Chapter 21
September 28, 2023
Brynn:
Sorry I didn’t answer your text about Daisy. Everything did work out ok, though there was a huge amount of drama with the other animals when we got back. It’s actually a pretty good story. Anyways, I’m not sure how long you’re working today but Corey and I are going for lunch at that sushi place near Cat’s if you wanted to come? Would be nice to hang out
S_Belle:
Working til late then I have a gig tonight.
Brynn:
Okay, well raincheck then?
*Read 1.58 p.m.*
‘Hi, hi, sorry I’m late, I got called into work,’ I say, sliding into the booth opposite Corey. I fumble in the front pocket of my bag for my Ventolin and take a few deep puffs.
Corey’s got her laptop and a bunch of papers on the table in front of her and she shuts the lid as I put the puffer away. ‘All good. Are you okay?’
‘Oh yeah, I just get a bit wheezy when I rush. Plus it’s actually feeling pretty cold out there today.’
The waitress comes over with a pot of green tea and cups. Corey asks about the specials and orders a bunch of dishes and while we catch up I’m excited to tell her everything that’s been happening with Lucas.
‘He’s so nice, Cor, he’s going to put me in touch with some of his publishing contacts too.’
‘That’s great,’ she replies. She’s smiling but it doesn’t quite meet her eyes. ‘I knew things would work out for you.’
‘Well, we’re not there yet,’ I say. ‘He’s talked to at least one editor about me: someone from Penguin, which is a huge deal!’
‘But not The Paris Review ? Isn’t that where he works?’
‘He said he’s not full time there anymore,’ I reply. ‘And, like, the Review is my dream, but honestly, any publishing experience is what I’m after. If it was somewhere like Penguin, I could basically walk into any publishing job back home.’
She frowns. ‘I guess, but is it not weird that he didn’t say he’d help with the dream place first?’
I brush her concern aside and barrel on. ‘I was thinking about asking him to look at my application. They’re going to open the internship round real soon.’ The waitress starts setting plates of sushi down in front of us. Corey’s chosen a mix of gyoza, nigiri with strips of fresh salmon, tamago egg rolls, and glistening scallops. A bowl of bright green edamame beans is set down in front of me and I launch myself at them, enjoying the salty pop of beans in my mouth.
‘So what’s new with you?’ I ask. ‘I heard you had some company last night.’
She pauses, her chopsticks hovering mid-air, the piece of salmon falling off and landing on the table.
‘Wait, Corey, are you blushing?’ I squeal. ‘Who was it?’
‘This guy ...’ she says, wrapping the fallen fish in a napkin and taking another piece. ‘You know the stuff that’s going down with the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade, right?’
‘The what?’ I ask, confused about how she’s gone from blushing about a guy to talking about some Halloween thing. ‘I wanna know about the guy, Corey.’
‘Hang on,’ she says, holding a finger clad in pretty rings up to me. ‘You work for a doggy daycare, and you don’t know about the Halloween dog parade?’
‘Hello, have we met?’ I laugh. ‘I’m from the country you know as Australia. It’s about ten thousand miles in that direction,’ I say, hiking my thumb over my shoulder. ‘And what’s this got to do with the guy from last night?’
She rolls her eyes. ‘I’m getting there. So the parade is a huge doggy costume event in the East Village for Halloween. It’s been going for, like, thirty years but there were problems with the permits and stuff this year because it’s just gotten so big. The reason I’ve barely been home is because there’s all this red-tape stuff happening and it’s been cancelled. And that’s where you come in.’
She reaches under the table for her tote bag and pulls out a thick wad of papers attached to a black clipboard. ‘Do you think you could put this on the desk at daycare? It’s a petition to the city.’
‘Is your firm doing PR for them—is that how you’re involved?’
Her cheeks flush. ‘Well, sort of. My boss is letting me work on it pro bono. So long as I keep up with my other duties. But it’s a huge deal for me. I’m basically running point, which means if I pull it off, she might let me take on my own clients.’
‘And ...?’ I push, grinning at her.
She rolls her eyes. ‘And one of the guys on the committee is extremely attractive and I am just a little bit in love with him and he maybe sorta came home with me last night and I maybe sorta would like him to come home with me on a more regular basis.’
‘There we go,’ I say. ‘Knew it wasn’t all about your career.’
‘It’s mostly about my career, but looking good for Jake is a nice added bonus.’ She stuffs a gyoza in her mouth and looks sheepish. ‘So, can you put the petition at daycare?’
‘I’d love to help, but isn’t that park on the Lower East Side? Our clients are pretty much all from TriBeCa.’
‘I don’t think you’re grasping how huge this parade is,’ she says, taking her phone out and opening TikTok. She passes it over and I watch a video of people parading with their dogs—with both humans and canines dressed in elaborate costumes. The streets are lined with people cheering and the costumes are wild: a pug dyed green and its owners in Ghostbusters costumes chasing it around; a dog wearing a bread bag; a Westie in a pope’s outfit being wheeled around in a pope-mobile.
‘People come from all over. Sometimes it’s way more popular than the actual Halloween parade. It’s fun, and funny and quintessentially New York.’
I grin at the image of a sausage dog wearing a Spam costume. It is pretty adorable.
‘I can’t guarantee Doug will be up for it, but I’ll give it a go,’ I reply. ‘Oh and actually, do you know Perdita the dalmatian?’
Corey’s eyes widen. ‘Um, yes, everyone in the world knows about Perdi. She’s gorgeous.’
‘Well, she’s a client at daycare and she just started following my TikTok. Do you want me to maybe DM her mum and see if she’ll post about the petition? That should help you get some traction.’
‘Oh my god, that would be amazing!’ she squeals. ‘Yes, do it! Can you imagine if we got the Perdita posting about it? I mean, it’s already getting some good results because Noodle the Pug’s dad posted about it the other day, but if Perdi posted ... we might just save the parade!’
‘Anything to help you get your man ... and save the dog parade,’ I add quickly.
‘Look at us,’ Corey proclaims, sitting up straighter and flipping her hair over her shoulder. ‘You got yourself a man and a good shot at your internship, and I’m on the way to being a city hero and getting a hot man myself. We’re the best team ever.’