“I had no idea so many people owned dogs in New York. What happens to them during the day when you’re here?”
“I use a dog-walking company. Is this your way of telling me you’re about to become a dog owner?”
“Why the horrified look?”
“I— No reason. I guess I didn’t see you as a dog person.”
“And what does a ‘dog person’ look like?” He thought about Molly’s long legs and the way she smiled at Valentine. If that was how a dog person looked, then it just might be his new favorite thing.
“For a start they don’t generally wear custom-made suits and work eighteen-hour days. And dog people usually have a soft side.”
“I have a soft side, which is why I’m about to walk away from that mountain of work on my desk and go and wish Audrey happy birthday. Team bonding. Oh, and Marsha—” he paused in the doorway “—let’s find out who ‘Aggie’ is. Get Max onto it.”
“You need advice on dating?”
“No. I need to tell her to stay the hell away from my clients.”
Six
Dear Aggie, why do women say they’re “ fine” when they’re obviously not fine? What exactly does “ fine” mean? I suspect it’s a code word and I need it deciphered. Yours, Confused.
“How can human beings treat animals so badly?” Harriet shifted position so that the puppy on her lap was more comfortable. “He’s six weeks old. How can anyone want to harm something so vulnerable?”
“I don’t know but he’s safe now because he has you, and you’re the best place for lost and abandoned things.” Fliss pulled on her running shoes and pulled her hair into a ponytail. “I need to go. I have a packed day.”
“Already? You haven’t eaten breakfast.” She sniffed the air. “What’s that terrible smell? Are we on fire?”
“My toast was on fire but don’t worry. I can’t cook, but I can douse flames.”
“You can’t leave without eating something.”
“Energy bar.” Fliss dug her hand in her pocket and produced the evidence.
Harriet shuddered. “That’s not breakfast. That’s a nutritional insult.”
“I don’t have time for anything else. I’m seeing a new client, taking Paris the poodle to the vet for Annie because she’s going to be out of town overnight and then I have twelve private walks. At least it keeps me slim. Which is good because I intend to stop in at Magnolia Bakery on my way home and buy something that someone else has cooked. Can I tempt you with anything?”
Harriet shook her head. “I’m going to have a baking session later, though, so you could save your bakery trip for another day.”
“Your famous chocolate chip cookies? Yum. This is why I love you.” Fliss swept up her keys on her way to the door and paused. “By the way, Molly has booked Valentine in for three walks next week. She has to proofread her book and she has a meeting with her publisher.”
“No problem. I adore Valentine. He’s the cutest dog on the planet.”
“You say that about every dog.”
“True.” Harriet stroked the puppy’s soft fur with the tip of her finger. “Have a good day. You don’t want to wait to see Daniel? You were in the shower when he picked Brutus up.” She flushed as she saw Fliss raise her eyebrows. “What? I actually think the name suits him better than Ruffles. Ruffles should be a cute poodle, or maybe a schnauzer. A griffon. Not a sturdy German shepherd with muscles in all the right places. Daniel is right.”
“Don’t tell him that. He’ll be insufferable.”
“I like seeing him with the dog.”
“Why? Because you think it’s good to see him caring about something other than himself?”
“He’s always cared for us,” Harriet said stubbornly and Fliss sighed.
“Yeah, I know. Don’t make me feel guilty. And you and I both know he’s going to dump the dog as soon as he gets the girl. And then he’ll dump the girl soon after that. It’s standard Daniel operating procedure. No exceptions. So don’t start spinning happy endings.”
“At least he dates. It’s more than we do.”