Page 14 of Short Stack 3

Mags winks at me. “The best dog owner in the world.”

“I thought that was you,” I offer.

“I don’t so much own Endof as endeavour to harness his energy for good rather than evil.” He turns to Dean. “Gabe is a good friend, and his husband is wonderful. This dog would have the best home and want for nothing.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” I blurt. They both look at me. “We live in London, and it’ssocramped. Surely, he should have a home with more land?”

Mags’s eyes are full of enjoyment of the situation. “But you are moving to Devon near a beach, yes?”

“Well, that’s brilliant, then,” Dean proclaims. “But if you don’t want him, that’s absolutely fine,” he says carefully, his face becoming serious. “Hewillget a home, I promise you. He’s verycute. So, you don’t need to do anything you don’t want to. A dog is a very serious business.”

This is my escape clause.

I look down at the dog, ready to decline the offer so we can get out of here and go for lunch. Instead, I look into the dog’s eyes, his whiskery face, and that long, anteater nose twitching. And then I say very firmly, “I want this one, please.”

“Yay,” Dean says, and the dog presses closer.

Two hours later, I look at my new dog, who’s sitting in the back of the car and looking at me in a hopeful fashion that breaks my heart.

“I blame you,” I say to Mags. “And that ispreciselywhat I am going to tell Dylan.”

“Was this an impulsive gesture?” he says. I glare at him, and he can’t control his smirk. “I am sorry. Sometimes, my English lets me down. Is impulsive the right word?”

“Yes, thatisthe right word. Another appropriate word for your role in the current situation is twat.”

“Ack, you love me. Well, look at the time. We have lost the table by now. McDonald’s, yes?”

“Words fail me.”

“I like McDonald’s. I like the wrapping on the little cheeseburgers. Laurie never lets me have them because of my cholesterol.”

“I’m going to let you have fifty of them.”

He starts to laugh, and I join him.

Dylan

“So, when are you coming down?” my best friend asks.

I cradle the phone on my shoulder while I reach for my mug and then settle back on the sofa. My hangover has eased aftertwo bacon sandwiches. “Probably Boxing Day. Gabe doesn’t break up until today, and we don’t fancy the chaos of the M4 on Christmas Eve.”

“Probably wise. When are Henry and Ivo getting here?”

“They’re coming two days after us when they get back from Capri. They’ll stay until January the second.”

“Henry will need that long to recover from his hangover.”

“He’ll need to get his fluids back, too, with his usual excessive drooling over Asa.”

He gives a happy sigh. “All my boys together.”

“I spy trouble.”

“Thank you, Mystic Meg. So, when is the big move?”

“We’ve earmarked the second week in March.”

“And then I get you back. Life isn’t the same without you.” Asa says something in the background, and Jude’s voice gets fainter. “Not including you, of course, my dearest darling. Dylan obviously comesfarbeneath you.”

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