Aint too proud to beg sfdg-1 Page 2

  He handed her a brochure. Here are the rules for the free year of grooming. Please keep in mind that theres a once-a-month limit, and there are additional charges for specialized services. Feel free to call and make your first appointment at any time. Thanks for coming to the newest Celestial Pet.

  Josie clutched the glossy paper in her sweaty hand. /That was it? It was over?/ That couldnt be right.

  You know, she said in her most casual voice, you probably just made it possible for me to retire.

  The mans eyebrows rose in surprise.

  See. She stroked her dogs fur as she spoke. Genghis has this soft retriever undercoat with the kinky poodle hair on top, so hes a magnet for anything thats not glued downtwigs, dirt, dust, dryer lint, grass, burrs, thorns, carpet fibers, bugs, whatever. And if he gets rained on or sits in his water bowl or jumps in the shower with me, it all gets matted together. And you know those little steel combs are worthless, so I end up spending over a hundred a month for grooming. So this will really help.

  The man cocked his head, as if seriously considering everything shed just said. Which of course he would do, being a deep thinker. Then he asked, Your dog showers with you?

  Josie felt her face redden. She laughed awkwardly. Oh, you know, on special occasions. Then she squeezed her eyes shut in mortification. Did she just say she showered with her dog /on special occasions?/ The truth was that Genghis jumped in uninvited sometimes. That was it. That was all she had to say. So why didnt she say it? /What was wrong with her?/ The man laughed, too, then tweaked Genghiss beard. Well, my man, at least youll be squeaky clean while kickin Chinese ass.

  Josie told Genghis to get off the counter. Thanks, she said, turning to go. She reached the doorway, but had to glance behind her to see him one last time. He was looking at her! Unfortunately, his expression was a combination of sadness and amusement, so, of course, she figured he must have found her pitiful in an entertaining way. And after that exchange, what man wouldnt? He thought she showered with her dog! She kept going.

  But she looked againmaybe it wasnt so simple. His eyes showed interest, so the sadness might be about something other than her. Suddenly, he smiled, and she smiled back. Then she left the store, a spark of hope flickering in her heart. /Damn!/ Josie spun back around, charged through the front doors and back toward the grooming salon counter, where her man was already entering someone elses information into the system.

  Pardon me, she said, smiling at an older gentleman and his Afghan hound.

  This will just take a second.

  Josie looked directly into the groomers kind, deep-thinking eyes. Im not usually this forward and I have no idea whats come over me, but you know everything about me and I know nothing about you and I couldnt leave here without knowing your name.

  He nodded, a faint smile pulling on his lips. Then, very slowly, he raised his right index finger to the upper left pocket of his blue vest.

  He pointed to his embossed nametag.

  The names Rick, he said.

  Lordy, the elderly man said.

  The whole point of Josies return had been to redeem herself, to reveal her bold and decisive nature. Instead, shed just crowned herself Queen of the Dorks.

  Nice to meet you, Josephine, Rick said. He reached out his hand to grasp hers.

  My friends call me Josie. His hand was hot and smooth and the palm-to-palm contact was so thrilling that her knees threatened to buckle. Okay, so she might have grasped his hand a little too tightly, but he managed to retrieve it.

  The old gentleman groaned. For Gods sake, girlie, just hurry up and ask the boy for a date so I can go home and get some shut-eye!

  Rick lowered his gaze toward the keyboard and Josie couldnt tell if he was laughing or embarrassed, but she did notice he had incredibly thick, long, dark eyelashes. She stood in awed silence, realizing the universe had filled her order not within thirty days, like that schlubby woman on TV, but within thirty freakin /minutes!/ Shed just been served at the drive-through of true love!

  Yep, she was still breathing all right, and according to Mrs. Needleman, that was the only prerequisite for finding a life. But could she be brave enough? She took a deep breath and went for it.

  Rick, Id like you to join me for a cup of coffee sometime.

  The skinhead chose that moment to walk past with his wiener dog. Be careful, /mate,/ or shell spill it all over you.

  Rick nodded, obviously trying not to laugh, then he looked at Josie square-on, those magical green eyes cutting her to the core. I think Id enjoy that, Josie. Ill give you a call later.

  Thank God, the old man said.

  She was about to ask Rick at which number she could expect to receive the call and his specific definition of the term later, but she restrained herself. Great! A huge smile spread across her face. Ill talk to you later, then!

  Is this a pet store or a singles joint? the elderly man with the Afghan snapped at Rick impatiently. Thats the problem with business todayall anyone thinks about is sex! What happened to customer service?

  Rick blinked, stunned, watching Josie Sheehan and her Labradoodle clear the double glass doors of the store. What had just happened to him? His skin was tingling and his face felt hot and his head was spinning. His heart felt as if it were filled to capacityand he didnt even know he /had/ a capacity. It felt as if part of his spirit had just cracked open, and he didnt know whether to fear the breach or welcome it.

  For a man who had long prided himself on being impenetrable to women, the whole encounter had left him off balance. Rick heard himself laughing. The sound of it surprised him.

  Son, get your mind out of the gutter and do your job or I will have to speak to your boss.

  Rick gave his head a quick shake and focused on his customer. Im very sorry about that, he said, smiling.

  Theres no need to involve my boss. Now what can I do for you?

  He registered the old mans Afghan hound and then a King Charles spaniel before his stint at the grooming counter was done. Next, Rick helped in the stockroom and attended the sales associates meeting, but all he could do was think of her, the woman with the hair as wild as her dogs.

  Rick shared a pizza with the manager of the fish and aquarium department, but afterward, he couldnt remember a single word hed said during the meal. Late that afternoon, while helping set up chairs for the evenings free dog-training introduction class, Rick wondered if he might be coming down with the flu. That had to be it.

  A little before five P.M., his cell phone rang. It was a call he had expected sooner or later, but the news was a horrible shock nonetheless.

  All thoughts of Josie Sheehan and her funny dog vanished.

  She stopped checking her e-mail and voice mails just before midnight.

  But, just in case, Josie took her portable home phone and cell phone with her into the bathroom while she brushed her teeth. By the time she began flossing, Josie felt like kicking herself. Did she really think that list on her laptop was some kind of magic bullet, that millions of tiny electrical impulses turned into little black letters on a digitized screen would somehow change the course of her life?

  Schtupid, schtupid, schtupid, she slurred through the double-waxed thread. While rinsing, she decided that if she wanted a man like Rick the dog groomer to find her irresistible, it would help to feel that way about herself, first. Hadnt that been her problem all alongthat somewhere deep down she thought she deserved the kind of losers who had populated her past?

  Josie turned off the water and stared at herself in the mirror. She was thirty-five years old! What was she waiting for? It was time to put an end to that old insecurity forever.

  She felt a warm and fuzzy bump against her right calf, and looked down to see Genghis leaning against her, tongue out, beady eyes gazing lovingly at her. He was funny that way, always knowing when she needed a little reassurance.

  You think hell call? As an answer, Genghis licked her knee. Seriously?

  You do? So you think I should just chill? /Errr
rummph./ Maybe youre right. Ill think positive. Josie flicked off the bathroom light. Her dog toddled down the hall ahead of her, jumped in bed and waited, immediately assuming his preferred spooning position against her tummy once she joined him. She pulled the covers over them both.

  Good night, Doodle Man. Josie kissed Genghiss big fluffy head, so glad she had her dog. She closed her eyes and flopped an arm over her hairy bed partner. Yes, it might take a while for Rick to realize she was irresistible, but she could wait.

  She had Genghis.

  CHAPTER 3

  The group was set to meet for their usual walk at six A.M. at the off-leash area of Dolores Park, just west of the Mission District. As always, they gathered at the Starbucks on Diamond Heights and continued on to the park, where they let the dogs run free for about twenty minutes of group play. Except for Ginger and Roxanne. Gingers timid bichon frise often retreated to the safety of her owners arms, and, because Roxannes new dog had aggression issues, she wore a muzzle and stayed on a leash.

  Typically, their outing was topped off by a brisk twenty-minute loop around the park (or an uphill route through the neighborhood) with the leashed dogs trotting at their sides. Then they headed back to the Starbucks for a morning cup. Except for Bea, who didnt drink coffee and believed the companys hidden agenda was global enslavement through caffeine intoxication. She expounded on that theory every time they met, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at six, plus the occasional Sunday afternoon at four.

  On that memorable morning, Roxies large brown dog was especially unpleasant, growling and lunging at every unfamiliar malehuman or caninethat she spied. Josie, Bea, and Ginger were accustomed to Liliths antics, but people who didnt know Roxie and her mixed boxer gave them a wide berth, avoiding eye contact while yanking their own pets to safety.

  Every once in a while, someone would make a disapproving comment and look at the pair with disdain.

  Bite me. Roxie leveled that insult to a passerby while giving Liliths head a reassuring pat. Cant people see Im just desensitizing my dog as part of her socialization process? I mean, really, they act like shes foaming at the mouth or something!

  Ginger pointed a French-tipped nail toward Liliths muzzle. Actually, I do see some foamlike substance under her chin.

  Bea snorted with laughter. I dont know which dog guru youre all worshipping this week, but in my humble opinion, stuffing an aggressive bitch into a muzzle and dragging her out in public so she can get worked up to a froth doesnt do a damn thing to /desensitize/ anyone, least of all the dog.

  At that point, Josie looked around at their group and wondered, as she often did, how they had all ended up together. She would be the first to admit that the eight of them didnt create any kind of cohesive unit.

  Some days, like this one, the humans in the pack seemed to barely tolerate each other.

  Roxanne, Ginger, Bea, and Josie were coworkers at the /San Francisco Herald,/ and had known each other casually for many years. The dog-walking group was formed about three years before, when the women wound up in the break room at the same time and discovered they shared a common love of dogs. Since then, their commonalities had expanded. For example, all of them were currently manless. They didnt plan it that way, but thats what happened.

  Roxanne Bloom, at twenty-eight, was the youngest. She was tall and lean, with glossy black hair and huge dark eyes set off by a pale complexion.

  She covered criminal courts for the /Herald,/ so she wasnt in the newsroom much. As Roxie put it, she was usually hanging out in courtrooms with pervs, psychopaths, and folks with huge anger-management problemsand those were the lawyers!

  Roxie had been knocked silly by her last boyfriends betrayal, and hadnt bounced back. The guy was a hotshot criminal defense attorney thirty years her senior, and it had ended in a bigger train wreck than even Josie had anticipated. Josie was with Roxie the night her friend extinguished a burning cigar right smack in the middle of the older mans bald spot. Soon after, Roxie started blogging to deal with her fury, which grew into a kind of Web clearing house for boyfriend horror stories from around the globe. Shed developed quite a following at /

  [http://www.i-vomit-on-all-men.com] www.i-vomit-on-all-men.com./ Roxies lovable old collie had died just a month ago, and she went out and adopted a dog from a rescue agency to keep her company. Roxie said she could feel Liliths pain, describing her new pet as needy. Josie knew Roxie could call it anything she wanted, but it wouldnt change the fact that the dog was just plain /kee-razy/.

  Bea Latimer was the oldest of the crew, and the most eccentric. She was fifty-three and worked as an assistant sports editor at the paper. She was tall and solid with short gray hair and pale blue eyes, and she dressed pretty much the same every daychinos, belt, and a golf shirt embroidered with a team logo or the name of some tournament or 5K run.

  She knew everything about the news business and even more about sports.

  Anyone who spent five minutes with Bea would learn shed been a champion swimmer who earned a spot on the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics team but missed her shot at glory because of the boycott. Shed never forgiven Jimmy Carter or the rest of the world.

  Beas Finnish spitz was named Martina, and Bea had her on a grueling schedule of training and competition as an agility dog. Bea had never been married, didnt date, and lived a couple blocks from her mother. All the standard alarm bells went off in Josies head when she first met Bea, but shed stopped wondering about her friends sexual preference or even if she had one. It didnt seem to occupy Beas attention, so why should it concern Josie?

  Then there was Ginger Garrison, the /Herald/s home and garden editor.

  Ginger was forty, divorced, and the mother of twin fifteen-year-old boys. After Gingers husband left her for the first in what would become a cornucopia of skanky hos, she and Larry graciously agreed to share custody of the boys. They also hammered out the property settlement, alimony, and child support issues with relative ease. The dog was a different story. It took nearly a year and close to twenty-five thousand in legal fees, but Ginger got sole custody of HeatherLynn, a perfectly coiffed bichon frise who dined on free-range chicken and slept on a satin dog bed.

  Ginger was gorgeous. She was always the one in the group who turned heads and caused mens mouths to fall open just by walking down the street or bending down to fix her ankle strap. But since shed hit the Big Four-oh, Ginger had grown insecure about her looks, and had convinced herself she was in the beginning stages of menopause, though her doctors and everyone else in her life had told her she was imagining things. In addition to the self-induced hot flashes and crying jags, Ginger had become fixated on the crows feet and frown lines only she could see. Shed made four appointments with the plastic surgeon for Botox injections, but had canceled them all because of her ongoing concerns about a possible link to brain tumors.

  Then there was Josie herself. She was perfectly aware that she was the plain Jane of the group, that there was nothing remotely funky about her. She was a little too short and a little too curvy, with curly brown hair past her shoulders, and gray eyes. She had a masters degree in journalism from Stanford. No one in her family had ever gone to prison or appeared on a reality show. Her mother was an English Lit teacher at a community college and her dad was a plumbing contractor. Her older brother, Donald, was a single accountant and her younger sister, Beth, was a crazed wife and mother of two toddlers. Pathologically normal, the whole lot of them.

  Josie knew she was a good person. She didnt get to mass regularly but she tried to make an appearance at Easter and Christmas. She gave to several charities. She tried to meditate every day even though she hated sitting still. She tried to eat right and usually did okay unless cocoa or phyllo dough products were involved. She had a life insurance policy, though she wondered why she bothered.

  One thing Josie was sure ofshe had the friendliest dog there was.

  Genghis was the Jay Leno of the dog park. Dogs and their people flocked to him, the people already laughing because he l
ooked like such a goof.

  Genghis was a big, golden-brown clown who loved everyone, especially those with food. Genghis would walk off with anyone who offered him anything remotely bacon-flavored, and hed sell his soul to Satan for a cube of cheddar cheese. This lack of fidelity used to make Josie feel insecure. She sometimes compared her dog to Gingers HeatherLynn, who peed herself if Ginger left her field of vision. She knew Genghis loved her, and she was aware that canine incontinence wasnt anything to be jealous of, but sometimes Josie wished he was more of a one-woman dog.

  So that morning, after Beas sermon on muzzles and dog gurus, Roxanne stormed off without a word, the foaming Lilith in tow. The rest of them lured their dogs away from playtime and went after her.

  That might have been a little harsh, Ginger said to Bea as they walked.

  Bea shook her head purposefully, her short hair spiked with so much gel it didnt move in the breeze. It wasnt harshit was /true/. One of us has got to have the balls to tell Roxie the way it isher dog hates males because /she/ does! Isnt it obvious?

  The thought had occurred to Josie, of course, but saying it out loud was another thing entirely. Thats not really fair, Bea, Josie said, as they quickened their pace. Lilith had aggression issues long before Roxie got her. She was a rescue doga strayremember? And anyway, we could use the dog-reflects-owner formula with every one of us and paint any kind of picture we wanted.

  Ginger frowned, but immediately used a fingertip to massage away any wrinkle that might have formed in the valley between her brows. Exactly what are you implying, Josie?

  She shrugged, realizing shed started a conversation she might not be brave enough to finish.

  Do tell, Joze, Bea said with a laugh.

  Josie looked down at Genghis and his usual happy-as-hell expression and the way his hair-covered eyes darted around the park, going from person to person and dog to dog, clearly amenable to any kind of contact.