Unleashed

Leave It

David rushed home, eager to share his excitement with Riley. He wanted to text Stacy immediately but was afraid of the potential consequences: Would she think he was too needy or realize he called in sick to work? What if she was still driving, would she get into an accident trying to respond to him? Fumbling with his apartment keys, he struggled to calm his body from the excitement. He quickly closed and locked the door behind him as he started calling for his partner to share the good news.

"Riley? Riley girl." He barreled down the hall to his closed bedroom door and opened it. Riley was already sitting up in the crate by the time David made it to the bedroom and began pawing at the latch on her crate. "There's my good girl."

David unlatched the door, and Riley pushed her way through, jumping on David and sharing in his energy. He grabbed her front two paws and lifted them to meet his own, as if he were dancing with a child. Just the same, began to bounce with her.

"Guess what, girl?" He let down her paws and sat on the floor. She sat down in front of him, almost as if she anticipated a treat. "You remember that girl I told you about? I did it. I asked her out."

David felt his heart flutter again at the thought of asking Stacy out for drinks. The moment was intoxicating, and he felt himself relishing in the high of a good buzz. In the blink of an eye, he felt he couldn't contain himself any longer. He grabbed his phone and found her text, perfectly crafted, and smiled. He felt a closeness to her even though she was far away.

"Here's my real text." He started typing. "Drinks tonight? I can pick you up after work."

He stayed where he was, staring at his phone, until she replied two hours later with a, "Can't. I've got a late class tonight."

He threw his phone across the room. Riley looked up at her owner, confused by the sudden shift in personality. The emotional rollercoaster David was on took another dive, and he felt himself out of control at the steep drop, ready to lose the contents in his stomach. This was Hellen's fault. Stacy could tell that he didn't get the promotion and was only trying to be nice. Hellen had ruined his chances this morning, and he would never forgive her.

He felt the vibration of his smartwatch on his wrist, and he felt breathless. He clicked on the screen and saw that Stacy had followed up her original message. He leapt from his position on the ground and reached for his phone to read the message in full: "How does tomorrow sound instead?"

"Tomorrow," David repeated with a sigh. Riley walked up to him, and David gave her a pat. "No need to get worked up, she just needs to reschedule. Okay. Let's think of a good reply.

He typed six messages and deleted them all before he finally decided on, "Tomorrow it is. I'm a lucky guy to see you twice tomorrow."

David had thought about calling in sick tomorrow too to speed up the time until the weekend, but he didn't want to miss out on an opportunity to see Stacy. He was anticipating savoring a morning coffee from her and indulging in drinks with her at night. It was a blend of flavors that promised an unforgettable concoction, leaving lingering traces long after the last sip.