“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask her in a quiet voice, my fingers tightening on the brush. My other fingers are still gently touching the kitten’s back to keep it from jumping down.
“I mean, well, you know. You’re kind of aloof, and I don’t think you’re the type of girl who wants to go out and have fun,” my cheeks flush further. I’m aloof, and I don’t like to have fun? Does she think I’m ninety or something?
“I like to have fun,” I mumble, turning my attention back to the cat.
“What, like going over to a guy’s house to clean it? Jeez Em are you that blind? Mason’s just using you for some free labor and then he’s going to ditch you. Guys like that, well, are guys like that. They don’t get involved in serious relationships.” Okay, at this point I’m scarlet in the face and the kitten can finally sense my unease. I put it back into its cage and put the brush down on the table, Jesse seems to understand she’s overstepped some boundaries. Her eyes are wide when I turn around with my arms crossed over my chest.
“First, don’t ever call me Em again,” my mother called me that, I don’t ever want to hear it uttered from someone else’s mouth again. “Second, I’m going over as a favor, and that’s it, I’m not dating Mason. We’re friends. And third, even if I was, he wouldn’t be a ‘guy like that’, he would be a gentleman.” I actually make the air quotes around the words, and just as I’m about to tell her that she’s out of line for even coming here to brag about her upcoming conquest with Taylor Warren, the man of the hour walks through the door.
“Jesse, Emily,” he takes in the scene and finally realizes that we’re in the middle of what is about to become a fight. I see one corner of his lips quirk up in satisfaction and my heart stutters in my chest. He planned on this!
“Taylor, there you are! I was just looking for you,” Jesse lies smoothly, draping one arm around Taylor’s waist and pecking his cheek. I want to vomit all over the floor at her obvious monkey-like display of possession. It’s not that I like Taylor Warren in that way at all, but the way they’re behaving reminds me of Kindergarteners. I wonder if either one of them really likes the other.
“You two have a fun date!” I tell them with enthusiasm, picking out the next cat that needs grooming. For a few seconds, they hang around, and then when Jesse sees I’m not jealous, and Taylor looks annoyed that his ploy didn’t work on me, they both leave.
Mason
“Come on Baby, it’s time to go get Emily!” I didn’t know German shepherds could bounce, but ever since I brought her home she’s been begging to go out and bouncing. My brother enjoys her company, but my father was never really a big dog or cat person, so he’s not as enthusiastic that she’ll be here for the next week while I get the house ready. He’s not enthusiastic at all that I’ll be moving out and into that place.
As I’m nearing the front door, I see the sign taped to it with the twenty hanging by a thumb tack on the wall. There’s a note that reads: For Coffee For The New House. I smile and pull off the twenty, search around the kitchen for a pen and leave a Thanks Dad under the handwritten note. Then I grab Baby’s leash, but don’t bother putting it on. She’s like a hemorrhoid following me around all day. I don’t think she’ll be going anywhere fast.
I glance at the clock on the stove and feel a pang of nerves. Emily might not think of it as a first date and I certainly don’t, but this will be the first time we’re seeing each other outside of the workplace. I check for the hundredth time on my cellphone that there’s a diner about six miles down the street from the house and check to make sure that I have my wallet with my debit card in it.
Then I finally open up the door and lead Baby out to my crazy car and open up the passenger side, back door for her. She gives me a forlorn look, and I sigh. I explained this to her already. But I guess there’s no explaining to a dog that it can’t get hair on the front seat.
“Emily’s sitting up there and I don’t want there to be hair all over the seat, now get in the back, and I’ll buy you a cheeseburger, alright?” There’s some grumbling and grumping from Baby, and a little from me, but she finally gets into the car and settles down in the back.
I toss my keys in the air as I slide around the front of the car and can’t help the grin on my face as I get in behind the steering wheel. As soon as I turn on the car Slayer pours out of the speakers and Baby whines along with the music, her muzzle rising in the ear and her ears flattening onto her head. Yesterday I thought she hated the music with this awful racket, but when I turned on something lighter and less ear piercing she had really whined. Her paws had gone over her ears, and her eyes had closed in a very human-like gesture of ‘please God turn that off’!
The drive to the animal rescue center is quick and virtually painless, except for the high pitch noise that Baby makes during a guitar solo. I’m pretty sure that I look like an idiot with a howling dog in the back of my car, but only a person who loves animals would understand. I pull in next to Emily’s little, red car and pull the keys out of the ignition. As soon as we pulled into the drive Baby grew quiet, and she looks nervous.
Her quiet whine slices somewhere deep in my soul and I feel angry at the person who left her here.
“I’m not going to leave you here. You can stay in the car. I’ll be right back.” I watch her lay down in the back seat, panting nervously before I get out of the Camaro. Just as I’m about to open up the front door to the main building, Taylor and Jesse come around the corner with sour looks on their faces.
Jesse is dressed for a date. That’s pretty obvious to me. Taylor looks like he might be going out on a date as well, and my first guess is that they are going together. But when I look at both of them closer and see their body language, I can tell that neither one of them are happy about it. Jesse gives me a sultry, glittery smile before she breezes past me and Taylor narrows his eyes at me, taking in my clothes. I don’t look like I’m going to be volunteering today.
“Mason,” Taylor says curtly, his green eyes boring into mine.
“Taylor,” I say in greeting, quickly making my way past the empty receptionist desk and turning the corner. I don’t want to be involved in their drama today. In fact, I’m pretty sure that someone else was involved and didn’t want to be either.
The cat room is empty, and all of them look sated and happy with their fresh food and water, and clean litter boxes. The scent of cleaner in the air just proves to me that she was in here already. I close the door gently before I get the cats riled up and move down the hall to the small animal kennel. The turtle is the only one left, and he looks clean. That leaves the dog kennels.
Incessant barking draws my attention halfway down the hall, and I pick up my pace. None of the dogs bark when Emily is around, they’re always polite and well behaved. When I hear the nervous tone to the barking I start jogging, opening up the door to the dog kennel and looking for blood.
“Get out!” Emily cries shoving my shocked mass out the door and closing it in my face. I can see through the glass window yet and hold a scream back when I see the large mastiff with drooling, snapping jaws head for Emily.
Just as she turns around it backs down and grumbles in its throat, then the nervous barking starts again. Emily holds out a fistful of something and slowly opens each of her fingers, not making eye contact with the dog. As soon as she looks away, the barking ceases. I want to open up the door and drag her out of there. That dog has to weigh more than her!
But I know better than that.
I’m not the only one who’s heard the commotion, and when I turn around at the sound of footsteps I see Taylor and Jesse coming down the hall. They both don’t look sour anymore. They look genuinely worried. Taylor’s mumbling under his breath as he gets closer and I catch a little of it.
“Not supposed to be getting that dog out, told her that this morning,” but neither one of them make a move to open up the door.
All three of us watch in silence as Emily remains in one spot with her hand outstretched an
d her eyes off to the side. I get that she’s not trying to dominate the dog but get it to trust her. I can’t tell from here whether or not it’s a male or female. I know from experience with Baby that female dogs can be just as aggressive as males.
The dog takes one hesitant step towards Emily, and I fear for her fingers, and then I rethink that. I fear for her entire hand. It only takes a few minutes, but it feels like a lifetime before the dog finally reaches out with its muzzle and takes the treats. As it’s taking the last one, Emily reaches under its chin and gives it one scratch.
She waits for the dog to back off before she takes a few steps forward, sure steps. Then she points at an open pen, and the dog slinks in, its tail tucked between its legs. As soon as the pen door is closed I push open the door and stomp towards her, my breathing coming in short pants.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I roar at her, grabbing her upper arm and spinning her around. Emily’s shocked expression infuriates me even more.
“Get your hands off me!” She yells at me, twisting away from my grip. Testosterone is rising in the room as Taylor steps inside, unsure of whether to direct his anger at me or at Emily. Before he can do either, I take her wet, slobbery hand in mine and drag her out of the room and down the hall. Jesse is shaking on the other side of the hall as we pass her, her eyes wide.
“Mason, please, you’re hurting my fingers!” The sudden pleading in her voice has me letting go immediately, but not before I take her t-shirt sleeve in my other hand and pulling her out the front door.
Baby’s now standing between the two front seats, her claws probably scratching my center console. She barks once, and I see Emily’s face soften, but I’m not going to let that deter me. She’s gone too far with that mastiff. That could have been her throat in its jaws rather than treats from her hand!
Chapter Ten
Emily
I’m not sure if his eyes are shimmering with fear or rage right now, but I think it’s border lining on rage. Baby’s lone bark lets me know that she’s there and okay, but my attention is quickly brought back to Mason when he lets go of my sleeve and puts his fingers on my chin, making me look at him. I know I look pissed because I’m about to slap him if he touches me anywhere else.
“That dog could have killed you!” He’s no longer screaming, but his voice is still loud. It echoes off the building and makes my fried nerves even more on fire.
“Baby could have killed me just as easily when she was first brought in! She was worse than that dog!” I try to explain to him in a calm tone, but I sound defensive. I know that dog could have killed me, but it didn’t. I’ve been bitten more times than I can count in this facility, and I’m not afraid to be bitten again. It comes with the territory. Even humans lash out when they’re frightened or in pain.
Then it hits me. He’s afraid. Mason is petrified that that dog will one day rip my throat out or maim me in some awful way. I wish that was enough to make me back down, but it’s not.
“Baby doesn’t weigh three hundred pounds!” Mason spits out, pointing at her.
“It doesn’t matter what the size of the dog is, it’s what’s on the inside. That dog is afraid, not murderous.” Mason splutters, his fingers falling away from my chin as he runs his hand through his hair. Taylor chooses that moment to come out the front door with Jesse in tow, his eyes flashing. He makes a show of locking the front door, and as he gets closer he points in my face, his lips curled up.
“You’re not allowed to step foot in this facility again!” He says in a heated voice, tugging Jesse along behind him to his car. I watch with an open mouth as they get inside and feel the shock entangling around my heart.
“W-what?” I ask in a quiet voice, to no one in particular. Mason looks just as shocked as me, his attitude focusing on something else.
“If it weren’t for the fact that it’s you, I’d say he was right.” Mason says bluntly. I see him pull a set of keys out of his pocket, and I pull mine out. We were supposed to clean his house today, but I don’t think I’m up to it. In fact, I’m starting to choke tears back already. This place has been my home since my mother passed, having it taken away from me for trying to help out a frightened dog is like someone ripping out my still beating heart and stomping on it in front of me.
“I,” I don’t know what to say. My eyes are blinking rapidly to hold back my tears, and it’s like the world has grown very small around me as if I’m suffocating. I’ll have to find somewhere else to volunteer. I had no future ahead of this place. I realize that now. I relied on this place to help me heal and keep me sane, and now that it’s gone I don’t know what I’m going to do.
Taylor Warren isn’t the only person in this facility with a say in the matter, but the way he’ll twist it will turn everyone against me. I don’t have friends here. Even Mason agrees with Taylor. That’s what I heard. My bottom lip trembles as I pull my keys from my pocket and turn towards my car. There’s a strong arm wrapping around my shoulders, and suddenly my face is planted into a very delicious smelling t-shirt.
In the parking lot of the place that I called home for months now, I cry. Mason doesn’t make a sound as he holds me tightly, his heart beat racing under my ear. When I’m finally done getting all my frustrations out, Mason loosens his hold, and I slip out of it. I turn away from him as I wipe at my eyes and see the black from my mascara on my fingers.
“I have to go home,” I tell him in a croaky voice. Baby’s sitting patiently in the back of his Camaro with her tongue lolling out, but I can tell by the way her shoulders are tensed that she’s not happy.
“So you’re going to let Taylor ruin the rest of your day because of something he said out of fear?” I shrug one shoulder, unable to take those last few steps between me and my vehicle. I’m going home because I look like a raccoon. “Taylor doesn’t have a say in who volunteers here. I’ll get you in touch with the person who owns the place. I’m sure that everyone else here will back me up when I say that you’re the best volunteer here.”
“You really think so?” I hate the fact that my voice wavers and my hands tremble at my side. I know that Taylor’s opinion of me is going to weigh heavily on the decision as to whether or not I can come back because his step-father is the man who owns this place.
“I know you are,” Mason sounds sure of himself and I let him put an arm around my shoulders. “You can clean up at my place, the one I’m currently living in and not cleaning up. Then we can go out and get some lunch if you feel like it, and if you’re up to it then you can come over to clean with me or I’ll take you home.” I glance at my car. He can’t take me home without leaving my car somewhere.
“What about my car?” I’m not leaving it behind here, not for someone to call a tow company and have it disappear. Taylor might be angry enough to do just that.
“You can leave it at my place, and I’ll come get you tomorrow so you can pick it up, alright?” I fumble with my keys and nod once, wondering if I should drive home and leave Mason behind. Maybe I should just leave this entire fiasco behind and sit at home with my laptop. I’m not friendship material.
Mason’s fingers tighten on my shoulders before he lets me go, getting out his own keys. Baby looks upset that I’m not getting in the car with her, but as soon as Mason is inside she settles down. I slide in behind the steering wheel of my own vehicle and start it. After I fiddle with my makeup and make myself presentable again, at least from afar, Mason backs out of his parking space and waits for me to back out of mine.
The drive to his house is surprisingly not long, but it’s in the opposite direction of my home. He lives on a cul-de-sac surrounded by woods, which I find endearing. I look up at the white house with blue shutters and wonder if Mason’s father and brother are home. It is a Sunday.
Baby jumps up on my driver’s side, and barks at me once, her ears perked forward and her tail swishing back and forth. She’s an entirely different dog from the one that was penned up in that facility. I never did like the cages.
I take her hint and finally step out of my vehicle, letting her lead me up the sidewalk to Mason.
“I’ll sneak you upstairs so you can clean up and then I’ll introduce you to my Dad, sound good?” I nod gratefully and as soon as he opens up the door I slide in behind him and close it. He quietly takes me up the stairs and points me in the direction of a bathroom. Baby follows me inside and refuses to leave; making me shut her in the bathroom with me.
I hear someone else’s footsteps down the hall from the opposite end of the stairs and click the lock shut. A man’s deep voice greets Mason. I can only assume that is Mason’s father, his brother is younger than him, and it would shock me if he had a mature voice like that. Someone leans against the outside of the door. I can hear the fabric rustle against the wood.
Before I can get kicked out and meet the entire family with raccoon eyes, I start washing my face and reapplying my makeup. Baby watches me intently as she lies against the door, panting. She looks content to the naked eye, but I can tell that something in this house bothers her just a little. Maybe it’s the deep voice of Mason’s father or just the fact that she’s in a new home. When I’m finished cleaning up, I lean down and give her a kiss on her snoot.
“It’s going to be alright. You’ll love it at your new home with Mason. I promise.” Baby thumps her tail once and when I open up the door, there’s no one in front of it. I can hear voices downstairs and try not to let my stomach knot up at the prospect of meeting Mason’s father.
Mason
“What do you mean there’s a girl in the bathroom?” My father looks worried over the fact that I’ve brought a girl home. I shrug my shoulders as if it means nothing, and just as he’s about to lay it on me thick Baby comes bounding through the kitchen doorway. Emily is a close second looking refreshed from her previous breakdown. I feel ashamed that I was part of that.
“You must be Emily.” I’m shocked by my father’s reaction to the girl he was just going to reprimand me about bringing home. He holds out his hand to her, and Emily takes it hesitantly.
Rescue (Emily and Mason) Page 8
