A Night on Fire (An Olli Herman Fanfiction) #Wattys2016

Chapter Nine

"So how was the concert?" Taylor asked as I walked into his office.

I sighed, putting my purse underneath his cluttered desk. "Not meaning to be rude, but it's something I don't want to talk about right now."

My boss eyed me in suspicion. "Did someone ruin your birthday?"

"Sadly, yes. I want to clear my thoughts of it, though. Do we have a busy day?" I prayed on the drive here that we did.

"Not really, but a man called saying he'd pick up one of our dogs soon."

"Seriously?" I said in delight. "It's been a while since somebody wanted a dog. We've been having too many cat-lovers this past month."

"He's taking Duke," he stated matter-of-factly through gritted teeth, afraid of my reaction.

My smile slowly faded as I let the information sink in. Duke, the black, white, and amber sheltie, had been my favorite dog at the shelter. He and I bonded ever since the Marrings dropped him off as an itty-bitty puppy. I took on the responsibility of training him during the slow-paced days. Now almost at the age of two years, he's grown up to be a handsome devil and a well-behaved dog. Besides Beverly, he is my best friend.

"Duke?"

"I'm sorry, Sasha, but you know he needs to go to a good home. We've had him here for a long while. He needs a real owner. It would be different if you could take him home. The guy came in yesterday, spotted Duke and Molly, and said he would call when he makes up his mind on which one to adopt."

Moving my eyes away from my boss, I asked, "What time is he picking him up?"

"He'll be here in fifteen minutes."

Without wasting any time, I opened the door to Duke's kennel and took him to the back yard, where we played fetch with a tennis ball. The throws I casted matched the anger in my heart. As if this morning wasn't bad enough, life decided to fling this my way, too.

Did I break a fucking mirror or walk under a latter recently? What did I do to deserve this treatment?

That I did not know the answer to (and I didn't think I ever would), but what I did know was that life is a cruel bitch you cannot escape. She would hunt you down until you had at least some experience with her unfair business. Sometimes I can hear her laughing at me when her evil plans work out...or is that just inside my head?

I stopped to breathe, so I wouldn't be too uptight during my workhours. When Duke noticed I wouldn't be throwing the ball anytime soon, he sat down by my feet, looking up with brown eyes and panting.

"Oh, Duke, I'm going to miss you so much."

"Sasha," Taylor called from the back door. "Brandon wants to see Duke."

Standing beside him was a tall, thin, dark-haired man in a red, plaid shirt and black cowboy hat who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He leaned against the doorframe with one hand in his jean pocket. Heavily exhaling, I walked over to them with Duke by my side.

"Hi," I said audibly low. He returned the greeting.

"You can take this from here," Taylor told me before he went back inside.

"Been lookin' for a Shetland sheepdog for a while," Brandon said in a southern accent as he lowed himself to scratch Duke behind the ears. "They're great companions. Yer boss said he's completely trained and can do a few tricks; correct?"

"Yes. He will stay by your side, though I recommend you keep a leash on him anytime you're near a busy street. He hasn't yet figured out that not all cars stop for animals. And anytime you want him to do a trick, just say the word. Make sure you give him a treat after."

He breathed out a laugh. "I'm so excited to take him home."

"I'm going to miss him. We had him here for over a year and a half. I've never been so attached to another dog as I am to him."

Brandon stood up. "Why didn't ya keep him then?"

"My landlord doesn't allow pets, but if I could take him home, I would."

I hooked a leash onto Duke's collar and walked him to Brandon's truck while he filled out the adoption papers. As I waited, I hugged Duke super tight. His breathing rate increased, but he didn't even try to move away.

"Please be a good boy for Brandon," I whispered into his long, soft fur as it tickled my face.

The crunching of gravel underneath boots had me pull away from the sheltie, who then gave me a few licks. I stood up to see his new owner with the truck keys in his hand. Pressing a button, the truck beeped, and its doors unlocked. Brandon opened the passenger-side door to let Duke ride up front with him.

"Take good care of him for me please," I said with a pout.

"I will. Don't ya worry. I've always been great with dogs."

"I'm glad to hear that."

He scratched the back of his head. "Hey, uh, may I get yer number? You're cute, and I'd like to hang out with ya sometime."

His interest in me shocked me. I didn't expect something like that. He wasn't a bad-looking guy, and I could use a good time. Besides, I thought to myself that if I date him, I could see Duke all I want! This guy could even help me forget Olli.

"Y-yeah, sure!" I stuttered.

He pulled out his phone, and I gave him my cell number.

"I'll text ya tonight and let ya know how Duke's doin'."

"Great!"