“Summer in the city.”
It was nearing the end of August. It still felt too hot in L.A. to be autumn. Aaron sat on a park bench watching his newest female companion, Sadie, a beautiful full-bred border collie run around a West Hollywood dog park with an array of other mutts. He couldn’t understand how she was able to stand the heat with all that fur.
“Sadie!” he called out. She obediently perked up her ears and came running, tongue hanging out of her long snout. Aaron lovingly wrapped his arms around her as she stood up on her hind legs, putting her front paws in his lap. She started licking mercilessly at his face. “Okay, okay, that’s enough, beautiful.” He stood up and she jumped around his feet as if he were about to bestow some great reward upon her. “All right, one more time,” he said. He pulled out a blue rubber ball hidden in his back pocket and threw it as far as he could. Sadie was off like a lightning bolt!
Once home, Aaron hung Sadie’s red leash up on a hook by the door leading in from the garage. Sadie, worn out from the afternoon’s excitement retired to her dog bed in front of the living room sofa. Aaron went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He knew the air conditioner was out by the way he was sweating even more, despite having just come in from the triple-digit weather outside. After setting a big metal bowl filled to the brim with water beside Sadie, he went upstairs to soak a bath towel in cold water to wipe her down with.
His cell phone rang. “Andy Anderson, what’s up?” he said.
“Not a whole lot, bro. Just wanted to let you know we’re playing a show tonight at Boardener’s if you find yourself in the area.”
“Thanks, man.” Aaron pulled a crème-coloured towel from his hallway closet. “It’s so hot though.”
“Dude, I fuckin’ know! It’s brutal,” Anderson replied.
“My air conditioner is out again,” he complained, immediately regretting it.
“Man, that must be terrible. I live out of my car half of the week.”
“Hey, I told you you’re more than welcome to crash here whenever,” Aaron said in his own defense.
“I don’t need your charity…but I might be by later to use your shower before the show.”
They both laughed. "Fair enough," said Aaron.
“All right, man,” Anderson sighed. “When you’re old and alone, sitting in a rocking chair in some nursing home, you can’t say I didn’t try to save you.”
Aaron rolled his eyes and hung up the phone. As he walked to the bathroom, a woman’s earring fell out of the towel he was holding. He picked it up. It was Monique’s, his most recent ex-girlfriend’s. He was surprised to be finding it now since she’d moved out almost a year ago. Seeing and holding her earring suddenly made him feel sad, but he remembered Sadie downstairs. He threw the gold hoop earring onto the bathroom counter then went to turn on the bathtub faucet.
“Sadie!” he called out. She obediently perked up her ears and came running, tongue hanging out of her long snout. Aaron lovingly wrapped his arms around her as she stood up on her hind legs, putting her front paws in his lap. She started licking mercilessly at his face. “Okay, okay, that’s enough, beautiful.” He stood up and she jumped around his feet as if he were about to bestow some great reward upon her. “All right, one more time,” he said. He pulled out a blue rubber ball hidden in his back pocket and threw it as far as he could. Sadie was off like a lightning bolt!
Once home, Aaron hung Sadie’s red leash up on a hook by the door leading in from the garage. Sadie, worn out from the afternoon’s excitement retired to her dog bed in front of the living room sofa. Aaron went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He knew the air conditioner was out by the way he was sweating even more, despite having just come in from the triple-digit weather outside. After setting a big metal bowl filled to the brim with water beside Sadie, he went upstairs to soak a bath towel in cold water to wipe her down with.
His cell phone rang. “Andy Anderson, what’s up?” he said.
“Not a whole lot, bro. Just wanted to let you know we’re playing a show tonight at Boardener’s if you find yourself in the area.”
“Thanks, man.” Aaron pulled a crème-coloured towel from his hallway closet. “It’s so hot though.”
“Dude, I fuckin’ know! It’s brutal,” Anderson replied.
“My air conditioner is out again,” he complained, immediately regretting it.
“Man, that must be terrible. I live out of my car half of the week.”
“Hey, I told you you’re more than welcome to crash here whenever,” Aaron said in his own defense.
“I don’t need your charity…but I might be by later to use your shower before the show.”
They both laughed. "Fair enough," said Aaron.
“All right, man,” Anderson sighed. “When you’re old and alone, sitting in a rocking chair in some nursing home, you can’t say I didn’t try to save you.”
Aaron rolled his eyes and hung up the phone. As he walked to the bathroom, a woman’s earring fell out of the towel he was holding. He picked it up. It was Monique’s, his most recent ex-girlfriend’s. He was surprised to be finding it now since she’d moved out almost a year ago. Seeing and holding her earring suddenly made him feel sad, but he remembered Sadie downstairs. He threw the gold hoop earring onto the bathroom counter then went to turn on the bathtub faucet.
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