Puppy Love

Kate looked around in appreciation. The pub was a historic building with a dark beamed ceiling and uneven walls. She scanned the crowd, almost missing Louis until she realized he was in a snug alcove where the conversation of the other patrons and the Christmas music were a pleasant background noise. He jumped to his feet as she approached, rocking the table, a delighted smile spreading over his face. Kate smiled back. He reminded her of a goofy puppy, tall and lanky with a mop of dark curls.

“This is a lovely place,” she said. "Great atmosphere."

“Do you come here often? Sorry, that’s such a cliché,” he said as he helped her off with her coat. “A colleague at work told me about it. I’m not much of a drinker, so I didn’t know where to meet, though I’m not trying to say that everyone in a pub is a heavy drinker. Speaking of that, what will you have? Please be specific because I don’t know anything about drinks.”

“I’d have been fine meeting in a coffee shop. Anywhere but in a fast-food restaurant. A glass of white wine would be wonderful.”

She watched him navigate the crowd to the bar, with many apologies for stepping on toes and jostling people. With bated breath she watched him thread his way back with two glasses of wine and sighed in relief as he set them down safely on the table.

“I was just happy that you agreed to meet me at all after I spilled that coffee over you at the staff meeting,” he said, raising his glass. “Thank goodness you were wearing that dull brown outfit, so the stain didn’t show too much.”

“Dull brown?” said Kate. “Are you saying I looked drab?”

Louis flushed.

“Of course not. That dress matched your hair, kind of mouse brown…”

“So, my hair reminds you of rodents? It's okay, I’m joking,” she said as she noticed his mortified expression.

Louis ran his hand through his hair, making it stick up in all directions, and sighed.

“I’m not good at small talk as you can see. I’m always putting my foot in my mouth.”

Kate smiled.

“That’s refreshing. I’m suspicious of guys who are too glib. I’ve been burned once or twice after falling for the smooth talk. Tell me about you.”

Louis looked at her cautiously.

“You really want to hear about me?”

Kate nodded encouragingly.

“Not much to tell,” he said. “I have my own apartment and two cats. I volunteer at the animal shelter. I do better with animals than people. All they care about is if you feed them and you’re kind to them. They don’t judge you.”

“And they don’t expect small talk,” said Kate, laughing. “I’m a cat person too, though I don’t have one at the moment. My roommate’s allergic to them.”

“Perhaps you’d like to see my cats?”

“That’s a better line than asking me to see your etchings.”

Louis looked at her, worried.

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be forward. I just thought that if you can’t have your own cat, you might like to spend some time with mine…I mean, I would hate not to have cats…I don’t want you to think I have other things in mind…though any normal guy would have, and I am normal, but I didn’t invite you out just to talk about cats. I suppose I sound like a crazy cat person now...or maybe just a crazy person."

He paused for breath and took a gulp of wine.

“Quality cat time is important,” said Kate. “I get it.”

“I must admit I had a glass of wine before you got here, for courage. I thought it might make the conversation easier, but I sound just as stupid as usual.”

There was a long awkward pause.

“Hey, stop beating yourself up,” Kate finally said gently. “What else do you like besides cats? Do you travel?”

“I love hiking and nature,” he said.

“I do too,” said Kate. “What trails have you done?”

Louis happily launched into a long anecdote about his most recent trip, then suddenly broke off.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I could hardly wait to get here and talk to you away from work, and now I’m doing nothing but talk about me. What about you?”

“You really wanted to talk to me? What took you so long? We’ve worked together for almost a year now. I assumed you had a girlfriend since you never seemed interested in any of us girls at work.”

He looked at her as if unsure whether he was going to be praised or scolded. The puppy image came to Kate’s mind again and she smothered a smile.

“You know, MeToo and all that. I didn’t want to be that creepy guy at work who's trying to get too personal. The other girls are fine, but you were the one who seemed special…sorry, I don’t want to overstep.”

Kate rubbed her forehead. It had been a long day. Puppies were cute but exhausting, what with all the apologizing and reassuring.

“I’d better get going,” she said. “Early start tomorrow.”

“I’ll walk you to the bus stop,” he said, knocking his chair over as he jumped to his feet and proffered her coat.

The pub had been steadily filling up, but Louis cleared a path through the crowd to the doorway and held the door for Kate. She had to admit that she did appreciate his good manners and respect. A blast of icy wind hit them as they stepped outside. Kate’s eyes began to water in the cold. Momentarily blinded by tears, she stopped to fumble in her pocket for a tissue and suddenly found herself face down on the pavement as someone cannoned into her from behind. Winded, she lifted her head in time to see a figure making off with her purse. Before she could even draw breath to yell, she saw Louis leap forward like a gazelle, racing after the receding figure before tackling him to the ground. Concerned bystanders helped her to her feet just as a pair of police officers charged by. They took over from Louis, who, somewhat breathless, had been sitting on the mugger’s chest. He got up and began talking to them. Dazed as she was, Kate noticed that there was nothing uncoordinated or inarticulate about him now. He returned to her, holding out her handbag, smiling broadly until he noticed that Kate was shivering violently.

“Are you okay?” he said in concern.

Kate nodded, her teeth chattering.

“I-I-I’m not hurt. It was j-just a bit of a shock and it’s freezing out here.”

“Listen, my apartment is very near. I can make you a hot drink and call you a cab when you feel better… that is, if you'd like me to? I’m not trying to take advantage," he said hesitantly.

Kate nodded and gratefully took his arm.

His apartment was literally round the corner and contrary to Kate’s experience of single guys’ places, was clean, comfortable and well decorated.

“Make yourself at home,” he said. “Hot chocolate or mulled cider?”

“Chocolate would be great,” she said, cooing in delight as first one and then another large tabby appeared, eyeing her cautiously from the doorway of the living room.

“Click and Clack,” Louis called from the kitchen. “Named after the Car Guys on NPR. Remember them?”

“Remember them? They were a Saturday morning staple. I listened to them with my dad,” Kate said, gratefully cupping the mug of hot chocolate in her numb hands. “But what about the superman thing out there? Chasing down miscreants. He could have had a gun or a knife.”

Louis shrugged and grinned.

“Good point. I didn’t think about that. I used to play rugby. Old reflexes kicked in, that’s all.”

Kate gazed at him through a new lens. The puppy image was gone, replaced by a grown dog, lean like a greyhound with the protective instinct and deep brown eyes of a mastiff.

“What?” he said, puzzled.

“Nothing,” said Kate. “I was just thinking that it would be nice to get better acquainted with your cats, if you didn't mind?”

Louis pondered for a moment, then looked at her with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

“Speaking on their behalf, I think that would be a very good idea.”

Kate felt her heart stir as he leaned forward to kiss her.