nothing to do with you.”
“Who then?”
“Someone I used to like very much.”
“He was rich, I assume?”
She smiled in a way that made him clench his teeth. “No, but he wanted to be. Very, very badly.”
He waited a moment to see if she was going to say more, and when she didn’t, he began to walk again. He didn’t even look back to see if she followed, but in a few steps he felt her next to him.
It wasn’t easy to keep his questions to himself, but he wasn’t going to press. He wasn’t even sure why he wanted to. But for some reason, he was upset by her very small revelation, and found himself wanting to fix it.
“I’ll bet it’s made your life pretty easy,” she said quietly, as they crossed the street that bordered the commercial section of town. There were other people walking now, strolling, as they were. Funny to see no cars moving, and folks out and about. It happened in Los Angeles, of course. People still did use their legs on occasion, but the feel was different here. The pace was what he wasn’t used to. The folks he saw might be headed somewhere specific, but then again, they might not.
“Some things were easier, I guess,” he said. “But I think it’s all relative. There were expectations, demands. My choices were pretty limited.”
“Limited? I would think the world would be at your feet.”
He shook his head. “Only in the sense that I could get from here to there. No, I knew who and what I was supposed to be from the moment I was born. Everything was geared in that direction. My education, my friends, my social life.”
“What, you’re going to tell me that you really wanted to be a circus clown or something?”
He laughed. “No. It didn’t work that way. I just did what I was supposed to, and made myself want it.”
They passed a brightly lit ice-cream parlor where an older couple sat at a small table sipping sodas. Alex saw that they were holding hands under the table. It was almost too much. Too Stepfon. But then he saw, right in back of the old couple, a little kid pull a wad of gum from underneath a table and stick it in his sister’s hair. As they reached the post office next door, he heard the wail of the girl, who’d clearly discovered the bit of mischief.
“Do you still want it?” Dani asked.
“Yes,” he said, quickly. “Well, a lot of it. Things have changed in the last couple of years, though.”
“Like what?”
He saw her office just down the block. He was anxious to see Pete. The old pooch usually slept in his bedroom, and he was probably wondering what the heck was going on. “I’ve met the expectations,” he said. “And I guess I’m just wondering what’s next.”
“What new mountain to climb?”
“Something like that. Maybe wondering if I want to climb at all. That’s why I’m out here. I’ve never driven cross-country before. Never felt I had the time. I think that’s the thing money really does for you, if you let it.”
“What?”
“Give you some time.”
They were at the clinic, and Dani brought out her key to open the door. Once they were inside the dark office, he heard the sounds of the pets in the back. A little yappy dog set the pace, and then a couple of other, bigger dogs joined in. He didn’t hear Pete, though.
She turned on the light and led him into the inner sanctum. Her unhurried pace from just a moment ago was gone, and in its place was purpose. She moved quickly and easily, in command of her space. He’d been right to leave Pete in her care.
They got to the back room, and she switched on the light. Pete was on his feet in the big cage. Alex could already see that the old guy was a little better. Pete’s whole body wagged, not quite as enthusiastically as normal, but still pretty good. Alex smiled as he heard the familiar greeting whine, and he went over and put his hand through the wide cage and grabbed the old boy.
DANI WATCHED ALEX greet his pet. He crouched down, and let Pete lick his face.
“Who then?”
“Someone I used to like very much.”
“He was rich, I assume?”
She smiled in a way that made him clench his teeth. “No, but he wanted to be. Very, very badly.”
He waited a moment to see if she was going to say more, and when she didn’t, he began to walk again. He didn’t even look back to see if she followed, but in a few steps he felt her next to him.
It wasn’t easy to keep his questions to himself, but he wasn’t going to press. He wasn’t even sure why he wanted to. But for some reason, he was upset by her very small revelation, and found himself wanting to fix it.
“I’ll bet it’s made your life pretty easy,” she said quietly, as they crossed the street that bordered the commercial section of town. There were other people walking now, strolling, as they were. Funny to see no cars moving, and folks out and about. It happened in Los Angeles, of course. People still did use their legs on occasion, but the feel was different here. The pace was what he wasn’t used to. The folks he saw might be headed somewhere specific, but then again, they might not.
“Some things were easier, I guess,” he said. “But I think it’s all relative. There were expectations, demands. My choices were pretty limited.”
“Limited? I would think the world would be at your feet.”
He shook his head. “Only in the sense that I could get from here to there. No, I knew who and what I was supposed to be from the moment I was born. Everything was geared in that direction. My education, my friends, my social life.”
“What, you’re going to tell me that you really wanted to be a circus clown or something?”
He laughed. “No. It didn’t work that way. I just did what I was supposed to, and made myself want it.”
They passed a brightly lit ice-cream parlor where an older couple sat at a small table sipping sodas. Alex saw that they were holding hands under the table. It was almost too much. Too Stepfon. But then he saw, right in back of the old couple, a little kid pull a wad of gum from underneath a table and stick it in his sister’s hair. As they reached the post office next door, he heard the wail of the girl, who’d clearly discovered the bit of mischief.
“Do you still want it?” Dani asked.
“Yes,” he said, quickly. “Well, a lot of it. Things have changed in the last couple of years, though.”
“Like what?”
He saw her office just down the block. He was anxious to see Pete. The old pooch usually slept in his bedroom, and he was probably wondering what the heck was going on. “I’ve met the expectations,” he said. “And I guess I’m just wondering what’s next.”
“What new mountain to climb?”
“Something like that. Maybe wondering if I want to climb at all. That’s why I’m out here. I’ve never driven cross-country before. Never felt I had the time. I think that’s the thing money really does for you, if you let it.”
“What?”
“Give you some time.”
They were at the clinic, and Dani brought out her key to open the door. Once they were inside the dark office, he heard the sounds of the pets in the back. A little yappy dog set the pace, and then a couple of other, bigger dogs joined in. He didn’t hear Pete, though.
She turned on the light and led him into the inner sanctum. Her unhurried pace from just a moment ago was gone, and in its place was purpose. She moved quickly and easily, in command of her space. He’d been right to leave Pete in her care.
They got to the back room, and she switched on the light. Pete was on his feet in the big cage. Alex could already see that the old guy was a little better. Pete’s whole body wagged, not quite as enthusiastically as normal, but still pretty good. Alex smiled as he heard the familiar greeting whine, and he went over and put his hand through the wide cage and grabbed the old boy.
DANI WATCHED ALEX greet his pet. He crouched down, and let Pete lick his face.
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