Chapter Text
“Fili & Zeus Ch 2”
A Story for chelidona
by WithywindlesDaughter
“Anything special I need to know - care and maintenance?”
Amy rang him up. “Have you ever lived with one of these dogs?”
“No, I grew up with big shaggy mutts. Why?”
She carefully clipped Zeus’ lead to his collar. “These dogs can be a real handful. They’re very smart and they need a lot of interaction and things to do."
“Well, maybe you could give me some tips.” Fili took the lead in hand. “Coffee down on the corner?”
He looked so cute and hopeful that she had to smile. She looked back at the other two women who nodded enthusiastically. “Ok, let’s go!”
Amy hung her apron on the hook and grabbed her bag. Fili took Zeus’ lead and they ambled down the way at a comfortable pace, Zeus looking at everything with interest. There was a corner cafe with an outdoor patio that was perfect for a well-behaved dog. Fili went in to order while Amy waited with Zeus at one of the little wrought iron tables. It was pleasant, really, with trees overhanging the space offering cool shade from the sun. Zeus sat down and made eyes at a group of young women sitting at the next table.
When Fili returned Zeus had abandoned them to sit at the other table, accepting pets and coos with a dignified aplomb. “Zeus, what are you doing?”
The dog ignored him as his head was gently stroked. “He’s so pretty!” said one of the women. “Is he yours?”
“Ah, no,” Fili caught himself smiling. “His owner passed away so I’m fostering him because he missed her too much.”
That led to a chorus of sympathetic squees to which Zeus responded to by putting one silvery-white paw up for their inspection. “Oh, look! You had your nails polished!”
“Amy here is his groomer,” Fili put in as their coffees arrived. “She did a great job I think.” He was treated to the sight of a blush coming up in her pale cheeks.
“I have a pom who’s a nightmare to groom!” one of the women said.
“Bring him by,” Amy answered. “I’m at the Wash-n-Growl down the street. We do a lot of little dogs, especially poms.”
Fili and Amy relaxed over coffee while Zeus gracefully accepted offerings of pets and croissant-ends. “Tori is going to kill me if she finds out I let people feed him.” Fili watched the white dog daintily nibble a piece of shortbread from the fingers of another patron.
“Your girlfriend?” Amy asked, trying not to sound disappointed.
“What? Oh, no,” he coughed briefly. “She runs the volunteer program at the rescue. I’ve been friends with her and her partner since forever.”
“Oh,” Amy perked up noticeably. “He’s a really good dog. Someone must have loved him a lot.”
“Yeah,” the dimples appeared. “I have a some property outside the city. He’ll have room to run around.”
“Like a ranch?” She sipped her coffee.
“Farm more like it - or what’s left of one. The original acreage was divided into smaller lots when the owners sold it. I bought the lot with the old farmhouse and the barn on it. It’s pretty, rolling hills, oak trees. The house is a fixer-upper, but I’m handy with tools.” He unwrapped a toasty biscuit only to find Zeus back at his side, a hopeful expression on his face. “Oh, hello. I have food now, is that it?”
Amy laughed, her eyes twinkling and Fili decided that laugh was a very good thing. “Didn’t you say that you had a big dog?”
“Jammer!” she answered, floofing the hair on top of Zeus’ head absentmindedly. “He’s an Afghan hound. All long hair and trouble. If I’m not brushing him I’m chasing him all over the dog park.”
“Oh, there’s a dog park here? Maybe we could take them together.” He tried not to make it look like he was asking her out on a date. A dog date. A date to the dog park.
“I’d love to!” Now she positively lit up and Fili began to think that maybe having a fluffy white wingman was not such a bad idea after all.
They sat and talked the afternoon away and coffee turned to sandwiches, Amy passed out cards for the Wash-n-Growl as Zeus served as her goodwill ambassador to the other tables and the staff smiled appreciatively at Fili’s generous tips. They talked about family, Fili’s mother and his late father, Amy’s parents back east. They talked about Fili’s plans for the house - a new roof, sanding the wood floors, updating the kitchen. They talked about Jammer, Amy showing off pictures on her phone. They talked about dog rescues and Fili was surprised to learn that Amy owned the little shop where she worked.
“You’re just full of surprises,” Fili commented, dimples aimed across the table.
“I am,” she twinkled back and those sitting at tables around them smiled at new beginnings.
They walked back to the shop and said their goodbyes at the door. “This was nice,” she said.
“It was.” Fili held the door for her. “Let me know about the dog park.”
“Saturday?”
“It’s a date.”
-TBC-