by Maggie Marr
Chapter 14
Trick
“How you feeling this morning, Boozy?”
Angie pressed one hand to her forehead and hung her head over the coffee cup on her desk. She glanced up from her computer screen, but there was nothing warm or welcoming in her expression.
“What the hell happened last night?” Delilah stood at Angie’s side and nudged Angie’s hand with her nose. She was worried. Big sis didn’t usually overindulge. This morning she smelled like alcohol and Delilah knew that her pack leader wasn’t feeling one hundred percent.
“You tell me.” I tilted my travel mug to my lips and eyed my sister over the rim. What had caused Angie to drink like that? Boozing wasn’t in her nature. Sure, I’d seen her tie one on, especially the night she won the Emmy, how else would she have ever gotten into a car with me driving? But big sis didn’t usually drink more than a glass of wine.
She shook her head and clicked her computer. “Who the hell knows?”
She took a deep breath and her gaze flicked around the room—an obvious dismissal of any further discussion on the subject of her plowing through two bottles of wine.
“I hear there was an intake last night.”
“After you got too drunk to feed us we drove into town and picked up Chinese.” I filled Angie in on finding Estrella and taking her to Doc. I even told her about how Sophia had responded to the dog. I left out the tingling sensation in my belly and the hotter-than-hell kiss on the front stairs of the visitor bungalow. Some topics were better left unsaid.
“It just takes the right dog,” Angie said. “It’s like dating. You can get the wrong person over and over and over again, but then you meet the right one and bam! That one person makes up for all those bad relationships you had before.”
Her words made the muscles in my shoulder tighten. I looked directly at my sister. Had she spoken with Sophia? Was Angie’s example some sort of metaphor for what had gone down between me and Sophia last night? Had Sophia said something? It was only seven thirty a.m., but I knew from experience, predominantly bad ones, that women worked fucking fast.
But I could tell from Angie’s face that she wasn’t pulling one of those Miss Know-It-All trips. Despite the hangover her face looked deeply tired, not smug.
“We need money,” she said.
Angie’s words surprised me. “We just got a ton of donations.”
“Right and those donation took care of a big chunk of our bills, money that we owed, but we need more. Thank God this reality thing starts at the end of the week. Let those dollars start flowing in … fast.” Her attention bounced up from her computer screen. “I hate to say this, but I hope this show is a huge hit.”
An oily feeling mixed with coffee oozed through my gut. Fame. Again. Not what I wanted in my life. The fame monster nearly killed me once and I didn’t want to tangle with that bad boy again. “When does the crew arrive?
“The show runner gets here tomorrow. Dylan is on a set in Argentina, so we won’t see him until the end of the order, if we see him at all.”
A vise squeezed my chest. The TV deal required me to be in every episode. Also, Sophia was meant to appear in each episode too. Dylan’s production company was producing, so at least we could depend on them to be fast and professional.
“What showrunner did they get?”
“Charlie Slam.”
My eyebrow cocked upward. I pretended that I didn’t care about the Industry anymore, but I did care. My nonchalance was another lie to myself. I kept track of the hit shows and the actors and the showrunners … this fascination of mine was a dark secret that had replaced my cocaine addiction.
“He’s good.” I took another sip of my coffee. “He just finished The Laundry.”
“You mean the reality show about drugs that almost got the entire cast killed?”
“Yes, that one.” I nodded. “It had great ratings, though, and it became a big hit. They must think this one will do really well because Slam isn’t cheap.”
“Or they’re happy to be in business with the biggest star in the world as producer, a former teen heartthrob now do-gooder, and the model daughter of the other biggest star in the world.”
“Well, when you put it like that.”
“And throw in some cute homeless dogs and cats? Come on! This is a no-brainer. I pitched this show to Amanda years ago … minus Sophia of course, but we both thought it would be huge,” Angie said.
“So why is this just happening now?” I asked.
Angie tossed me “the look”— the cocked eyebrow and down-sloped mouth. The same look she’d been shooting me our entire lives whenever I irritated or disappointed her.
“You, little brother. You. Would you have ever said yes to this when your bank account was full?”
I pressed my thumb against the lip of my travel mug. “No.”
“Ding ding ding. And that is why Pawtown is becoming a show now. Pure necessity. We are broke and we definitely need more forever homes, and they need a hit show.”
Turk, a one-eared German Shepherd who was pushing nine years, lifted his head at hearing the word forever. He stood and stretched and plodded over to me.
“Hey, buddy.” My hand pressed across his head and that one simple motion, petting Turk, caused my heart rate to stop bouncing at 200-plus beats per minute and come back to normal range.
“Don’t worry,” Angie mumbled toward me, though her gaze was again locked on her computer screen. “Your public still loves you.”
She screwed up her mouth and then pressed her hands onto the arms of her chair. “Dinner? Tonight? Shall we try it again?” She looked contrite as she brushed away loose strands of hair. “I’m kind of embarrassed. Not sure what happened to me last night.”
This morning, on my run with the pack, I’d ruminated over some theories about my big sister. One being that meeting Sophia was the first time Angie had ever confronted her own lost past. Angie had been an “it” girl for a couple of seasons when our show aired. Then I screwed that up and stole her future and her ability to walk.
She rolled out from behind her desk. “How about we go to Big Daddy’s tonight? Burger. Fries. A little country music.” She rolled her chair forward and back and a big smile split her face. How could I say no to my sister? I couldn’t, really. And wouldn’t, for the rest of my life.
“The whole staff?”
“Anyone who wants to go.” She rolled back to her desk and clicked on her computer. “Sending the email now. You think Sophia will want to go?”
Angie didn’t look at me, but there was something in her voice. A twinge of sisterly inquiry. She was fishing. Big sis was fishing for info, but what could she know? No one had seen us when Sophia and I had kissed, and we’d both agreed that it had been a mistake. That wasn’t really true, but that was the story we were trying to sell each other. We were now going to work on a show together. For the next three months. And it wouldn’t be easy.
Shit.
I was not telling Angie anything about last night. Not. One. Word. “I’m sure she would love the opportunity of getting out for the evening, maybe you should mention it to her.” I pushed away from the doorjamb. “Going over to Doc’s now to see Estrella.”
“That’s a good name. What made you think of it?”
My hands scrubbed over the back of my head and down my neck. Heat flamed up to my cheeks. “I didn’t. It was Soph.”
Angie caught the words with a smile. “Ah … you’re using nicknames.”
I shook my head and backed out of her doorway.
“By the way, “ Angie called. I turned back toward her. “Choo arrives sometime today.”
“What? How come?”
“He loved your idea about posting photos of Sophia on social media. He wants to start filming Sophia with his own phone and then uploading the clips to Twitter and YouTube.”
I realized I had less than twenty-four hours before an entire camera crew arrived, but the idea of Choo arriving today and beginning to film m
e and Pawtown and Sophia caught me off guard. “Fine.”
“See you tonight, if not before,” Angie called. I waved over my shoulder. I walked out of the administration bungalow and into the morning sunshine. I couldn’t fool Angie where Sophia was concerned for very long, and certainly not longer than I could pretend to fool myself.
Sophia
Ready to begin their days, volunteers filed out of the vet building, and permanent Pawtown workers scurried across the gravel paths toward the kennels. I slipped through the morning rush and headed over to the vet clinic.
“You’re here early.” Doc’s red hair was pulled into a messy bun on her head. She pulled a stethoscope away from the chest of a tiny dog, not much bigger than a squirrel. I hung back, my shoulders pressed against the wall. A cool film of sweat coated my palms.
Dogs.
The far wall was lined with silver metal cages and about half of them were filled with furry canines. I didn’t lump Estrella into the same group as all the other dogs. She was different. My gaze landed on the cage with “Estrella” written on the tag. Her kennel was empty. My heart dropped. Where was she?
“Luis has her out back.” Doc interrupted my thoughts.
My disappointment must have been obvious. One of the reasons I was good in front of the camera was also one of the reasons I had a tough time with people. I didn’t do very well at keeping my emotions off my face.
“Luis is assessing her behavior.” Doc nodded toward the back door. My gaze slipped to the wall of cages lined up on either side of the door. Fear wouldn’t stop me. I needed to exit that door and I reminded myself that all those pups were behind bars.
Estrella. How was she doing with Luis? Was she scared from last night? I pushed open the back door. Sun bit into my vision and I lifted my hand to shade my eyes. Estrella sat in the middle of the fenced dog ring and Luis slowly backed away from her with his hand held out.
“Good girl.” He stopped and put his hand down at his side. Estrella watched him and patiently waited. “Come, Estrella.” With a toss of her head and a thump of her tail she jumped up and bounded toward Luis. Her reward was the bit of kibble he held out to her.
Could dogs smile? Because Estrella looked like she was giving Luis the biggest grin.
I walked down the stairs and Estrella turned around and looked at me. Her tail wagged and she pressed the front half of her body down on her front paws and started to whine. A smile broke over my face When was the last time anyone had been that excited to see me?
“Go,” Luis said.
Estrella bolted across the yard. She bounced up and her front paw hit me in the midsection. No fear. I pet her, my fingertips slipping through the soft hair on her head. She had one black ear and one white ear and a giant black patch over her right eye.
Luis walked toward us. “You’ve got a buddy.”
I nodded.
“Best way to get over a fear is to find a way to love your way through it.”
Cryptic and yet appropriate.
“Who told you about me?”
“I had my suspicions when I saw you around the dogs the first day. There are a whole lot of things that I’m afraid of. People are just one of them. I’m in no position to judge you.” He leaned closer to me as if ready to give me a huge secret. He lowered his voice. “Once you get over this fear of dogs, you’re going to discover that they are a hundred times easier to be around than humans.”
This was not the first time I’d heard that sentiment since arriving at Pawtown. It seemed to be a common thought among the employees and volunteers. They preferred the company of four-footed animals to the two-legged kind.
“She’s super smart. She’s a green collar for sure. Kind. Well mannered. I had her with Durango for a while. They got along really well. She’s a very good dog. I’m going to put her in the Ferris Bueller Kennel.” Luis backed away from me and Estrella. “Maybe Trick and Angie will let you be her primary caregiver while you’re here.”
As her Primary, it’d be me and Estrella. I’d be responsible for her walks and checking in on her throughout the day. I stroked my hand down her back and she wiggled with excitement. Estrella seemed to like the idea too.
“They allow overnights in the volunteer bungalow. You’d just have to clear it with Trick.”
“She’s a happy girl. That’s for sure.”
A thrill raced down my spine at the sound of Trick’s voice. My heart rate picked up and desire curled in my belly and lodged between my legs. Damn, Trick and I agreed that the kiss last night had been a bad move. Now I just needed to convince my body of that fact.
“I was just wondering if dogs could smile.” I turned toward Trick. He wore sunglasses but I knew that behind those shades were bright blue eyes. He hadn’t shaved and his whiskers were scruffy on his face. That scruff made him look way too sexy. He smelled like soap and coffee and sunshine. I fought the desire to reach up and trace his lips with my fingertips, to step forward and make the same mistake I’d made under the stars last night.
A smile lifted the corners of the mouth that I wanted to kiss. “They do smile. At least I think they do.”
I turned back toward Estrella. She pranced and shook her head.
“She remembers who saved her last night,” Luis said. He unwound her leash and clipped it to her collar.
My heart thumped. I felt the tiniest hints of fear, but I reached out toward Estrella. My fingertips brushed through her silky soft hair. She turned and opened her mouth. Adrenaline spiked in my chest, but I kept stroking her and instead of the sharp pain of teeth sinking into my flesh the slobbery kiss of a giant tongue slipped over my fingers and palm.
“Green collar?” Trick asked Luis.
Luis nodded. “Definitely. She did great this morning. Someone, somewhere, taught her the basics. She’s a little shell-shocked from last night. Any idea how long she was tied up at the sign?”
“It couldn’t have been long. When we left to pick up dinner she wasn’t there.”
“We?”
Pink flickered up Trick’s neck and blushed his cheeks. “Angie was supposed to fix us dinner and then she didn’t, so I took Sophia with me to grab Chinese takeout.”
Luis’s smile broadened over his face. “Oh, you did? You took Sophia to dinner?”
Trick ignored the innuendo that even I heard in Luis’s voice. “When we left for town she wasn’t at the post. We were gone for what? Forty-five minutes.”
I nodded.
Luis glanced from Estrella to Trick. “She likes people and she gets along with other dogs real well. There’s an opening in Ferris Bueller. That’s a friendly group. I’m thinking of putting her in there.”
“Go for it,” Trick said. He bent over and stroked her back. “Then why don’t you stop by admin so they can get her details up on the site.” He patted her side. “Pretty girl. I doubt she’ll be with us very long.”
The bottom dropped out of my belly. “What? Why not? You can’t just give her to a stranger.”
Luis and Trick exchanged a glance. Even with his sunglasses on I could tell that Trick was making a face. His eyebrow cocked upward and he tilted his head. “That’s what we do here.” A hint of sarcasm laced his voice. “You know that, right? Our job is to find forever homes for animals.”
My jaw locked. Of course I knew what they did at Pawtown. The feeling in my chest changed. Instead of a hard thump of fear there was a hint of pain. Estrella sat in front of me and lifted her paw. I knelt before her, not even concerned about being so close to those long teeth.
“But Estrella needs just the right home. Don’t you girl?” Before I could even think about what I was doing, I leaned forward and pressed my face into the fur of her neck. The rich earthy scent of fur and outdoors and dog filled my nose. Her soft clean fur pressed against my cheeks and chin. I stroked my hand down her long straight back. A tiny whine came from her and she turned and I felt her wet tongue slip up my cheek.
“Or maybe she’s already found her human,” Luis
said.
My brows creased and I gave Estrella another pat. “I don’t have time for a dog.” I stood. “I don’t like dogs, remember.” I crossed my arms and shook my head. “She’ll have a much happier life with someone else—with someone who can care for her all the time.” I backed away, but Estrella didn’t let me get far. She pushed her nose against my leg asking me for a pet on the head. How could I refuse?
Trick turned to me. “You’re in Puppyville today. Angie sent me over to take you there.”
“Girl, that’s the best gig at Pawtown.” Luis said.
I glanced at Estrella. The best gig at Pawtown would be spending my day with Estrella.
“Can I go with Luis first? To take Estrella to Ferris Bueller?”
“Sure. We’re not in a rush. Puppyville is just around the corner from Ferris Beuller. You go with Luis and when you’re done, he’ll point you in the right direction.” Trick looked at Luis. “You’ll need, what, maybe a half hour to get her settled?”
“If all goes well.”
“Right then. Puppyville in thirty minutes.”
Luis and I turned away from Trick and Luis handed me Estrella’s leash.
“Yo, Luis.” The three of us stopped and turned back toward Trick. “Forgot to tell you. Angie wants everyone to go to Big Daddy’s tonight. Can I tell her you’ll be there?”
Luis rolled his eyes toward the sky, but the corner of his mouth pulled upward. “That means she’s going to want to dance.”
“Probably.” Trick said. “We thought we’d get there around seven. Angie is sending out an email to everyone with all the details. The film crew and their cameras invade tomorrow. Angie thought it’d be a good idea to get everyone together tonight.”
“I hate people.” Luis kicked his boot in the gravel and settled his hand on his hip. He pulled his gaze from the horizon. “But for Angie I’ll go.”
Trick’s eyes roamed over me. Even at this distance, and behind his sunglasses, I could feel his eyes on me.
I caught his gaze and held it. Heat flashed between us. Damn. Did he really think we could fight this? He’d said we should, but I wasn’t so sure. What would be wrong with a little fun in Pawtown? I didn’t want a forever-type guy and even if I did, Trick Williams wouldn’t be the man for me. I didn’t want anything in my life right now that could be described as permanent. Pawtown was a brief pit stop on my road back to the top. Besides, if everything went well here I could still catch Paris Fashion Week. Fingers crossed. Estrella whined. I pulled my gaze from Trick’s.
