38
“Bad news,” Jesse announced as he arrived at work. He hung his coat on a hook, wiped his shoes thoroughly on the mat, and looked over the desk at his office manager.
“Yes?” she inquired professionally. He couldn’t see her outfit, but her long hair was down around her shoulders and she had on a headband that looked like a strip of fabric tied in a knot on top of her head.
“ Three Caballeros ,” he said. Why did he feel the need to play this word association game? He didn’t know.
“ Caballeros ,” she echoed, mimicking his pronunciation. “How is that bad news?”
“No, you look like you should be in the movie. ‘Have you been to Bahia?’ Never mind. The bad news is: someone stole the dog.”
She smiled. “I did. It’s Take Your Dog to Work Day here at Romeo Family Health. Come see.”
He peered behind the desk. Clara was wearing a belted shirt dress covered in loud orange and pink stripes that his nurse Margo wouldn’t be caught dead in, but somehow didn’t look half-bad. Belatedly, he remembered to look past her for Greer, who lay on a fluffy white dog bed in the corner. “She’s wearing a onesie.”
“It’s a surgical suit,” Clara corrected. “It prevents her from licking her sutures, and I think the leopard print is stylish. She didn’t like wearing the cone.”
“You know she’s a working dog and not a pet, right? We don’t even really know if she’s had any training. What are you going to do if she starts barking or jumping on people? She looks a lot more awake than usual.”
It was true. The dog was propped up on her elbows instead of lying flat on her side. Her head was high, one ear stood straight and one flopped forward, and there was an intelligent gleam in her eyes as she watched their every move with interest.
“I’ll put a leash on her when we open, just so she won’t make anyone nervous. She wants to know how long you have to stand there frowning before you can go pet her.”
He did not want to encourage Clara in any way to start speaking for the dog, so he ignored her, but he did round the corner of the desk to crouch down before Greer.
“How’re you doing, dog breath?” he asked, giving her ears and neck a good rub. “You look pretty good for a hit-and-run, you know that?”
He allowed Greer to lick his face for as long as he could stand, and then he gave her a final pat and stood up. Clara handed him a wet wipe.
“In the kitchen, like always,” she said, at the exact same time that he said, “Coffee?”
Then, “No,” she said, at the exact same time that he said, “What are you, psychic?”
Then, “Fine,” she said, at the exact same time that he said, “Cut it out.”
“Too easy!” she called after him as he went scowling down the carpeted hall. “Ask yourself why you’re so predictable!”
Was it too much to ask that a man could get coffee before the day’s harassment began?
He heard the front bell jingle, and then Yoli shouting jubilantly, “I’m getting married!”
“ What? ” Clara cried.
“Charlie proposed!”
“Who the heck is Charlie?” Clara demanded.
“You met him! He came in last week with Mrs. Nunez.”
“Charles?” Clara gasped. “You met him six days ago! I didn’t even realize you were seeing him!”
“We’ve gone on six dates. I met his mother yesterday morning, and he asked me to marry him over dinner last night. When you know, you know.”
“Wow,” Clara was saying when Jesse returned to the front waiting room. “Jesse—”
“I heard. Congrats,” he said to Yoli.
“Thank you, Dr. Flores!”
“Yes, congratulations!” Clara added quickly, getting up to give her a hug. “Wow! Married! That’s great!”
“I want you to be my maid of honor, of course. The wedding is next weekend—”
“ Next weekend? ” Clara’s voice was very close to a screech. “Like, in five days? Or in twelve days?”
“Twelve days,” Yoli assured her. “I’m not insane .”
“I’ll leave you ladies to it,” Jesse said, backing away. “Oh, hey, isn’t that high school job fair this morning?”
“Yes,” Clara said, glancing at the clock. “Shoot, I have to get going. You’re in charge of Greer while I’m gone. Yoli, text me everything you know!”
“I will,” Yoli promised.
Jesse felt so charitable towards Yoli for taking Charles the bodybuilder off the market that he asked for the proposal details, which she was thrilled to share.