Page 27 of Hound Dog
“Is that why we’ve had eight people schedule consultations for this week?”
“Do you want this to be a reality or not? Because making this anactualbusiness means taking risks.”
“What if people find out what we’re doing?”
She was quiet for a long moment before she answered, “You know people aregoingto find out eventually, right? And sooner or later, you’re going to need to branch out to bigger cities. Maple Grove is great and all, but as it is, I don’t think the need for matchmakers is that high.”
I gritted my teeth. Man, I hated being called a matchmaker—that was something people sang about in cheesy musicals. Not a job for a grown man who also happened to love dogs.
I knew I’d have to tell my family eventually, but I wanted to make sure there was something here before I did that. We all had a lot of whacky ideas for our businesses, but this one definitely took the cake. Not to mention, being under the radar was what made thiswork. Otherwise, everyone would be skeptical of any person walking a dog.
Which was why what Enzo said made a lot of sense. I needed to branch out and be ready to travel—even if it was just to slightly larger neighboring towns and cities, like Concord, Portland, and Boston.
“Look,” Enzo said, “none of that matters now, anyway. I’ve worked out the bug and now the app is running fine. These new clients all signed a confidentiality agreement and most of them aren’t even from Maple Grove.”
I walked into the animal shelter and waved at Kim at the front desk. “Okay,” I sighed, breathing a little easier. “I know it’s stupid. I just can’t help feeling like the second people know, they’re going to look at me differently.”
“It’s nothing you have to worry about yet. By the way, I got you your cart-kiosk permit from the town and I found an actual hotdog cart for sale on Craigslist. I bought it and arranged for them to drop it off at your place this afternoon. By tomorrow, you’ll officially be a hotdog-slinging matchmaker, my friend.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “God, you’re an angel. How the hell do you do it all?”
“I’m justthatawesome.”
I beamed as Kim hung up her phone call and waved back at me.
“Oh, I almost forgot!” Enzo added. “I called your noon consultation and changed her appointment to twelve-thirty and pushed Greg another thirty minutes.”
I glanced at the clock and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God. That gave me a little buffer.
“Thanks, Enzo. I owe you one.”
“Yeah, but when I called—”
I rolled my eyes, not wanting to hear Enzo lecture me again on not answering her calls or texts.
“I know, I know. I promise, next time you call, I’ll answer.”
She snorted a response. “Yeah right. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
Kim bent down, lifting the Maltipoo that was at her feet behind the counter. I’d already called about taking the dog for a walk today. “Look who’s been waiting for you all morning!” Kim’s giggle made me lose focus of what Enzo was saying. “Chewy is so excited for her walk today, she’s already peed on my foot…twice.”
“I gotta run, Enzo. Thanks again for everything!”
I disconnected the call and walked over to sign the paperwork to take little Chewy on her “walk” today. I couldn’t exactly tell Kim or Yvonne, the owner of the shelter, what I was really doing with their dogs. I was pretty sure whoring out dogs that need a home was in bad taste. At the very least, frowned upon.
“How’s it going, Kim?” I asked, smiling at her. She was a little younger than me. I think my mom said she’d just graduated from college last year.
She grinned, batting long, black lashes at me and snuggling Chewy’s neck.
“It’s good,” she said. “Had three adoptions today already”
Oh, shit. “The Newfie wasn’t adopted, was he?”
Kim shook her head. “Nope, he’s still here.”
I exhaled and grabbed the form to reserve a pet. “Good. I have a friend who’s going to come see him later today and wants to put him on hold if that’s all right?”
Her grin widened. “Wow,anotherfriend wants to adopt? Two of the three who adopted this morning were friends of yours too!”
