Page 92 of September
“What? Why? Is it a lizard thing?”
“Well, she tried to feed him once, and he kind of attached his mouth to the end of her finger. It didn’t do any damage, but it does hurt when they latch on like that. Safe to say, she’s not likely to want to go feed him again. She would if I really asked, of course, and I guess now, she could have Myra do it for her, too.”
“I like those two together. I can’t imagine Elisa living with your brother for almost two decades, being gay and staying for the kids, when it sounds like he wasn’t a great husband.”
Gwen ran her fingers through Juliet’s hair and said, “He was a shitty husband, yeah. He’s also not a great brother, which sucks because I should’ve had a good older brotherandolder sister to get advice from, at least once we reached adulthood. As kids, we were so far apart in age that I couldn’t have expected them to pay attention then, but now, I should be able to call Archie and talk to him about football or baseball since he’s a fanand I watch sometimes. It’s just something to do with your big brother. I also should be able to call Annabelle to tell her that I met you and ask her advice on how not to screw it up.”
Juliet shifted to look up at her and replied, “You’re not going to screw this up.”
“I might.”
“Gwen, how could you?” Juliet moved on top of her. “Babe, you literally drove three hours to get here and make it so that I had decent food to eat, could see you and my dog, and so that I’d feel safer. You’re amazing.” Juliet pressed her forehead to Gwen’s. “I’ve been worried that I’d be the one to screw this up.”
“What? Why?”
“Because of the travel.”
“We’ll figure that out. Maybe we can do this more: I can stay a night or something when you have to travel and it’s two to three hours away. I’d just need to get someone to cover if I have work. Once a week or every couple of weeks shouldn’t be a problem, though.”
“That’s money you’d lose just to see me.”
“Notjustto see you. I’dgetto see you.” Gwen cupped Juliet’s cheek. “It’s a partnership, right? We both have to work for it at times.”
Juliet smiled down at her and said, “I guess we can see, but I don’t want you to miss a lot of work for me and risk not being able to pay your bills. And you love your job, Gwen.”
“I do, and I’ll still be doing it. I might just actually have something else to do, too, so that I’m not working twenty-four-seven, because it can certainly feel like that sometimes. I have no real hobbies, and before Elisa moved here, I had a few friends, but not that many, and we didn’t hang out a lot. So, I worked. I’m one of the only dog walkers who wakes up early, walks them in the morning, walks them at midday, in the evening, and at night if needed. Most people work a more standard day where theywalk them in the morning and midday and the humans get home in the evening and take it from there, but because I do just about everything the app offers, I’m pretty much constantly working. I do love it, but it can be a lot.”
“What about the dog grooming thing? Won’t that just add work for you?”
“Maybe in the beginning, while I build up that part of the business, but eventually, I would be able to work a more standard schedule, and if I need extra cash, I’ll pick up more shifts on the app. I don’t plan on leaving it entirely; just not adding new clients unless I need to.” She ran her hands down Juliet’s bare back as Juliet smiled. “What?”
“Nothing. Just the way you’re talking about it now makes it sound like you’ve made the decision to actually do it. Before, you weren’t sure.”
“Oh, I still don’t know. I might.”
“The trust fund thing still getting to you?” Juliet asked, lowering her lips to Gwen’s neck.
“No, I can do it on my own. It’ll just take all my money to do it. Then, I’dhave totap into the trust fund if it doesn’t work out.”
“So, itisthe money?”
“It’s more about the fact that if I use that money for the business, I won’t have it for other things.”
“What other things?” Juliet asked as her lips lowered to Gwen’s bare breast.
“You’re trying to make me talk about this while you’re doing that?”
“It’s a distraction to get you to actually talk about it.”
“I talk about it without distractions.”
“Notallof it,” Juliet noted. “Tell me, babe.”
“There’s not much to tell, I guess,” she replied as Juliet kissed her a little lower. “It’s just that this would be it for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“This is all I want. I don’t have some grand ambitions or a life plan or anything. If I do this, and it works, I’ll like it. I know I will.” Gwen shrugged a shoulder as Juliet’s tongue slipped into her belly button. “I don’t know that I’m ever going to expand it or hire people or have my own store or something where people bring their dogs for grooming instead of me going to them.”
