A Side Effect of Celebrity

Six

Being a celebrity has taught me to hide, but being an actor has opened my soul – Meryl Streep

"Hurley, come."

Ten feet away from where Claire stood near a fenced section of the South Slope Dog Run in Brooklyn, a giant yellow Labrador stared at her. Tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, a look of pure exhaustion covering him – yet there was still mischief in those dark brown eyes.

If she took even a single step towards him, he was going to bolt. There was no game Hurley loved more than 'pin the leash on the dog'. Especially when it was time to go home.

It wasn't Claire's favourite dog park in the city – that would be the Prospect Park Dog Beach where some of Claire's more adventurous water-loving dogs liked to frolic – but the Dog Run did the trick when she had a dog who just wanted to be in movement.

Sometimes, like today, she had only one dog to bring to the park. Other days, she might have three or four. Today though, it was just Hurley. At least for now. When she was done with the Lab then she had to head into Manhattan where she was going to be walking the dogs the son of one of her mother's employees. It was a temporary thing while Brandon was visiting his grandparents in Chicago for two weeks. Good money since Brandon had offered her ten dollars more than the rate she usually charged.

Of course, if she didn't get Hurley on his leash now then she was going to be running later than she wanted to pick up Spaghetti and Meatball from Brandon's apartment.

"Come," she ordered again.

Hurley just blinked at her like he didn't care what she said to him. He wanted the chase, she knew. He did this every week. No matter that the second he'd gotten off of his leash, he'd sprinted around the dog park like a maniac, chasing balls and sticks and even other dogs that wanted to play with him. The entire time, he'd promptly ignored her.

Which was why he evidently wanted to play with her now that she was ready to go home.

"You're the worst, you know that?" Claire said – not really meaning it as she took a step forward.

That one step was an unleashing. Hurley barked twice and then sprinted away, tail wagging, running in fast circles around her. Darting one way and then back again, all the while looking at her like he knew it was a game that he was winning.

On the other side of the dog park, a few people were laughing as she tried to catch Hurley. Watching as he ran past her time and time again, too fast for her to grab him. It took five minutes for Claire to clip him to his leash after Hurley, panting and exhausted, finally walked to her side.

"Oh, now you're ready to go home?"

Hurley made a small noise in the back of his throat that very well may have been a confirmation. Claire paused long enough to give him a drink of water and then led him from the park. The South Slope Dog Run was convenient for its prime location near Claire's house which was only a few doors down Hurley's mom Thalia lived.

It was only after Hurley was back home, curled up on the edge of a couch with his eyes fluttering shut, that Claire allowed herself to take a breath. Not that she had a lot of time for one since she was already running late for Brandon's place. Ten minutes later she was on the subway towards Manhattan. Halfway there, she had to swap for a different subway track.

When Claire emerged into the sunlight after the second subway ride, her phone rang. An unfamiliar number flashed across the screen but she answered it as she turned in the direction of Brandon's apartment. "Hello?"