Love at First Slice (IN SERIOUS EDITING)

Book Stores

ch. 6 Book Stores

Charlotte's P.O.V.

"Why do you-" Casey stutters, pointing to the dog. "Where did you-"

"What she's trying to say is," Dylan explains. "why and where did you get that," he ponders. "animal."

I take a look at the dog in her hands. "It's so cute!" I gush, squishing my cheeks together. "Oh my God, oh my God! We have a dog!" I squeal, practically hopping up and down. "Can we keep 'em, Casey? Can we, can we, can we?"

"Alex," Casey inquires. "Where did you get," she juts her hand forward. "that."

The snowy dog barks, as if it knew Casey was talking about it. "I got Max at that pet store near the agency I got a gig at," Alex explains. "I saw him in that window and I just could not help myself!" She turns the dog's face towards us. "I mean, look at that wittle face!"

My heart melted at the sight of the "wittle face". It had wide, deer-in-the-headlights eyes. It's little black nose glistened in the fluorescent lighting of our living room.

"It's adorable!" A voice squealed girlishly. That voice was, you guessed it, Austin. Manly, huh?

He shuffled his feet over to Alex's place by the door, taking the petite body of the dog in his large hands. He and the dog were nose to nose. "Who's the cutest dog ever?" Austin asks the dog rhetorically, snuggling his nose to Max's. "It's you! Yes you are, yes you a-" He turns to look at us. We stare back at him, gaping. "I mean, uh, heh, dog." He thrusts it into Alex's hands and shamefully takes his seat back on the couch.

Alex rolls her eyes and sets Max down. He immediately begins running around the living room, sniffing the carpet and sticking his nose between our toes. I stifle a giggle when he hops right onto Dylan's lap and places his front paws on his chest, sniffing around his face and neck. He sits there stiffly.

He doesn't like dogs.

"Okay," Alex declares. "I'm gonna get the rest of his stuff from the car." She turns on her heel and struts out of the apartment, golden hair swaying in her pony tail. The dog crawls across Dylan's lap, tiny legs padding against the faux leather. His nose stuck between every crevice of the couch.

I lift him and plop him into my lap, stroking his soft fur. Behind the ears, the top of his head, his sides, his back. His white head falls in my lap as he relaxes. It takes all my effort not to squeal in happiness.

"We're keeping him, right Casey?" I inquire with a quirk of my eyebrow. She bites her lip, unsure.

"I dunno, Char," She answers reluctantly.

"Pretty pretty pleeaaassee?" I coax. "We have to keep him. Look at him! He's sooo adorable." I thrust the dog in her face. "D'ya see it? He's absolutely precious!"

She gently shoves him away. "I know , Char," She explains. "I'm just not sure if we can afford it."

"I'll take double shifts at the cafe! I'll even get a job at the bookstore, too!" I offer frantically. "I need this dog."

Alex enters, as if on cue, dragging a generic red children's wagon piled with doggish things behind her.

"That's a lot of things,"

"Where did you get a wagon?" Austin and Dylan both ask in unison.

Alex merely smiles. "Here, Maxie!" She smiles. Her hand reaches into a yellow PetSupermarket plastic bag and pulls out a typical bone shaped treat. "Here, boy,"