Chapter 32

Dog got his picture on TV when Wendy decided, without my permission, to do a human interest piece on me. She planned to piece together some of the film from her first visit and some from following me around for a full day.

Of course she noticed the addition to my family instantly. Like everyone else she fell in love with my bag of bones. After my hello kiss she asked, "Who is this big guy?"

"That is Dog," I said. To her curious look I said, "That's the only name he needs."

"Okay, so what color is he?" she asked.

"How can you be a serious journalist and not know what brindle looks like?" I asked.

"I don't do the shelter stories. I'm a serious journalist. I cover crime and politics and stuff." Wendy said with a smile. "What do you do with him when you want to go on a date?" she asked.

"Since I got him a month ago, I haven't been on a date. Liam came down, but we just went to the pub and stayed in mostly," I explained.

"I should be jealous, and I am." Wendy said.

"Now you knew about Liam before you got into bed with me," I explained.

"Alright I forgive you," she said. I didn't object even though it was silly and wrong.

"Come on I'll put Dog in his playpen, but we can not be gone long. Two hours is tops," I said.

"We can eat in two hours. Even in this wasteland," Wendy said. "You know I have missed you, even if I don't call."

"I miss you too Wendy. You really do eat pussy better than anyone I ever met," I said bursting into laughter.

"I could say the same about you," she agreed. "How about that steak house out by the highway?"

"You know I hate that place. Well, maybe you didn't know, since we have never been on a date. I will go to the steak house, but if you are going to pump me for information, I want to go somewhere I like." I informed her.

"Okay, I'm going to pump you for information, so where do you want to go?" she asked.

"There is an Italian place there as well. The Pizza and Pasta Pit." I suggested.

"Do they have Nascar memorabilia there?" She asked.

"Of course," I said. I knew she wanted to go somewhere with ambiance, but I didn't. If I had to pay with information, then she would have to suffer.

"Alright, but you owe me big time," she said.

"I don't owe you shit," I said "You didn't come to screw me, you came to Screw me."

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked

"You know better," I said. "Let me feed Dog and we will go."

"So you gonna let me stay with you and film your every move?" She asked.

"I don't have room for you and a cameraman," I said.

"Well I'm going to be both this time. I am a pretty good camera person," she said.

"Well just make sure you use the wide angle lens. I don't look nearly as skinny with the wide angle lens," I said.

"Most women want to look skinny," Wendy said.

"Only those who aren't truly skinny want to look skinny," I said.

"Don't worry let's go to this pasta place," Wendy said in agreement.

"Fair enough I need to feed Dog and put him in his pen." I said.

"I am allowed to stay with you aren't I? I'm counting on it to do the 'day in the life of a female Sheriff'. I have some footage of you working out on the gym. So if you don't go there tomorrow it's okay." she said.

"Wendy, you can stay, but I'm not doing anything different than I do ordinarily," I said.

"Good I told you that what I want," she said. By the time we finished that discussion punctuated with a kiss Dog was ready to go out. I walked him up to the pen with the rope from the dogman through his collar. Dog didn't mind the pen all that much in spite of not wanting to be left behind. Once I was out of site he found ways to amuse himself.

"Is Dog going to allow me to sleep with you," Wendy asked.

"He sleeps with me I don't know how he will feel about being displaced," I replied.

"Well maybe we can have a three some," Wendy said.

"Nice," I said sarcastically.

"Bullshit you love it and you know it," Wendy said.

I was working under the assumption that she wouldn't want it spread around that she was gay. If that were the case, she would find some bullshit story to cover her ass.

We entered the Pizza and Pasta pit around 8PM. She ordered some fancy pasta dish. I ordered the salad bar with a side of pizza dough bread sticks. It was actually a damn nice salad bar. Filled with fruit and real bacon bits. Of course it had the normal three kinds of lettuce as well as spinach. I had regular old shredded lettuce, which proves I have no class. Everyone knows that lettuce should be torn, not chopped and especially not shredded. We had a small carafe of some kind of red wine that Wendy ordered. I knew nothing about wine at all.

When the bill came, she insisted that I allow her to pay since she was on an expense account. I was almost sure that it was a mistake, but I gave in to her. So she put the bill on her Mastercard.

We had taken the station wagon with her TV station logo on it. The only reason really was that she was parked behind my truck. When we got home Dog was not a happy four legged camper. He had abandonment issues, I know it sounds silly. I feel sure that's what he felt when I left him alone. It didn't turn into a panic attack until the two hour mark passed. He could amuse himself that long.