Flash Fiction: Pet Hate

Welcome to another installment of Flash Fiction Monday. This week's picture was chosen by me. I hope it brought my brilliant partner in crime, Brigham Vaughn, the inspiration she needed. You can find her interpretation found here.

I hope you’ll enjoy our flashes. Please let us know in the comments and don’t forget to join us again next week.

Just goes to show what I know.

The words shoot through my head as he brushes his lips against mine again. He exerts more pressure this time, trying to gain entrance and I’m only too delighted to grant it.

It’s hard to believe it’s only been three days since I cursed myself and my inability to say no. When my elderly neighbour came and asked me if I would look after her dog for a few weeks I suspected her of joking. I’d told her often enough how much I disliked pets, especially the larger, hair-shedding variety. And yet here she was, not only expecting me to walk and feed her failed Dalmatian but also take him into my apartment. My mind screamed no while my mouth said yes.

The first morning after she’d left, it pissed from the heavens. I glared at Percival as he stood expectantly by the door, wagging his tail at me. We went out only because I figured getting wet would be less frustrating than having to clean up whatever messes he might leave in my house if I didn’t.

I never saw him coming. I stared at the path in front of me as I tried to figure out how long I’d have to walk through the rain before I could reasonably take the dog back home. Percival pulled on his leash with so much force he nearly tripped me up. The steadying hand took me by surprise. The beautiful face smiling at me when I looked up almost took my breath away. His name is Kevin.

The next morning I made sure to leave the house at the same time. The Gods must have been with me because the sun shone and I saw him and his black canine as soon as I entered the park. My heart stuttered when his face lit up as soon as he noticed me too. We walked our dogs together for an hour that passed way to fast.

“Are you in a hurry?” Kevin smiled at me. He’d waited for me again this morning.

“No hurry at all.” I’d taken the day off work even if I didn’t know why when I made the call.

“Good. It’s a nice day. Let’s walk on.” Kevin’s smile turned into a happy grin.

We left the park, walked and chatted. I told him Percival isn’t mine. He told me he got his dog from an animal rescue place. The two dogs got on like a house on fire, maybe taking their cue from us.

And now we’re here. His tongue gently plays with mine as we explore each other’s mouths. I’m vaguely aware of a couple walking past us, the man huffing as if annoyed and the girl tut-tutting him. I don’t care. I am exactly where I want to be. And if it hadn’t been for the stupid, hair-shedding, attention demanding creature on the other end of the leash I hold.... I don’t even want to think about that.