The Rose

Day 1 ~ The List

Everyday at 8 am Dale takes the bus from Bay Rd. to Main St. it's a 1 hour drive. Dale always sits in the middle of the bus, so he can see all around him.
Tuesday at 8:30 am at the second stop, on Rochester a Woman that had long brown hair down to her mid back, and a waitress outfit on walked into the bus.
"Is this seat taken?" She asked.
"Oh no, go ahead."
The lady sat down next to Dale. Dale looked her up and down fast, then went back to looking out the window. She took out her phone and was looking at it. From the corner of his eye Dale saw "Hey Lexi" on a text message she got. She sent one back "Hey Jenna, so are you up for tonight?"
"Of course I am, so we meeting at Duggie Dow's?"
The bus stopped, at Francisco St. The woman got up and left. And went into the little restaurant on the corner of the street. The bus driver took off. Dale pulled out his phone and googled Duggie Dow's. It's a local karaoke bar, not far from the restaurant. Dale put away his phone, and took out a little note pad out of his coat pocket. He flips through pages of women's names and notes under them crossed out until he finds a blank page. That the top of the page he wrote Lexi. Then under it he writes...
~8:30 am Rochester
~Stop at Francisco St.
~Works at Marco's bbq
~Friend Jenna
~Duggie Dow's
He puts it back in his pocket when someone walked by him to sit at the seat behind him. The bus finally comes to the stop at Main St. He got off the bus and walked down to where he works at the Rosewood pound. Dale walked in and scanned his card.
"Hi Dale, good morning." Said Hank, who works at the front desk.
Walking fast by Dale said, "Good morning." And just kept moving.
He wanted to just keep moving and get to work. Dale doesn't like his coworkers. He needed money and liked being around animals so he got a job at the pound. Dale doesn't do much socializing with the people that come in. He cleans the cages, feeds them, and fix a cage door or lock if it gets broken. There is this one dog named Missy, she is a beautiful brown fur Collie. She has been in the pound for 3 months now. No one really wants her cause she is at her end years, 14 years old. Dale always had a thing for brown hair women, animals. His Mother was a brunette and always had a nice garden, the roses where always her favorite, so they where Dale's favorite too. Dale was cleaning a cage out, he zoned out thinking about the garden filled with roses. His boss, Karen comes over and started talking to him.
"Hello Dale! Are you listening?"
Dale blinks 2 times and comes back from zoning out. "Oh sorry, what were you saying?"
Karen sighs and roll her eyes saying, "We are going to need another cage for new dogs that are coming in, by Thursday. So tomorrow I need you to take Missy down vet here and have her put down..."
"Wait why are you putting her down, there is nothing wrong with her?"
"She is taking up room and no one is interested into her, she just to old." Karen replied.
"You can take her if you want, I don't care, I just need her out of here by Thursday."
Karen walked away. Dale stood there and thought if he should take her. He walked over to her cage, she comes over to the cage when Dale goes down to his knees.
"I would love to take you girl, but I don't have the room for you."
Dale lives on the 3rd floor in a small 1 bedroom apartment. It was 4:30, almost time to get off. Dale did a round around the cages and cage the dogs food and fresh water. He said goodbye to Missy, and petted her on the head before he closed the door and got ready to leave. Dale went to the back and grabbed his coat and things. He pulled his phone out and google Duggie Dow's again. He knows she will be there tonight with a girl name Jenna. He never got to see what time though. So he thought probably around 8 pm is when people will go to a bar. So he has a bus ride home that will take a hour so he will be home by 6 pm. So Dale signed out, and went to the bus stop to wait for the bus. He sits in his usual spot. He google how long it will take him to get to Duggie Dow's from his apartment. It takes about 25 minutes. It's 5 minutes before getting to Rochester, the spot that the lady join on. Finally got home, he hopes in the shower and gets a little bit to eat. There still was a hour until 8. So Dale got on the bus and got off at the stop at Goodwin Rd. Since there still is 35 minutes, Dale walked around to the small shops that are close by the bar. He went into a pet store that was about to close. He found this black collar with red roses all around it. The collar was large size. It would fit Missy well. So he bought the collar. He put it in his pocket. It was almost 8 then so he went into the bar. He looked around, didn't see the girl from earlier on the bus. Dale walked up to the bar and order a beer. There was this blonde girl seating alone at the bar, he asked if the seat next to her was taken. She said no, it's not. So Dale sat down on the stool.
He asked, "Why are you alone?"
She replied, "I'm just waiting on my friend to come."
"Oh ok, I won't bug you then."
"Oh you're fine, it might take her awhile anyways, I'm Jenna by the way."
"Hi Jenna, I'm Dale." He replied.
When Jenna was looking away, bumped he wallet off the counter. And he bend to pick it up and pulled her ID out. She is 29 years old and her last name is Jackson. He slips it back in and handed it off to her saying I think you dropped this. She replied saying thank you. Then a few seconds later, the woman from earlier walked into the bar. And walked over and hugged Jenna saying hi girl. She turns around and sees Dale sitting there.
Jenna said, "This is Dale."
"Heyyy, you're the guy from the bus earlier."
"Oh yeah, what a coincidence, uh?"
"Are you stalking me?" Lexi said in a jokingly way.
Dale paused for a second then said, "You got me there."
Jenna and Lexi laugh at the remark. Jenna leans over to Lexi and whispered something. Lexi nods her head. So then Jenna asked Dale if he wanted to join them. Dale decided and said maybe a rain check. I'm going to leave soon. Jenna grab a napkin and wrote her number on it.
   "Call me and we'll make plans?"
   "Sure will" reply Dale.
   "Be the way I'm Lexi, it was nice to meet you Dale."
   Dale waved to Lexi and Jenna. They waved back, then Dale left the bar. He walked back to the bus stop. When he got to his apartment, he got his laptop out and searched Jenna Jackson. He found a link to a Facebook page. He when to it, it had a picture of her and another girl. Went down to her friends list and scrolled through them until he saw Alexia Fairen. It had a picture of her. So Dale clicks on it, he grabs his little notepad. He goes through her page.
~8:30 am Rochester
~Stop at Francisco St.
~Works at Marco's bbq
~Friend Jenna
~Duggie Dow's
    ~Age 29
    ~Likes dogs
    ~Shopping at Claire's
    ~Favorite flowers Roses
    ~Favorite colour purple
    ~Born in Boston
    ~Favorite movie Big Fish
   There was a knock at the door. He quickly closes the note book and exits the page. He gets up and walks over to the door. It was his neighbour. Loca was know as the crazy eye girl in the apartment. She would get an idea and go with it until she gets it her way. She has asked Dale out 4 times already this month. It's only the 2nd week.
   "Oh hey Loca, what do you want?" Dale asked.
   "Hey Dale, I was wondering if you were doing anything tomorrow night?"
   "Sorry I'm busy."
   "Again, really every time I ask you got plans."
   "It's late Loca, I got to go." Dale smiles and then closes the door.
   He goes back to his laptop and turns it off. And goes to his room and put the notebook in his drawer. And gets ready and goes to bed.