I Thought You Were Different: Part 3

Shredded

HEAVY ANGST WARNING

"What time are you meeting up with Buck?"

"In about an hour," Steve called out to you across your room, the sounds of his shower muffling his voice. "Did you want to come along? I'm sure he'd love to see you."

"No, you boys enjoy your time. I have a day full of errands to run before we see the kids tonight." A frantic jingle and heavy footsteps came up the wood-covered stairs and down the hallway towards you, making you quickly grab the pile of clothes that Steve had carelessly left on the floor before your four-legged friend could reach them. "No, Dodger, no socks for you today, sorry bud! Steve! Stop leaving your clothes on the floor!"

"Sorry, doll!"

"Boy, I'm telling you, next time I'm just gonna let you take them," you smiled down to your pup, giving him a much welcomed scratch behind his ears. "That's what he gets for leaving them on the floor, isn't that right?"

The water came to a stop and the dog's ears perked up, making him leave you to run into the bathroom to greet Steve the second that he stepped out of the shower, just as he did every morning. "Woah, hey, pal," Steve chuckled, "if you don't move, I'm gonna step on you. No...stop licking my foot...hahaha...no, stop that!" he chuckled, "Dodge, stop!"

"Dodger, come on, boy," you finally called to him once Steve's tone shifted to annoyance at the dog's persistence, "let's go get our list done." Taking the few steps to the bathroom, you stood in the doorway and watched Steve for a moment as he dressed and the steam started to clear so that you could see his outline, the beads of water running easily across his muscles before he wiped them away. For just a second, you thought about putting off your tasks for a bit, but the incessant whine of Dodger broke your thoughts and brought you back into the moment before Steve had a chance to catch on. "Alright," you sighed, "I'll see you in a few hours. Tell Buck that I said hi and that I miss him."

"Will do," he agreed, reaching out to you for a quick goodbye kiss, "love you, be safe."

"Always am. Love you."

~~~

The first stop on your list was one of your favorites, just as it was for Dodger, being at a small family-owned grocery store only a few blocks from your house. The sweet owner always gave your pup a treat for being such a well-behaved boy, going so far as to allow him to stay at your side as you shopped rather than having to tie his leash to the bike rack outside as most others did.

"Hey, Bill, how's your day been so far?"

The elderly and weathered grocer that you had come to know over the year since you had moved to Brooklyn stepped out from behind the cold seafood case to greet you, just as he always did each day, this time with a lobster in each hand that looked as if they were judging you for their upcoming fate. "Same old, same old, ma'am. I didn't wake up dead, so it's a win so far, right?"

"That it is," you smiled, pausing to let him empty his hands, gently setting each creature into the case full of water with shaky hands. "Did my order happen to come in this morning?"

"No, ma'am, sorry to say," he sighed, "we've got ourselves this new supplier...real young fella, mind's a little scattered if you catch my meanin'. I'm tryin' to give him the benefit of the doubt that he'll learn sooner than later, but I'm startin' to lose hope. Please tell Cap'n Rogers that I should have it in for him tomorrow, if you would."

"Definitely. No worries, Bill."

"Just put the cash on the counter and we won't have any trouble."