A Different Slice

16 - Training Day (Kieran)

Kieran hadn't been this excited to go to Brinny's for a while. Today was Naomi's first training session with Rusty. They hadn't hung out since he'd brought her pizza for the second time, but they texted every few days whether it was a silly GIF, a check-in, or coordinating these sessions.

"What do you think, Kier?" Brinny spun around the living room in a pale yellow sundress that accentuated her paleness.

"For dog training?"

Her brow furrowed. "No, for Heidi's bridal shower."

"Yeah, it seems like something people would wear to that." Not that he'd ever attended one or cared.

She gathered the material in her palms. "Are you and Jake fighting again? You seem distracted."

"Me and Jake? Nah, we're good. Just been a long week." Every day felt further from this one. Naomi would arrive in five minutes, and Brinny was more interested in dressing up than preparing her dog for training. "Should we get Rusty ready?"

"That's why I'm paying this person so much money, isn't it?"

"I'll take him to the backyard so he's not whining at the door when Naomi arrives."

"Naomi?"

"Your dog trainer."

Brinny grinned coyly. "Is that why you're distracted? Saw a pretty girl in the ad and think she'll show up. That's cute, Kier."

He wanted to contradict her but decided not to get Naomi in trouble by implying their closeness. "Just ensuring Rusty gets the best care and training."

"Like when you flirt with women during his walks," her tone was light, but she looked at him for a few seconds too long to be unbothered.

"Not a crime to flirt, Brin. That's how you got yourself into this Rusty situation, isn't it?"

She quieted and scurried to her room. He'd be skeptical of showing that much exposed skin around that little beast. His arms were battle-scarred enough.

Kieran called Rusty, and the dog came running with a destroyed slipper in his mouth. After failing to catch Rusty, Kieran opened the sliding back door and took him outside. He stood guard in front of the replanted flower garden with a leash in hand while the dog ran in circles like he was on a caffeine high then lost interest in the massacred slipper to pee on the lawn instead.

As he zoomed to Kieran, the dog jumped up on his jeans. Kieran caught him under his front legs and wrestled him onto the leash with only four or five scratch marks on his arms.

"Alright pupster, let's get you to the front to meet Naomi. You've gotta trust her, okay? She's here to make your life easier, so there's less yelling from your people. You can do that, eh boy?"

Rusty chewed on the leash and tried to engage Kieran in a game of tug-a-war. He shook his head, but if Rusty could intuit the meaning of his words, they wouldn't need Naomi. He'd have to take her out to thank her after surviving today.

Kieran walked and tugged Rusty toward the gate. The dog's nose pressed to the ground in an instant, and he stuck it under the fence and growled. Kieran hoped he wouldn't go wild on the other side. As Kieran opened the gate, a rabbit ran off down the street, and Rusty barked at it while jumping at the leash. An old blue Hyundai Senata pulled into the driveway with a familiar brunette in the driver's seat. Kieran waved as he tried to keep Rusty under control.

Naomi laughed as she stepped out of the car under Rusty's watchful eyes. That smile warmed him like the sun. "No one's ever greeted me the second I arrived at a client's house."