that you needed once you were famous. The woman couldn’t imagine anyone screwing with her, but Piper could—easily.

  Haley stared at the carrier resting on the bench. “He’s happy with his carrier?”

  “Always,” Piper said. She put it on the table and the dog jumped in, wagging his tail and squirming around, already anticipating going somewhere fun.

  “Let’s go get some ice cream and think about this. Maybe Heath could put Delta in his carrier when he has to take another dog out of his cage.”

  “I like it,” Piper said, standing to zip Delta inside his little traveling apartment. “Do you think Heath would mind?”

  “He’s got some wacky ideas about the secret lives of dogs, but he’s pretty compliant. I’ll see if I can think of a way to make him think this was his idea. Too bad you don’t need boarding when Derrick’s on duty. Nothing fazes him.”

  Piper stood next to Haley, then followed along as she started to head west. “I really appreciate you being flexible about this,” Piper said. “I’m sure I could find a pet sitter in Woodland Hills, but I want to give the little guy some stability. He was only with my sister one day before she took off.”

  Haley turned and lifted an eyebrow, not commenting further. She was clearly a pro who’d learned to keep her mouth shut about her clients’ idiosyncrasies—which were probably legion.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THE NEXT AFTERNOON, PIPER LAY on her side, with spiky grass tickling her neck and cheek. The day was gloriously sunny, with a cool breeze that made it a perfect spot to train a puppy. Haley was putting him through his paces, trying to determine how well he took to simple instruction. So far he was doing fine, with Piper staying well out of the way to allow him to focus.

  Haley looked adorable today, with slim-fitting khaki shorts topped by a pastel print shirt. The shirt fit even closer than the shorts, highlighting her breasts, which were normally hidden by the roomier clothing she wore to work. Given that color had largely disappeared during Piper’s youth, as black became the uniform hue for women’s clothing, she was glad to find that Haley skewed old school. Bright colors better matched her personality, which smoothly shifted from serious and businesslike to absolutely effervescent.

  Delta sat on his haunches, looking up at Haley as she attempted to get him to follow on a lead. He hadn’t seen one, to Piper’s knowledge, and he didn’t think the whole concept was a good idea. Haley was so patient with him though, encouraging him gently, never backing down, that Piper was sure she’d win—eventually.

  Despite Delta’s blank look, Haley’s upbeat attitude never faltered. “We’re getting there,” she promised, even though the evidence of that was thin at best.

  “I’d be dragging him by now. Eventually, he’d get the message.”

  Haley picked him up and walked over to sit by Piper. “You could do that. But they learn through reinforcement—positive or negative. If I keep asking him to do only what I want, he’ll eventually think he’s doing what he wants.”

  “No hitting him on the nose with a rolled up newspaper?”

  Giving her a poke, Haley said, “We’re in LA. Where are you going to find a newspaper?”

  “Good point.” She reached over and scratched under Delta’s chin, one of his favorite places. “I wouldn’t hit him, of course. Or drag him. I’m more the type who’d let him get away with murder.”

  Haley put her hands behind her on the ground and leaned back, then tilted her face up, looking a little like Delta when he basked in the sun. “With a dog this small, that’s a reasonable choice.” She shrugged. “I like a trained dog, but it’s all personal preference.”

  “I want him trained. Dogs who run the household annoy me.” She plucked a few strands of grass from the ground and tickled Delta’s nose with it. “How’d you get into the work, anyway?”

  “Mmm, it was a circuitous path,” she said, sounding dreamy as she stretched out, a steady breeze blowing her golden hair around. “I was going to college…” She sat up straighter and clarified, “A community college, in Wichita, and I met someone who was a handler on the dog show circuit. I started helping her out, just for extra money, and decided I had to learn more.”

  “Learn more about dog shows?”

  She made a face. “I didn’t care for the shows, but I loved the thought of being paid to train dogs. I knew that was a thing, but I’d never put two and two together to imagine myself doing it.”

  “But you did,” Piper said, easily able to see when someone loved her job.

  “Sure did,” she said, smiling. “I went to work for some good trainers, took some classes, earned some certifications, then I met Spike.”

  “Spike is…?”

  Haley tilted her head, giving Piper a long look. “You’ve never heard of Spike?”

  “Why would I?”

  “Because of Frisky.” She stared at Piper intently. “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Frisky. He’s an icon!”

  “Is that the little mutt who was in those movies? Frisky Saves New York and stuff like that?”

  “Yes!” She slapped a hand over her eyes. “He’s the most famous dog in the country! We’ve got his picture plastered all over the shop, Piper. How’d you miss it?”

  She shrugged. “I’m a native. I go out of my way to ignore everyone’s personal PR machine.”

  “Damn,” Haley muttered, getting to her feet. “I’m not going to tell Spike you’ve never heard of him. He’ll be crushed.”

  “I honestly haven’t, but I’ve heard of the dog.” She sat there, doing some mental math as Haley tried to gently persuade Delta to move when she tugged on his leash. “Wasn’t I in grade school when that movie came out? That dog must be ancient.”

  Haley rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “We’re on Frisky number six now. I met Spike when he came to Kansas to check out a dog I’d been working with. The owners were so confident he looked like Frisky they were already counting the money they’d make selling him to Spike.”

  “Selling?”

  “Uh-huh. Spike’s always searching for replacements, even though there aren’t plans for more movies. Frisky’s still got a full schedule going around the country making personal appearances.”

  “Did your dog get the job?”

  “No. His looks were close, but he didn’t have the spark. Luckily, Spike thought I did.” Haley tugged on the leash one more time, firmly saying, “Let’s go.” This time, Delta followed along, only mildly annoyed by the leash. The smile Haley revealed was luminous, both attractive and filled with pride in her skills. Piper got a little zing watching it bloom, since people who knew what the hell they were doing were her favorite kinds of people.

  Haley and Delta continued to
work, walking back and forth in front of Piper. He was doing really well, looking up at Haley, clearly trying to please her. After he’d performed perfectly for four turns, Haley got down on the ground and praised the heck out of him, ruffling his fur and scratching him all over. “Good dog,” she said, giving him one final pet. Then they came back to Piper, and Haley removed the leash. “I want him to end on a good note, so I need to keep these stints short. We’ll rest for a while, then do a little more.”

  “You’re so patient,” Piper said, looking up at her. “Did you learn how to be that way from Spike?”

  Haley lay down just the way Piper was, with Delta lying between them, content to be the center of attention. “I think that’s natural for me, but Spike’s a very big deal in dog training. I’m sure I learned more from him than I even realize.”

  “Did he lure you out here? Or were you looking to move?”

  “A little bit of both, I guess. He convinced me to move here to work at his ranch in the Antelope Valley. He trains anything with a pulse up there.”

  “Wasn’t that more fun? Not that pampering owners all day doesn’t sound like a ball…” She gave what she hoped Haley took as a teasing smile.

  “I was kind of tricked, to be honest. I had the usual ‘small town girl wanting to see the bright lights of Hollywood’ thing going on, and Spike made me believe I’d be able to see the Hollywood sign from my apartment in Palmdale.” She let out a laugh. “I was such a hick. But you live and learn. Now that I’m on the Westside, I’m happy.”

  “So you’ve trained more than dogs?”

  “Much more. I’ve done it all.”

  “Mmm.” She thought for a minute, trying to make Haley laugh. “Could you train a…monkey if you had to?”

  An indulgent smile settled onto her face. “I’ve trained horses, donkeys, ferrets, white mice and everything in between. So, yes, I could, and have, trained a monkey. But it’s a heck of a lot more fun training something that doesn’t throw poop at you.”

  “Good point.”