Mister Perfect

Chapter four - Elijah

       I stared down the secretary at the animal shelter, who sat behind her desk and typed away, not making eye contact with me while asking me about a million questions about this damn dog I'm about to adopt.

I didn't know there were so many questions to ask. Since when was adopting a dog this much work?

"Have you ever owned a dog before?" She grumbled.

"Yes, when I was much younger. Family dog." I gave a little shrug and a forced smile.

"Do you have a backyard?"

"I do not." I mumbled.

I already told her where I lived, I thought she'd know no one has a backyard in The Plateau. It's a big but tight neighbourhood, buildings glued to each other, parking is a disaster. I don't have a car for this exact reason, let alone a whole backyard.

"Will you leave your dog alone during the day?" She asked in a monotone voice.

"No, I work from home... So, they'll always be with me."

"Mhm," She hummed, not sounding very interested in anything I had to say. I thought people who worked with animals were happy people.

"Are you prepared to care for this dog for the next 5 to 10 years?" She glanced up at me through her glasses.

"Yes."

Why the hell else would I have been there, having already gone through the whole process and answered thirty goddamn questions? Couldn't this have been a form that I could have filled out?

"Alright... and lastly, why do you want to adopt a dog?" She finally stopped typing and stared me dead in the eyes.

Doesn't everyone answer this question the same way? Who came up with this bullshit questionnaire?

"You know, I just went through a divorce." (Which was a lie). "And I've been feeling very lonely. I think having a dog around would really make me feel better. I've wanted one for a while now," (Also a lie), "And I thought it was finally the time. I have a stable job, a good apartment and I want to be able to share that." I expressed. I wanted to kick my own ass.

"Okay." She mumbled, pressing her lips together as she typed for a little while longer.

"So, the adoption fee is $150. You're adopting Nyla, a 6 year old Basset Hound, Dachshund mix. She doesn't do well with cats, please don't forget that and go and adopt a cat a year from now. She has no known health conditions but you are to bring her for her yearly checkup at the veterinary to ensure no new issues. Please follow these conditions, alright?" She asked as she slid a stack of papers and a pen over to me to sign.

The dog is a female?

I felt a hot fuzz burst throughout my body as I recalled telling Elle that I had a male dog. I can't lie about that. What if she notices?

"Um, is there any chance I could get a male dog?" I asked her, hopefully, nervously gnawing on my lower lip.

She let out a deep sigh and stared at me, her eyes cold. "No." She stated, bluntly. "Unfortunately the two males we have are on hold. Females only, sir." It was my turn to let out a sigh. She continued, "I do wish you would have asked me this beforehand. Are you no longer interested?"

I wasn't going to go through the trouble of finding another shelter to do this whole process over again, so my options were limited. "No, no. Nyla will be perfect, thank you." I muttered through gritted teeth.

I pulled out my wallet and counted out $150, handing it over to her. She took it from me and recounted as I signed my name on the line at the bottom of the page.

Once I finished, she snatched the papers from her desk and stood up, walking off to the back area where I couldn't see anything. A couple moments later, she returned with Nyla, both of them walking slowly. They almost looked alike, I had thought to myself.

I had taken Nyla from her, clutching the leash as we left and walked home together.

All that was left to do was buy everything she needed, like food, bowls and toys and then call Euphoric Canine. I was one step closer to Elle.