Page 42 of Summer Tease
The next second, he’s picked her up and is holding her out over the enclosure like assisted Superwoman. The dogs crowd under her, some hopping up on their hind legs, trying to lick her fingers. She’s having the time of her life, reaching for the dogs’ heads between fits of laughter, while Beau grins and Xena pants happily at his feet.
I can’t help smiling either.
It occurs to me that this is exactly the type of thing I should be capturing. I scramble to pull out my phone and open the camera, then press record as he lowers the girl closer to the dogs, pulls her back suddenly out of the dogs’ reach, then repeats while she laughs hysterically.
It’s not until I’m taking a video that I realize how strange this must look to others: my recording Beau Palmer from afar. Like a legitimate creep. I need a black shirt with big white letters that say Camera Crew or something.
“Again, again!” the girl cries out as Beau sets her down.
“My shoulders might need a little break,” he says, rolling them back and wincing slightly.
“Who’s that?” The little girl points to me, and Beau follows the direction of her pudgy finger.
I blink and kill the video, then force a flustered laugh.
“That’s my friend,” Beau says. “Her name is GG.”
I open my mouth, but he cuts me off.
“But you can call her Gemma. Gemma, this is Violet.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Violet,” I say. “Looks like you’ve got a whole pack of dogs wanting you to take them home.”
She nods with a huge, mischievous grin.
I crouch down so I’m on her level. “Can you tell me your secret?”
“What secret?”
“How you get all the dogs to love you so quickly.”
She lifts her palms and shoulders. “They just do.”
“Ah, right.” I stand up and nod knowingly. “They just sense how awesome you are.”
Beau leans toward me, his arm bumping mine as he mumbles from the side of his mouth, “Could possibly have something to do with the bits of Goldfish crackers on her fingers.”
“Well, whatever her methods, it gave us some good footage. The city council will eat that up.”Just like I did.
“Speaking of which…” Beau turns toward the girl’s mom, who finishes talking and faces us, apologizing.
“No problem at all, Mrs. Lee,” Beau says. “We had a great time, right, Violet?”
The girl nods quickly. “I bring home the whole pack.”
My eyes widen at the clear reference to what I said.
“Oh, honey,” her mom says. “Not today, I’m afraid. Daddy would have my head on a platter. But they’re fun to play with, aren’t they?”
Violet’s bottom lip starts to pout and tremble.
“And you can play with Xena anytime,” Beau says. “She gets a little bored with me, you know. She’d love to have a playdate with you sometime. How does that sound?”
Violet’s impending tantrum transforms to a teary-eyed smile like only a toddler can manage.
Beau puts out his hand, and she gives him a high-five, almost missing. He winces and shakes his hand out like she hurt him, and she giggles in delight.
I steal a glance at Beau from the corner of my eye. This man has far too much charisma for his own good. Or any of our goods, really. He’s essentially a public nuisance.
