Nameless // Van McCann

6. Watching Me Suffer

The work week went by slowly, as if life enjoyed watching me suffer. There was some back and forth and we finally agreed to eat at a Thai restaurant a couple blocks away from my flat.

Taking care of Cookie wasn't as horrible as I thought. I had to admit he was cute but not when he'd bar his teeth at me as soon as I stopped rubbing his belly. It had gotten to a point that I looked forward to my walks after dinner with him. I'd watch as he'd turn his head this way and that, curious about everything. What I didn't expect was for women to stop and chat me up. There was a lass that gave me her number and invited me over to her place but I said no. The attention was a boost to my ego.

In addition to walking Cookie, I've explored quite a bit of the neighborhood I lived in. It feels silly just finding out we had a nice dog park nearby and I enjoyed looking at the beautiful houses. We'd try a different route everyday to spice things up and I quickly found that I had a few favorite routes mainly because of how scenic they were. There was a patch of grass Cookie was pacing back and forth on and I instantly knew he was going to take a shit. Bondy's been feeding him treats without having him do any tricks, damn it. The bugger stared at me as if wanting some privacy while going number two so I turned around so he was no longer under my watchful eye.

"I'm not looking, I promise," I assured him even though he didn't understand a word I was saying.

Across the street, I saw someone going for a jog. She looked familiar but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. As soon as she was about to pass me, she looked in my direction and I quickly turned around hoping she didn't see me.

"Van? Is that you?" she asked.

Ahh, shit. I could hear her crossing the street walking towards me so I turned around with a smile on my face. I was face-to-face with my ex-girlfriend. I hadn't seen her in years and had to admit she still looked good after all these years. She brushed her bangs aside and I noticed her diamond ring which made me die inside a little.

I was head over heels for her when I graduated from uni. I honestly thought she was the one and that I'd marry her but I let work consume me and I neglected her. She was the absolute sweetest and I didn't deserve her. When I first worked for Microsoft, I brought work home with me and forgot to eat and take care of myself. She'd bring me food and remind me to eat. After some time, she got tired because I wouldn't listen so she left.

It took me years to get over her. I'd check in every once in a while to see if she was dating anyone. Ten months after we broke up, she met Scott, the man she is currently married to. I'm not gonna lie—I tried to find something to hold over him but couldn't find anything. He's a good bloke and takes good care of her. My eyes wandered over to her stomach, trying to find any signs of her being pregnant. They've been married two years now and I reckon they're ready to have a baby.

"Your hair is getting long," she commented. "I almost didn't recognize you. Is that your dog?"

She was looking at Cookie who just finished taking a shit. Oh God—why?! I grabbed a bag from my pocket and picked up after Cookie, tying the bag closed.

"No. I'm watching my neighbor's dog while he's on holiday," I answered.

"That's sweet of you."

She crouched down and began petting his head. He closed his eyes and got closer to her. I'm surprised he didn't bark at her.

"So how've you been?" I questioned and she looked up. Her looking up reminded me of when she'd give me head and I had to stop the thoughts as she was married.

"We've been good. Just bought a house four months back and we're fixing up the kitchen. It's a lot of work and we've been eating out a lot so I've been running."