Chapter 7 #2
“Hi, welcome in!” a voice rang out from the island of registers in the center of the building.
I tensed and glanced over to find a woman with dark hair waving at me.
She had long, silky dark hair that reminded me of Monica, but she wore a baby pink blouse and a wide smile that made me feel like she was genuinely pleased to see me.
I gave her a little nod before turning back to the massive selection of treats, daunted by the variety.
The bell above the door rang as someone else walked in and I turned to look at them, just in case it was Shepherd and his buddy.
Instead, it was a woman in a flowing dress and a warm smile. She had long, blonde hair and combat boots that clashed dramatically with the flowery print of her outfit. She walked right up to the counter, not even glancing my way, and I felt the tension in my shoulders ease just a little.
“Hey, Olivia!” the employee behind the counter said, greeting the woman by name. “I’ve got the donations all set up on carts in the back. Do you need any help?”
“I’ve got it,” Olivia said, her voice soft but friendly. “Thanks though.”
“No problem,” the clerk replied, before turning and heading towards me. “Hi, I’m Effy. Are there any questions I can answer for you?”
I considered shaking my head no and going back to my struggle of making a decision or simply leaving, but I’d spent enough time running away from things today and as far as I could tell there was no danger in staying.
It was merely the leftover adrenaline from my morning run and subsequent dodging of the local feds, that left me wanting to flee to the solitude of my apartment once more.
“I’m trying to buy a treat for a dog, but I don’t know which one,” I said, realizing how crazy it sounded even as I spoke the words.
“I take it you’re buying a gift, then?” Effy asked, putting her hands on her hips as she surveyed the treat table I was looking at when I nodded. “Okay, let’s head this way. The treats on that table are for training, which means they’re high value, but also high in fat.”
“Oh,” I said, following along as the woman led the way to a second treat table I hadn’t even gotten to yet.
“When you’re buying for a dog you don’t know well, you want to go with limited ingredients,” she explained, pointing to one of the packages on the top row and then another one below it.
“Freeze-dried cheese is a good one, surprisingly low in fat. Freeze-dried shrimp are also a good option but a little pricier.”
“Dogs can eat shrimp?” I asked, a note of surprise filling my voice. I’d never considered that before. Then again, I’d never had a dog to buy things for, either.
“They can!” she said with confidence. “There are a lot of things a dog can eat that you wouldn’t expect.
But a lot of surprising dangers too. Chocolate, of course, but also grapes and onions.
Even xylitol, which is a fake sugar they sometimes put in peanut butter.
We do have a dog-safe peanut butter but if you’re giving treats as a gift we usually suggest avoiding peanuts unless you’re certain there are no nut allergies. ”
“Sorry, dogs have peanut allergies?”
“Well, not usually,” Effy replied, “But it can happen. More importantly, any owner handling the treat could also be allergic.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” I said, nodding along.
A strange squeaking sound caught my attention, and I turned to find Olivia coming out of the back with two huge boxes on top of a silver platform cart.
As she headed for the doors I glanced at the contents of the boxes and found them full of bags of dog and cat food, toys, harnesses, and other products I was certain I could match up to products found in the store given enough time. Donations, Effy had said.
As she hurried to the door to hold it open for Olivia, I turned back to the treat table and selected the freeze-dried cheese. It seemed like the safest option at my price point.
Effy seemed to be the only employee available, and I glanced through the window to find that she was now helping Olivia load the donation boxes into a van that I couldn’t quite make out the logo of.
I decided to wander over to the dog toys while I waited, browsing all the cute little stuffed critters that were hung up on display hooks in nice, neat rows.
Reaching for a stuffed shark, I started to reflect on what it would mean to have a constant companion. I’d been so cut off from people, but that didn’t mean I needed to be isolated from everyone, did it? Maybe this whole situation wouldn’t just be…temporary.
The bell above the door jingled, signaling Effy’s return.
I stepped up to the counter with my single bag of freeze-dried cheese and passed it over.
“Do you have a phone number with us?” she asked. When I shook my head, her smile only brightened. “Would you like to add one? They track your rewards and receipts for receipt-less returns.”
I was already shaking my head no before she reached the end of her spiel and, thankfully, she didn’t push the matter.
As I paid the total, I thought about what it might be like to buy treats for a dog of my own and I felt my chest go tight as I imagined the kind of companionship that would bring.
I’d always wanted a pet, but it had never been the right time, and it certainly wasn’t going to be anytime soon.
“Best of luck,” Effy said as she passed me a brown paper bag containing the dog treats and my receipt.
“Thank you,” I replied, and then left, sucking in the fresh air as I paused outside to adjust to the bright sunlight and scan the parking lot again, confirming that ASAC Shepherd and his friend were nowhere to be seen.
With any luck that would be the last close call this week, but considering my track record with bad luck, I wasn’t getting my hopes up anytime soon.