Dark affairs

After lunch we walk to the park because it is beautiful weather and that is a rare thing in Baltimore.

We walk past an old man who sits on a bench and he has his dog by his side and a doggie bed full of puppies.

Alex and I rush over to have a look as we both love dogs so much.

"Omg, these are so cute! Am I allowed to pet them?" I ask the old man.

He nods with a smile and I kneel down and say hello to the big dog first assuming that's the puppies' mother and not wanting to aggravate her.

Alex is right beside me and we both put our hands into this furry pile of little dogs. Awing at the sensation.

"You could have one, you know, I'm looking for good homes because I can't keep them all and you seem like a lovely couple." The man tells us with a dark and tired voice.

"You should take one, Mickey, I know how much you love dogs." Alex says when he picks one ball of fur up and places it on his thighs and cuddles the puppy.

"And you also know why I can't get one" I sigh. "I'm working the whole day and the dog would be alone, that's not fair to the dog."

I lift one of the puppies up, he looks like a little rough haired stuffed animal, simply adorable. I believe their mom is a Schnauzer and they already have this little fuzzy beard going on, hilarious. I can't help but chuckle at the sight.

"Look I can talk to your boss if you could bring him to work, they practically roll out the red carpet for me, he can't deny my request and then there's always Jack and I to look after the dog when you're busy and when we all are away, you could put them with my dogs into the kennel.
Please, I wanna buy you one as a present for you to remember me, when I'm not with you." Alex pleads.

He gets up and starts to talks to the old man to seal the deal.

"Alex, I don't know..." I hesitate.

He turns around. "But I do, please let me do this for you and if it really doesn't work out, I will take care of the dog. After all I'm the daddy." He jokes.

I make a decision because I'm already fallen in love with the little fella on my lap.

"Okay, but I might hold you to your promise." I get up and see Alex taking some big notes out of his wallet and giving them to the old man who seems more than pleasantly surprised and profusely thanks us both.

I just keep the puppy I've chosen in my arms and it snuggles its snout into my elbow crease sleepily.

Alex turns towards me smirking "It looks good on you, momma. What do you wanna call our lovechild? " he jokes.

"Alex junior?" I shoot and giggle at his disgusted face.
"No for real, I think Max would suit him." I muse and press my nose into his fur.
"Don't you just love the smell of puppies." I ask him and I can't stop smiling at that little bundle.

Alex comes close and hugs me careful not to squish the baby dog in my arms. "I love to see you happy and I am a horrible person for all the times I made you sad and I'm so so sorry."
"Let's go and buy a collar and leash and all the other essentials you'll need." He pulls me along the street obviously knowing where to get these.

We have a fun afternoon pet shopping and he insists on paying for everything claiming it's part of the present. I arrive back to work pretty late but my boss is cool with it and also with Max being at the office as long as he behaves himself.
Of course, because Alex apologised for us being late and asked for 'our' dog to be able to come to work with me and he was right, nobody denies Alex Gaskarth's requests.

I will have to stay longer at work today to make up for the long lunch break but I don't care, I can't wipe the smile from my face. I have a puppy!

"I had a great day, thank you Alex." I admit truthfully when we say goodbye.

"No the pleasure was all mine." He replies smoothly. "But honestly, Mickey, I enjoy spending time with you so much, you have no idea. Please never let us fall out again." He strokes my cheek lovingly.

Then he sighs and turns to leave. "Oh, and..." he casually asks at the door. "Since you have to work late today, are you okay if I take out Jack for drinks tonight?"

Boom. It hits me like a bullet.

"Oh, ..uh, ...uhm, ...yeah sure. Have fun guys." I stutter.

He smiles and waves goodbye and then he's gone.

Well fuck!

Okay, I never had a problem with Jack and Alex hanging out before! Why would I?

But now, everything has changed. Alex will be flirting, like he did with me today.
And what about Jack, will he just give in and be seduced?

Crazy images flicker in my imagination. I shake my head and chase them away.
Stop it Mickey! You're getting paranoid! But..

No buts! They're going out drinking like they've done so many times before.
We have a deal! Nothing is going to happen until we all agree to this. Right? Right!

Why am I feeling so insecure anyways? It's not like Jack's gonna break up with me because he madly fell in love with Alex. At least I hope not.

And where is Lisa in this whole equation? does she know about it? did she agree to that? are they gonna stay married? Is he just going to cheat on her all the time?

This whole new bunch of questions hit me all at the same time. I feel like shit.

I crouch down and crawl under my desk where Max is happily chewing on his new toy.
I take him in my arms and cuddle him.

"Oh boy, You have it good Max, being an adult sucks so much sometimes. Just stay a puppy for ever." I mumble while he tries to lick my face and wiggles his little paws to crawl closer.

.......

When I get out of work that night I take Max on a run through the park then we drive home and I show him around the apartment and put one of his doggy beds in my bedroom and the other beside the couch in the living room.

I feed him in the kitchen using his new bowls and then I decide it's time to try and organise these drawers again because my thoughts and worries are driving me nuts.

I dump all the contents on the floor realising too late that that's a stupid idea when you have a small puppy in the house as Max tries to chew and eat everything so I pick the pile up and drop it onto the counter, then I spend half an hour hunting for new batteries for this mini torch that doesn't work in all other drawers of my apartment and another half hour until I have to admit that it is broken beyond repair.

I leave the rest of the junk where it is and go to bed frustrated.

It is in the early hours of the morning when I am ripped from my dreamless sleep by loud voices and banging coming from my front door.

I jump out of bed quickly and rush to the front room to keep this idiot who is banging on my door, ( I have the bad feeling it might be a familiar face ) from waking up the whole block.

I rip the door open and see not only one but two familiar faces.

I close my eyes, take a deep breath and count to three to stay calm, and when I open them again, they are staring back at me like two grinning idiots.

"M-Mickey, I couldn't find your s-spare key." Jack pouts.

"Y-yeah, where did you put it?" Alex chimes in steadying himself on his equally unbalanced friend.

"None of your business. I don't want you to walk into my apartment whenever you feel like it." I snap at them. "How did you even get here?"

I pray they didn't drive in the state they're in.

"We took an U-uber." Jack states proudly and walks past me and as I turn around to him Alex sneaks in as well and plops down onto the couch.

"And why didn't you take an Uber to your place?" I ask angrily and shove him a bit because I saw his eyes drooping and was afraid he would fall asleep right here on the spot.

" Be- e- cause...." Here he starts grinning again and falls beside Alex onto the couch holding up his finger to show he wants to continue speaking. "..I luuuve you so much and wanted to see you and so does Alex, right, man?" He pats Alex's thigh causing said man to jerk awake again.

"Uhuh, yeah, luuurve ya soooooe mucho muchy." Alex replies giggling at his own joke.

Okay, I've had enough, these idiots are too drunk to argue with and I need a few more hours of sleep until I have to get up again, so I decide to cut this conversation short.

I open the closet in the hallway and take out a pillow and a blanket and throw it at Alex.

"You, can sleep on the couch. And you -" here I point at Jack, " -bedroom. Now."

"Ohhhhh, I'm gonna get some tonight." He ridiculously talks into his fist but I only shoot him a death stare to shut him up. That in turn has Alex falling over cackling on the couch.

"You wish, Barakat. Now shut the fuck up you two and let me go back to sleep."

Notes

Hehe.
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