Little Lost Puppy

Alex opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside. He hadn't been in the best of moods today but as soon as he saw Bubbles waiting for him in her cage, wagging her tail, he brightened visibly.

Alex let her out, unzipped her, and sent her outside. Then he started to set up his laptop on the living room table.

Bubbles came back inside, full of energy, bursting to play.

"I'm really sorry Bubbles," said Alex. "We are swamped at work right now and I have had to bring some stuff home with me to finish. I'm probably going to have to do the same thing tomorrow too. But Friday we'll have this file finished, and I have a bunch of vacation time saved up so I'm going to take it. You'll have my undivided attention for two weeks starting Friday night."

Bubbles barked and licked Alex's hand while he sat at the couch. She liked the sound of that.

"Okay so you just have to be patient for tonight and tomorrow night. I'll try to get this finished as soon as possible so we can play."

"Bark!" said Bubbles.

She ran off to get the hacky sack, then brought it back and dropped it at Alex's feet.

"Bark!"

"I just finished explaining I need to work. Okay?"

"Bark bark."

"Fine I'll throw it one time then I have to work."

"Bark."

Alex picked up the hacky sack and threw it. Bubbles ran after it gleefully, grabbed it in her mouth, and brought it back to him.

"Bark!"

"No I said just one time."

"Bark bark!"

"Yes one time."

"Bark bark!"

"Bubbles I need to do this," said Alex. He tried to ignore her, and focus on his computer.

That was a bad idea. Bubbles bounced over to the table and closed the laptop with her face.

"Bark!"

"No!" said Alex, trying to sound stern.

"Bark!"

"Sit!" said Alex.

Bubbles sat. She started smiling again.

"Stay," said Alex. She froze.

He opened the laptop. Bubbles ran over and closed it with her face again.

"I can't- I need to do this Bubbles," said Alex. "I need to work. I don't have the option of just blowing this off. I really wish I did but I don't. I don't think they're going to be very accommodating of your dog stuff at the homeless shelter."

"Bark bark!"

"It's just for two nights! If you leave me alone I can probably finish this with time to spare and I promise you if I do we will spend that time playing fetch."

Bubbles dropped the hacky sack in Alex's lap. She wagged her tail.

Alex picked it up and threw it. While Bubbles was running he picked up the laptop and put it on the kitchen counter where Bubbles couldn't get at it.

Bubbles ran back with the hacky sack but Alex ignored her, finally able to focus on his laptop. So Bubbles dropped the hacky sack, pranced over to the outlet, grabbed the power cord in her mouth, and yanked it from the wall.

Alex's screen dimmed. He looked in the corner of the screen and saw his computer was now on battery. He had less than 5% left. He looked down and saw Bubbles, the power cord in her mouth, smiling up at him and wagging her tail.

"You're out of control," said Alex.

Bubbles dropped the cord and bounced around, enjoying this game.

"I can't do this all night. I need to get this done," said Alex.

He got an idea.

"Come here Bubbles," he said sweetly.

She ran over, victorious.

Alex grabbed her by the collar and pulled her over to the dog crate. He led her inside then closed the door, locking it.

He went back to his computer, plugged it in, and got to work.

Bubbles started to whimper in the cage.

Was she actually upset to be in there or was this part of her weird game? Alex started to feel really uncomfortable.

Alex went back over to the cage and unlocked the door.

"Okay I'm going to let you out," he said, "but now you know to behave right?"

"Bark!"

Alex went back over to his laptop. Bubbles went back over to the outlet and unplugged it.

Alex decided he could live with the discomfort. She was going in the cage.

Unfortunately this time Bubbles was wise to him, and she wouldn't let him get near. He had to chase her all over the apartment, knocking over a table and nearly tumbling an entire bookshelf, before he was finally able to corner her in the bathroom. He took hold of her collar and led her back over to the cage. She went along submissively.

"I really didn't want to have to do this," said Alex, as he pushed on her butt to force her to the rest of the way into the cage.

He closed and locked the door.

"You are impossible!"

"Bark!"

Bubbles didn't look all that upset to be in the cage, Alex reasoned. If anything she looked proud of herself.

By the time Alex wrangled Bubbles into the cage it was time for dinner, but like hell he was letting her out to eat after all that. He finished up his work, which took until late until the evening, before he got to the task of feeding them both.

Alex heated up another package of Bubbles' human grade dog food. Her enthusiasm for this identical meal never seemed to wane. Alex ate his own meal and then it was nearly time for bed.

There was just one last thing Alex needed to take care of first.

"Where's your hacky sack Bubbles?" he asked her.

Bubbles wagged her tail.

"Go get it!"

Bubbles shot off to get the toy and brought it back to Alex. They played fetch for an hour before finally heading to bed.

* * *

Alex came home on Thursday mentally prepared for another battle of wills.

"Are you going to be a good girl today?" Alex asked, as he let her out of the cage.

"Bark!"

"Liar."

He unzipped her suit and let her outside.

Alex watched Bubbles through the sliding glass door. His backyard really was very secluded. He had a high fence. The weather was really nice right now. That's why he felt so confident letting her use the backyard as a washroom...

Click.

He locked the sliding door and went over to set up his laptop. This was better than her being stuck in a cramped cage. This way she could move around.

Bubbles came back to the door, expecting it to be open, and found it closed and locked. She could see inside but was barred from entry. She sat down like a dog and began to whimper.

"I'll let you back in for dinner," shouted Alex.

Bubbles whimpered louder and started pawing at the door. Alex tried not to look. He failed. She was adorable.

"You created this situation!" insisted Alex. "You left me no choice."

Bubbles pouted at looked at him with sad eyes.

"God dammnit," Alex cursed himself as he stood up.

"God dammnit."

He was mad at himself already and he hadn't even let her in yet.

Alex opened the door and Bubbles ran in and went straight for the laptop power cord.

"Joke's on you," said Alex. "I charged it at work."

"Bark!"

"Checkmate, puppy," said Alex.

"Bark bark!"

Smiling, Alex turning back to his work.

Bubbles started to nudge the stool Alex was sitting on, causing it to slid along the kitchen floor with a screech. It only took her two pushes to move it far enough that Alex couldn't reach the laptop.

"You're not going to stop until I have to put you in the cage again are you?" asked Alex, his hands on his hips.

"Bark bark!"

"Come here puppy," he cooed.

Bubbles wasn't that stupid. She bolted. Once again Alex was forced to chase her all over the house before, at long last, he was able to corral her into the cage.

Bubbles watched Alex work and whimpered.

"Save it," said Alex.

When he didn't have a woman in a latex puppy suit trying everything she could think of to sabotage him Alex was able to focus on his work and get it done fairly quickly. By the time dinner time rolled around he was finished.

He let Bubbles out of her cage. She was as bouncy as ever.

"There, see?" he said. "I'm done now. That wasn't so bad."

"Bark bark!"

"Well it's your fault you had to be in the cage."

"Bark bark!"

"Yes it absolutely was. Are you ready for dinner girl?"

"Bark!"

Alex made himself some pasta, and he heated up another pack of dog food for Bubbles. As he watched her devour it the utter strangeness of his situation struck him once again.