High Heels & Pink Glitter (the heavily edited version)

Dealing with eejits

Ryan's interview was scheduled for first thing Wednesday morning, and the day did not begin well.

He took Cocoa for a walk first thing, as per Tadgh's orders, and let her off the lead in the Kelvingrove as it was early and there were few people about. But the ducks, also early risers and happier in the quiet times, were merrily splashing about in the fenced off pond, joined by the odd opportunistic grey squirrel.

Cocoa had charged towards them, wriggling through the railings. The ducks flew off, quacking wildly, though a few of the bolder ones remained, swimming as far away from the edge as possible.

Signs all around the pond warned people to keep out, as it was a wildlife conservation area, but as there was no-one in immediate vicinity, Ryan took his chances and climbed over the fence, cursing the dog. The ground beneath his feet was slick and muddy, covering his trainers—the ones he planned to wear to his interview—in brown gunk.

"Cocoa!" he shouted. At the other side of the pond under the sweeping branches of a willow tree, she wagged her tail, tongue hanging out, and stayed where she was.

He was going to have to fetch her. "Cocoa!"

An older woman walking past the pond, her own dog an obedient greyhound in a smart green coat that matched the colour of her own close to her side, tutted loudly. "You shouldn't have let her off the lead. There are signs in the park that say you're supposed to keep your dog on a lead at all times!"

Ryan gritted his teeth. Yeah, well he knew that now.

The woman had one of those carrying voices that people the other side of Glasgow could probably hear. She let out a long-suffering sigh. "Would you like some help?"

He nodded, grateful. Cocoa kept skirting out of his reach the second he got anywhere near her. The woman fastened her dog to the railings, stroked its head and swung first one welly boot clad leg and then the other over the railings. She stomped through the overgrown grasses to join him., pigeons scattering in her wake.

"Dogs need to know who's the boss," she told Ryan. "Otherwise, you're at their mercy. Cocoa, come here this instant! Right now!"

She bellowed the last, causing Ryan to leap back from her in fright but to his astonishment, Cocoa trotted over, ignoring the still quacking ducks, and sat at the woman's feet, tail still wagging. The woman patted her head, and rummaged in her coat pocket, withdrawing a bag of treats. She gave one to Cocoa, who swallowed it without chewing.

"Good girl!" the woman said, stroking her head, tutting when Cocoa jumped up on her. "No, don't do that!"

Cocoa got down again, shame-faced, and the woman rewarded her with another treat.

"There's a in Partick who runs dog obedience classes in the park once a week. Wendy's Waggie Tails. You should think about enrolling her."

She left before Ryan could properly thank her. Cocoa would not be taking part in Wendy's Waggie Tails lessons. Tadgh always claimed Cocoa was as good as gold, and she was most of the time. Ryan shouldn't have let off the lead and this morning's escapade would remain between him and Cocoa.

By the time he got back to the flat, he had to change his trousers, the hems of which were muddy too, and clean his trainers, both of which activities meant that he missed the train he meant to take, and ended up on the one that went to Central instead of Queen Street. The walk that would have taken a couple of minutes from Queen Street ended up a five-minute frantic dash along Gordon Street, up Buchanan Street and into George Square. He then spent a few minutes trying to find the right address, the signs and numbering of the doors facing the council building opposite, not that obvious.