The first thing I realized when I went away to college is that carrying a full load of classes and working just donāt go together. I tried the financial aid route and soon realized Iād spend the next forty years of my life trying to pay off that loan. Not for me. Next, I tried working on campus. I thought being close to class would be easier. Nope. That didnāt work either. Finally, I hit upon an idea that I knew would work. It was easy. I could alter my schedule as needed. And best of all, I was my own boss. Yep, you guessed it. I became a dog walker.
Iāve always loved pets but living in an apartment, I wasnāt able to have any. This way, if I walked other peopleās pets, I could still play with them. Best of all, I didnāt have to bother with the puppy training, the barking in the middle of the night, and the chewed up shoes. It was perfect.
I put up flyers around town and quickly racked up five regular customers. There was Gigi, the mastiff that had pink toenails. Then there was Spot, a two year old German shepherd name by itās five year old owner. I had a great time walking Jack, a full grown, all male rottwieler that would protect me from all male strangers, but flirt outrageously when a female came near him. The last two were a set. One never went anywhere with the other and they were aptly named Frick and Frack. German shepherd and chow mix, they were adorable and playful. I had a good job, good friends and a steady paycheck.
Millie, Gigiās owner, met me at the door one day as I dropped Gigi off after her afternoon walk in the park. Millieās boss was looking for a dog walker for his daughterās lab while she was away for the summer. Sheād given him my name and number, telling him to call me. When I got home, sure enough there was a message from Ivan, Millieās boss. He wanted to meet with me to talk about walking Lily. I called and we set up a time for the next day.
Iād gotten stuck on campus longer than Iād anticipated the next day. Instead of being able to rush home and change, I ended up going to Ivanās in jean short-shorts and a yellow cotton button-up shirt. The shirt was driving me crazy so I tied the bottom ends around my waist. I never would have dreamed of going to meet a new perspective client dressed like Daisy Duke but I couldnāt help it. As I stepped out of my car, I tried desperately to grab the bottom of my shorts pulling them down. Hoping it wouldnāt be insulted, I knocked on the front door and waited.
Ivan was definitely not what I was expecting. For some reason when Millie had mentioned her boss, Iād thought of someone in his sixties, older, graying. I know Millie works for a brokerage house and I guess I just thought heād be conservative. The man who opened the door to me was in his late forties, maybe early fifties, and Sean Connery handsome. His eyes scanned down my tied shirt to my short shorts and then back up again. His smile was seductive.
As I walked in, I tried not to feel self-conscious. I looked around, noticing the house. Very simple, very contemporary. The art over the fireplace was amazing, brilliant colors and bold strokes. It reminded me of a Chagall and I was impressed. Ivan handed me a glass of iced tea and then whistled. A beautiful yellow lab, probably around two years old, came bounding into the room. Lily was adorable. She ran up to me, sat her little butt down and wagged her tag. I was immediately in love. Ivan explained that Lily was his daughterās dog. She was away for the summer and had left Lily in his care. He didnāt have the time to walk her and would like to have me take her to the park at least three times a week. He handed me a check to pay in advance and I handed it back to him. Way too much. The amount was probably three times what I would normally ask. He smiled and insisted. It seems Ivan was going to need to be out of town for several weekends during the summer. During those weekends, he wanted me to stay at the house to watch Lily.
Taking the check, I agreed. It seemed like the least I could do. As I started to leave, indicating that I would be back tomorrow to walk Lily, Ivan let me know that this weekend was the first weekend he would need me to stay at the house. As I left, I thought about this new gig. This was going to be pretty easy.
Over the next four days, I walked Lily twice. She was playful and had a great time in the park. Each time, Ivan greeted me at the door, handing me a glass of iced tea. I found out that he was divorced, his second wife having left him six months earlier because he didnāt spend enough time with her. She didnāt seem to be too lonely. I found out from Millie that sheād taken him for quite a bundle.
On Friday, I packed a bag and headed over to Ivanās. He was already packed for his weekend. As he left, he made sure to let me know to make myself at home. He wanted me to be comfortable. Closing the door, I looked around. Comfortable? Not a problem. Lily and I curled up on the sofa in the den, watching old movies and eating popcorn. As midnight rolled around, Lily sat up, wagging her tail. I heard the front door and looked at Lily. I figured since her tongue was out and she was wagging her tail, it must not be a burglar. As it turned out, it was Ivan.
I looked up as he entered the doorway. Heād waited at the airport for six hours before his flight had been canceled. So, heād come home. I started to get up, prepared to head home myself. Ivan told me to sit back down. It was too late for me to go anywhere. Ivan took Lily out, settling her into the backyard. When Ivan came back into the den, I suddenly became conscious of the fact that I was sitting in this manās house wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and skimpy panties. I pulled the t-shirt down over my knees and sat back in the corner of the couch.
Ivan took his tie off, setting it on the table. Next, he flipped his shoes off. Sitting on the couch next to me, he grabbed the popcorn and asked what we were watching. It was an old movie and we both enjoyed it. As it ended, I said I should get some sleep. I stood, again feeling very aware of what I was wearing, or not wearing as the case may be. Ivanās eyes roamed over my body and I felt my body heat up just from his appraisal. He walked me to my room.
As I was getting ready to go in, Ivan stopped me. Putting his hands on my shoulder, he leaned in to kiss my cheek. As he pulled away, my eyes met his. I couldnāt have stopped it if Iād wanted to. His lips touched mine and I felt my body race. His lips were firm, as his tongue slowly parted my lips and dipped inside. Iād been kissed by a lot of men but nothing like this. Ivan definitely knew his way around a pair of lips. His hand came up, cupping the back of my head. His tongue dove in and out of my mouth, stroking me. His other hand moved around and pressed against my lower back. As his mouth left mine, I opened my eyes. He apologized. Heād been wanting to do that since Iād first come by his house. Those sexy shorts had been driving him crazy.