Chapter 11 Guinness, Glutes, and Grumpy Snuggle Bugs
Guinness, Glutes, and Grumpy Snuggle Bugs
Alyssa
November was flying by. The partnership with Crawford’s was sailing along brilliantly. All the dogs were being spoiled by their volunteers, and it made Alyssa’s heart sing to watch some of her more timid dogs come out of their shells.
The offices were now decorated to the nines in Christmas apparel.
Crawford’s Pet Supplies really took the festive season seriously.
Best of all, Evelyn had gifted each of Alyssa’s dogs a brand new coat, fresh off the production line.
The only pooch not happy about the new winter wear was Bug.
He was not impressed at all, which shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
Bug liked things a certain way, and getting jammed into a fluffy coat was not how he wanted to spend his time.
“Al, have you seen Bug?”
For the past three weeks, that sentence was asked daily by Lil. Alyssa had long stopped worrying about Bug’s Houdini act. She knew exactly where to find him, and she wasn’t about to stop him from going there.
Evelyn had said nothing about the little dog travelling up to her office daily. In fact, Alyssa had noticed Evelyn had started to leave her door ajar, which made her smile.
Sure, Alyssa could just ask Evelyn outright if she wanted to be Bug’s new volunteer, but that meant Alyssa wouldn’t have much of an excuse to go up to the twentieth floor daily. As it stood, Alyssa would let Bug go for a few hours, then wander up to Evelyn’s office to “check in.”
Nine times out of ten, Alyssa would catch Evelyn on the floor with Bug, rubbing his head or belly.
Sometimes they would be standing together looking out over London.
Occasionally, Alyssa worried Evelyn probably didn’t have the time to be entertaining Bug, but then she’d stop and flip it over.
Maybe entertaining Bug was exactly what Evelyn needed. Who was Alyssa to decide otherwise?
“You know where he is,” she chuckled, shaking her head at Lil.
“I know, I just like asking it. It’s like our thing now,” Lil grinned. “Are you going up to get him?”
“I suppose I should.” Alyssa tried to sound nonchalant.
“Oh, look at the time. It’s almost lunch. You could grab something for Evelyn before going to retrieve Bug. Wouldn’t that be kind?” Lil’s shit-eating grin was just too much. For the past few weeks, Alyssa had put up with Lil’s comments and suggestions.
“You know what? I think I will.”
So Alyssa might have a tiny crush on the CEO, and sure, she was pretty crap at hiding it from her best friend who liked to tease her mercilessly, but that wasn’t going to stop her from admitting how she felt.
Evelyn Crawford was intriguing, funny, kind, sometimes stern, but overall utterly magnetic.
Alyssa and Evelyn chatted daily. They spent their time talking about this and that. Only covering surface topics, but it allowed them to get to know each other.
For example, Alyssa now knew that Evelyn had a major man crush on Jason Statham.
Hawaiian pizza was her favourite food. The argument of whether pineapple should belong on pizza was a doozy.
Eventually, they had to agree to disagree.
Evelyn’s favourite colour was emerald green, and her favourite band was The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Alyssa told Evelyn about her first crush on a girl.
About her first date with a guy. How her parents threw her a coming out party at sixteen.
Most importantly, Alyssa filled Evelyn in on her pet history.
All the dogs and cats she’d had as a kid.
It surprised Alyssa to find out Evelyn had only ever had one pet, and that was a hamster.
“Knock, knock.” Trying to push open Evelyn’s heavy ass door with her hands full of takeout food and coffee wasn’t the easiest of things.
“Jesus, hang on, let me help,” Evelyn said, rushing over to relieve Alyssa of the bags. “You brought lunch?”
“Well, yeah. Is that okay? I just figured I was going to eat, and I knew I would have to come up and make sure Bug was here so…”
“Alyssa, it’s perfect, thank you. I thought I was going to have to skip lunch today. The meeting with the board ran over by an hour, leaving me no time to grab food.”
“Well, fear not. You have a chicken mayo baguette with your name on it. Literally.” Alyssa laughed, holding out the wrapped sandwich that had Evelyn’s name scrawled on it in black pen.
“Did you go to Marco’s?” Evelyn gushed. Alyssa loved how excited the woman got. Alyssa nodded with a big smile. “That place is my favourite. How did you know?”
“I’ve seen Maggie bring you food from there before, so I made a leap.”
“God, I could kiss you.” Alyssa froze. Evelyn obviously didn’t register what she’d just said. No, she was too busy stuffing her face, moaning. Moaning! Dear Lord, Alyssa wanted to be that sandwich.
“Do you want to come out for a drink tonight?” The question was out of Alyssa’s mouth before she could overthink it.
A few employees went to the local Irish pub down the street once or twice a week and had asked Alyssa and Lil to join them.
Now Alyssa wanted Evelyn to be there. More time outside of the office environment and all that.
“Oh,” Evelyn coughed, swallowing her baguette. “I…I probably have to work late.”
“Nonsense. Come on, just for one drink. It is the holiday season, after all.” Alyssa watched Evelyn roll her eyes. “Don’t you like Christmas?”
“I like it enough.”
“Wow, way to convince me there, Evie.” Alyssa laughed.
“Christmas is fine. It just means more work for me.”
“Then going to the pub for a drink is the perfect excuse to unwind a little. Come on. For me? A bunch of us are going.” Alyssa gave Evelyn her best puppy eyes. Her grin spread widely when she saw the CEO’s resolve falter.
“Fine, one drink, but then I have to get on.”
“Shake on it,” Alyssa smirked, thrusting her hand to shake Evelyn’s. Laughing, they sealed the deal. “Now, eat up. You’ve got a long afternoon ahead. I’ll take Bug back downstairs.”
“Oh…alright then.”
Alyssa didn’t miss the flash of disappointment that ran over Evelyn’s beautiful features.
“I’ll swing by your office at half five.
Be ready!” Alyssa didn’t stick around long enough for Evelyn to answer.
With her half-finished sandwich in one hand and Bug tucked under her arm, Alyssa made her exit.
Bug didn’t help the situation by trying his damndest to nibble the sandwich as she ran the gauntlet of office workers, who had a habit of jutting out their chairs randomly.
After a short ride down, the elevator doors slid open. Bug wriggled himself free, determined to get over to the patch of sunlight shining through the lower office window. Alyssa had ten minutes to wolf down her lunch before she had to head out for the afternoon.
Just as her lips met the bread, a shadow loomed over her. Looking up, she was pleasantly surprised to see Josh, one of the building’s security officers.
“Hi,” he said with a grin. Josh was tall, blonde and stacked. Alyssa could see his muscles through his shirt, which did rather naughty things to her.
“Hey, Josh, how’s it going?”
“Great. Sorry to interrupt your lunch. Just wanted to make sure you were coming along tonight?”
“Yup, that’s the plan. Is Terry coming too?”
“Yeah, says he needs a cold one after the week he’s had with his fella.”
“Oh no, trouble in paradise?” Alyssa liked Terry a lot. He came across as a little gruff, but he was a big ol’ teddy bear. His long-term boyfriend was the sweetest man she’d ever met. Funny, really, because he and Terry were like chalk and cheese, but it worked for them.
“Ned threw a wedge of brie at him because he left his underwear on the kitchen table again.”
Alyssa threw back her head, laughing. “I would have, too,” she tittered.
“So, tonight, you’ll be there.”
“Yeah, I just have a few things to do, but I’ll be back here before half five.”
“Cool, see you then.”
Alyssa watched Josh walk away. Those bum muscles were incredible.
“Earth to Alyssa,” Lil sang.
“Yes, dear,” Alyssa answered, still looking at Josh’s fine glutes.
“You’re terrible, do you know that?” Lil wheeled a chair over and sat next to Alyssa.
“Why am I terrible?”
“Because you’re salivating over Josh whilst simultaneously drooling over Evelyn.”
Alyssa failed to see the problem. “I’m young and single. What’s the issue?”
“Would it kill you just to…nevermind, you do you!”
“I shall,” Alyssa smirked.
“What did Josh want? Has he finally asked you out yet?”
“Nope, not outright anyway. He wanted to know if I was going to the pub tonight. I said yes. So are you, right?”
“Sure. Charlotte’s taking the dogs back tonight. Pete’s coming too and he’s driving so we can grab a lift home from him.”
“Fabulous. Right,” Alyssa slapped her hands on her thighs. “I’ve got to go see a man about a dog.”
Working with dogs was Alyssa’s dream. It had been since she was small.
What she didn’t like about the job was having to deal with the heartache that inevitably came with it.
This afternoon had been tough. One of the other local shelters had a litter of puppies brought in.
Seven little fluff balls found in a garbage bag on the side of a busy road.
The shelter was full and had reached out to Alyssa.
The puppies were in awful shape. Each of the babies had fleas and worms.
Of course, Alyssa immediately agreed to take them on. As soon as they were treated by a vet, Alyssa would set them up in her home. That meant she had approximately three days before she would have to stop visiting Crawford’s as much. The puppies would need her attention.
Five-thirty arrived and Alyssa was bang on time to collect Evelyn, who looked as if she was going to try to get out of the pub drink.
“Before you say anything, Ms Crawford, I have had a hideous afternoon and could do with a friendly face and a chat. Yes, there are other people I could chat to, but I want to chat with you, so get your coat.”