A Different Slice

33.1 - The Potluck (Naomi)

Naomi sat on a patio chair, observing Brinny direct Rusty to stay as she took ten slow paces away. When she called his name, he jerked ahead slightly, tail wagging, but he didn't rush forward until instructed to do so. Even then, he sat at her feet, looking up at his owner. Naomi couldn't be happier with the puppy's success. He'd left flowers and sticks alone on command, lay down, and sat for Brinny. It was decent progress for two months of working together.

While the dog still had lots of energy and needed redirection like most puppies, Naomi was fairly confident as long as Brinny kept up her independent practice, Rusty would maintain his training gains. Naomi would send Brinny links with other commands to teach him next and helpful videos.

Naomi dug in her bag for a certificate she'd printed at home and a sturdy toy for the dog.

"Rusty's ready for his graduation."

"Really?" Brinny petted him with an excitement that had his tail flicking like a windshield wiper in a downpour. They had discussed the possibility last week, but she had been uncertain about his skills.

"Yes, you'll have your Wednesday evenings free again."

Naomi handed Brinny the certificate and presented Rusty with the toy whose tags Naomi had already removed.

He grabbed the gift and darted to the cool patio stones in the shade.

"Thank you for everything." Brinny glanced at her happy pup, gnawing on the toy. "I would have had to give him up if it weren't for you."

"You're welcome. Rusty was a blast to work with, and I enjoyed getting to know you too. If you have questions, I'm just a phone call away." Naomi told her about the classes the training center offered too.

"Thanks, Naomi. We'll likely see each other around since you're dating Kieran."

It was an awkward position and a reason Naomi was relieved to end these sessions, although she would miss the padded paycheck and Rusty. Brinny had grown on her too. But given how Kieran still spent time with her, they would continue to cross paths.

"If you're interested, my best friend and I are throwing a potluck party next weekend with a few of our friends and Kieran's if you want to come."

"Oh." Brinny's eyes widened.

Curse Ian and his silly idea. The party had started as a double date for Kieran, Naomi, Shivanna and Louisa, but they decided to invite Austin and Felicity, and she didn't want to leave out Marc and Nimkii. Shivanna added friends to the guest list, and when Ian heard, he complained about discrimination against single people, so the net was cast further to include Jake, Ian, and Brinny.

She and Kieran hung out more often, and while Naomi trusted him, she wasn't sure about Brinny. The woman had a mix of compliments and criticisms about him, which left Naomi unsure if that was their normal friendship or if she was conflicted about her friend dating. Naomi was one hundred percent positive with Nimkii when she and Marc started dating because she loved them as a couple. With Greg's exes, it had been harder. But she'd swallowed her pain and did her best to either be friendly and upbeat or to hide when she couldn't be. While Brinny was in a relationship, it seemed like it was destined to fail or hurt her, which could change the dynamic between her and Kieran.

After voicing those concerns when drinking with her softball buddies, Ian had volunteered to investigate, especially after eyeing up Brinny's picture. Naomi hadn't loved the idea initially as it seemed underhanded, but Ian assured her he'd just have a quick conversation with her to see what kind of impression she gave off.

"You can bring Cole, or if he's not around, come solo. Some of my friends are. If it's too weird, I understand. This is the first time I've had a crossover between clients and my personal life, but I figured it might be okay because you are Kieran's friend."