Good Dog, Bad Dog

Good Dog/Bad Dog by Samantha Connolly Chapter One

Alice Hart lined up the plastic buckets outside the shop front. "If those delivery guys don't arrive in the next ten minutes," she told Bouncer sternly, "I'm changing suppliers. They're getting later every week." The dog thumped his tail on the pavement and panted happily. Alice dropped bunches of ready-made bouquets into the buckets and then she dropped down to sit on the doorstep next to the dog. His nose was twitching and his head moved constantly as he glanced around the busy street, following people with his bright eyes. Alice put one arm around Bouncer's shoulders, scratching her fingers through his rough fur. "Please don't do it today," she asked plaintively. "Okay, Bouncer? I really don't have the energy. Whaddya say, boy? Not on a Monday morning, okay? Not after the weekend I've had." Alice closed her eyes briefly, fantasizing about pushing her brother-in-law off a high bridge. What on earth was the guy's problem? You'd think he could change his tune once in a while, but no, every time she went over there she had to put up with the same loaded comments about finding herself a nice man and time standing still for no woman and getting herself organized. As if getting married was just something she'd forgotten to jot down in her day planner. Alice loved spending time with her sister and nephews (none of whom seemed to think that she was only half a person because she was single) but she always had to cut her visits short because she couldn't stand another minute of Frank's needling. Maybe that was the idea. Maybe he thought that if she had a boyfriend she would stop bugging them with her presence. Eating his precious food, burning up his precious electricity…oh, right, unless of course they needed a baby-sitter. Spinster maiden aunts sure came in handy then, didn't they? She glanced up quickly from her brooding as she realized that a couple was standing in front of her. At least, she hoped they were a couple or else it was going to cost them a lot of money to have their arms surgically detached from each other's waists. "One of those," said the man, pointing at the long-stemmed roses in the window. Alice patted Bouncer on the head and mentally repeated her plea to him before going inside to pick out a rose and wrap it. She gave it to the man and smiled indulgently when he told her to keep the change. Out of a five. Wowee. "A rose for a rose," he said, handing it dramatically to the blushing woman. Alice hunkered down again as she watched them walk away, murmuring to each other and kissing. "Barf-a-rama," she muttered in Bouncer's ear. "A rose for a rose? Puh-lease." She smiled as the dog turned his liquid brown eyes on her. "Can you imagine having to keep a straight face while some guy said that to you?" Alice snorted, then looked after the couple again. The woman was laughing and resting her head on the man's shoulder, the rose swinging loosely in her hand.

"Boy, I'd sure hate that," Alice said. A tiny spark of envy had lit up inside her and she was determined to douse it. "Some guy kissing me and spontaneously buying me flowers. Who needs it, eh, Bouncer? Not us, that's for sure. We're loners, aren't we?" She squeezed the dog and sighed. "Two complete and utter loners." This is what I love so much about Alice — she really gets me. I am a loner. And Alice is exactly the same. She doesn't need some guy in her life, telling her what to do. That's why we're so perfect together. Don't need anybody except each other. Just us. Oh, hey, look! Look at what that guy's got…. "Bouncer! Nooo!" Alice wailed as she grabbed for his collar, a split second too late. She scrambled to her feet as Bouncer, his tongue hanging out, galloped madly after the jogger. Chapter Two

Alice scrambled up from the stoop and, grabbing the leash from inside, pulled the door of the shop closed before running after her carefree dog. "Bouncer!" she called, trying desperately to keep her tone light and appealing. "Come here, boy. Here, Bounce, I've got some doggie treats for you." Then, losing her grip on the fake equanimity, "Bouncer!" She could see his target. A man, obviously out for his morning jog, with a German shepherd trotting closely by his side. For a moment Alice hoped that Bouncer was simply making a lovelorn dash for the shepherd. No such luck. Alice spotted the paper bag at the same time as Bouncer leaped up to make a grab at it. Startled, the man let go. The bag flew from his hand and Danishes and bagels tumbled out as it hit the ground. Bouncer was scoffing them delightedly as Alice came hurrying up. "I'm so sorry," she said, launching into what was becoming a familiar speech for her. "I tried to hold him but he got away from me. Don't worry — he's not dangerous, he was only going for the food. He's just playful. I'm really, really sorry." She clipped on his lead and tried to drag Bouncer's head up, knowing that she had to lay the humility on pretty thick in order to counteract Bouncer's blatant impenitence. A string of drool dripped from his mouth as he champed happily on a Danish, his tail sweeping the air in broad strokes. Yum, this is delicious. You want some, Alice? Here, you can have the onion bagel, I only took one bite. Only when Alice felt that she'd groveled sufficiently did she look properly at Bouncer's latest victim. Uh-oh. Thanks a lot, Bouncer. The guy was gorgeous. Tanned skin, dazzling blue eyes and a mouth that was curved in amusement. He was wearing cut-off sweatpants and a sleeveless

T-shirt and there was a light sheen of sweat on his shoulders and neck. And here I am, thought Alice miserably, in a raggy T-shirt and my oldest jeans, the ones with the shapeless behind. And, of course, for added allure, my plastic apron. And I was going to wash my hair last night but did I bother? No, of course not. After all, who's going to see me on a Monday morning? Well, here's your answer. A tall, dark stranger. Given another minute, she was going to start drooling as badly as Bouncer. Her eyes dropped to the small simple logo on the guy's otherwise plain T-shirt. NYPD. Oh, perfect. Chapter Three

Alice was trying to figure out how she was going to offer a police officer money in order to replace his pilfered food without it seeming like a bribe. Luckily, he gave her a few seconds' grace by crouching down to pet Bouncer. "Hey there, fella, you're a bit enthusiastic, aren't you? Are you enjoying my breakfast?" Ooh, I love it when people do that. Really give you a good scratch all the way along the spine. Is there anything better? Oh, wow, now the rump! This guy is great. Up a bit, to the left, that's the spot! Alice watched with creeping amazement as Bouncer grunted with pleasure, nudging with his muzzle and wriggling as he fawned under the man's hands. Her amazement wasn't directed at Bouncer because she knew better than anyone the lengths that dog would go to for a scratch. No, her puzzlement was reserved for the guy. This was usually the point where the hapless attackee started yelling at her and threatening to call the pound and generally making her feel like the worst dog-owner on the planet. Now the guy was cupping Bouncer's head and scratching behind his ears while Bouncer gazed adoringly at him. Maybe I should pet his dog, thought Alice. She glanced down at the shepherd, who was sitting perfectly still. Its head didn't move, even as the intelligent eyes flicked from Alice to Bouncer and back again. Yikes, thought Alice. Maybe not. She caught her lip nervously between her teeth as the man straightened up. By now she should be retreating apologetically while trying to drag a stubborn Bouncer with her but somehow, Alice didn't want to flee the scene of this crime just yet. "Your dog is lovely," she said, trying to show that she was a nice, innocent dog-lover, just like him. "See, Bouncer, that's what a well-behaved dog looks like." Bouncer just continued to thump his tail against her leg. "This is Sal," said the man, resting a hand on the shepherd's dark head. "She's my partner." He pointed modestly to the T-shirt logo, as if Alice could have missed it. "I'm a cop. And Sal's one of the stars of our K-9 unit. Aren't

you girl? I'm Roy." Oh, great. Trust me to run into a cop. Hey, stop giving me that look, lady. I've got papers. "Be quiet, Bouncer." Alice shook Roy's hand, trying not to think about the dirt under her fingernails. "I'm Alice. And this miscreant is Bouncer. I can only say again how sorry I am." She added the usual white lie. "I don't know what got into him." "Well, I'm not hurt," said Roy with a friendly grin. "I guess there's no harm done." Alice looked into his blue eyes and realized that if she had a tail it would be wagging right about now. Roy gave Bouncer one last rustle on the head. "It was nice meeting you, fella. You behave yourself now." He smiled at Alice. "Nice to meet you, too. Come on, Sal." He waved a hand and started to turn away. Alice pressed her lips together hesitantly and then told herself that she might never get another chance like this. "Roy!" Chapter Four

"The dogs are completely trained by the time we get them," Roy was saying as they walked back to Alice's shop. "But then we have to spend a few weeks doing training and orientation as well. So I wouldn't exactly call myself a dog expert but working with Sal for the past six years has certainly taught me a lot about how dogs behave and how they think. I'll be glad to help if I can." Alice unlocked the door of the shop, noticing with relief that the buckets outside hadn't been emptied in her absence. Although, she supposed, at least she had someone to report it to if they had been. She felt good now about her decision to confess to Roy that this hadn't been Bouncer's first offense. Maybe he could help her sort out the problem for once and for all. "I was just about to have coffee and something to eat," she said. "So the least I can do is offer you the same." She watched him as he followed her into the shop, pleased by the expression on his face. She'd seen a lot of guys who were uncomfortable in flower shops. They looked around fearfully as if they'd suddenly found themselves stranded in the middle of a saucy lingerie department or somewhere just as terrifyingly feminine. Roy exhibited no such phobia. He looked around with interest, peering closely at the bonsai trees and raising his eyebrows in amusement at the lavish and flamboyant Helianthus bouquets. Alice went through the bamboo curtain at the back of the shop and into the large workroom. She switched on the electric kettle and said a silent prayer that the shop would remain as devoid of customers as it usually did on a Monday morning. She held out a jar of coffee through the curtain and shook it ruefully. "I only have instant I'm afraid."

"That's fine," he said, poking tentatively at an impressive cactus. Alice winked at Bouncer, who had followed her into the workroom and was padding around, sniffing every corner. Hey, Alice, have you seen that bone I hid last week? I don't want that lady-cop to get a sniff of it. I don't trust the look in her eye. "I know what you're looking for," said Alice with a hint of reproach, "and trust me, kiddo, that stinky thing is long gone." She looked at her meager selection of mugs. Okay, which one was she going to give him? "World's Sexiest Florist" or "Florists Do It in Bunches"? Chapter Five

Alice dithered, one mug in each hand. She'd give him the "Florist's Do It…." Maybe he wouldn't get it. Besides, "World's Sexiest Florist" had an extremely risqué picture, and she didn't need Roy comparing her to that, thank you very much. She spooned coffee into each mug and reached up automatically to grab a packet of cookies. Her hand fell on an empty space and Alice scrunched her eyes shut. Darn it. She would have picked this week to start a health kick. Rising on tiptoes, she ran her eyes along the shelf and found nothing but a few pots of yogurt, an orange, a banana and a packet of rice cakes. Bleagh. Even she didn't want to eat them. She glanced over as Roy peeked through the bamboo curtain and Sal's nose poked through by his knee. "Am I allowed in here?" he asked. His gaze traveled around the room, taking in the long shelves, festooned with uncut flowers, and sweeping over the refrigerator at the back, packed with a multitude of vibrant blooms. "I promise there are no dead bodies hidden in there," said Alice, following his gaze. She wanted to kick herself the minute she said it but, to her relief, he laughed. Encouraged by this evidence of a sense of humor she pointed at the shelf of healthy food. "I can either insult you by offering you this stuff as breakfast or I can insult you by telling you that you have to go to the deli on the corner if you want to get us some real food." "Ooh, tricky," said Roy. "They've got the most amazing banana-and-walnut muffins." Roy laughed. "One banana-and-walnut muffin coming up. Anything else?" "That'll do. I'm not greedy." Alice smiled as she went over to the cash register. "Here's some money."

"Don't be silly," he said. "Sal. Sit. Stay." "Please, Roy," said Alice, holding out a twenty and waving it at him. "I'd feel much better if you took it." "Forget it," he said, waving her away as he went out. "You make the coffee." Alice watched him stride past the window and then she turned to Bouncer. "I must say, dog of mine, that this morning is certainly looking up." Hey, he's nice, isn't he Alice? Where's he going? When's he coming back? Alice hunkered down to ruffle Bouncer's neck the way she knew he liked. "What do you think, Bounce?" she joked. "Think you could be a police dog?" She isn't going to stay here all day is she, Alice? I'm the guard dog, I can look after you. Look at her, watching us. Boy, they've sure got that "good cop/bad cop" thing going on, don't they? I know which one she is. "You know what, Bouncer?" Alice giggled as she petted him. "All things considered, I must admit that you caught a really nice man for me this time. Good boy. Good dog!" Sal's head moved suddenly, drawing Alice's attention. She heard a discreet cough behind her and, looking around, she jumped to her feet. "Er," said Roy. "It looks like I'm going to have to borrow that twenty after all. I forgot that I had no cash left on me." Chapter Six

Alice handed Roy the money and watched him until he was out of view again. Then she dropped to her knees and buried her face in Bouncer’s scruff. "Please tell me he didn’t hear that," she groaned piteously. She pulled back and looked Bouncer in the eyes. "He’s going to think that I’m a crazy, desperate woman who sends you to retrieve any remotely suitable guy that runs past." Hey Alice, he forgot his dog again. What’s with that? "Oh well, Bouncer. You’ll stick by me, won’t you?" Alice rose to her feet and ran her hand through her hair. "Time for a quick make-up job, I think. May as well be an attractive crazy woman." Putting on some make-up and brushing out her tangled hair helped Alice to recover her composure, and by the time Roy arrived back she had convinced herself that he hadn’t heard what she’d said. She also had the welcome distraction of a delivery of orchids to attend to, so she just motioned Roy to go into the workroom. She hoped that signing delivery forms and being a little stern with the suppliers about tardiness went a long way to reinforcing her image as a sane, level-headed businesswoman. Taking a calming breath, she went into the workroom where she found Roy sitting at the long workbench. He had managed to clear a space amongst all the debris of flower cutters, ribbon, catalogues, lumps of plastic foam and florist wire.

Both dogs were under the bench; Bouncer chewing a tennis ball on a rope, and Sal watching him out of the corner of her eye. "I’m kind of assuming that this is the breakfast nook," Roy said cheerfully. Alice smiled and pulled up a stool next to him, adding some more milk to her coffee. "I can’t get over the smell in here," said Roy, as he tucked into his BLT. "I know it’s an obvious thing to say but you never really think about it until you walk into a flower shop. The perfume in the air, it’s amazing. Do you even notice it anymore?" She nodded. "Every day. I open the door and take a deep breath. I just love it. When I was a kid I used to beg my mom to take me to flower shops, the same way, I guess, that other kids want to go to toy shops." She crumbled her muffin as she spoke, picking up bite-size pieces and popping them into her mouth. "Flowers always seemed so magical to me. All sorts of plants did, in fact. I just couldn’t believe that such beautiful things could grow out of nowhere. Out of pots of dirt!" She smiled and took a sip of coffee, hoping that she wasn’t babbling. She’d had plenty of chats over coffee in this room, but she’d never felt this tingling excitement before, even with guys she’d been dating. He was just so good-looking and yet very easy to talk to. She wanted to pour out her life story. "So," he said conversationally. "You really must tell me how you trained Bouncer to go out and catch breakfast companions for you." Chapter Seven

Alice put down her mug and buried her face in her hands. "I knew you heard that. I was just kidding!" She looked up at Roy and could feel the color rising in her cheeks. "I swear I was just joking. I honestly don't do that. In fact, there's a really good reason why Bouncer chases people. At least, I think I've worked out what it is." Roy was laughing gently at her discomfiture. "Okay, I'd like to hear it." A slight frown appeared between his eyebrows. "Because you know, it's really not a great habit for any dog to have." "I know!" agreed Alice. "But don't judge him until you've heard the story." "Deal." "About three weeks ago I was putting one of my canna plants outside. See the big red pot-plant in the corner there? One of those. Bouncer was sitting on the step. I heard a commotion up by the deli, shouting and yelling and then this young guy came racing past me and pushed me out of the way." Alice was flattered to see Roy's face darken in displeasure. "Even though it happened really quickly I could see that he was holding a pink leather purse." Alice made a face. "Which I was pretty sure wasn't his." Roy smiled, eating his sandwich as he listened.

"So there I was, half falling over into the canna plant and — I don't know why — I pointed and yelled, Bouncer, get him!" Alice shrugged. "I wasn't logically expecting him to give chase. I think I was just yelling because I was so mad at being shoved over. But the next thing I knew, Bouncer took off like a rocket and ran after him, jumping up and snapping at the bag." Alice looked down at her dog with affection. "I have no idea what he was thinking. Maybe the bag looked like a side of ham to him, or some kind of pink, hairless cat. It beats me." She looked up again, laughing at the memory. "The guy got such a fright that he dropped the bag. I ran up and had to pull it away from Bouncer before he chewed it to pieces." Roy was looking down at Bouncer with an amused expression. "We went back to the deli and everyone had seen what had happened." Alice lifted her hand in a flourish. "I suddenly found that I was the proud owner of a hero dog! Everyone started to make a huge fuss of him. The lady bought him a bone from the deli guy and everyone was patting him and praising him, saying what a good dog he was." Alice smiled at Bouncer who had come out from under the bench and was sitting at Roy's feet, gazing appealingly up at him. Boy, humans sure can gabble on. I've heard my name a couple of times. I wonder what that's about. Oooh, a rub on the head. That's nice. I guess she's saying good things about me. Let's see if I can capitalize on it with the old lifting-the-paw trick. Come on, buddy, drop me some of that bacon. "And of course I was really proud of him," Alice went on. "Who wouldn't be, right?" She watched indulgently as Roy first fed Bouncer a strip of bacon and then tossed one to Sal, who snatched it deftly out of the air. "So you made a big fuss of him and praised him," Roy said with a grin, "but then…" Chapter Eight

Alice nodded in confirmation. "I was very happy about it until the next day when Bouncer chased after a man who was running for a taxi and knocked the briefcase out of his hand. Unfortunately I didn't really scold him because I hadn't put two and two together." She sunk her head into her shoulders, looking guilty. "In fact I thought he might be hungry so I brought him back to the shop and gave him some food." "Another reward," said Roy. His tone was wry but also had enough understanding to take the sting out of it. "Exactly." Alice sighed. "A couple of days after that it was a jogger and Bouncer tried to grab his backpack." She met Roy's eyes and smiled apologetically. "Joggers really are his favorite." Roy laughed, scratching absently at Bouncer's head. "Lucky me." "So by then I realized what was going on but it was too late. I tried yelling at him and saying no and all that." She shrugged miserably. "But I'm probably not coming across strongly enough."

She held out her hand, indicating Exhibit A, one irrepressibly happy dog. "Well, obviously I'm not. I just hate having to reprimand him, especially after giving him the idea in the first place." She looked at Roy again. "But now I really want to cure him. He used to be perfectly happy just to wander around the shop and I never had to worry about him going anywhere. It'd be awful if I had to tie him up all day." "Don't worry," said Roy. "You just need someone else to be the bad guy." He checked his watch. "I'm not going to work for a few hours so I can hang around and see if I can help out, if that's okay with you." "That'd be fantastic," said Alice, momentarily forgetting about Bouncer altogether. "I'd really appreciate it." "No problem," said Roy, finishing his coffee in one gulp. He held his mug up to eye level and a smile quirked the corner of his mouth. He glanced over, meeting Alice's eyes. "In bunches?" "Apparently," she said, putting on an angelic expression. "I wouldn't know." "Well, I've heard that cops do it by the book." He mimicked her innocence. "Apparently." Alice couldn't help a smile escaping. "What does your mug say? World's —" "Greatest Florist," she finished, wrapping her hands around it. "Greatest?" he teased. "More or less," she answered. She could feel her eyes sparkling and she was sure there must be color rising in her cheeks. Her pulse had sped up with the sheer enjoyment of flirting and she decided that maybe she should try to bring the conversation back to neutral territory before she said anything foolish. She looked down at the workbench and then back at Roy. "Would you like some of my muffin?" she purred. Whoops, did that sound as suggestive to him as it did to her? Her cheeks got even hotter and she hurriedly pushed the last quarter toward him. "This muffin, I mean. Obviously." Her toes curled with horror. If it was obvious she wouldn't have had to say it, would she? But now that she had, it left no room for doubt that she'd been thinking about something else in the first place. She gulped down the dregs of her coffee and grabbed his mug as she slipped off her stool. "I'll just rinse these and then we can go out the front with Bouncer." "Sure," said Roy. As soon as she got the nerve to glance at him again, Alice was relieved to see him still smiling good-naturedly and rubbing Bouncer's head. "He'll probably just need to be corrected a couple of times," said Roy. "I have a feeling he'll pick it up." He grabbed Bouncer's muzzle and shook it gently. "Your problem is that you're just too smart, aren't ya, fella?"

Wow, you hear that? Too smart. This guy knows what he's talking about. And he's so friendly. Unlike Ms. Snooty there. She's done nothing but ignore me. Hey, lady, you think you're so great, being a cop? For your information, I'm actually a hero. You may have heard of me, down at the station…. Chapter Nine

Alice kept glancing down at Bouncer and she hoped her growing consternation wasn’t showing on her face. They had finished their food and were now out in front of the shop again. Bouncer was sitting on the step, his leash trailing loosely from his collar, and Roy was sitting next to him, ready to stomp on the leash when Bouncer took chase. Alice was perched on a stool just inside the doorway. They had been there for over half an hour. At first they’d been chatting with ease but Alice could sense that Roy was becoming more and more doubtful about Bouncer’s behavior. Specifically, the complete absence of bad behavior. Bouncer had plunked himself down on the step and, despite repeated temptations, hadn’t moved an inch. Oh, boy, this is so embarrassing. I had to go and brag to Sal, didn’t I? So, running after innocent people is not the same as running after a thief? I didn’t know he was a thief. I just thought… Oh, man, Sal must think I’m an idiot. Well, at least I know better now. Please, Bounce, just one more time, thought Alice, focusing intently, wondering if Bouncer was receiving her telepathic message. If he was, he was totally ignoring it. "How long have you had him anyway?" said Roy. Alice brightened at the resumption of the conversation. "About four years. I’d been in business here for about six months and I’d been robbed twice." She dismissed his look of concern with a New York shrug. "No violence, thankfully. They just came in and made me clean out the till. I got fed up with it and went to the animal shelter with every intention of bringing back a fearsome Doberman." She grinned at Bouncer. "And this is what I got. I couldn’t help it — it was love at first sight." "Well," said Roy philosophically, "I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a bit of Doberman in him somewhere along the line." "That’s what I figure," laughed Alice. "I think I got ten dogs for the price of one. Bit of Doberman, bit of Border collie, bit of Labrador." Roy joined in. "A touch of boxer around the shoulders. The hair suggests a bit of terrier." "I’ve always suspected a trace of Irish wolfhound, too." Roy raised a dubious eyebrow. "It’s in the eyes," said Alice persuasively. "Definitely some bloodhound," Roy went on. "And, of course, he’s showing a lot

of evidence of retriever." They both fell silent, looking at Bouncer as he watched an in-line skater skim past but made no attempt to follow. "Up to now, that is," said Roy. Another awkward silence fell. "This is so strange," said Alice, growing desperate. "Maybe he knows that you’re a cop." She laughed weakly. "You say it’s usually joggers?" Roy asked again. "Or people carrying things." "Like that lady, running for the bus?" "Er, yes," said Alice, utterly mortified. Oh boy, do you smell that? She’s got fresh sausages in that bag. Oooh, what I wouldn’t give for a taste of those. I can’t though; Alice is giving me really strong eye signals. It’s okay, Alice, I’ve got the message. Don’t worry…I’m not going anywhere. Chapter Ten

Alice was becoming so discomfited by Bouncer's newfound virtuosity that, despite her earlier prayers, she was extremely relieved by the arrival of a regular customer. "Enid!" she jumped off her stool and greeted the elderly lady with a somewhat unwarranted exuberance. "Hello, Alice. You've got some lovely gardenias in the window, haven't you? I might just get a few of those for myself. But first…it's April again." "So it is," said Alice. "That means you need flowers for…" She squinted in concentration. "Walter," supplied Enid. "It's Walter today. So I'll be needing lots of orchids and roses." Alice leaned forward conspiratorially. "I got some tiger lilies in over the weekend." Enid put her hand to her chest. "Oh, perfect. Dear Walter. He'll appreciate those." "I'll be about ten minutes," Alice told Roy. "If you want to go?" "We're fine," said Roy, giving Bouncer's head a friendly ruffle. "Maybe if you go away he might try it." "Hopefully!" said Alice. Then, realizing how bad that sounded, she added a flustered addendum. "I mean, not that I want him to chase people…but if he is going to it's better if he…" She gave him a feeble smile. "I'll just go and do this arrangement."

* * * After she'd dispatched a satisfied Enid (with a remarkably variegated and colorful wreath), Alice took her seat again. "She's had three husbands," she explained to Roy. "And she gets flowers for each grave every year. Each husband gets a different selection for his bouquet." She smiled cheekily. "Going by the language of flowers I can certainly tell which one gave her the most fun in bed." Alice couldn't believe she'd said that. It just seemed to pop out of her. Okay, her mind kept straying toward that particular subject, but that didn't mean she had to bring it up out loud. Where was the rewind button when you needed it?! It didn't help that Roy's laugh was polite but somewhat subdued. Things had definitely cooled down between them. God, why doesn't he just go, she thought in frustration, if he's so uncomfortable. As if reading her mind, Roy rose to his feet and started rubbing his hands together. "I guess we'd better take off," he said, clicking his fingers at Sal. "It looks like he's decided to behave himself today." "I guess so," said Alice wanly. "Thanks for breakfast anyway." "No problem." "I guess I'll see you around." "Sure," said Alice, making an effort to smile. "Bye. And thanks anyway." "For what?" Roy said wryly. "Oh, you know," Alice waffled. "For not arresting me or Bouncer. Thanks for not putting the handcuffs on me!" Unfortunately, the guy from the video store next door, who always dropped off a newspaper on his way past, chose that moment to pop his head in. He let out a low whistle. "Whew, Alice, I don't think I want to know that much about your private life." Chapter Eleven

Alice flipped sharply through the newspaper, making a satisfyingly loud snap as she flicked each page. "Unbelievable," she muttered to herself, not really seeing any of the articles. "Just wonderful." Her eye fell on one headline. Mayor Describes Meeting as a Disaster. "Hmm," said Alice, "sounds familiar."

She turned another page and stopped at the horoscopes, running her finger down the column of signs. "Let’s see…Sagittarius. Smart financial deals define new possibilities for you. Get busy but remain focused on long-term goals." Alice blew a raspberry of dissatisfaction and then went on, improvising wildly. "You will also meet a wonderful man who will like you at first but he will quickly be driven away by your inappropriately suggestive comments and pitifully transparent desperation." She glanced down at Bouncer who was following a bug across the floor. "Let’s read yours. Aquarius. You will continue to destroy your owner’s chance of ever finding true love and then in the afternoon you will have a nap and start yelping as you chase rabbits in your sleep. Gosh, Aquarians have all the fun, don’t they?" She flicked another page, shaking her head as she replayed the morning yet again. Remembering Roy’s face as he backed out of the shop made her drop her head into her hands and groan. Hey, are you upset, Alice? What’s wrong? Hey, that guy was great, wasn’t he? Alice, didn’t you like him? I did, I liked him a lot. Hey, Alice! When’s he coming back? "Bouncer, calm down. It’s a bit late to be getting excited now." She slid off the stool and bent over to rub his head between her hands. She couldn’t help sighing as she looked into his dark, liquid eyes. "Sometimes I really do think that you do it deliberately. Are you jealous? Is that the problem? It’s got to be something. Do you just want me all to yourself? Is that why you’re so contrary? Seriously, Bouncer, why did you have to stop, just like that?" Why are you looking so sad? Is it because of that guy? Why didn’t you like him? I thought he was great. "Couldn’t you have chased one more person, just for me? Just to give him a reason to come back?" Why is she pointing at people outside? It’s okay, Alice, I got it, I know I’m not supposed to do that anymore. Quit worrying. * * * Three days passed. Three days of wearing makeup and casual, yet flattering, clothes and fixing her hair every ten minutes and constantly cleaning the dirt out from under her pink-polished nails. Three days of watching everyone that went past the window of the shop and searching faces on the street, just hoping against hope that she’d bump into Roy again. Alice’s chest squeezed tight every time she saw a German shepherd, and she’d earned herself a couple of enquiring looks from cops as she stared into their faces. And as each day passed she knew it was more and more unlikely that Roy was going to come back of his own accord. She’d even tried to feed herself the traditional consolation fantasy, "maybe he got called away urgently to go under cover on a top-secret assignment," but even that was wearing a bit thin. Alice heard the bell over the door chime and she glanced at the clock. Two minutes to closing. She grimaced. There was always someone who came in at the last minute and they always wanted her to make up five separate bouquets or

give them step-by-step bonsai instructions. She saw Bouncer’s ears perk up and he scampered enthusiastically for the front of the shop. Alice’s heart started to thump and, despite herself, she followed him with a rising anticipation. Chapter Twelve

"Hi, working girl. We’ve come to take you to the park." Her sister, Caroline. Alice felt a surprisingly large stab of disappointment but she covered it up with a smile. "Hey you guys." She bent down and gave hugs to her nephews, who didn’t even notice as they fussed over Bouncer. "Macy’s was having a sale," said Caroline, hoisting some bags in the air. "I got you a great sweater. But, to make the boys behave while I was shopping, I had to promise them we’d come and take you out afterward. Unless your lunatic dog is just going to run after everyone again?" Alice grabbed her jacket and hustled them all out of the shop before any last-minute customers could sneak in. "For some bizarre reason, Bouncer seems to have quit chasing people. I don’t think it’s a problem anymore." The park! The park! The park! I love the park. Especially with these two guys. They’re so much fun. Ever noticed the way that the smaller humans are, the more energy they have? Ow! Hey, go easy on the ears…. * * * Alice kept glancing around the park as Caroline rambled on about PTA meetings and Frank’s potential promotion. She couldn’t help it. It was an ingrained habit by now. "So I decided that we’d have him around for dinner this Saturday," said Caroline. "I know it’s short notice but you can make it, right? He’s a really nice guy. I think you two will get on." Alice groaned. "No way, Caroline, not another one of Frank’s work buddies. I keep telling you, stop trying to fix me up with them." "But you never know," said Caroline with the unassailable optimism of the happily married. "He could be the one. What have you got to lose? Come on, it’s not like you’re seeing anyone else at the moment." Alice didn’t even know she’d reacted until Caroline grabbed her arm. "Oh my God, are you seeing someone? Are you?" She searched Alice’s face while Alice looked away. Unfortunately, an image of Roy’s face popped into her head and she was unable to prevent a reactive smile. "You’ve met someone!" said Caroline with excitement. "Ooh, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me." She dragged Alice over to an empty bench and sat next to her with an avid expression. "Now, tell me everything." Alice sat back, stretching out her legs. "Okay, but I’m afraid it won’t take

too long." * * * In the end it took over half an hour because Alice was reluctant to leave out even the tiniest detail of how Roy had laughed or smiled, or each moment of eye contact they’d shared or how their shoulders had bumped once as they walked back to the shop or how she’d touched his fingers as she gave him the coffee cup. Talking about it to anyone else would have made Alice feel a bit pathetic but somehow, with Caroline it was okay, especially since her sister insisted on even more detailed descriptions of everything he said and did. "So it was a bit weird in the end," Alice finished unhappily. "There was Bouncer, acting like a paragon of doggy behavior and at the same time I was coming across as a cartoon cliché of a sex-starved, desperate singleton." She shook her head, wincing. "It really did look like I’d sent Bouncer out to catch him." "A man-fetching dog," said Caroline admiringly. "That’s a good trick." "Stop it." Alice’s laugh was tinged with despondency. "Okay, it’s obvious that you clicked with this guy and it sounds like he liked you, too." Caroline’s tone grew bossy. "So I’ll tell you what you’re going to do."

Chapter Thirteen

"I don’t even know his second name," Alice protested. "So how exactly do you propose that I track him down? What am I supposed to do? Go around to every precinct or station or whatever they’re called, and ask if there’s a Roy there?" "A Roy with a dog called Sal," Caroline reminded her. "Oh, that’s much better. That does narrow it down." "And we’re probably not talking about a citywide search, you know. You could just go to some of the local stations." Alice’s eyebrows tilted up, giving her a pensive expression. "I suppose I could go over to the one on 45th St…. No, wait a minute. What are you doing to me? Forget it. I’m not adding ‘stalker’ to my list of faults." Hey, Alice, we found a squirrel and I chased him up a tree and I think there’s a bone buried over there and I’d say it’s been there about five weeks. Can I dig it up? Can I, Alice? If I dig it up, can I bring it home? "Look, Bounce, Adam’s got the ball. Go on, boy, go get it.… Good dog." "Oh, well," sighed Caroline. "Don’t say I didn’t try to help." Alice knew that this was an opportunity to change the subject but she’d been mulling the whole thing over and over so much that it was a relief to get it all out at once.

"You know what else was great," she mused. "He really liked Bouncer. Just got along with him right away." "That makes a change," said Caroline. "Remember that guy who was convinced that Bouncer had a saliva problem? Kept telling you that you should get it checked by a vet. What was his name?" "Scott." Alice rolled her eyes. "I don’t know what I saw in him. God, he was fastidious. He was more of a girl than me. You see," she expounded sagely, "Bouncer helps me to test people’s characters, if nothing else. He knew long before I did that Scott was no good for me." Caroline made a dubious face. "I wouldn’t exactly call him helpful, though. I mean, if you really think about it, he’s probably been a contributing factor in most of your breakups." Alice wasn’t sure what to say. She couldn’t dispute the fact. "Well, I don’t care. Bouncer is my scruffy knight, and I’m not giving him up just to smooth the way for some man. Love me, love my dog." "Or not," Caroline pointed out. "Okay," muttered Alice. "No need to rub it in." She leaned forward as Bouncer came trotting up, tail waving proudly. "Hey, fella, what have you got there? Oh, yuck!" She drew back swiftly, covering her nose, while Caroline just shook her head in resignation. "Bouncer, that’s disgusting. Urgh, drop it. Drop it!" Ignoring his longing expression, Alice kicked the offending article under some shrubs and turned back to him with fond exasperation. "I don’t know, Bounce. Maybe it was better when you were going after people." She chuckled wryly. "Look, there’s a jogger. Don’t you want to chase him?" Hmm, she’s been pointing at people for days now. Maybe I should be chasing them after all. Maybe it’s a game for her. I guess one more couldn’t hurt. "Oh, no," yelled Alice. "No, Bouncer, come back! I didn’t mean it." To her relief, Bouncer responded immediately this time, abandoning the chase and running back to her. Too bad the jogger had already spotted him. He turned and leaned over, hands on his knees as he breathed heavily. "Hey, lady!" he said irately. "Control your dog, why don'tcha?" He pointed out toward the street. "Ya want me to call the cops?" Caroline started giggling. "Oh, would you?" she called out. "Please?" Chapter Fourteen

"Be quiet," Alice scolded Caroline. "You’ll get me in trouble." She trotted over and grabbed Bouncer by the collar. "I’m sorry about that," she said, giving the jogger her friendliest smile. His arms and legs bulged with evidence of way too many hours spent weightlifting and Alice wondered privately how someone so beefed-up could be acting so wimpy about an overfriendly dog.

"He should be on a leash, if you can’t control him." "I know," said Alice contritely. "Sorry again. Have a nice day." She tugged at Bouncer’s collar but he was straining against her and he let out a couple of loud barks. Alice tried to hush him but then she heard an answering bark and she looked past the jogger and out to the street. A police car was stopped at a red light and there was a familiar muzzle pressed to the small gap in the rear window. In the front seat, Roy didn’t exactly have his nose pressed up against the glass but he was watching with equally avid interest. Alice’s heart flipped over as if it had been bounced on a trampoline. She lifted her hand and waved, an uncontrollable beam breaking out on her face. Roy didn’t wave back. He had a funny expression on his face and Alice wondered, with a slight jolt to her ego, if maybe he didn’t recognize her. But surely he’d have no trouble recognizing her dog? She pointed to Bouncer and waved again. Roy seemed to hesitate for a moment and then he gave her a tiny answering wave, before driving on. Alice watched him turn the corner and drive past one, then another, available parking space before it dawned on her that he wasn’t looking for a place to pull in. Her arm dropped slowly to her side as the car disappeared from view. She frowned in bewilderment and turned back to find the jogger still standing there, arms folded defensively. Or maybe he was just trying to emphasize his rippling biceps. Alice looked at him and then looked out to the street, suddenly seeing the scene as Roy had. She put a hand to her forehead. "Oh, no," she moaned inaudibly. The jogger, seeming somewhat disconcerted by Alice’s attempt to attract the attention of a cop, started to jog away from her. "Consider yourself lucky this time, lady," he fired back over his shoulder. Alice didn’t even hear him as she turned and walked back to the bench, Bouncer living up to his name by her side. That was them! Did you see him, Alice? Did you? Didn’t you recognize him? Why didn’t they come in to play? Are they coming later? "Hey," said Caroline, "don’t look so upset. Whatever that guy said, he was just a jerk. He sure looked like one anyway." Alice sat down, staring blankly ahead as Bouncer rejoined the boys. "I just saw Roy." Caroline’s mouth fell open as she looked around, trying to locate the jogger. "That was Roy? You’ve got to be kidding me." "Not him," Alice said impatiently. "Give me some credit, please. No, Roy was

driving past, on the street." She sighed heavily. "And he saw me. Talking to Beefcake. So now he definitely thinks that I accost men at random." "Are you sure?" "I saw his expression," said Alice bleakly. "Trust me — I know what he was thinking." Chapter Fifteen

"It's just a misconception on his part," said Caroline, with dogged optimism. "Which you can clear up when you go and see him. Now that you know where he's stationed." "What?" Caroline spread her hands. "You got his plate number, right?" Alice looked down at her hands, her shoulders slumping even further. "Uh…" "You didn't even get his number?" said Caroline, indignant and incredulous. "Okay, so I didn't get his number." Alice's chagrin at her own oversight was making her ratty. "I guess I haven't been a private investigator as long as you have. Give me a break." She looked down as Bouncer came over and dropped the tennis ball hopefully at her feet. "Here's an idea," Caroline said pragmatically as Alice threw the ball. "Get arrested. Roy would hear about it and you'd get to see him again." "I am not going to get arrested," said Alice, rolling her eyes again. "Or…I know! I could pretend to be an innocent jogger and I could say that Bouncer attacked me. I could file a charge." "File a charge?" "Press charges, file a claim, whatever. It'd be like independent verification that Bouncer chases women as well." "Frank would be thrilled," Alice said dryly. "He probably would have me arrested." "Ooh, I've got another one. You could pretend you had a break-in. You know, ask them to send a cop around." "So I could file a charge?" "You want to call the K-9 unit of course," mused Caroline. "So it would have to be something like, I dunno, drugs. Say that you found a cache of drugs in one of your exotic-flower shipments." "And when Roy comes around and wants to see it I could say, ‘It's okay, it turns out that it's only talcum powder. My mistake.'" "You could say the robbers took it," said Caroline.

"Right. From the aforementioned break-in. Very clever. I can see him proposing already. What a great plan." "Alice, if you want something, you have to work for it. Men don't just fall into your lap, you know. I had to use subterfuge on Frank to get him to pay some attention to me in the beginning." "Don't tell me, you said you were part of a gang of international jewel thieves." "Well, no, it was more along the lines of wearing a Wonderbra. But never mind that — what do you think of my suggestions?" "I think one of us definitely needs to be locked up." * * * Saturday morning, the busiest of the week. Good, thought Alice, the busier, the better. The more I'm thinking about work, the less time I have to think about Roy. Anyway, I'm sure I'm getting over him now. I'm hardly thinking about him at all anymore. I've got those wedding garlands to work on and I've got the rose and frangipani sprays to make for Mrs. Feynman's dinner party and, of course, a hundred forget-me-not nosegays for the medieval society. Yes, indeed. Roy? Who's Roy? She gathered up a huge bunch of parrot tulips and went through the bamboo curtain, grunting in amused exasperation as the unruly leaves got tangled in the bamboo strings. "Need some help?" Alice peeped through the tulip fronds and her eyes lit up. Chapter Sixteen

Alice hadn't really fooled herself for a second. She'd been nowhere near forgetting about Roy and now, she could feel her whole body going into overdrive. Her lungs filled, her heart thumped and the blood rushed in her veins, everything operating with renewed vigor as if she'd been injected with a miracle tonic. It was probably just as well she was camouflaged behind a shield of foliage, or the glow on her face might have blinded him. By the time he'd helped her to disentangle herself and put the tulips on the counter, she'd calmed enough, she hoped, to be able to speak without a betraying tremor in her voice. "Hi there. It's nice to see you." She glanced down and smiled at the sight of Bouncer, who was wriggling eagerly, pawing at Roy's knee and whining with excitement. Roy. It's so great to see you. I really missed you. Have you got any bacon? How about a scratch? Come on, I'll lick your face. That's a fair exchange,

isn't it? You want to go to the park? I've got a ball. Wait there — I'll get it. Wow, this is brilliant! I'm so glad you're here. Lucky dog, thought Alice enviously. He gets to act every bit as excited as he feels. "How are you?" asked Roy with a heart-melting smile. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop the other day." He paused, as if deciding what to say. "Anyway, I realized that I still owe you some money…for breakfast. So I thought I'd better come back." Alice raised one eyebrow. "You can pay me as soon as you get money out of Bouncer for stealing your breakfast in the first place. I thought we had that straight," she scolded gently. "You don't owe me anything." Then, in case that sounded too final, she added, "But it was nice of you to come back." Roy shrugged. "Oh, I wanted to see Bouncer anyway, to see if he's relapsed into his old ways. And Sal wanted to see him, too. I think she missed him." They looked down at the dogs. Bouncer had dropped the ball between Roy's feet and was repeatedly nudging him with his nose, imploring Roy to notice. Sal was sitting to one side, looking up at Roy with a pained expression that asked him why he was making her witness this juvenile conduct. That she should have missed Bouncer was so wildly implausible that Alice couldn't help laughing. Her heart was bursting with happiness. Roy was using subterfuge! Making up silly excuses when it was patently obvious that the only reason he'd come back was to see her. She knew that the attraction she'd felt couldn't have been all on her side! Chapter Seventeen

"Bouncer has been behaving himself impeccably," said Alice. "I don't know what you did, but it worked." Since Roy hadn't brought up the steroidal jogger, Alice sure wasn't about to. "That's good to hear." Roy met her eyes, and they gazed at each other for a moment before he looked away, glancing around the shop. Alice felt as if she were at the top of a roller coaster, waiting for the plunge. Ask me, she willed him silently. "Uh, I thought maybe I could send some flowers to my mother while I'm here," said Roy, still looking around. Alice smiled, feeling a rush of tenderness at his nervous hesitancy about asking her out. Or maybe it was fondness for this display of filial affection. Either way, it was a lovely warmth in her chest. "Sure," she said. "Come on in the back and we'll pick out something gorgeous." * * * "Tell her that she can revive the chrysanthemums in a few days by cutting the stems again and putting them in hot water," said Alice, adding a few last blazing orange hybrids to the arrangement. "That works for roses, too — anything with a woody stem."

"Thanks. That looks really beautiful. She'll be thrilled." "You can give me her address and I'll have them brought over there this afternoon." Alice looked up at him again, meeting his eyes with an encouraging smile. "That'd be great," he said, fiddling with a stray bit of moss. "I feel like I should do something to thank you. Would you…" "Alice! You here? I've only got a minute!" Alice exhaled in annoyance. "Excuse me," she said tersely. "My sister." She poked her head through the bamboo curtain. "What are you doing here? I'm kind of busy right now." "I know, I know, Saturdays." Caroline bent over, rummaging in a large shopping bag. "I have a bone for Bouncer." Bouncer scurried through Alice's legs, tail going a mile a minute. Ooh, a bone. Yum, I love you! Thank you, thank you. Oh, boy, it's fresh, too, by the smell of it. It's okay. You don't have to unwrap the newspaper. Just give it to me. Yummy! Caroline kept talking. "And I wanted to remind you about tonight. I know you'll try to wiggle out of it, but you've got to come. Patrick is a great guy and I'm sure the two of you will really hit it off. And I think you should wear that blue dress. You know, the low-cut one that shows off your — oh, hi!" Chapter Eighteen

Caroline stopped unwrapping the bone and dropped it back into the bag as she straightened up. "Sorry," she said, looking mildly flustered as Roy followed Alice through the curtain. "I didn't realize you had company." Alice was amused to see her sister running her hand through her hair and tilting her head coquettishly at Roy. "This is my sister, Caroline," she said, "Caroline, I'd like you to meet Roy." She watched Caroline's expression and waited. "How do you do, Roy?" Caroline put out her hand and then her eyes widened. "Roy! You're Roy!" "Roy's a police officer," Alice cut in quickly to distract from Caroline's buoyancy. "And this is his dog, Sal." "Of course it is," said Caroline, still shaking Roy's hand happily. "Roy and Sal. So very nice to meet you. Alice mentioned you. Once or twice. In passing." Alice caught her eye and frowned slightly, hoping that Caroline would take the hint and make herself scarce.

But Caroline was determined to be helpful. "Alice told me all about how you helped Bouncer to stop chasing people." Er, why did you stop unwrapping the bone? Hello? Couldn't you just pass it to me while you're talking. Look, I'll do the paw thing. "It's really great," continued Caroline, "because he used to do it all the time. Alice wasn't making it up. He used to chase anyone! It was driving her crazy." Speaking of driving me crazy, thought Alice. She picked up Caroline's bag and forced it into her hand. "Okay, so thanks for dropping by. I guess I'll see you later. Bye." "Bye, Roy," said Caroline over her shoulder as she was edged out the door. She squeezed Alice's hand and Alice nodded impatiently, prying her fingers off and pushing her away. "I'll call," she muttered. "Just go." Alice gave her a final shove and watched to make sure she was walking away before turning back to Roy with a shrug. "My sister." "She seems nice," he said. He rubbed at the back of his neck and looked at her from under his eyebrows. "So, you're meeting someone tonight, she said?" Alice waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, that's nothing. fix me up with men, you know, because I'm single. But I of them so I wish she wouldn't do it." Alice blinked as "Not that I don't like men. I do. I mean, I'd like one. one. If I liked him, I mean."

She's always trying to don't…I never like any she heard herself. If he was the right

She glanced down, distracted. "Bounce, what are you whining about?" Sorry, Alice, but you can't give a guy a sniff of something like that and then just take it away. I've got limits. Don't worry, I'll be right back. Chapter Nineteen

"Hey," cried Alice, running out after her dog. "Bouncer, come back!" She could see Caroline standing on the corner across the street, holding up her hand to hail a cab. Bouncer paused for a moment in his mad dash, sniffing anxiously at the air before he raced on again. Alice's exasperation quickly turned to alarm as she worked out where Bouncer was going. "He's going to run out under the cars," she exclaimed, the words catching in her throat. "Stop, you crazy dog! Come here!" She barely noticed Roy joining her on the sidewalk until she heard his voice, calm but forceful. "Sal, go. Catch him." Sal, needing nothing more than this simple instruction, took off like a bullet. Unlike Bouncer's slaloming scamper, her pursuit was very precise and streamlined. "What is she…?" Alice's word trailed off as she watched in amazement. "It's okay, she won't hurt him," Roy reassured her.

'Scuse me, hungry dog coming through. Whoops, nearly tripped you. Sorry, my bad. But there's a bone calling my name. Oh, hey, no, don't get into the car. You forgot to give me the bone! Okay, I guess I'll just have to dodge these cars. A burst of speed and — oof! Alice gasped as Sal raced up to Bouncer and, clamping his scruff in her jaws, brought him down with a perfectly executed body roll. "Come on," said Roy with a grin. "We'd better go and detain the suspect." "That was incredible," breathed Alice. She glanced up at the corner of the street and saw Caroline closing the door of the cab as it pulled into the stream of traffic again, totally oblivious to the drama she'd instigated. Hey, what the heck is going on? I don't believe this. She just barreled into me! And now my bone is gone. And she calls me a dummy. Hey, lady, here's some advice for you, lose some weight, why don't you? You almost flattened me! Oops, maybe that wasn't such a great idea, calling her fat. She looks mad. Uh-oh. Alice frowned worriedly as they came up to the two dogs, who were barking and snapping at each other. "Bouncer," she scolded, clipping on his leash, "that's not very nice. Sal probably saved your life." She blinked, taken by surprise as Sal let loose another volley of barks, which Bouncer was responding to with vigor. Even Roy was looking disconcerted as he clipped on her leash and started to pull her away, trying to put some distance between the dogs. Alice pulled Bouncer in the other direction and tried to ignore the fact that they were beginning to draw open stares. "What's got into you?" she muttered. "Calm down. Be good." She met Roy's eyes, and he smiled, the same confusion showing on his face. "Sorry, I don't know what she's being so noisy about." "What?" Alice was finding it hard to hear anything over the cacophony of barks. "Nothing. It's okay," said Roy. "I think we'd better just split them up. I'll…uh, I'll see you again sometime, I guess." "Oh," said Alice, her heart plummeting. "Okay." "Have fun tonight," Roy added as he started to pull Sal away. "Sure," said Alice, heading miserably in the other direction. Chapter Twenty

"Why Bouncer? Why are you doing this to me?" Alice was distressed to hear a quaver in her voice. "Why do you have to do something to upset every single guy that I might have a chance with?"

Phew, that’s a mistake I won’t make again in a hurry. Never, ever, ever call a woman fat. I really must remember that. Hey, where are they going? Alice? Are they going to the park? Why aren’t we going? Alice? Is something wrong? "There you go," said Alice apathetically as she unclipped his leash and shooed him into the shop. "Home again. Just you and me, as usual." Wait a minute. Did they go away because of what I said? I didn’t mean it. I was just upset. Hey, I don’t want him to go away. He’s fun. Look, if she’s that upset I guess I’ll apologize. Alice spread her hands and looked up at the ceiling as Bouncer zipped out the door again. "You have got to be kidding me!" she wailed. This is a bit humiliating but it’ll be worth it. This guy is really great, and I don’t want him to stay away just because she’s got an attitude problem. Alice went hurrying after her hopeless dog and slowed to a walk as she took in the scene that Roy was watching in complete bemusement. Bouncer had prostrated himself in front of Sal, showing his belly and letting out the occasional whimper. "What is he doing now?" Alice asked in puzzlement. Roy chuckled. "I’m not sure but in doggy language, that’s a supplicant position. He’s saying that he gives in, that she’s the top dog. I guess he’s saying thanks or something." Alice knelt down and put on the leash, rubbing Bouncer’s head as he rolled to his feet again. "You never cease to amaze me," she laughed. "I think you’ve got a little crush on Sal, haven’t you?" She stood up. "Maybe that’s why he’s been acting so weird," she joked, "Because he’s in love." I am never going to live this down. In my dreams, is it, Sal? Oh, boy, the things I do for Alice. "I guess that could be it," agreed Roy, smiling. "Apparently, guys do have a tendency to act a bit foolish when they’re falling for someone." Alice met his eyes, warmth rushing through her as she grinned at him. "I’ve heard that." "Listen," said Roy. "I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go out with me sometime." He glanced down and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Maybe without the chaperones?" "I’d like that." Alice felt as though she was radiating pure happiness. "That’s great," said Roy, with an exhalation of relief. "I guess I’ll give you a call next week sometime." Alice decided that she wasn’t going to give fate the chance to come up with any more obstructions. "What about tonight?" Roy raised his eyebrows. "Aren’t you already doing something tonight? In that low-cut dress that shows off your…?" Alice laughed. She met his eyes and felt it again, that overwhelming sense of

familiarity and trust. "I don’t want to do that. I’d much rather see you." His smile widened, making her heart thump. "Okay," he said. "Then I’ll see you tonight." He bent down to give Bouncer a ruffle behind the ears. "And I’ll see you again soon. Just take good care of this woman in the meantime, okay?" He straightened up, and they looked at each other for a moment. Roy must have seen something in Alice’s expression because he leaned forward and, cupping her face gently, he touched his lips to hers. It only lasted a moment, but the kiss sent electricity crackling through Alice’s body, and the smile he gave her as he pulled back and walked away only heightened the effect. Alice walked back to the shop with an irrepressible spring in her step. "You know what, boy?" she said. "I think things are really going to work out this time." She stopped and bent down to give Bouncer an impulsive hug, almost choking him with the strength of her delight and elation. She bumped her nose gently against his. "So, you fell for Sal, did you? I should have known that something was up. Well, trust me, I know exactly what you’re feeling." Hey, look, a dump truck! Want to go and root around in it? Come on, Alice, it’ll be fun! The End