Page 12 of Marcus in Retrograde
He heard me, and stopped at the curb. Looking left and right, he finally let his shoulders slump and turned back to me. “It’s a run of shame, okay? Subway?”
I pointed east down the street and he waved a thanks as he sprinted off.
“Well, Pollux, I guess it’s all a balance. You get lucky the night before, you don’t get so lucky in the morning.”
He barked and peed on the hydrant in front of the building. He’d already peed his way through Washington Square, so he was probably just remarking his territory. Heading up the stairs, I saw the red numbers on the bulletin board.
Wait, it was my turn for the note.
I looked down at Pollux. “Dude, you didn’t bark all night again, did you?”
He whined and sat his ass in front of my door. Rolling my eyes, I grabbed the note. Pollux trotted in happily once I opened the door.
I took off his leash, hanging it up. I had enough time for a shower and breakfast and once more to the curb with the miserable barking disaster.
Unfolding the paper in my hand, I sighed. It was a picture of Pollux—no, it was a lot of pictures of Pollux, all of them barking and in several states of distress, insanity, concern, hunger, and pee-need.
Dear 302,
Could you please consider getting your pooch some doggy Xanax? How about doggy Benadryl? Or perhaps doggy Ambien? …Well, no. Skip the Ambien. I don’t want to know what dogs do on that stuff.
I need your puppers to be quiet. I do. He barks against my wall. I don’t want to escalate this to management. I don’t have the haircut for that. Could we try something, please?
Your Neighbor 301
Doggy Xanax.Seriously?
Still, the neighbor—a woman by the haircut comment?—was right. I couldn’t let the mutt just yammer against the walls all night. Someone either above or below was going to get into the act with her and report me to the landlord. I didn’t want to send Pollux back to my parents.
I ducked into the shower and hosed off as fast as I could. I felt like I swallowed my breakfast whole before I took Pollux back out for a quick pee break and then headed off to work.
Today I was taking a long lunch for a date. My first official date in New York City. The guy had been quietly eyeballing me at a meeting the day before and it only took him most of the day to ask me out.
He was really cute, and really unsure if I was gay, or into twinky guys. I didn’t so much care about effeminate or not. I wanted a fun personality.
Ashton seemed like he might have that. It didn’t hurt that he had a nice ass.
I leaned down and scratched Pollux behind the ears. “Listen, bud. Get your bark out during the day when no one is around. I don’t want to piss off the neighbors any more than we have. We got a great deal on this place and we need it. I don’t want to find a new place, and I don’t want to commute more than I already do.”
He yipped and walked away from me, hopping up on the couch and circling a few times to settle down. Idiot. Adorable, fuzzy idiot.
Sorcha met me at the door of her studio, leaning against the wall. She had a giant smile on her face, and barred me from going into her studio like I had been.
“You got your own board, Marcus. I showed the boss what you did the other day and he was tickled pink.” She tossed a chin down the hall to her left. “You’re in the studio beside me, and you’ll find all your assignments in the mailbox on the front of the door every morning.”
My jaw dropped. I’d been here just under two weeks.
“You’re lying.”
She pointed down the hall. “I’m not, go look.”
I walked down to the next door. There, on the frosted class, was my name.Marcus C. Romano, Sound Eng.
I whipped my phone out and took a picture as Sorcha doubled over in laughter. While she was trying to compose herself, I texted the picture to half the damn planet.
“Go in, jackass.” She held up a pair of keys.
Snatching them out of her hand, I unlocked the door and pushed it open.
