Chapter 22
The dog was at the bar with Jason, who was making his way through a large plate of fries with mayonnaise and chili flakes; his favorite.
Jason didn’t see them outright, but the dog did, leaping up from where he was lounging next to Jason’s barstool and running toward Raven, only to cry at him in a very un-doglike way.
He's drawing so much attention. Raven knelt to pet him, feeling fur that was softer now and smelled like cotton candy.
“It appears he missed you,” Maxim said.
Jason turned. “There you are. Sorry, that one said I wasn’t supposed to go upstairs.” He jabbed a thumb at Clement, who was tending the bar.
Raven’s chest tightened. “Yeah, I was…” The dog was pawing at him, demanding more attention.
Maxim took the barstool next to Jason. “I needed some rest. I hear you got the dog washed? Did that help with your head? Clement, something bloody for me and Raven, please.”
Jason pouted. “That’s not even funny. The groomer had to loan me earplugs.
Oh, and he’s a fae groomer, so that was kind of cool.
He said the dog has a good singing voice, and he said to tell you guys to give him a name.
It’s not right to just call him ‘Dog,’ he says. Would be like calling me ‘Human.’”
Raven stood, making his way to the bar as well, the dog following at his heels. He took the seat on Maxim’s other side. “Doesn’t he have a name? From the shelter?”
“Hmm.” Maxim tapped the bar. “What an excellent question. Let’s find out.” He pulled out his phone, dialed, and put it on the bar.
“I’m busy. Didn’t I tell you I’m busy, old bat?” Heath said from the other end.
Maxim tutted. “Darling, you should join us at the bar, then, and get some food. I’m here with Raven and Jason. And with the dog, which is why I’m calling.”
“Jason is still here? Doesn’t he have a home to go back to?”
Maxim leaned closer to Jason. “Apologies. He doesn’t mean it. He also doesn’t realize he’s on speaker.”
“Motherfucking—sorry, Jason.”
Jason crunched down on a fry. “I do have a home, but your dad kind of ran off with my roomie, so here I am. Plus, I didn’t want to leave the dog alone.”
Clement clicked his tongue. “As if I couldn’t take care of a single dog.”
“He…didn’t run off with me,” Raven said, not even half as loud as he’d meant to. He wasn’t sure Jason even heard it, but Maxim turned to him and smiled, the expression still not reaching his eyes but feeling warmer all the same.
“Whatever. Look, I can’t control the old bat. Thanks for taking care of the dog. Okay, that it? Can I get back to work now, finally?”
“We’re trying to find out the dog’s name, darling,” Maxim said. “Did you reach out to the shelter?”
“Did I call every shelter in New Amsterdam and then abuse your name to get my way, you mean? Obviously I’m not answering that.”
“Aw, darling, I’m so proud of you for being creative. So what’s his name?”
“Didn’t have one. He was brought in after leading Animal Control on a wild chase for over two hours. They suggested Devil. They also suggested we might want to get something nice and obedient like a wolf dog instead. I think the person I was talking to had a personal grudge against him.”
Raven glanced at the dog. He didn’t react to “Devil” at all, instead curling up close to Raven’s feet. Then again, maybe he’s just ignoring the accusations against him.
Jason cocked his head. “How did you guys get that dog again? The fae groomer said—”
Clement squeezed more mayo onto Jason’s fries from a bottle that was near-empty and thus noisily farting out its contents.
“No one needs to hear any more about the fae groomer and how you made small talk with the fae groomer, human. Eat your food and attempt to be pleasant.”
Jason looked at his fries. “Uh, can I get some more chili flakes with all that mayo?”
“Mayo?” Heath said. “Sorry, was that it now? I really have to, you know. Go.”
“It was, darling. Sleep tight.”
Maxim ended the call and looked at Raven. “It’s official, then. The dog stole you. What should we call him?”
“Well.” Raven looked down. The dog looked like he was resting his eyes, but his ears were moving as if he were following this conversation closely. “The only word he really knows is ‘food.’”
The dog looked up at Raven, going for hard eye contact right away.
Clement brought over two tumblers, and Raven could smell what was in them. Blood. This is blood. It smells good.
“It’s selective deafness,” Clement said. “Normally, humans are prone to it, some more so than others. He only hears what he wants to hear.”
Maxim hummed. “Clement, that’s very insightful, but I don’t think that’s quite it. I think he only hears what he wants Raven to know he hears.”
Raven broke eye contact. “He’s just a dog, not a master manipulator.”
Jason crunched down on a handful of fries. “The groomer said he’s really smart.”
Clement turned to glower at him. “That would’ve made one of you.”
Jason pointed. “If I had more chili flakes on here, I wouldn’t be able to talk.”
Maxim leaned his elbow on the bar and hummed. “I see. Jason and the dog have more in common than not. What a realization. Clement, isn’t that quite a realization?”
“I just make the drinks here. You said I just had to make the drinks here. You didn’t say I’d have to have realizations.” He dusted chili flakes all over Jason’s fries without looking, and Jason seemed pleased as punch.
Oh, he likes him? Jason likes pretty much everyone though. But maybe he really likes him. I hope so. Jason deserves a good guy. The best.
“How about Umeboshi?”
“What?”
Maxim was looking at Raven, his gaze unwavering. Raven was wondering how Maxim saw him now. He couldn’t shake that question, but it wasn’t as burning a question as it had been when he’d been worried that Maxim would want to… When he’d been worried.
“Umeboshi,” Maxim said. “It’s a pickled Japanese plum. And the breed is from Japan. It’s also food. Less on the nose but still fitting.”
The dog looked at Maxim, his pointy ears attentive.
“Umeboshi, huh?” That had the dog looking back at Raven—likely more coincidence than anything else, but Raven decided it was good enough. “Umeboshi it is.”
Maxim raised his cup to Raven. “Should we drink to that?”
“With blood?”
Jason leaned on the bar. “Oh! Me too. Clement, can I have some blood, please?”
“If you’re set on proving that you cannot learn from your mistakes, of course.”
Jason giggled, munching down on some more of his fries. “So grumpy. Oh, and spicy. Just a tiny little bit, for Umeboshi.”
Clement shrugged. “To toast the pickled plum. You may tell the toilet bowl his name, and I shall rub your back while you do so.”
He walked off, presumably to get Jason some blood.
Raven frowned. “You know, if this isn’t good for you… It’s probably like if I tried eating your chili flakes with fries.”
Jason shrugged. “I love living on the edge.”
Maxim shushed him. “Don’t let Clement hear you. He might lock you in the bathroom for your own safety.”
Raven saw something like hope flicker in Jason’s eyes. When did that start? Really only today? Things can change in a flash, between one moment and the next. Raven smiled at Jason. I hope this makes him happy.
Jason flushed. “Do you really think he would?”
He sounded hopeful. Raven felt awkward, more so than he had before, scared maybe, but he decided to focus on wishing the best for Jason instead. Even if it meant being locked up in a bathroom.