Chapter Three
CHAPTER THREE
Anton exits the bathing room, shirt wet and clinging to his chest, covered in dog hair and grime. He places a rusty-looking piece of metal on the desk in front of me with a wide grin. “Congratulations, you’re back in business.”
“Really?!” I set the phone down and leap out of my seat. “I was about to start canceling afternoon appointments!”
“No need.” He gestures to the corroded part. “The new heating element is working, but you might want to replace the whole water heater soon. I think that thing was installed when we were still in elementary school.”
I wrap my arms around him, nestle my chin against his neck, and squeeze. “Thank you. So much.”
His hands come up around me, his fingers tracing along my spine, until I catch Scarlet smirking at us in one of the shop mirrors and blood rushes to my face. Anton frowns as I let go and step back.
“Any time,” he says. “Especially if it means you won’t be stuck here till eight o’clock.”
“It means everything.” I beam. “Seriously.”
Scarlet heads straight into the bathing room with a Havanese and a miniature schnauzer, trying to get caught up on the few morning dogs we didn’t reschedule before we’re hit with afternoon appointments. Our new groomer, Daniela, shaves the feet and face of a patient black standard poodle across the room as the bell above the front door jingles.
“Hi, welcome to Ooh La Pooch!” I say to the woman walking in. “Is this Aspen?” An adorable red English cocker spaniel puppy zooms in circles at the end of her leash. She puts her feet up against the half door separating us when she hears her name, trying to get close enough to sniff me.
“Yes, this is her first time getting groomed,” Aspen’s tastefully dressed owner says with an air of wary enthusiasm. “How long will it take?”
I go over the basics of a puppy’s first grooming with the new client while Anton busies himself collecting his tools. He’s great with his hands and has helped out quite a bit behind the scenes at both of my businesses, but talking to customers is definitely not his thing. He stops to wipe his face with his shirt, inadvertently showing off his eight-pack abs, and Aspen’s owner stops speaking midsentence. Anton doesn’t seem to notice, but my heart does a weird little flop in my chest. Sometimes I forget I’m married to someone who could double as a romance novel cover model.
The new client heads out the door just as Anton grabs the last of his things. “Guess I’ll go home and take another shower,” he says as I pluck a tuft of white fur out of his hair.
“Thank you again, Mr. Richie.” I rise on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “You saved the day.”
“Maybe our night too?” he says, nudging my knee with his leg. “Can I ask you out, Mrs. Richie?”
“I...uh...that sounds nice?” I smile, fidgeting with my necklace—Heartthrob’s paw print shrunken down and pressed in silver—a gift from Anton for my last birthday. I am truly grateful, but I can’t quite meet the sudden heat in his eyes. My mind is swirling, trying to figure out how I’m going to help the girls with the backed-up appointments, make it to a meeting with my contractor about the new space, and still stop by Pooch Park to check in with Tomás and finish payroll. I doubt I’ll have much left in me this evening beyond pajamas and ice cream, but I don’t want to disappoint him. I squeeze his hand. “I’ll text you before I head home.”
Anton flashes a smile, gives the cocker puppy still dancing at the end of her leash a gentle pat, and says goodbye to Heartthrob. He exits the shop just as my cell phone rings. I scoop Aspen into my arms, trying to answer the call as she covers my face with kisses.
“Hey, I’m here at Taco Den. Are we still on for today?” Caprice says. I glance at the clock and curse under my breath. Scarlet starts up one of the dryers behind me, and I lean my other ear against my shoulder to block the noise, raising my voice.
“I’m so sorry! Had an emergency at Ooh La Pooch. Can we rain check?”
“Again?” she says with a hint of annoyance. I bite my lip hard, trying to remember how many times we’ve already rescheduled.
“Thursday. I promise . Foothills Coffee on your lunch break? I’ll be there.”
Caprice sighs and chuckles into the phone. “Guess I can get some work done there either way.”
I cringe, hating that my friend knows to make backup plans when making plans with me, but also appreciating her for it. “You’re the best.”
“I know.”
“You still going on that date tonight?” I ask, setting the puppy on a grooming table and rewarding her with several treats while she sniffs the new setting. I switch my phone over to Bluetooth and grab my headset so I can speak hands-free.
“With the professor guy? Yes, good memory!”
I grin, running a brush gently through the little cocker’s coat, getting her used to the sensation. “I want to hear how it goes.”
“Maybe I’ll fill you in Thursday. Hope your day isn’t too nuts. Say hey to Anton.”
We hang up as I finish trimming Aspen’s nails and reward her again, then I take her back to the bathing room. Scarlet has rotated back out to the front of the shop, so I’m able to give the puppy a quick, efficient bath without having to make small talk. As I towel her off, Heartthrob wanders into the room, nudging his nose against my butt. He spent most of the morning sleeping in one of the open kennels, but I now realize he hasn’t been out to pee since we got here.
“I’ll take you as soon as I get this little one dry,” I tell him.
In reply, he curls his tail over his back and unearths a hairy tennis ball from the corner, rolling it around his mouth with the same hopeful look he gave me this morning after Anton stormed out of the room.
I close my eyes, wondering how I’m going to handle things at home tonight. If I can make it back before eight, Anton and I could at least have a late dinner together. It has been a while since we went on a real date, but thinking about all the effort of dressing up and finding somewhere to go at the end of the day just makes me tired. Maybe he’d accept a snuggle on the couch instead of an evening out. That actually sounds really nice. We haven’t had much time to simply chat and be together. But even as I picture this, I remember the look in his eyes as he left the shop. The heated one he gets when he really wants to fool around.
With a sigh, I realize I’ll need to offer up more than just conversation this evening. Especially after what happened—or didn’t happen—this morning. I’ve brushed him off too many times lately. And he did literally swoop in and save my day with his super handyman skills. I guess it’s the least I can do, even if I am exhausted. I bite my lip, stomach twisting first with guilt over my lack of enthusiasm, then a hint of resentment that I have to feel bad about it at all.
All of this will be better once the second Pooch Park location is open and running. I’m usually busy, but it has been next-level trying to keep everything running and get it off the ground. After we’ve gotten through hiring and officially opened our doors, I’ll be able to take a step back and rest a little. Have more fun. Then we can have some real date nights, and both of us will be less frustrated. Hopefully by June—September at the latest. We just have to make it through the next few months.
I put on a pair of ear protectors to dull the hum of the dryers and approach the puppy with the machine set to low. She’s nervous at first, but I hold her firmly and securely and coo at her, taking my time, introducing the rush of air at her short little tail and working forward as she gets used to it. Hair from various corners of the room flies into the air as I do this, finding its way into my mouth and clothes. I had already worked up a low-level sweat in the warm shop, and now I’m saturated with the smell of wet dog. Mentally, I add taking a shower to my list of required tasks when I get home. It’s hard enough getting myself in the mood without worrying about dog hair stuck in my bra.
I power the dryer off to Aspen’s immediate relief and wrap her in a towel. The little English cocker wags her butt as I stop and pull my phone from my pocket. After some deliberation, I send Anton a kiss emoji and tell him I’m excited for this evening. Because I want to be. And if I say it enough, maybe I’ll even start to feel it.