Snapshot · (Roswell Fanfiction) · √

15. Dealing with Dogs

The Dog Kennel
Wednesday
(2008) Max is 23, Liz is 22

"Well well well, I never thought I would see the day when Elizabeth Parker would voluntarily pick up dog poo."

Liz rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice behind her and straightened her back, shivering slightly as the smell of the dog's feces reached her nose before she had a chance to close the plastic bag.

Tying a knot on the bag, she reluctantly turned to face him. He was leaning against his car, arms folded across his broad chest and legs crossed at the ankles as he regarded her with an amused smile. She couldn't see his eyes; they were hidden behind dark sunglasses, but she felt a familiar shiver run through her body.

It was unfair for someone so obnoxious to look so good.

"Yeah, thanks for getting me this job, Evans," Liz said sarcastically, putting on a big smile as she pulled on the lead to direct the dog on the other end away from the roses.

Max bent his head with a small chuckle, scratching his head as he shook his head from side to side in bemusement. "I can't believe you agreed to this."

"I'm fine," Liz said casually, her nose still being able to hint the smell of feces from the closed plastic bag in her hand.

The truth was, she hated this job. All she did all day long was getting gross smelly food for dogs, getting barked and growled at by some dogs, and then had to walk them around on a piece of grass while watching them to see that they had done their business. And on top of that, she had to pick up that business. The worst case scenario she had been able to conjure up when Max offered his help was a job as a waitress. She never fully realized how evil Max Evans could be until he got her the job as an animal caretaker.

"Yeah, you look it," Max agreed and pushed himself off the side of his car.

She was not going to give in on this one. He thought she was a prissy brat so she was going to prove him of the opposite. "Don't you have work?"

He came closer, smiling as he pulled off his sunglasses. She swallowed as his eyes hit hers. He had a way of looking at her, looking into her, that could make her feel warm all over but uneasy at the same time.

"This is my day off."

"And you decided to go to a dog kennel on your day off?"

"Actually," he said, looking down at the poodle that was sitting next to them, waiting for the humans to make a move. "I came to see Brenda."

"Oh," Liz said, instantly repressing the surge of disappointment that washed over her. Of course he wasn't here to see her. Who was she kidding? She gave him a tight smile. "She's inside."

He pushed the sunglasses back down on his nose and gave her a brilliant smile. "Thanks."

"Is she your next victim?" Liz asked his back as he started to walk away from her.

Without stopping, he said, "Been there, done that."

His words ripped through her heart, the same way they always did whenever he mentioned the other part of his life; the other girls.

And he once more justified why there could never be anything more between them.

*****

"Did you want a ride?"

Liz closed the door to the cage and hooked the leash onto the door. She looked up at Brenda as she rose from her kneeled position, giving her a small and uncomfortable smile. "Uhm... you don't mind?"