Chapter 10

"Tommy new people over here" Tommy finished her interaction with them and turned to the person that carried the voice. She rushed to our direction and stopped to assess us.

"Good afternoon, I'm Tommy. Co-founder of Paws and Claws, you're welcome to this wonderful and a little bit messy establishment. We're so happy you could help out this means a lot to us and these cute little guys and it's also great for them to be able to be around new faces, the-"

"Tommy calm down or you'll scare them away" Rashida rolled here eyes jutting a hip.

" Oh sorry, my bad what are your names?" She looked between us.

" This is Sid, and that's René" the 8 year old answered for us leaning into Sid more.

"Thank you for being here" she shook both our hands.

"It's not a problem" I dismissed.

"Good, now there are lots of things to do but how about you guys help us give the pups a bath, weigh them then feed'em"

"Okay no problem"

" Can I join them?" Sid began to shake his head in protest when Rashida was not paying attention. Tommy realized what he meant and declined.

"Actually honey Gabriel needs someone to walk him."

Rashida expression was heart broken and slouched forward almost falling over.

"Alright"

"Great, now let's have a pawesome time" she winked and laughed with snorts.

We didn't react to the joke which made her gain her composure back.

"Don't!" The little girl said harshly causing a contempt expression to take over. After an awkward second told us she'd show us where they're taking the baths to see a toilet like room with a bath and spray hose next to the it. There was a shelf filled with animal cleansing products.

Tommy showed us a list of them that needs to be bathed and what products belong to who.

We started with the pups. They were five Maltipoo all from the same mother. I don't know what became of us to wash all five at the same time, maybe fast work but immediately they submerged into the water we learnt that it was a terrible idea.

Soap bubbles floated around with water everywhere, thank God we had an apron on because if not we would be drenched by now. All five refused to stay still at the same time. All of them were cute and recently named, Rusty, Wallace, Taffy, Poppy and Brand. While Wallace and Poppy stayed still the entire time the rest of them were nightmares. Barking and yapping if you hold them down, squirming and rounding the bath when near, it almost made me yank my apron out and quit dramatically. Though one of the cutest thing ever they are hell to deal with.

After we finished with them, we decided the best thing to do is come up with a system. I do the washing whilst Sid dries them up and line them. There was still remaining six more.

An hour later we managed to wash all the dogs and cats that needed cleansing. Soon after we weighed them one by one and fed them. we were too busy to make any form of conversation and just did what we were supposed to do in peaceful silence.

After weighing most of them with a few cats aside he finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, for my comment earlier" I let out a tired sigh and faced him while putting Mr stuffins on the scale.

"It's alright. But you need to know that that kind of taunt is inappropriate especially since you know I was already embarrassed at the situation" when he jotted down the size he averted his eyes to me getting comfortable on the floor.

"I remember having a dog - well technically it wasn't my dog. It was stray and my father had no plans of accepting it so I would take care of it. She was a German shepherd, a really frail and vulnerable little thing with hairless patches around her body-" he went on drying the kitties with a towel " She usually stayed by a tree in the woods with this subtle permanent shiver she could never seem to stop even though she barked a lot, always wanted attention and enjoyed the fact that someone gave it to her"

After the last cat he kept talking "She was actually my first friend. She didn't do much because of how weak she is and I'm almost always tempted to take her in"

"why didn't you?" I asked listening intently.

He let out a small smile "I didn't want to anger my father so instead I bought things to her that'll help and mind you I was only nine years old." I didn't miss how his reference to his dad was formal

"One day after a huge fight with him I stormed out to the back and mindlessly wander off only for her to appear out of no where and walked towards me. I slumped to the floor and she didn't wait to rub my arm with her snout and laid on my lap. We sat there for hours and would've stayed the whole day too if my father hadn't come looking for me."

"You didn't give her a name?"

"Noo. At the time I felt like I didn't deserve to give her a name." It was a lot to take in. Neither of us talked for a while but somehow not speaking caused her a slight irritation and unease.

"She was killed. mangled by an animal" he reminisced in a silent tone. He had a straight face on that was so effective you couldn't possibly tell what's on his mind.

Though before I had a chance to react and share my condolences the little african American raced towards our direction.

"Hey, what'd I miss?" She quirked a brow with an innocent but feisty expression on.

"Nothing much, have the dog been walked?"

"Yeah." Not reading the tension she hurried to get close to Sid as close as possible. "What are you doing Sid?" Rashida made sure to send a flirty wink with that question.

Sid came out of his seriousness and chortled. "We just finished washing them is there anything else we can assist you guys with?" Unlike before in meeting the girl, Sid had a welcoming smile which made the girl falter overwhelmed by the newfound movement on his face.

Rashida did not answer for a while, wanting to impress the humongous man in front of her she puffed her chest out and replied "I'm about to carry some of the pets to the vet all across the other side of the building. I don't need any help but if you want to come with you can that's alright" She shrugged in a nonchalant way but we all know that deep done she prayed for it.

Sid feigned contemplation and stroked his chin, he then gave the girl her answer.

"If it's not too much of a bother I'd like to help and take a look at this vet"

The girl didn't bother to hide her excitement this time as she plastered a full blown grin.

"Let's go then. First we have to prepare the animals and get them into the portable carry-on cages..." She rambled on and began to drag Sid by the arm for the nth time which made him almost instantly redraw his acceptance to the task.

I was left behind with the mammals lounging around at my feet waiting to return the others. My arms full of puppies I made my way to the room where the hutches are lined up. I dropped them on the fixed counter in the middle of the room and randomly put them back.

I didn't notice the body coming towards me because of the distraction suddenly Yvonne was in front of me. My heart skipped a beat by the surprise which made me to clutch my chest startled by her sudden appearance.

Yvonne immediately felt remorseful for unknowingly scaring me and apologized.

"I'm so sorry I thought you heard me coming" a few more intakes of air later we resolved the issue with me waving off her constant apology.

"It's fine what do you need?"

Still with doubt in her eyes she countered "Yeah uhh I just wanted to let you know that everything is done for the day and we're closing soon. The others left already so when you're done you can leave too"

I gave an exhausting smile and thanked her.

I retrieved my purse and retreated to the common room to wait for Sid. It was

6:04 PM now and all that was running through my mind was the action movie marathon, blanket and snacks that's waiting for me at home. A few minutes later the duo came through the front door. Without a second to spare I stood by the man facing Yvonne and her daughter behind the reception table.

"Thank you for everything you did today, it was really help needed." Her daughter's loud huff captured our attention only for her to pout and cross her arms clearly upset that her first man crush is leaving.

To both our astonishment Sid stepped forward and leaned into her "I'm sorry that I don't reciprocate your feeling's but there's someone out there preferably your age who you'll like much more and he'll definitely like you back." Rashida stared at him and blink before nodding.

"To bad he's not 8 years" she squint her eyes.

"I'm 10!" Nobody said anything I took it as as my que to leave.

"We gotta go. see you later" soon after we on the road on our way home.

"I'm sorry about your dog" he stopped at the traffic light.

"Don't be" Even with the chance he didn't spare me a glance and drove.

"You should get one"

I was relieved at the initiated conversation " what"

" You should get a pet"

" Yeah I was thinking the Same thing but I have to ask Lizzy first since we live together” I explained looking out the window.

"What are you thinking of adopting?"

"A cat" we made small talk before he pulled up in the apartment building.

"Thanks for the ride Danvers"

" My pleasure cooper"

He drove away.