He appeared as surprised to see her again as she felt. But maybe Addison was right. Why else would he be there other than to see her? Sure, it was kind of a stalkery move on his part, but maybe she had nothing to be embarrassed about. It didn’t stop him from tracking her down somehow.
Letting the idea fill her with confidence, she tried to get her flirt on. “Mr. Caldwell. What a nice surprise. You wouldn’t be following me now, would you?” she said in her most sultry, sexified voice.
“Following you?” He blinked a couple of times. “No. No. I had no idea you worked here.”
“Oh, right.” And with those words, all the things that had happened that day were equally as terrible. She would have preferred the creepy stalker scenario.
“I should have guessed we’d run into each other eventually, though,” he joked. “You appear to work different jobs all over the city.”
Feeling a little thrown, she tried to shake off her disappointment. This was a good thing, she told herself. It meant she wouldn’t have to turn him down if he asked her out. Which she totally would have, of course, since she didn’t have time for a relationship. “Yeah, I, uh … I volunteer here a few times a week.”
She shooed the German shepherd into the back. Shoving the door open, she bumped into Addison and Zoe, who were listening in. She waved them away before closing the door again.
“So, what are you doing here, then?” she blurted. “I mean, is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes. I came in here a few weeks ago to see the manager, Marilyn, and well…” A boyish giddy look crossed his face. “I fell in love.”
Piper felt her shoulders slump. Yes. Stalker would have been better. “In love?”
“With a dachshund.”
“Oh, of course. A dachshund.” She laughed a little too loud. “They’ll do that to you. Irresistible, aren’t they?”
“I received a call from your manager. Apparently, my application for adoption was approved. She said it would be all right if I came to pick her up today.”
She recalled him mentioning his new doxie that afternoon in her taxi. “Oh, that’s great. Let me check the books.”
Walking over to the desk, she whipped out the communication binder. Her finger slid down the page as she scanned the adoptions in progress and found Aiden Caldwell. She read the name of the adoptee and frowned.
“Sophie.”
“That’s her.” When she was still frowning, he asked, “Is something wrong?”
“Wrong? No. It’s just…,” she trailed off, thinking about how Colin and Sophie had grown up together. Colin arrived at the center a few months back, and Piper instantly fell in love. But the came Sophie. They were picked up off the streets separately. Sophie ended up at the pound and then at the rescue center. A scan of her ear tattoo revealed that she’d come from the same household as Colin—one that didn’t want them back.
If Piper had known they were bonded at the time, she wouldn’t have separated the two lovebirds, err, dogs, but she couldn’t very well give Colin up once she’d adopted him. Neither could she adopt Sophie after the fact. It was bad enough that she was breaking her tenant agreement by bringing one dog home. She wasn’t sure she could smuggle in two.
Since Sophie had arrived, Piper had been hoping to try to adopt both of them. That is, once she graduated, got hired as a vet, made some money, and could afford a bigger place where she didn’t have to hide the fact that she had pets. Okay, so it had been a long shot, but now it was an impossible one.
She forced a smile. At least Sophie would have a good life with Aiden. A charmed one, really. “Oh, it’s nothing,” Piper told Aiden. “Follow me.”
Piper led him into the back, past the kennels, and through to the fenced-in yard. Even though it was a small lot with a tall, rickety wooden fence, the grass turning brown and sad in some areas, at least the space allowed the dogs to play and stretch their legs. The girls were already outside, playing with some of dogs. When Addison noticed Aiden, she dropped the ball in her hands. The dogs dove for it, fighting like a bunch of bridesmaids over a bouquet tossed at a wedding.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hello,” Aiden replied.
Cool Zoe gave an aloof wave, but Piper knew she was eyeing him up beneath her sunglasses. Zoe’s lips pursed in approval.
Piper pointed to Sophie, who was gnawing on Colin’s ears and dragging him across the patchy, half-dead grass. “That’s her.”
Chuckling, Aiden bent down, and both Colin and Sophie scampered over to him. Sophie stood on her hind legs and laid her dusty front paws on his suit pants. He didn’t seem to notice.
“Hey, girl. Are you ready to go home?”
“She must remember you from the last time you were here,” Piper said, seeing the lovesickness in Sophie’s eyes.
As Piper watched him kneel down on the grass in pants that had probably cost more than her entire tuition for that semester, hell, the whole year, Aiden almost looked like a normal, down-to-earth guy. Not the formal businessman who’d shaken her hand a couple of hours before. She’d always believed the way a man acted around dogs said a lot about him as a person. And Aiden was a natural.
“Well, grab your new best friend,” Piper told him. “I have some forms for you to fill out up front.”
All four of them made their way back to the reception area—though it didn’t take four people to sign the papers. Colin trotted behind Aiden, a possessive eye on Sophie. The two girls began to not-so-subtly find tasks to keep them within earshot. Addison started the highly important task of reorganizing the junk drawer, while Zoe rewatered all the plants until they were drowning.
Ignoring her audience, Piper gathered the approved paperwork for him to sign. He was just another applicant, after all. That was why he’d come. For Sophie. Not for her—not that she cared.
She laid the paper on the counter in front of him. “Sign here, please.”
Placing Sophie down on the floor, Aiden picked up the pen to sign. “I’m sorry about your job today, by the way.”
“Jobs, in the plural form. I also lost my pizza delivery job.” She waved it off. “It was my fault.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet. “I never had a chance to give you your tip.” He planted a hundred-dollar bill on the counter in front of her.
She gaped at Ben Franklin for a moment but then, very decidedly, slid it back toward Aiden. Who was this guy? Throwing around money like it was nothing? It reminded her of the time she went to dinner with her brother after her father’s funeral, how he’d whipped out his largest bill from a Dunhill wallet—which she only knew about because he’d pointed out the brand—to tip the waitress at Applebee’s. Applebee’s, for God’s sake, she’d thought at the time. The tip amounted to more than the bill. It was a nice thing to do for the waitress, but Piper knew it wasn’t for her benefit. He’d practically waved it around in the air like a flag for all to see.
“I appreciate it,” Piper said, “but I don’t need your handouts. I’ll be fine.”
Aiden pushed it back toward her, amusement tweaking the corner of his mouth. “It’s not a handout. It was an impressive performance.”
She snorted but found herself smiling too. “And I definitely don’t need your pity.”
“I’m serious.” He held his hands up. “You have a pretty voice. Did you write that song yourself?”
“Yes, I did. The agency pays more when you write the songs.”
Aiden seemed to be loosening up a bit, the business facade fading. “So”—he planted his elbow on the counter and laid his hand on his fist—“you really think my eyes glimmer?”
Behind Piper, Addison sighed. “Yes.”
Piper laughed but pushed the bill back toward him again. “I didn’t even know you when I wrote that.”
Zoe set the water jug down with a bang and rounded the counter. “But now she does and yes, they do.” She swiped the money off the counter, shoved it into Piper’
s back pocket, and patted her on the butt.
“Zoe,” Piper said in a warning tone.
“And Piper thanks you for your contribution to her tuition fees,” Zoe told Aiden, slinging an arm around her friend’s shoulder. “She’s putting herself through school, you know.”
“Are you?”
“Thanks, Zoe,” Piper said through a tight smile.
“No problem.” With a cheeky smirk, she spun away to join Addison on her perch next to the ladies, who, strangely enough, also seemed to be enjoying the show from their tank.
Piper glared at the two girls who had given up pretending to work. She shifted her eyeballs to the back door in a desperate, silent plea for them to leave, but they managed to not notice.
“What are you studying?” Aiden asked Piper.
“I’m training to become a veterinarian.”
“You must really love animals.”
“I do.”
He was still leaning on the counter, his glimmery eyes on her. They were back in full flirt mode, even though she wore sweats that left everything up to his imagination.
“So what do you plan to do now that you lost your jobs? How will you pay for tuition?”
“Well, I still have my singing-telegram job. And I’m a big girl. I’ll think of something.”
He tapped the counter with his knuckles, thinking for a moment. “Well,” he began, “my company keeps me pretty busy during the week.”
“I would imagine so.”
“And I’d hate to think of Sophie cooped up in my place all day.”
“I’m sure she’d hate that,” she said, wondering what he was getting at. Or hoping, more like it, that it was a lead-up to asking her out. A doggy date of some sort, like a walk in the park. Not that she wanted a date with him, or anything. But Colin liked walks, as dogs tended to do. And then there was Sophie to consider. They’d both be devastated if they never saw each other again. So it was for the good of the dogs. Yes. She could do it for them, she supposed.
“So, I was wondering, you know, if you’re free,” he hedged, “if you would like to be my dog walker.”
She blinked. “Your dog walker?” Of all the things she would have liked to be of his, she hadn’t seen that one coming.
“I’d pay you well,” he said. “And it would really help me out.”
Addison piped up. “Yes. She says yes.”
“I’ll take it from here, Addy. Thank you,” Piper said. “You too, Zoe.”
Grinning, they waved good-bye and disappeared into the back. But they didn’t get far. Both girls happened to find something important to do right next to the window. Piper snorted but pretended to ignore them.
“It’s not a handout. I promise,” Aiden told Piper. “Honestly, I need a dog walker. But if you’re not able to do it?…” He let the question hang in the air.
As disappointed as she was by the turn of events—although what she’d hoped for she wasn’t sure—she knew she didn’t have a lot of options. She had bills to pay, not to mention her rent was due that day and she would be a few days late with it. How could she say no to a job that fell into her lap?
He rubbed the scruff of his five-o’clock shadow. “I guess I’ll just have to find someone who loves dachshunds, is knowledgeable about animals, and needs a job. Do you know of anyone around here that would fit the bill?”
Oh, those glimmery, glimmery eyes. Piper wondered if that was why he was such a successful businessman. He simply glimmered people into making deals.
She rolled her eyes. “All right. I work the early shift for my practicum at the veterinary hospital, so I’m free most afternoons from two o’clock onward.”
On weekdays, she started clinical practice at the veterinary hospital at 5:00 a.m. She could head to his place after that. Now that she did the math, she thought it might be nice to create her own schedule.
Aiden’s dimple twitched. “Perfect.”
She pointed at their two doxies cuddling in the patch of sunlight streaming through the window. “I’d hate to split these two kids up, anyway.”
“Right, do it for the children.” Stealing a pen from the desk, he took a business card out of his pocket and jotted his telephone number on the back. “This is my personal number. Give me a call. We’ll set up a meeting for this weekend.” He scooped Sophie up, pointing her cute, quizzical face at Piper. “Because you wouldn’t want to disappoint Sophie.”
“All right, all right. I’ll call.” She could feel a giddiness infecting her face.
“Great. I’ll see you this weekend.”
He started to leave, but as soon as he neared the door Sophie struggled in his arms. Colin jumped at his feet, pawing his leg.
“They get this way every time,” Piper said. She grabbed a handful of treats from the jar on the counter and gave them to Aiden. “Here, this might help.”
“Thanks.” He dropped them into his designer suit pocket.
She bent down to pick Colin up, thinking her life had done a complete 180 in a single day, so fast her head spun. Or maybe that was her nerves as Aiden paused in the doorway and reached out to her. But when her eyes drifted down, she was staring at his hand.
Confused, she reached out and shook it. Two handshakes in one day? More action than she’d had in months, she supposed—other than the vibrator Zoe gave her for her birthday.
With a brief nod, he turned and left. The door shut behind him, and she let Colin down. He skittered to the door, hopping from foot to foot. The two of them watched Aiden and Sophie jump into his black BMW—of course it was a BMW. At least it was black and not white like her brother’s, she thought. He’d parked next to an old beater Buick and she couldn’t help but notice the contrast. It was a sign—a flashing neon one—that they were from two different worlds.
Colin stopped pacing and flopped down, contemplating what just happened. His expression appeared more lost and forlorn than usual. He glanced up at her. Where’s Sophie going?
“Don’t worry,” Piper said. “I know how you feel. I think we’ll have to go for a visit.”
Her heart did a funny skip at the thought, but she ignored it and she slipped Aiden’s card into her bra. It was the excitement of a new job, she told herself. Although when Sam had offered her a job singing telegrams she couldn’t remember feeling this happy, nor did she try to imagine Sam naked. Not that she was thinking about Aiden naked. Oh, wait.… Now she was.
She shook her head to clear the daydream. She couldn’t go there. A guy like Aiden? A girl in her position? It wasn’t like they were rubbing elbows at upscale San Francisco soirees. He came from a different world, one she didn’t want to be a part of.
She didn’t want to waste the time daydreaming about Aiden. Okay, she knew perfectly well she would daydream about him—but not by choice. The handshake had alerted something inside of her, like a meerkat perking up, standing on its hind legs looking about. For what, she didn’t know. Benjamin Franklin was burning a hole in her back pocket, and not in a good way.
While she peered out the window, she heard the two girls slip into the reception room and come up behind her.
“Well, you have one thing in common now,” Zoe said. “You both own dachshunds.”
“Yeah. We’re a perfect match. On Sunday mornings, he can read Forbes while I read the classifieds.”
“Oh!” Addison bounced on the balls of her feet. “It’s like Pretty Woman. He’s Richard Gere and you’re Julia Roberts.”
“Are you calling me a prostitute?”
“It’s so romantic. He’s going to fall in love with you, and because he’s rich he’s going to save you from your poor, pathetic life. Just like in the movie.”
“Gee, thanks,” Piper said. “But I don’t need saving. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself, if you haven’t noticed. I know where I want to go and I’m working hard for it.”
“Just promise that you’ll make him work for it, if you get my drift.”
“Trust me. I’m not interested in Mr. Hand
shake.” As she watched him pull out of the parking lot, she relented a little. “But if I were, that would be a tough promise to keep.”
5
Barked into a Corner
Piper raced down her apartment stairs juggling her car keys, a sandwich, and a wriggling backpack. She patted the backpack. “Almost there. One day we’ll live in a place where I won’t have to hide you.”
The backpack whined back testily.
Before heading out, she popped by the mailboxes in the small lobby and unlocked her cubby. She was riffling through the letters when her cell phone rang. Tucking it under her chin, she answered.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Piper.”
She cringed. “Mom. Hi.”
Piper cursed herself for not checking the caller ID. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to talk to her mother, but their conversations usually ended by her mother forcing Piper to talk to her brother by handing over the phone before she could say no.
“I haven’t heard from you in a while.” Her voice sounded too cheerful, like forced casualness. “Thought I’d give you a call and see what’s new.”
“Why?” Piper blurted. “I mean, I’m good. Thanks for calling.”
Her mom clicked her tongue. “Can’t a mother just call to say hello?”
Not my mother, thought Piper. There was always an ulterior motive, and it usually had to do with her brother. Ever since her mom had moved to Washington to be closer to him six years earlier, she’d been on a mission to push them closer together, like they could be one big happy family again, as though nothing had happened.
“Yeah. I’m good. I’ve been busy. Only two more weeks of practicum left at the veterinary hospital. Then there’s my licensing exam after graduation.”
“That’s good, that’s good.… Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Here we go, Piper thought.
“Have you checked the mail lately?”
“I’m checking it now.” Piper sifted through the pile: junk mail, flyers, final notice, final notice. Their big, bold red letters screamed at her in capitals. Her neck and shoulder muscles tensed, but she couldn’t do anything about them until payday—which would be the worst one ever with one paycheck instead of three.
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