"Go on a trip, they said. It'll be fun, they said." You mutter under your breath as you gather all the stuff you need for the walk with Pogo. You've only been here for a week but you're already the official dog-walker for your aunt and uncle, and chores-doer, and everything else. Basically you're a free maid. At least winter is actually summer here in New Zealand, which makes everything feel a bit more tolerable.
Pogo keeps panting excitedly, jumping and trying to balance himself on the side of your thigh. When you don't put his leash on immediately, he just rushes to the other side, as if it'd be any different.
"Come on, buddy, just gimme a minute." You need to make sure you're bringing enough poop bags because Pogo is a big dog and he just poops so much. He's some kind of shepherd dog but even your aunt and uncle aren't sure of his exact breed because they got him from a shelter.
He's now becoming so impatient that you think he's trying to test the durability of your jeans' fabric. "OK, OK...just let me get some treats and water too," you hastily pet him on the head because despite everything, you love dogs, "'cos somebody's a good boy!"
His eyes literally lights up at the words "good boy", of course, and as soon as you put the leash on, he bolts to the door even though it almost yanks your arm off.
He shoots right through the door the second it is opened. The leash just goes and goes, so you try to run after him while trying to retract the leash. "Pogo! Pogo, no!"
"Oh, shit." The leash just keeps going, no matter how hard you press the button. There's no stopping it, let alone pulling the dog back.
The next logical thing to do is to pull the leash back manually.
"WOAH!" A shadow appears from behind a tall bush but he's going too fast to stop. Pogo freezes and the guy jumps over the frightened animal.
"Ohmigod I'm SO sorry!" You run towards the guy as he takes a few hops forward before he can come to a full halt. Pogo seems to be a bit shocked. He lowers his body a bit and backs away from the stranger.
As you approach the jogger, you realise how tall he actually is. You can't see his face though, especially when he's wearing both sunglasses and a cap.
"O-oh," he pants, "it's perfectly fine." He doubles over and supports himself with his hands on his knees. "How's your dog?" He stays where he is instead of trying to pet the dog, something most non-dog-owners would love to do.
"Um, he's fine, I think." You stroke Pogo's back to calm him down. "Sorry if he surprised you, the leash was not working." You stand back up and try the button again.
"Which brand are you using?" He takes two steps forward and settles in the spot right next to you, trying to take a look at the faulty thing. Oh dear, he's easily at least one foot taller, you secretly calculate his height, using yourself as a reference. "Um, may I?" His hands hover over the leash you're holding.
"Sure!"
Oh shit.
You just hand over your relatives' dog to a complete stranger. Good job, you. Good job.
"Oh! I know this brand!" He grins. "Yeah I heard it could happen. You just need to..."
Wait a minute. You recognise this voice. Where have you heard it before?
"...and then it's gonna be OK." He takes off his sunglasses to look at Pogo with a huge smile on his face.
Oh. My. God. That's –
"You know, dogs are the only animals who can read emotions on our faces. So I hope this little buddy here can see –"
"Lee Pace!" You can't stop yourself from gasping.
He pauses for a second, and chuckles. "Oops. Guilty."
"What are you doing here?" You don't even need to hear his answer. "The Hobbit!"
He gives a bashful smile and massages the back of his neck. Pogo seems to have warmed up to him, and is now enthusiastically smelling Lee Pace's shoes to see where he's been.
"Oh!" He suddenly realises he's still holding Pogo's leash. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to snatch your dog or something."
You take the leash back from his hand. "Haha, you sure you don't want him? He's the best. I don't even mind taking care of him instead of doing some proper sightseeing."
"You're not from here?" The warm smile never leaves his face.
"The accent isn't enough to give it away?"
He laughs. "You know what, I also haven't had any chance to look around since I've been here." He takes his cell phone out from the armband and types something. "I heard there's a dog-friendly café around, do you want to check it out together tomorrow?"
"Are you serious? Of course!"
"It's a date, then."
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