Forbidden Love

Chapter 4

Aiden and I walked hand-in-hand into the fluorescent hue of the Chicago Animal Shelter. The light seemed almost blinding after the drive through the dark. I squinted to see where I was going. Luckily, Aiden was leading me enough to miss the giant flagpole out front.

Aiden gave a low sexy chuckle then wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Are you always this klutzy, or is it my sexiness giving you a stumble... Are you blushing!?"

I had, indeed, been blushing however, I would not, could not, give him the satisfaction.

"I am not blushing, I'm just really cold!"

With that he pushed me inside the massive brick building, and said hello to the lady at the desk, who's name tag read Cindy.

"Hello, I called earlier. It's Aiden."

The lady, Cindy, said, "Oh, right, of course!" And with that she gave him a small, subtle wink, obviously not for my attention. I'd still seen it so it was a little late..

"Right this way, please," Cindy got up from her desk and walked over to one of the doors and unlocked it. "Just through here is what you must be looking for!"

To be honest, she seemed a little enthusiastic. I wonder what was going on.

"Come on beautiful, this way." Aiden grabbed my hand and we walked through the door Cindy had just opened for us.

The first thing I could hear were the woofs of dogs and meows of cats, and again, I wondered what we were doing here.

"Aiden--"
"Sofi, I noticed you had a picture of a golden retriever puppy in your binder, and I thought maybe you would want to get your own. I called your mother earlier--"

"How did you get her number?"

"There's this magic thing called a phonebook. Anyway, your mother said it was ok and I thought maybe you would like this... It's incredibly cheesy, I know, but I don't care. I just want you to like me and well.. Uh.. Uhm."

"Hey, now it's your turn to blush!" I couldn't help but feel some odd accomplishment to this small factor. In fact, the red looked adorable creeping along his perfectly tanned face. God, I could stare at that face all day.. Wait a minute, what was I saying?

"Yeah well.. So anyone of these little fellas can be yours if you just choose one you want."

Truthfully, I'd always wanted a puppy ever since my golden retriever, Sunshine Flower, had to be put down. I had her when I was four years old, hence the childish name.

"This is sweet, Aiden. It really is," I turned to face the puppy cages, and found him. A tiny husky all curled up in a little ball.

"Aiden, I found one!"

"Which one?"

"The one all the way in the corner!" I couldn't help but be excited.

"The husky?"

"Yeah that's definately the one. He makes me think of you, same big brown eyes. Absolutely adorable!"

"Did you just call me adorable!?"

"Yes-Uhm-No?"

"Thanks!"

"Ego much?" I couldn't help but smile, he was adorable.

I slipped up onto my tippiest of toes, easy because of my being a ballerina, and gave him a small peck on the cheek, "Thank you so much."

"WellitwasreallynothingIthinkI'mgoingtogogetCindyandhavehergetyourhusky," He sounded like a little three year old boy. Was it my kiss that did that to him? I couldn't believe that possible!

He stumbled out into the main room, and I could hear low mumbles, then keys jingling, and before I knew it, Cindy had pulled out the extremely fluffy husky and laid him in my arms.

"So. What are you gonna name him?" Aiden's face was still extremely red. Man, I thought I was a shy one. I will admit, it looked good on him.

"I was thinking, Fireball."

"Why Fireball?" Aiden gave me a funny look.

"Well, you said your name meant 'little fire' right?"

"Yeah.."

"Well, I want to name him after you, silly!"

Cindy started to giggle, and Aiden's face somehow managed to get even more red!

"Thanks..."

"Aiden, I should be thanking you!"

"Yeah well, are you ready for dinner? It won't be anything fancy, we don't want to leave.. Fireball.. alone too long. Not yet."

"That's fine with me. Are you ready?"

"Almost," and with that Cindy took us to another room of collars and bowls and leashes and toys, oh my!

"Just pick out what you need, dear," Cindy directed at me.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course, sweetie. Aiden called and had this all planned out ahead of time."

Aiden, who had been stony-, and red, faced, took this as an excuse to speak up, "You didn't need to tell her I care about her!"

"Aiden, she didn't.."

"Oh, whoops.."

"You care about me?" I tried to give him a sexy smirk, but I'm sure it looked like a constipated turtle.

"Sofi, I know we don't know each other much, but I do care about you.."

"Oh Aiden, you little Casanova"

I turned and looked at the collars and found the most perfect red one, and the matching leash too.

"Sof, that looks great. It will look good on him"

"Thanks" I smiled, and most likely started blushing. He cared! That's a first for me. I hadn't much luck all those other years.

We walked out and headed towards the truck, and little Fireball, on his leash, not far behind.