A Day in the City

Chapter 2

"Aha! Well done, little Scamp!" Naomi playfully petted the dog's body in congratulations for bringing back a blue Frisbee marred with bite marks. The uncontrollable ball of fluff twitched in unbridled excitement, happily accepting Naomi's attention. In anticipation of it being thrown again, Scamp picked up the disc with its mouth and offered it to Naomi, its eyes pleading for more play time. Chuckling, she grabbed it out of Scamp's mouth with a bit of tugging and tossed it a few meters away. The pup bolted off the moment it saw the disc leave her hand.

"What breed is he?" Naomi asked the dog's owner, who stood beside her. His gaze, unobstructed from the bright sunlight because of his sporty cap, was fixed on his energetic pet. He watched with pride as Scamp leapt up and caught the disc in his mouth with ease, landing without so much as a stumble.

"Jack Russell Terrier, he is. They told me that he was the liveliest one of the bunch when I got him."

"I can believe that." Naomi patted off her maroon dress, noticing that some bits of dirt and grass had attached to it. "You must have got him recently, though. He doesn't look fully matured yet."

"He'll be six months in, I think...a week from next Wednesday." The dog owner tilted his head in thought. "Mhmm, somewhere around then. I've been training him a lot since I got him. C'mon back, boy!" Scamp's owner whistled for him to return, and despite the pup being content with wrestling with the frisbee under the shadows of the trees, he returned to his owner without any reluctance.

"Good boy, Scamp. Good boy!" He ran his hands all over Scamp's furry body, reaching up to his stomach. The dog quickly flopped on its back in response and laid content as his master gently rubbed its belly. White, glistening teeth revealed themselves in the form of an exhausted grin.

"Aww! He certainly seems to like you."

The man smiled and adjusted his light blue baseball cap. "Yeah, I'm glad. Scamp has been a great friend to me so far. I'm thinking about entering him in a contest."

"Oh, really? A talent contest, I presume?"

"Something like that. I've never been in one or really know what it's all about, but it's been on my mind." He stared at Scamp, who sat himself upright again, tongue drooping out of his mouth.

"In that case, I wish you all the best. If you expect to perform well in a contest, you have to put significant time and effort into the cause. Pet contests can be quite the challenge to win."

"I think we can do it!" He pat Scamp's head one more time before standing up.

"You've surely got the confidence for it. I'll be rooting for you and Scamp!"

"Heh, thank you." He scratched the back of his head. "You know...you seem to know your way around...uh...dogs..."

Naomi laughed. "I'd say I know a thing or two about dogs, yes."

"Uh, ha, I meant, well...you know what I meant!" The man fumbled over his words like a shy student about to give a speech to his class. "You know some about contests and all that stuff, right?"

"I wouldn't say I know so much. I've just picked up some stuff here or there." Naomi gestured with her hands. "You could say I'm a...traveler of sorts."

"Still, you know more than I do, probably. I was just wondering if you maybe wanted to talk about what you know...over dinner."

"Oh!" The implications of his words caught Naomi by surprise. She felt almost embarrassed for not realizing his intentions sooner. It was no wonder why: the little rascal rolling around in the grass served as the perfect distraction.

"I'm sorry, but I would have to pass. I'm already married."

"Oh, you are?" The man looked stunned. His eyes darted downward, then back up. Puzzled, he questioned her answer. "But, I could have sworn I didn't see you wearing a ring."

He was correct. Both of Naomi's hands were free of any sort of accessory. But, she shook her head. "My apologies, but I don't wear a ring to symbolize my marriage." She explained. Memories of her wedding flashed before her as she gingerly gripped the metal chain around her neck. The rock that hung from it glimmered for just a moment, and in the proper lighting, one could see it was an oval, beige-colored gemstone. "I wear a necklace instead. It's a...cultural difference."

"O-oh." The man sighed. His hands shook slightly from the traces of nervousness that had remained in his body. "Oops."

Naomi pitied the man. "It is fine. Your heart was in a good place, and I appreciate the gesture."

"Heh, thanks." He said with a defeated smirk.

"You're welcome. I do thank you for your time as well. It was a pleasure to meet you and play with your little dog."

"Not a problem. Glad you had fun, too!" His composure, although not fully regained, restored to about half of what it should have been. At the very least, he had the courtesy to wave as she waved goodbye. Scamp, his miniature wingman, trotted up to his disheartened master with his frisbee in mouth, as if he was suggesting that more play would take his mind off of things. Before he was about to accept his dog's offer, a question popped into the man's mind.

"Oh hey! Wait!" He extended his hand, futilely trying to reach after Naomi. She turned, sincerely hoping that he wasn't going to suggest anything ridiculous.

"You said that the reason you wear a necklace instead of a ring is because you're from a different culture." He prefaced. "If that's the case, where are you from?"

Naomi smirked.

"Somewhere far away." She stated simply. Naomi turned back around, leaving the park and leaving the man utterly puzzled.