Page 5 of Fiona
Understanding flashes in his light eyes. “Too bad this place doesn’t allow animals, I could have brought Denny. He’s a great ice breaker.”
I chuckle. “Is he the four-legged wing man in your photo.”
“The very one.” He holds up his phone and shows me another picture of Denny. “I don’t go anywhere without him.”
“I always wanted a dog, but my sister was allergic,” I say, thinking about the Dalmatian puppy that I wanted so bad. “My parents weren’t really big on my suggestion of pumping her with allergy medication.”
“I suppose not when you put it like that.” He laughs. “What’s stopping you now?”
“My job. It’s been pretty hectic. The company I work for just got bought out and our new boss is coming into town this week. He’s a bit of a control freak so I can only imagine the longer hours we will be working.”
“It’s good you’ve thought it through. Too many people don’t and then end up trying to rehome them. Drives me crazy.”
“As a kid I wanted to grow up and move out to the country, get a big piece of land, and run my own animal rescue. I imagined myself like a Disney princess who could talk to animals but without the hassle of a royal title. I don’t need that drama.”
Michael is about to take a sip of water, but the glass freezes just before his lips. “Are you serious?”
“Why is that weird?”
“No, no.” He shakes his head. “It’s not that. It’s just that’s exactly what I plan to do in the next three years. I’m just saving up to buy the land. Minus the hassle of a royal title too.”
We both laugh, and it’s like all the awkwardness of a first date just fades away. I feel comfortable with Michael in a way that normally takes me weeks or months to get to that place.
We end up talking more about what each of our plans for the future are rather than what we are doing now. I like that. Too much weight is put on what a person does for a living. Not all of us have the prestige of saying I’m a doctor who saves lives or I’m a teacher that molds the young minds of tomorrow’s future. Some of us work in a boring office jobs that we took to pay for the bills after college but somehow over the years have morphed into a monotonous job. At least that’s how it worked out for me.
The more I listen to Michael talk about his plans for an animal rescue, it’s like the ember of my childhood dream is ignited again. I know it’s way too soon to even be entertaining this notion but I see myself there standing next to him.
So much for life imitating art, if I was Cherry right now, I wouldn’t be entertaining the idea of a future with this guy, we be in one of the bathroom stalls going at it.
