Trying Hard to Ignore You

"I think I have an impulse problem."

"He's...twelve hundred." He says.

"Twelve hundred?" I ask, outraged. "As in one thousand two hundred?"

"He's a pure bred." The guy says. "You can finance. He has all of his shots and vet visits. He's neutered...he's eight weeks. His birthday is..." he looks down at the paper. "September 8th."

It's November 10th.

I run my fingers through Axel's fur.

"The financing..." I swallow. "What if I...miss a payment?"

"Then we take the dog back." He says.

"Bloody hell." I mumble.

"You have a great accent. What are you, British?"

"No." I say. "Australian. Thanks."

He nods.

I shake my head.

"I'll pay in full." I say. "Right now. I want him right now."

"Okay." He says.

So he gets all the paperwork, and I put Axel back in his cage for the time being. I read through every piece of paperwork and sign all of it, handing him my debt card.

He swipes it.

"Okay. You can take him now." He says, handing me a manila folder. "There's a barcode in there. If he runs off, go have the code scanned and it will tell you where he is."

I nod.

"Thank you." I say.

I shove the folder in my purse, walking over to Axel's cage.

I pick him up, ruffling his ears, and walk out.

I use the GPS to get to Pet Smart, and carry him inside.

I get treats and the best dog food I can for him, and a ton of toys and a collar and a leash and a bed and a crate and a sweater for when it gets cold, and then I go make him a little dog tag that says Axel on it, and I put my phone number down, and I put the little tag the guy gave me for his microchip.

I spend four hundred dollars.

In one day, I've spent sixteen hundred dollar.

I need to get home.

I get in the car, loading Axel in with me, and start the drive back to Sarasota.

I drive, and Axel sits there, and crawls over the middle console and sits in my lap.

Halfway there, my phone starts ringing.

I look at the caller I.D.

My Romeo

Fuck! I don't live alone anymore!

I look down at Axel in panic.

Fuck. It's three thirty, and the GPS says it's going to take another half hour.

He doesn't usually get home until four fifteen, but it's Friday so he will show up with Natalie and Will, and we will go to dinner and the beach.

It's in the eighties in Florida until usually January, and then we get cold fronts, and when we're between fronts, it goes back into the eighties, so the beach is normal year round.

Anxious, I press answer.

"Hey." I say, my voice shaking.

"Hey Jules." He says. His voice is warm. I smile.

"Hi." I say.

"How's your day? What have you done?"

"Uh..." I bite my lip. "I drove." I say. "I'll be home around four." I add.