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Lucky Dog [Closed] - Printable Version

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RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - megs - 11-26-2016

Blue was more than happy for the attention, though she very obediently did not move from the bed. As if to say look. They came to me. I’m a good dog. There was even something sassy about the happy way her eyes squinted as Owen scratched her ears. Her tail thumped against the worn fabric of her bed as she and Odin greeted each other. Jules smiled as she watched.

She chuckled. “Well, that’s good.” The money was quickly counted before it disappeared inside the register. “I’m sure I do enough talking for everyone,” she joked as she opened a drawer behind the counter and retrieved a navy blue folder that she tucked Odin’s paperwork inside of. Her smile went lopsided, almost sad in a way; as if talking too much had been held against her in the past. But she turned before he could see the fall in her expression and observed the ridiculous pile that still encapsulated the table behind her. She hesitated, fingers tapping the thin cardboard, before she delicately placed the folder on top of the pile.

Jules spun back around on her heel to face him as he considered her offer. She hadn’t been all that concerned with rent, even though she should have been, but he was quick to make it known that he wasn’t interested in having it any other way. She tilted her head, soft green eyes meeting hesitant grey ones. “Okay,” she agreed with slow nods of her head, a hand pushed through her hair. “That works for me. The work isn’t anything too difficult, and you the repairs wouldn’t have to be too fancy. Just..whatever you feel like doing.” She shrugged her shoulders, and if anyone else were privy to the conversation they would be wholly shocked by her leniency and naivete.

As she spoke with him about the house she went through the motions of closing up the counter, shutting down the computer and locking the register and any cabinets that held sensitive information. Moving out from behind the counter, she picked up her hat and pressed it down over her hair. She closed and locked the back door, before moving across the room and plucking two sets of keys from the hooks by the door. “I can drive you down to it, if you’d like. Be easier than trying to find it in the dark for the first time. After that I’ll leave you alone,” she said with a playful smile. Blue, who’d been waiting for the command since she’d saw Jules lock the door, immediately moved to her owner’s side when the signal came.

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - saronym - 11-28-2016

“I don’t mind listening.” Owen offered as his fingers continued to rub at imagined dirt on the countertop. “I don’t talk much either so..” He half-way shrugged at her turned back watching her hesitate to add Odin’s file to the already overwhelming pile waiting for filing. If he was any use to her business that pile would soon be under control.

As they awkwardly established the agreement about his board in her cabin, Owen stared at her hand pushing at hair that was determined to fall forward to avoid meeting her gaze. His eyebrows rose slowly in surprise when she revealed her leniency. Owen was unsure how to handle this young woman who was determined to do him favors for seemingly no reason at all.

“I’m sure I can find things to do around the property for you as proper payment. I like to keep busy.”

Owen hovered in uncertainty nearby as Jules went through the motions of closing up shop. He lifted his hiking pack onto one shoulder and moved closer to the door. He hadn't exactly been dismissed yet.

He started to shake his head ‘no’ it wasn’t necessary for her to drive him but stopped before his mouth ruined her offer.

“If it’s not too much trouble.” He agreed as he opened the door and slipped out of the business. He held it open for Jules his arm extended across the wood. Not minding her presence at all, Owen was unsure how to respond to the suggested idea that she was bothering him. She was smiling at him and he was left to assume it was a joke so he gave her a lopsided smile back.

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - megs - 12-07-2016

I don’t mind listening.

A small smile appeared at the edge of her mouth and she briefly glanced up at him through her lashes. His response wasn’t one that she was used to. Too often in her past she had been snapped to silence by someone close to her. “I think you and I will get along quite well then,” she replied cheerfully, tossing unruly ebony locks over her shoulder. If he was as patient as he thought he was, there was no question that he would be hearing more from her in the future.

She cocked her head at him as she opened the front door. He almost looked as if he was going to decline her offer. She stepped across the threshold and out of the door. Blue followed at her heels. . “No trouble at all,” she replied as the door swung closed when he released it. It caught on the frame instead of fitting properly, and Jules had to lean her hip against it so she could lock it. Her boots made a heavy sound on the stairs as she descended them. Eyes scanned the parking lot and she was unsurprised to find Sai’s car was gone. He often left without saying anything when he was finished. Like he had someplace important to be and they were friends enough that he didn’t have to say goodbye.

Her company followed her obediently, Owen included, and it didn’t shake the imagery of him being somewhat like a wandering puppy. She rounded to the back of a white Jeep Patriot sporting a very heavy coat of red dust. She popped open the backdoor and Blue immediately jumped inside the vehicle, familiar with this particular part of the day. She left it open for Owen to close when Odin situated himself as well, and moved to her side of the SUV.

When all animals and people were secured in the vehicle, Jules plucked a pair of worn aviators from the center console and pushed them onto her face to ward off the setting sun. She started the car, free hand immediately moving the stereo dial, turning down the volume that she usually left way too loud. It quickly receded to a dull noise in the background. Jules backed up into the parking lot and took off down an unpaved path the broke off from the side of the building.

She didn’t talk as she drove, content with the silence and giving him a break from her chatter. It wasn’t long until they pulled up on the cabin, tucked away in the woods and surrounded by looming trees. There was a run-down looking motorcycle parked in front, half-hidden by a dirty canvas. Jules turned off the car and stepped out. She opened the back and the canines poured out of it, Blue taking off to go sniff around the familiar property.

“You’ll probably find a lot...stuff around here,” Jules explained, motioning towards the bike. “My dad liked to fix things and somehow this became, like, his storage unit.” She fiddled with the second set of keys she had grabbed as she walked towards the front door. The deadbolt slid free with an audible click and she swept the door open, flicking the light switch as she stepped inside. “It’s not much, but it’s pretty well-maintained. I think it will be okay for the two of you.”

The cabin was basically a wooden square split in half by a wall. One side housed the kitchen and small living area with a couch against one wall and a desk pushed against the other. The bedroom and bathroom made up the other side. It was simple, but it was clean and furnished, there was an easy charm about it.

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - saronym - 12-08-2016

Owen observed Jules in her ritual closing of the door which needed some extra encouragement from her hip. Out of habit, he made a mental note to check on it to see how he might fix it for her. Such had been his role in his unit during his military service. Everyone had seemed to come to him for solutions to problems whether it be troubleshooting a downed vehicle with a newbie mechanic or getting advice on approaching the leadership. He had been pegged as someone who could always be trusted to lend a capable hand. It sort of became his identity.

The dogs were perched happily on the backseat next to one another. Fast friends. Owen closed the Jeep’s door on them and took his place as the passenger. He startled visibly when the engine cranked up and the radio blared. Jules quickly lowered the volume but his heart rate was slow to calm. He felt suddenly stuffy in the car, so Owen rolled the window down. He leaned towards the breeze coming through the window and blocked the sun from his eyes with a hand cupped over his brow.

When they arrived to the cabin, Owen let Odin out of the Jeep and the dog followed after Blue a ways. He didn't wander too far in keeping with his training to stay close to his charge. Owen briefly surveyed the overgrown yard that sort of blended into the trees around it. It was difficult to establish when the yard ended and the woods began. Another project perhaps for him.

Owen nodded his understanding about the various projects that could be identified around the little cabin. He lifted the tarp that covered the bike some more so he could have a peak at the machine. Leaves and dirt that had gathered on the covering slid skittering to the ground at the motion. “I like to tinker around myself.” Half-distracted by the attractive old motorcycle clearly in need of some love, Owen let slip a personal fact about himself.

Now he had a list going. Fix the door, clean up the yard, and restore the bike. Surely he’d find even more to do if he canvassed the property and business. That modest list felt like a breath of air after being swept under by a wave. Something to do with himself. He was needed somewhere for something.

He lowered the tarp again and clapped dirt from his hands as he followed Jules to the door. He whistled at Odin who obediently came to him. “This is great, Jules.” Owen complimented as he stepped inside and took a look around. He let his pack slide from his shoulder and leaned it against the wall by the desk. Odin trotted through the house and jumped on the bed. He then moved and tested the couch. Already feeling at home.

“Thank you. Really.” His thanks were said gravely as if she had done some great deed. A super hero having saved the world once again. “If there is anything I can do for you in return…I hope you would let me know.”

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - megs - 12-08-2016

“Yeah?” Jules chimed, shoving her hands in her pockets and watching as he looked over the bike. She couldn't remember what work her father had already done. If he's been close to finishing it or if he's declared it a lost cause. “You'll find a bunch of stuff to mess around with then. Don't feel bad about clearing anything out either. I’m not particular about holding on to any of this.” To emphasize her point she poked at a bit of machinery she couldn't identify with the toe of her boot.

Her eyes tracked Odin as she dropped the keys to the cabin on the kitchen counter. Ever present smile playing on her features as the canine made quick work of settling into the space. “Good, good,” she mused, giving the small house a cursory once over to make sure everything was in order. She checked to make sure none of the light bulbs had gone out and that it indeed had water. Seemingly satisfied she moved towards the door, indicating that he might finally have some peace. Blue reappeared near the Jeep, eager to get back in the car for another ride. She sniffed at the tires.

“You’re very welcome,” she said, reaching into her pocket for her keys. Smiling when he offered more assistance, as if working for her wouldn’t already be enough. She pushed at her bangs with her key-less hand, before winking at him. “Sure. If I think of something.” She had no plans to put any extra work on him, other than what she would need at the kennel, but he didn’t need to know that. The hand dropped from her hair to gesture at the refrigerator. "There’s a business card on the fridge that has my cell number in case something comes up.”

She finally crossed the threshold and walked into the breezy near darkness of dusk. “See you tomorrow,” she called over her shoulder, disappearing behind the car, Blue at her heels to hop in as soon as she opened the door. It closed with a slam, and she appeared again, waving at him before climbing inside the vehicle. Jules puttered with something on her phone for a minute, the light of the screen illuminating the frown on her features that had been caused by whatever she had read. Shortly after, the Jeep came to life and she drove off down the dusty path, back towards the kennels.

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - saronym - 12-17-2016

Owen trailed behind Jules as she left the house. He leaned into the doorframe and watched Jules as she and Blue climbed into the Jeep. His hand lifted in a wave to her. He stayed in the doorway until the last red glow of taillights faded and the dust kicked up by the Jeep settled.

After Jules left, Owen closed the door behind him, he stood hesitantly in the living room feeling somewhat like he had been in a whirlwind. How had he ended up employed and with a place to stay? Some friendly young woman with a warm smile and sweet nature had just given it to him without asking many questions. He was almost mortified on her behalf. What if he had been some psychopath? She was so naive. He didn't consider the fact that he didn't give off the air of psychopathy and perhaps this young woman was more intuitive about strangers than other people.

Owen left the cabin only briefly to walk back down the road and to a convenience store he’d spied on the way to the Lucky Dog Ranch. He stocked himself up with a sad supply of foodstuffs, the most significant of which was peanut butter, strawberry jam, and bread. Back at the cabin, Owen made himself at home. He ate a PB&J and spent an inordinate amount of time showering. Like Odin turning towards the stream of water leaving a dirty trail of water snaking towards the drain. His hair was a shade lighter after washing, more blonde, less dirty. His hiking pack was unloaded into neat rows on the floor. Clothes were stashed in the top drawer of a dresser he found in the bedroom - they all fit in one drawer. The rest of the hiking supplies - canteen, flashlight, first aid kit, etc. - were returned to the pack and the pack was thrown into the back of the closet.

Owen felt he was staying a while.

Together Owen and Odin almost filled the bed. Both fell asleep almost immediately and didn’t wake again until the alarm went off in the morning. Owen deliberately woke ridiculously early for the range of start time that Jules had given him. Unsure exactly what his duties would entail, he chose a modifiable outfit. A grey t-shirt under a faded blue jean shirt with his black jeans and boots. If he got too hot, he could take of the top shirt. If Jules didn’t want her clients seeing the black and white patterned tattoos down his left arm to the wrist, he could cover them by rolling his sleeves down.

Instead of going straight to work, he passed by the business and went to the convenience store where he bought himself a large black coffee and a bagel. While he waited for Jules to arrive, he examined the frame of the door that had given her trouble the evening before. The image of her vigorously bumping her hip to get it closed had stuck in his mind.

Running his hand down the door where it fit in the frame, Owen could visibly see the part that was catching in the frame. Two minutes with a hand plane and he could shave down the top of the door and it would close easily. The door was locked, however, and Owen didn’t have a plane on hand so it was a project for another time. He leaned against the wall and worked on the bagel between sips of coffee as he waited for Jules or Sai to arrive.

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - megs - 12-18-2016

Sairus always arrived first. The loud diesel truck he drove always announced his incoming near half a mile away. He parked the black 4x4 at one of many empty spaces at the storefront. He spotted Owen standing near the front door and his brows raised. He leaned back in seat for a few moments and watched the other man, scratching distractedly at the scruff on his jaw. He drained the last of his own convenience store coffee from its Styrofoam cup before he opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle. He was dressed similarly to the other man, jeans though his were worn and ripped at one knee. Blue flannel over a white tank and boots. Blonde hair had been pulled to the top of his head in a haphazard bun.

“I’m guessing she hired you,” Sairus observed when he was close enough to be heard without raising his voice. He stepped onto the porch and past Owen, fingers sifting through a ring of keys to find the one he was looking for. “Can’t say I’m surprised.” He stuck a key into the lock, as he spoke. Though he didn’t seem to be speaking to Owen specifically, until he turned around. He had to yank at the faulty door harder than should have been necessary to pry it open. “Jules has always had a soft spot for..” Sai trailed and paused, strangely golden eyes dropped from Owen’s face to Odin at his feet and then back again. “Well, a soft spot for everything I suppose.” Sai shrugged, disappearing inside the building and leaving it open for Owen to follow. Despite a comment on what could have been Jules’ obvious naivete, Sai seemed content to trust her judgement.

His words weren’t meant as an insult. Sairus was in the habit of saying whatever came to mind when he bothered to speak of at all. He often left it up for those around him to interpret his meaning. Which, unsurprisingly did not always go well for him.

“Name’s Sairus, by the way,” he said, moving through the shop and turning on lights. He didn't stop to shake hands with what was technically his new employee. Sai was co-owner of the kennel, but he was content to let Jules take all the responsibility and any work that didn’t involve playing with dogs all day. Playing with dogs being only a brief summation of his actual duties. “Jules won't come around for another hour or so,” he explained, but had no intention of revealing why that might be.

Sai moved behind the counter, turning the computer one for Jules when she arrived. Opening a drawer he produced a pad of sticky notes, dropping it on the surface with a dull tap. Finding a pen seemed to be the harder part of his current mission. Which was fine, since he was mostly wasting time, waffling back and forth on whether he should try to find more out about Owen or leave that to his partner. “Where are you from?” he ventured, eventually figuring that it was in her best interest if he tried to take an interest in the stranger. “How long have you been in town?”

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - saronym - 12-23-2016

Owen watched as the truck pulled up. He recognized the driver as the man Jules had mentioned to him the day prior. He had pegged the other man as Jules’ boyfriend or husband, recalling that he was the only other one who worked there. He also recalled the familiar way they spoke with one another. There seemed to be no pretenses. Something long-time lovers usually established over the course of a relationship.

No good mornings were exchanged as Sairus jumped right into accusing Owen of being the new hiree. He didn’t mind as he was used to gruff and somewhat more mute co-workers.

“Ah - yes. She did. I think.” Owen confirmed that he was indeed who Sai had identified him as. “We had some paperwork to do.” Recalling the rapid way Jules had offered him a job, Owen was still unsure whether it was for real or not. Perhaps she might change her might after a night to think things over. Owen was uncertain how to respond to the idea that he was something that Jules might have pitied with her soft spot for everything. He made a mental note to try to be less pitiable in the future. However that was achieved.

“Owen.” He exchanged his name, although he already knew Sai’s.

He waited near the counter as Sai wen through the motions of opening up the shop. Lights flickering above and the computer whirring to life. Odin sat obediently by his side. Owen would have lied to himself if he said he didn’t feel nervous. His body felt like it was ramping up for something. Maybe to run away.

He swallowed and let his hand fall against Odin’s head. “Seattle.” His fingers massaged the shepard’s ear rhythmically. “I just arrived yesterday.” Owen knew that good conversation hinged on an equal give and take so he blurted out the first question that came to mind. “How long have you and Jules been together?”

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - megs - 12-24-2016

Sairus didn’t comment on Owen’s obvious uncertainty regarding his employment. He knew Jules could be frazzled and overwhelming, somehow, simultaneously, so he just assumed she had something to do with his demeanor. “Seattle,” Sai echoed in a manner that made him sound like he wasn’t actually listening, which wasn’t necessarily the case. Sai was just naturally flippant. “Long way from home,” he observed. His tone rang with questions he didn’t bother asking because he didn’t feel like prying. And if he were honest, Owen looked as if he were on the verge of turning tail and he didn't feel like being responsible for that.

He finally found a pen, grumbling to himself about the stupid place he had found it in. They couldn’t possibly have only one pen, and why the fuck was it shoved halfway behind the computer monitor? He took note of the time he’d arrived and made mention that Owen had already been waiting. Ripping it from the stack of notes he stuck it to the monitor. Right in the middle of the screen, leaving no chance for Julianna to miss it.

Which she certainly would if he left it anywhere else.

Sai rubbed his thumb continually over the note to make sure it was in place but he stopped when when Owen’s question was posed. A chuckle escaped him before could smother it. Then another, because to him, the prospect of him and Julianna being an item was preposterous. Hilarious, apparently. “Me and Jules?" He shook his head. "No, not a thing. At all,” he explained, a wry curve to his mouth. “You can say I’m a friend of the family. Worked here when her dad was running the place. Didn’t stop when she took over.” He shrugged and the sound of Jules’ jeep pulling into the parking lot caught his attention. He craned his neck to peer out the window, in time to see Jules’ climb out of it and make a rush for the door.

Julianna knocked the door open with her hip, while balancing coffee and a stack of folders in her hands. She wore leggings in a pink with a geometric pattern and a black tank top, which was mostly covered by a gray zip-up hoodie. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail which stuck out the back of a plain black baseball cap. She had half an egg sandwich between her teeth.

She took pause at the threshold when she noticed both men. Sai, she had expected but not Owen. Her brow shot towards her hairline in a clear advertisement of her surprise. Green eyes flitted between the men, and then down to Odin before returning to Owen’s face. She continued to hold the door with her foot, looking ridiculous with her hands and mouth full until Blue came trotting in behind her. She let the door fall closed as she moved towards the counter and dropped her coffee and the folders on top of it. With her hands free she was able to take the sandwich from her mouth after taking a bite.

“You’re early,” Sai commented, moving her coffee to grab at the stack of files. Unlike theirs, Julianna’s wasn’t in a Styrofoam cup. It was in a blue travel mug emblazoned with the logo of a little league soccer team.

Jules inhaled deep as she chewed slowly, her shoulders rising with the breath in an exaggerated shrug. She swallowed and sighed. “Sorry. Yes, I am early. Hello,” she nodded at Sai. “Good morning,” she also nodded at Owen. Blue noisily dropped down on her bed in the background. Sai grunted his own greeting as he flipped through files. “I was trying to get here early to try and clean some of this up,” she explained, tossing her head towards the file mountain behind Sai. “And so I’d have the paperwork and everything ready for you,” she said to Owen, turning her face to smile brightly at him.

“Anyway, how was the cabin? Did you sleep okay?”

Sai’s head lifted from the file he’d been scanning, visibly concerned as he learned she had not only given him a job, but a place to stay. Her father had always called her ‘dangerously nice.’ Sai was starting to see what he meant.

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - saronym - 01-01-2017

Owen was left with the impression that Sairus did not approve of him if the way he commented that he was far from home was any indication. He nodded silently agreeing that this assessment was factually true. He was a long way from home. But he was also sort of figuring out where home was. Keeping his position at the counter, Owen merely observed Sairus as he posted a note for Jules on the computer screen.

Chuckling uncomfortably his lips made a sort of ‘o’ shape when Sairus explained the nature of his relationship to Jules. Owen hoped that his asking had come across as sounding interested in her or as if he were fishing for information. He had just thought it was polite to make conversation.

Jules entered with her hands - and mouth - full and Owen hesitated unsure if he should move to assist her. Taking the cue from Sairus to let her manage, Owen remained where he was and merely smiled a good morning at her.

“Oh - ah - yeah it was great. Thank you.” Owen glanced at Sai sensing once again the weight of the other man’s disapproval. It seemed he would have to prove himself trustworthy to him. Jules had already placed her trust in Owen for whatever reason and he had no intention to betray it.

“Odin slept on the bed with me.” Owen added chuckling as he tousled the shepard's head. He reached for his wallet then and pulled out his military i.d. “I have my I.D. for you Jules. For the paperwork. When you’re ready.”

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - megs - 01-02-2017

“That’s adorable,” Julianna commented with a smile, her food and coffee were abandoned as she opened the top most file. “Blue always tries to take up half the bed and she kicks in her sleep.” Her gaze flickered to Sairus, and she frowned at the way he was frowning. When he glanced back at her the lift of her brows suggested that he behave.

Sairus quickly lost interest in Owen now that Jules was present to protect him. Ever the mama bear so to speak he wouldn’t be able to get away with prying questions and hard looks as long as she was around. Instead, he made a mental note to keep a watchful eye on the newcomer, until Owen proved that he didn’t need one. Whenever that would be. “Feeding time,” he announced by way of farewell. He reached out and pulled the brim of Julianna’s hat down over her eyes while she tried to eat. Solidifying his position as her annoying big almost-brother. She complained over her sandwich and pushed at his hands. They battled for a moment, pathetically slapping at one another until Sairus grinned and disappeared out the back door.

With a huff, Julianna pulled the hat from her head and set it on the counter. Her ponytail had been close to dismantled thanks to Sai’s fuckery. She pulled the elastic from her hair and let it fall around her shoulders, content to let it be for now while she took care of the paperwork with Owen. She caught sight of the linework of tattoos down his arm as he slid his ID across the counter. “Wow, pretty,” she breathed, reaching out to trace her index finger over one of the solid black curves on his forearm without thinking. The skin beneath was rougher than she expected, which quickly made her realize that she shouldn’t have been touching him anyway, so she pulled her hand back.

“I’m sorry,” she said, reaching for his ID instead. “That was really rude of me. I got distracted.” She made an apologetic face as she pushed her way behind the counter. She located the pen Sai had been using and pushed it towards him with a single sheet of paper. “Tax forms,” she explained. She blinked at the note Sai had left for her one the computer. She peeled it off so she could see the screen and dropped it into a drawer. She clicked through a few things on the monitor, and looked down at the ID she held. “Hart,” she read, before setting it between a row of keys on the keyboard so she could look at it and type simultaneously. “That’s a nice name.”

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - saronym - 01-09-2017

Jules’ good-nature was sort of infectious and drew a shy smile out of Owen. The frown from Sairus straightened his mouth back into a line and Owen scrubbed his hand self-consciously through his hair. Internally he cussed himself for asking about the nature of Jules and Sai’s relationship as he was positive it made him sound interested in her. That is to say interested in a way that Sai may be interpreting as untoward. Grinning at her and talking about how their dogs slept sounded almost like flirting to Owen’s ears even if it would be harmless conversation to others. He did not want to come across as some sort of predator.

He was lost in thought as he observed the pair do a kind of adorable bonding ritual. He’d concluded himself that Jules was rather naive and Sai seemed like a good man - if his obvious affection for her and desire to keep her safe was any sign. Who better to protect her from strange, unemployed men who walked across multiple states for no reason at all?

Grey eyes tracked Sai as he made his exit from the shop. “He seems …” Owen faltered unsure of how to describe the other man. His gaze was caught up in watching the cascade of dark hair over Jules’ shoulders when she let her hair down. “Um. Cool.”

He would have cringed at his own word choice but her fingers were unexpectedly tracing a line on his arm. The contact rushed over him filling him with a sudden dread. The tattoos were meant to cover the roughness that her finger had traced. Burn and shrapnel scars from an explosion.

“No it’s -” he pulled his hand back leaving her with his I.D., images of battle threatened to consume him. Odin scooted closer to Owen to lean his head against his thigh. “Okay.” He reassured her. “It happens a lot.”

It didn’t. But he lied for her benefit.

Owen pulled the tax paperwork towards him with a single finger. He reached over and gingerly took the pen from where Jules had laid it next to her keyboard.

“Are they unprofessional? I can cover them.” He offered suddenly having failed to comprehend her compliment of his tattoos. The tip of the pen scratched out the information onto the white paper with the same deliberate attention he’d used in completing Odin’s form the day prior.

He paused on the section asking for his permanent address. The pen hovered uncertainly over the form. “Do you think…” he hesitated, “I could use the cabin address for this? I don’t, um, really have a permanent address right now.”

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - megs - 05-12-2017

Julianna laughed. “Oh, don’t let Sairus hear you say that,” she joked. “I’ve finally whittled his ego down to a manageable size.” She tried to use this joke and a brief tangent on Sai to glaze over the part where she had touched him without his consent. He tried to give her an out, to let her off the hook for the incident, but she still felt as if she had crossed a line. It was the brief but far away look on his face, the way Odin shifted at his feet. She couldn’t see the dog on the other side of the counter, but knew the canine was reacting to something.

“Oh, no, you don’t have to cover them,” she answered quickly, not wanting the attention she had paid to the markings to be misconstrued. “They’re totally fine. I really don’t think the dogs will mind much. Plus, it gets way too hot for me to expect you to be covered up all the time.”

She had turned back to the computer as Owen started to fill out the paperwork. Sending informative emails to overly attached pet owners that were anxious about leaving their pets for extended periods of time, or checking in online appointments, or placing orders for food and supplies. Her rhythmic typing paused when he asked if he could use the cabin. Her face had fallen into a neutral blankness as she’d mindlessly sorted through a dog food order, and she turned her head to look at him. She didn’t answer right away, there was a furrow to her brow that suggested she was thinking.

“Sure,” she agreed, looking and sounding chipper again. “That’s perfectly fine until you get all settled and what not.” Most people would have been more concerned. His perception of Jules as naive had been correct. Smiling, she took the paper and the pen from him and quickly filled in the address to the cabin. When that was finished she opened a cabinet, found and empty folded in the employee section and slipped the papers inside.

“C’mon,” she said, pushing her way out from behind the counter, and singling to Blue to follow her. She also picked up her hat. “I’ll give the tour?”

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - saronym - 05-14-2017

Owen managed to meet her eyes and smile, “Yeah that’s the good thing about dogs, huh? They don’t care what you look like.” He patted Odin’s head appreciative of his companion.

In the silence that lapsed between them while she considered whether he could use the cabin address for his tax forms, Owen stared at her profile. He watched green eyes flit over the computer screen as she worked to answer emails. He tracked down her neck and arm to the hand that maneuvered the mouse around on the pad. He thought about the way she'd touched him so easily and with no bashfulness.

His gaze lifted when she agreed to let him use it. He was relieved, “Thank you.”

How many times had he thanked her? How much more could he ask of her before he started needing to give some answers for his neediness. Maybe, if he got lucky, she would never need answers about him. He could go on just being a half-filled out tax form guy who lived in her cabin. If things became smothering he could just leave.

That’s how he’d ended up here anyways.

Owen nodded and moved with her to get the tour. He moved ahead of her to open the door for her. Somehow, his hand brushed across the middle of her back as he moved past. He could feel the bumps of her bra strap beneath his fingers. The touch was intentional. He wanted to return a familiar touch after he'd reacted so strongly to her tracing his tattoos. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable around him.

His arm was out wide holding the door. Fingers splayed on the wood. He half occupied the doorway, waiting for her and Blue to pass.

“I can fix this for you.” He said of the door that always caught in the frame. “And anything else that needs fixing. It doesn't have to be just here. If you need things done around your house or that cabin. If you have a list of things you need...I can work through it, if you want, that is. I’m good with my hands.”

RE: Lucky Dog [Closed] - megs - 05-15-2017

Jules smiled appreciatively as he held the door open, unbothered by the brushing of his hand across her back. Having received a proper signal, Blue quickly skirted past her owner and darted off and into the distance before disappearing into a field. J only shook her head and situated her hat back on top of her head. “They can’t all be good dogs like you, Odin,” she cooed to the remaining canine affectionately as the trio stepped onto the porch.

She turned to watch the door swing closed and just miss its mark. She frowned, as if somehow she had managed to forget it was broken until he mentioned it to her. “Yeah?” She cocked her head and took a step off the porch. She was considering his offer. She beamed at him. “Even just the door would be amazing,” she said with a laugh. “I keep trying to get Sai to do it, but I’m sure you can tell how well that worked out.” As she walked and led Odin and Owen around the side of the building she unzipped and pushed up the sleeves of her hoodie. It was already notably warmer than when she had arrived.

“As for the cabin…” she trailed off and shrugged. “It’s kind of yours right now, so I guess you can do what you see fit with it?” She put her hands in her pockets and tilted her head to look up at him from beneath the brim of her hat. Julianna had deliberately skirted over his offer to help at her own house, not because she wouldn’t have been grateful for any assistance with the admittedly numerable things that needed to be handled at the aging plantation home, she wasn’t comfortably asking that of him.

She pulled her hands from her pockets so she could point at the various structures and buildings. “So, the training rings are over there…”

Jules directed them around the sprawling acreage of the kennel. She peppered in bits of town and business history as she spoke. Eventually, they ended up at the feed storage, and J unlocked the door with a key, that she pulled off the ring and handed off to Owen. “So, our food deliveries come once a week. All the do is drive up and drop off one or two pallets right over there.” She pointed to a spot nearby. “Obviously, those bags then have to be put in here,” she jerked her thumb over her shoulder before turning to lead them inside the room. “Everything has a spot, and is separated by allergens, so there’s really no guesswork. You just have to make sure to rotate the stock and put the new stuff on the bottom.”

“There’s not much too it, really,” she shrugged her shoulders again and grinned at him. “I warned you that it was gonna be moving heavy stuff that I didn’t want to. There delivery should be here any minute. I know it’s not exciting or anything. Still interested?”