"But Marcella said-" Daniel said.
"Said what?" I was fidgety and needed some caffeine. I don't remember my last full night's sleep and right now I was supposed to have my feet in warm, soapy water while someone trimmed my cutitcles. I'd looked forward to it for serveral days and now was going to be deprived. More to the point, I hadn't had any coffee in a couple of days since I read somewhere that too much caffeine makes your skin dry and tight. I already felt like I looked old and didn't want to look even older than my age. I was mam'd at the grocery last week and I'm not old enough to be a m'am
He looked at me as though he had a right to my time and had full access to my life. But really why should I care what he does or doesn't think about me and my life or my choices? "She said you've lived with and catered to a dog for years," Daniel said.
Vic snorted. Good thing he wasn't drinking something or he'd have to clean the inside of his car. "She meant Bozo. I love that. Chris will absolutely love it."
"What kind of a dog was Bozo?" Daniel asked. "Two or four legged." He reached down to scratch Louie behind the ears. The dog's leg started to thump up and down. Either he had some kind of a nervous twitch of he liked it.
"Two," I said. I wasn't going to shy away or make apologies for my life as I had chosen to live it. I could have made different decisions, I just didn't. He used me because I'd trained him that it was okay to do that. Shit, I really had lived with and catered to a dog.
"Oh. Sorry," Daniel said. "Look, Louie likes you. The neighborhood is great. It is a good place to make a fresh start."
"Fine. Do you have an application I can fill out?" I asked. Maybe this way I could get my lips around a nice, hot cup of xxx coffee or maybe some hot coco.
"No problem," Daniel said. "Give me your email and I'll send it over to you." Then he tapped the roof of the car like it was a horse or something indicating we could go. This guy seemed to have spent way too much time watching old Westerns on TV.
~~~
Vic and I spent hit a bistro near a farmer's market I love. Everything about the afternoon was perfect. Good weather. Great company. A new lease on life. Heck maybe even a new animal and new house.
Until.
Until I got home and discovered that the door had been kicked in. All of my furniture was gone. It might have come in flat boxes and had pictures of wood glued on, but it was my furniture. When I looked into the kitchen, it had been completely rifled. Every cabinet door and drawer was open. Dish towels were on the floor. Silverware was shrewn everywhere. Nothing was in order.
I'd been burgled. I hadn't been gone more than two hours and my home had been ransacked.
~~~
tbc
word count 556
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