by Harlow Layne
Did the dogs also put their own toys away? I had serious doubts about that one. How was I supposed to remember what toy belonged to what dog unless they only had one each, but I had serious doubts if they each had their own baskets?
Before Bed:
•Bathroom break/walk.
•Treat
•Brush teeth.
•Play with each dog for thirty minutes.
•Turn on soft music/nature sounds for them to fall asleep to.
Brush their teeth? Never in my wildest dreams did I think anyone was brushing dog’s teeth. Was it too late to back out, because I couldn’t imagine trying to force those big dogs mouths open and sticking a toothbrush in there? Did they have their own bathrooms too? Maybe if I was lucky, they peed in there. But according to the rules they were to be taken out to use the restroom. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised to find they had their own bathroom with toothbrushes, shampoo, and brushes.
Make their dinners in the crockpot. It’s in the cabinet underneath the coffee machine.
•Monday - Chicken, rice, and carrots.
•Tuesday - Organic Stew (see recipe in the drawer).
•Wednesday - Ground turkey with mixed vegetables.
•Thursday - Ground beef, potatoes, and green beans.
•Friday - Brisket
•Saturday - Ground sausage and rice.
•Sunday - Bake peanut butter treats.
The next week mix it up so it’s not the same. You’ll find the recipes in the back of the folder.
Okay, now I knew this had to be some sort of a joke because there was no way in hell, he made their dinners every night in a freaking crockpot.
Kingston’s icy voice grabbed my attention from this elaborate hoax. “I see you found the folder.”
Seemed he was still upset at me. I had no idea that his sister, Murphy, had died. Once she was out of high school, my father was no longer her family physician. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t mentioned her death to me. I wasn’t particularly close with the Avery family, but I would have given my condolences if I had known. Now, it was too late. I had always thought Murphy was a sweet girl. She had loved animals, but her parents wouldn’t let her have one because she was sick most of the time and said she wouldn’t be able to take care of it. Whenever I saw her when we were younger, I always tried to play or talk to her. Her mother always tried to shoo me away as if I carried the plague. Like my father would have brought me there if there was any chance I could have gotten Murphy sick. Still, I was saddened by the news. It made sense for Kingston to be upset by her passing. More than upset. They had always been close. Obviously, since he let his sister name his dogs.
In all truth, I loved the names, but in no way did I see Kingston calling them by those outlandish names. It just didn’t seem his style. Neither did the idea he’d own a dog let alone three. I was already picturing dressing the little one up while he was gone. I wondered if there were any Jimmy Choo accessories for dogs. If there were, I was going to have to buy him something. Well, not me because there was no way I would pay that much, but I bet my boss would.
Holding up the folder, I turned around to face him. He was dressed in another one of his ten-thousand-dollar suits, navy blue, with black Italian shoes. His hair was slicked back, and I absolutely hated it. I wanted to run my fingers through it and mess it up, but I knew that was inappropriate and he didn’t want me to touch him in the slightest if his laser green eyes were anything to go by.
“This is a joke, right?”
“I don’t have time for jokes. My car will be here in a few minutes, so if you have any questions ask them now.” The entire time he spoke, he kept his eyes on the folder. I wasn’t sure how to get back on his good side or if he needed time to cool down. You would have thought overnight was enough time, but I guess not.
Are you over Haider cheating on you? That’s not the same and you know it. And no, I wasn’t over it. I wasn’t sad anymore, but I was pissed. I wanted to go and slash my ex’s tires, only he didn’t own a car. He said we’d get one after we got married. Maybe he’d get one after he married Kiki, the hussy.
Not wanting to think about Haider being balls deep in that redheaded slut, I looked back down at the rules. Hell, these dogs ate better than I did. Did they really get homemade food every day? Did Kingston do all of this each day for his dogs or was he doing this because someone else was watching them?
Waving the papers in his face, I asked, “How can I do all this and work? Who does this when you’re at work all week?”
“I had someone who came by in the afternoons and some nights to help with the dogs, but she was recently fired.” His jaw ticked, and I had a feeling someone had done something to one of the dogs or him. I couldn’t tell what, but I knew he’d been wronged.
“Did you go on a firing spree recently?” First his secretary, then the people at Gainsworth, and now the dog walker. I wasn’t sure what to think. Maybe he went through employees like water and I shouldn’t expect to have my job for long.
His nostrils flared as he shouldered by me over to the dogs that were patiently waiting for him by the couch. “It seems I needed to clean house. There were a few people that needed to go.”
Okay, that didn’t help me feel secure, but I’d let it go for now. He wasn’t insinuating I would need to look for a new job anytime soon.
“I don’t know much about dogs.” Or anything really. “But don’t they need to go to the bathroom more than twice a day? Is someone else coming to let them out during the daytime?”
“Normally, yes, someone would come during the day to walk them. I hadn’t thought of that.” He said the last part as if he was saying it to himself. His eyes brightened as if he’d come up with the best solution. Maybe it wasn’t me. “You can work from home. I’ll email IT when I get in the car and tell them to meet you at your office. Someone will put a program on your laptop that will make it so you can work while you’re here. It’s simple. I have it on all my computers.”
He wanted me to work from home so I could take the dogs out? He either really loved these dogs or he was crazy.
“Is that all right with you, Ms. Wang? If there’s an emergency, you can always go in and handle it. Do half days or whatever’s easiest for you, but yes they need to be taken out around lunchtime.”
“Um… I guess I can do that.”
His phone buzzed from the pocket of his slacks. Kingston pulled it out and quickly put it back. “Good.” He nodded as he made his way over to the front door. “I’ve already taken them out for the morning so they should be good until lunch.” Picking up his briefcase from the side table and grabbing his suitcase, Kingston slowly looked me up and down. The only indication he liked what he saw was the darkening of his eyes. With one last look, he opened the door. “My contact information is in the folder if you have any questions.” He gave me one final look over. “Nice pajamas, Ms. Wang. I hope I get the pleasure of seeing you in them again.”
I stood there for a good solid minute unable to move after I watched him walk out the door. It should be illegal how good that man looked in a suit. Did he know how good his ass looked in those pants? I wanted to find his tailor and thank him for his outstanding work.
Finally, I looked down. I’d forgotten that I only had on a small pair of sleep shorts and a tank top that did nothing to hide my erect nipples. Why hadn’t I remembered what I was wearing and put on a robe or a sweatshirt before I came out?
8
Kingston
I tapped my finger on the conference table in an attempt to keep myself awake. My eyes struggled to stay open with each passing minute. Jet lag was real, and it was kicking my ass. I’d been going nonstop since I landed in London early this afternoon, and my day wasn’t going to stop anytime soon it seemed. Ms. Sinclair, a leggy brunette droned on and on about the financials for her company and why they’d started to lose money in the last two years. I couldn’t wait until she got to the part where she tried to convince me that Avery Capital Holdings could turn
it all around for them if I invested in them. Sadly, it wouldn’t happen today.
Looking down at my phone to check the time, I noticed I had an email from Pria. The time read it was six in the evening in London so that made it one o’clock in New York. The email was time stamped an hour ago asking about a three-headed leash. I wasn’t sure if I should have been concerned by Pria’s question or laugh. Why had I thought she could possibly handle the terrible twosome and Jimmy? Sarah and Orvy would kick her ass while Jimmy would happily hump her leg into next week.
“It seems we’ve lost Mr. Avery. I’m sure he’s tired, so why don’t we pick this up tomorrow morning after we let our guest get some rest.” Ms. Sinclair smiled thinly at me. How long did she think she could hold my attention? They moved up this meeting by a week which had left me in desperate need to find someone to watch Orvy, Sarah, and Jimmy since I’d fired their previous dog walker. The agency had assured me that their customers’ privacy was of the utmost importance and I’d believed them until I came home early one night to find Karen in my bedroom, naked, on my bed and rolling around. I’m still not sure if she meant for me to find her like that or if it was a regular thing she did after walking the dogs. Either way, Karen had to go.
Pria needing a place to stay was perfect, or it was until I saw her in her barely there sleepwear. I guess it was a good thing I was five hours away, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep my hands to myself. It took all my control this morning not to strip her down and lick every inch of her smooth skin and pull her pebbled nipple between my lips. Instead, I left adjusting my cock before my driver thought I’d developed a crush.
Scooting my chair back, I stood to my full height and looked down at Ms. Sinclair. She was short but not nearly as short as Pria. Slowly her gaze traveled up my body until her eyes locked onto mine. She bit down on her bottom lip while batting her eyelashes at me and I wanted to roll my eyes. I’m not sure who told her that was the way to get a man interested in her because it did the opposite. At least for me. Throughout my life, I’d had women throw themselves at me for all the wrong reasons. For my looks or my money, but never for the man I was.
Did she really think I’d sleep with her just because she licked her lips and batted her eyes at me? I didn’t mix business with pleasure. I’d learned long ago from my buddy Graham the dangers of sex and relationships in the workplace. Not that there was any chance I’d fall for the woman in front of me devouring me with her eyes. Desperation did not suit her and I needed to get out of there before she opened her mouth and I had to turn her down. That would only make the rest of my trip unnecessarily awkward. For her. I didn’t give a shit. I was already counting the days until I could head home.
Putting on my fake smile and not giving a damn if she could tell or not, I picked my briefcase up from the floor and nodded to the room at large. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
The clicking of heels followed me out of the conference room. I ignored them as I leisurely walked in the direction of the elevators. I only hoped my jet lagged brain didn’t steer me wrong to end up cornered by Ms. Sinclair. I could smell her desperation all the way from here.
“Mr. Avery, do you need a recommendation for dinner?” When I didn’t stop or turn around, she kept going. “Or anything else?” Her voice went up on the last word. I wanted to turn around and ask her when prostitution became legal in England, but I refrained. See, I could be a good boy when it was required. But if she continued to try and get in my pants, I might have to rethink taking over the company. I didn’t want to have to avoid her every time I was here on business.
“Ms. Sinclair, thank you, but I’m quite familiar with London. I’ll see you in the morning to hear the rest of your riveting pitch.” My tone let her know I did not, in fact, find anything about what she’d said today intriguing.
Her bottom lip stuck out like a child. This time I didn’t bother holding back my eye roll.
“Very well. You have my number if you need it.”
I wouldn’t but I didn’t tell her that.
Reaching the elevator, I hit the button down and didn’t look back. Once inside, I pulled my phone out and started to compose a message to Pria. It was obvious she had no prior knowledge of dogs, but I knew she’d try her damndest to stick by all the rules I’d left for her.
Instead of finishing my email, I decided it was probably best to talk to her in case she had any questions. Luckily, I’d had the forethought to put her contact information in my phone before I’d left town. My new secretary didn’t seem to appreciate having to give me Pria’s contact information. I’d seen her looking at me, but I didn’t think she was stupid enough to act on her attraction to me. Most women found me attractive. I knew I was good-looking, but they didn’t find my attitude toward them appealing and left me alone. Did she think if I had sex with her, I wouldn’t be an asshole to her? Maybe I should have my head of HR remind the employees at Avery Capital Holdings that there was a no fraternization policy and that if someone did sleep with someone else at the company they would both be fired.
Dialing Pria, I started to walk toward my hotel. I’d been cooped up too much today and since the weather wasn’t too bad, I decided to get some fresh air.
“Hello?” she answered breathlessly. “No, stay on the sidewalk.”
“Pria, is everything okay? I got your message.”
“Kingston… I mean Mr. Avery, um… yes, I believe everything is okay. I waited to hear from you, but the dogs really seemed to need to go outside. I know you’re busy…” There was a muffled noise and then a loud squeak. “I was hoping for some direction on how to walk two… large dogs and one little one.”
I had a feeling she was calling Sarah and Orvy something else in her head and it was most likely rightfully so. They could be a handful. I couldn’t imagine someone as small as her trying to take them out. I really was an asshole for asking her to do this for me.
“You’ve got to show them who’s boss. Say it like you mean it and they’ll listen. They’ve all been to obedience school.” I didn’t mention how Sarah had flunked twice. She understood what you said, the problem was she didn’t care. Orvy hated getting in trouble so he always did what he was told, and Jimmy went with the flow. He was pretty chill unless he was humping something.
“Okay.” She didn’t sound too convinced. “Maybe I’ll watch some videos on YouTube tonight or something. Do you think it would be okay if I walked them one at a time until I get the hang of it? Me and poor Jimmy can barely keep up.”
“That should be fine as long as you take them all out.”
“I wouldn’t leave one out.” Her voice rang with offense down the line.
“No, of course, not.” If I had an evil smile one would be plastered across my face in that moment.
Maybe I should’ve told her I usually held Jimmy after he’d done his business to make the process easier. I would give anything to see her right now. I’d bet anything it was comical as fuck seeing them pull her down the sidewalk like a rag doll.
“How many dog walkers do you usually have? I can’t imagine only one person doing this every time. Now I know why you’re in such great shape. It’s from chasing after your dogs all the time.”
So, she’d noticed I was in shape. Interesting. Things had been so hot and cold with Ms. Wang; I wasn’t sure if she was attracted to me or not. Maybe she was just observant, but I preferred it if this wasn’t a one-way street and she wanted me as much as I wanted her. Even if nothing could happen.
“As of right now, I only have you. Up until recently, I had a girl who did most of the dog walking.”
“Are you sure it was only her. Maybe her boyfriend came with her to help out because unless she was a… some sort of mutant or superhero or something, I don’t know how she did this. It’s impossible.” Pria sounded as if she was about ready to cry.
“Well, if you don’t think you can handle it, I can find someone else.” Somehow, I knew she’d take the bait and wouldn’t give up, and for some un
explainable reason, I didn’t want her to. I wanted her to still be in my apartment when I got home from my trip.
“I can handle it,” she hissed.
“Are you sure? You were just—”
“No, Sarah. No,” Pria yelled out in terror.
Goose bumps prickled up my arms and the hair on the back of my neck stood. “Pria, what’s happening?” I asked as calmly as I could as I stood in the middle of the sidewalk. I didn’t care about all the people who tried to pass by.
“Leave the squirrel alone, Sarah Jessica Barker.”
I chuckled at hearing her call Sarah by her full name as if Sarah would listen better now. She would have gotten along with Murphy so well.
“Pria, tell me right now what’s going on!”
“She… Sarah’s trying to chase a squirrel. I don’t know, but she’s about to drag us all down with her.”
“Listen to me, Pria. Do not let go of the leash no matter what she does. You can’t let go.”
“I’m trying, but…” Pria screamed. It sounded as if her phone was dragged across the ground and then dropped.
“Pria. Pria, what happened? Answer me. Hello? Hello?” I drew out my hello in the hopes she would hear how worried I was but heard nothing. I looked down at my phone and the call had been dropped.
9
Pria
Gritting my teeth, I kept my hold on the leashes as I got to my knees and stood up as Sarah tried to pull my arm out of its socket. I was doubtful she and Orvy were brother and sister. She had to have been switched at birth. She was still trying to get that damn squirrel she saw earlier. Was this the way she always reacted when she saw a squirrel because if that was the case, she was never leaving the apartment with me. Maybe I’d hire a dog walker just for her. It would be worth the money. I was lucky Orvy and Jimmy were sitting by my side rather than joining her; I’d be halfway across the state by now.
