Romance | Pets | Microfiction
Love me, Love my Dog
Jeanette’s friends introduce her to Marty, but is he a good match?
Will he kiss me tonight? Jeanette wondered, looking across the table at Marty.
It was their third date and she was a cat on a hot tin roof. His face was animated as he talked, laughter crinkled his eyes, but she couldn’t pinpoint their shade of green. Marty was easy-going and self-effacing. Jeanette would probably feel relaxed except she kept thinking about that kiss.
First date had been a blind date. Her friend Caroline had been telling her what a catch Marty was for a couple of weeks. When Jeanette could withstand no more hints and bossing, she agreed to go out with him if Caroline and her husband Dean rode shotgun.
“At least I’ll have someone to talk to if we don’t get on,” Jeanette reasoned.
They’d gone to a pub that was quite a drive into the country. Squashed in the car alongside Marty, she felt stuck for polite conversation. Caroline and Dean had known Marty for years, so at the pub the conversation flowed with funny stories of things they’d done in their youth. Everybody’s nerves eased by the second drink, and by the night’s end Caroline persuaded Marty to do impressions, and they fell about with laughter.
Jeanette told Caroline she’d like to see Marty again, so he had rung her a day later. Suspecting it wouldn’t be so easy breezy with just the two of them, she suggested a film; they could talk on the drive there and back.
He looked gorgeous when he picked her up, tan against his white t-shirt while the jeans he wore were softened by lots of wear. Better than what he’d worn on the first date — when he’d looked like he was going to play golf. Jeanette didn’t like a guy who fussed overly about what to wear.
Marty was more quiet without Caroline to draw him out, but Jeanett approved of the music in his car and they managed to chat. The film was one she’d been looking forward to seeing because of the special effects. Marty didn’t know anything about it, so Jeanette got on her hobby horse and they discussed the film all the way home.
When she got out of the car, her dog was audibly barking from her flat. Jeanette said goodbye and hastened to greet her wagging spaniel. She’d had Binky from a pup and Binky was her world, a feeling which was mutual. Jeanette brought Binky downstairs to let her in the flat’s tiny garden. She hoped Marty was OK with dogs, because getting along with her baby was a deal breaker.
Jeanette dragged her attention back to the date and what Marty was saying. Something about a twenty five mile bike ride, or was it running?
“That must take a lot of training,” she hedged.
“I don’t mind, it means I can eat like a horse,” Marty smiled widely.
Jeanette worried, apart from walking Binkie, she hated exercise, preferring to read a book.
“So where do you do …”
“The triathlons? All over really, one in Somerset and before that Colchester.”
The waiter cleared their bowls and set out hotplates with candles in them to keep food warm.
“Have you used chopsticks before? They’ll give you a fork if you haven’t.”
“I’m OK with chopsticks,” Jeanette assured him.
The food arrived, an array of different dishes and flavours. Jeanette was sure they had ordered too much.
This time when he drove her home, she suggested he waited while she let Binky out. She was coming to like Marty so needed to test if her dog liked him too. She opened the heavy ground floor door, then climbed the spiral staircase to her flat, letting Binky out. A black and white dog whirlwind hurtled down then scampered on the pebbled drive.
“Hello,” Marty’s greeting was relaxed, he’d said his dad owned dogs.
Binky’s tail wagged like a helicopter before she dashed off to wet the grass. Returning she circled Marty and Jeanette’s legs with excitement. They were lost in a deep kiss, so she sat and waited. It went on for too long, so she jumped at them and barked. It seems Binkie felt a little jealous now she had to share Jeanette’s attention with Marty.
Submitted for the February prompt Love/ Hate. Help me get to the magic “100 followers” so I can begin earning for my writing, comments also welcome.
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