PERFECT SOLUTION

CHAPTER ONE

Jo-Anne looked out on this damp and rainy morning, looking right

through the drops of moisture as they fell upon the already soaked

earth, preoccupied with her thoughts wondering if she would ever

make it in the business world. Things were slower than she had

anticipated, and as she waited for the few customers that had not

canceled for the day, Jo-Anne walked around her shop which was

divided into three rooms. In the front where the customers brought in

their dogs she paused and ran her fingers over the shelves on one

wall, where the stock was kept. Absentmindedly checking the stock

of dog food, dog sweaters and boots, collars, leashes, dishes, beds,

toys, shampoos, rinses and flea control products, to make sure she

had enough. Walking over to the table and chairs she straightens

the magazines which had been places there to be read by

customers, who had to wait a few minutes for service. Here they sat

and relaxed in a comfortable and pleasant setting. Heading over to

the back wall where the counter and the shop records were and

customer service was carried out she checked once again to see if

everything was up to date.

Entering the second room that was full of cages of various sizes

where the dogs were kept in individual units she checked to make

sure they were all sanitized and freshly papered.

In the "WORK" room at the back which was the largest of the three

rooms, there were three tables against the walls. One for her co-

worker, herself and one, with a floor model hair dryer beside it, this

was for when drying the dogs. As everything looked once again in

order, she turned to check out the rest of the room. In the far corner

was an old fashion tub up on a stand, making it waist-high and easier

to use when bathing the dogs, and a hand held shower head was

connected to the taps.. Looking beside the tub where a large

shelving unit holding an assortment of regular, medicated and flea

shampoos, rinses and towels, she made sure they were all filled to

the top and that nothing was amiss. A shop vac standing in the

middle of the room helped keep the hair off the tables and floor and

large garbage pails sat beside each table, they to were cleaned,

emptied and ready for use.

Looking up from her musing Jo-Anne saw her co-worker and friend

and said, "Cassie do you think you should go home? I think I can

handle things as they are."

"Jo-Anne you're the boss, what ever you say I'll do, but why don't we

put all the stock that just came in on the shelves and clean up the

front. You know we've been saying we need to get at that, but just

haven't had the time until now."

"Okay, I can use the company anyway, I hate working by my self."

Just then the bell hanging above the door rang announcing a

customer coming in. Jo-Anne went to the front of the store and was

amazed to set her eyes on

the handsomest man she had ever seen. He stood six feet tall with

black, wet, wavy hair cut just above the collar of his shirt. His face

was clean shaven but definitely rugged, as if chiseled in rock, with

deep blue eyes that sparkled with life. His build suggested he either

ran or worked out every day and the grey suit he wore fit so perfectly

that you knew it had been tailor made. In his arms he carried a dog

wrapped in a blanket. It was this sight that startled Jo-Anne out of

her appraisal of this man and she became the business women she

was.

"May I help you sir?" she asked.

"Can you clean up this dog today, or are you too busy?" his deep

voice said stirring within her a warmth in her heart.

"We've had a few cancellations this morning, because of the rain.

So we can do her today. I'll need some information?" Jo-Anne said

as she took out a blank card and a pen. Then looking up she saw a

sparkle in his deep blue eyes, and smiled quickly, was that an

interest in her she wondered, but it was gone to fast for her to really

know. She swallowed hard and continues.

"I'll need your name, address, phone number, what you want done

on the dog and the dog's name of course!"

"I'm Johnny James, my address is 553 South Brook Rd.." again his

deep voice caressed her mind as he leaned on the counter coming

so close to her she could smell the spicy after shave he wore. "My

phone number is 773-2978 and just do," his one hand waved around

in front of him, "I don't know, what ever you have to for the dog, I

don't really care what she looks like, as long as she gets cleaned

up."

Jo-Anne looked at him frowning, and said, "Well I won't be able to

do to much except cut her fur short all over because she's too

matted, and too dirty to do anything else to." then she smiled,

thinking he must be late getting to work, after all it was after ten in the

morning. And despite his slightly disheveled look, he diffently was a

business man.

"We'll be done in three hours, and you can pick her up any time

after that, as long as you're here by four, that's when we close."

"Sure, what ever you say is okay." handing her the dog, "I'll be back

to get her this afternoon" he said as he walked out the door.

The heat that had generated at the touch of his hand to hers as he

had handed her the dog had Jo-anne responding slowly.

"Hey!" she yelled, "What is the dog's name." but Johnny had

already left and had not heard her.

Carrying the dog to the back Jo-Anne said, "Cassie come and look

at this poor little thing. Anyone who lets their dog get in this condition

should be forced to sleep outside an go without a bath for a month

and see how they like it."

"I know what you mean Jo-Anne. This poor thing can hardly walk

she is so matted. Her legs are almost matted solidly to her belly. It

must really hurt every time she tries to walk. He should be reported

to the Humane Society."

"You know as well as I do Cassie, that as long as they bring the dog

in for a haircut, the Humane Society can not do anything, they have

to refuse to get the hair cut, then the Humane Society can step in."

While working on the pup, Jo-Anne had thought that this was the

first time she had had a hair cut even though she was about ten

months old and should have had a least two others by now. She had

not put up a fuss while they had cut all the mats loose from her legs

and body. Nor had she fussed when after her bath, in fact she had

been bathed twice, once to get the mud off her and the second time

to really get her clean, they had used a blow dryer to make her fur

fluff up. When using the electric shears to make her hair the same

length all over, because they just couldn't do that with a pair of

scissors, she had pulled away from the noise, at first, but had soon

settled down and trusted them not to hurt her. Jo-Anne thought she

was a pretty dog even though she was of mixed parentage. Her fur

was dark tan on the body, turning lighter on the legs, the ears and

eyebrows were dark, but the rest of her head and face was light tan.

Her fur which had been trimmed to about a quarter of an inch in

length all over was really soft and fluffy. Her face was clean except

for the eyebrows which had been left on, and they gave her a terrier

look. A personality, and what a personality she had. She was so

gentle, loving and was also curious about everything around her.

Sniffing and checking things out on the table and even in the tub.

"Too bad your owner didn't take better care of you honey, you sure

deserve better treatment than what you have been getting."

A few hours later, as Cassie was getting ready to leave at four she

said to Jo-Anne, "I sure hope you let that little dog's owner know what

we think of him for letting her get that way."

"I certainly will Cassie, I don't think anyone should let their dog get

that matted, or that dirty even."

"Good for you Jo-Anne I think you should charge him extra not only

because the dog was so matted but it did take two baths to get her

clean!"

"Oh I intend to charge extra Cassie. I'm charging fifteen dollars for

the hair cut and five extra each, for the matting and extra bathing.

He'll be paying dearly for having let her get like she was. And maybe

next time he won't let her go so long between haircuts."

At six, Jo-Anne sat and fumed. By this time she was even thinking

of how she should charge him double that price for making her wait

two long extra hours for him to show up. She had already called his

home three or four times since four o'clock that evening and still

there was no answer. Boy was he going to get it when he got here

she promised herself. Getting up she paced back and forth behind

the counter.

Boy! What a day, Johnny thought as he drove to Canine Castle. It

sure had been hectic in the office, especially since Mr. Kendall had

not been too happy about being rescheduled for the afternoon. Since

Mr. Kendall was one of his top clients it wasn't wise to upset him, and

trying to keep him happy had always been a problem even before

today. To top it off his mind had not been on his work, to the point

where Mr. Kendall had to call his name three times before he had his

undivided attention. Then when he had to repeat his question

because Johnny had not heard it he had even threatened to take his

business else where if Johnny did not start paying attention to the

business at hand. Taking him out to lunch had been a brilliant

suggestion from Stephanie his secretary. She always seemed to

discover the best way to soothe the ruffled feathers of an irate client.

Now as he was driving to Canine Castle at the end of a very hectic

day, the image of that beautiful women intruded into his thoughts and

urged him to push his foot a little forward on the gas pedal. He sure

was looking forward to seeing her.

Leaving his car and walking toward the store, with the Castle front

and bright blue and yellow sign, he again put a smile on his face as

he walked into the store and opened his mouth to say hi.

The way Jo-Anne looked at him hands on her hips, with ice cold

anger in her eyes stopped  him in his tracks about 3 feet from the counter.

"What's wrong? Is the pup okay?" he queried.

The concern in his voice was lost on Jo-anne in her anger. "What's

wrong!" she acclaimed throwing up her arms, "You dare to ask

what's wrong, after showing up two hours late. You didn't even have

the courtesy to let me know, and this is after you bring in that poor

little dog in such an awful condition." Her arms continued to wave

around in front of her, "Do you realize the amount of pain that all the

matting cause when she tried to walk. And the dirt, she had enough

on her to build a sand castle." Jo-anne stepped closer to him, her

eyes still flashing with anger, " You should be ashamed of your self,

that dog is too small to be left outside all the time. Especially in this

wet weather."

"I'm sorry but . . ."

"No buts, there are no excuses for the shape that poor thing was in.

Just a few hours a week is all it would have taken and she would

have been okay. If you would let her inside in this weather she would

not have been so dirty either" Jo-Anne fumed stepping yet again

closer and pointing her finger has his chest. This was one of her pet

peeves, people who mistreated their pets, either by neglect or by

ignorance. "Normally you wouldn't be paying this much but because

of her bad condition I'm charging you twenty five dollars. Fifteen for

the hair cut and bath and ten dollars because of her being so dirty

and matted. But if it happens again I'll report you to the Humane

Society and let them take care of you." Jo-anne still angry turned to

go back behind the counter.

"Listen, I'm trying to tell you. . ."

Jo-anne turned quickly, eyes flashing her anger, and a scowl on her

face.

"And I told you there are no excuses. You should be getting her

groomed every six to eight weeks, and if you have to let it go longer,

no more than three months."

"I'm trying to tell you . . . . Oh! Never mind," exhausted of how to

explain to this woman with the flashing eyes, who would not listen, he

dug into his hip pocket pulling out his wallet and fishes around for the

money, "here's the twenty five dollars," he said as he laid it on the

counter top, "and thank you for grooming her today on such short

notice." Johnny gave up trying to explain that the dog was not his,

but he did noticed that the sparks flying from those gorgeous hazel

eyes of hers did not lessen their beauty but enhanced them.

Slowly Jo-Anne looked up at him, just now getting her anger under

control, and hearing the exasperation in his voice, in a much calmer

voice said. "I'm just glad I was able to do her and make her

comfortable again. Well don't be surprised when you see her,

because she sure looks different than she did this morning." and

saying this she went into the holding room and brought the little

honey out.

If Johnny could have entered the look on his face in a photo contest,

he would have won hands down no doubt about it. His lower jaw

dropped and with his mouth hanging open he just stared at the pup.

He couldn't believe his eyes, was this the same dog he had brought

in this morning. The little thing was actually a cute looking dog, and

Johnny said so as he reached over and took the pup from her arms,

"I can't believe this is the same dog. I knew she would be lighter in

color than the dark grey she was when I brought her here, but she's

not even grey she's beige." Looking up at Jo-anne with wide eyes

amazed at the friskiness of the pup, "Wow! ! She looks really nice

and is a lot more lively that she did this morning." After petting her

for a few more minutes he continued, "Gee, maybe you could help

me out and show me how to keep her nice and clean and free of

those terrible mats." trying to get back into her good graces, once

again.

Jo-Anne gave him one of her smiles that touched him deeply and

had him glancing up at her again. Their eyes met, hazel looked into

blue and blue into hazel. Then the pup barked, and the moment was

lost. Jo-anne blinked and took a step backwards, turned and put the

counter between them.

"Well I can't show you much with her hair this short, but you call me

in about two weeks time and I'll show you the proper way of brushing

her so that she won't mat up again, and if she meeds it I'll even show

you the proper way to bath a dog. That way you won't get soap in

her eyes or water in her ears, both of those will cause irritations and

could end up causing a very bad infections." She smiled and

watched in wonder as his face broke out into a grin.

"Thanks again, and I will call in a few weeks . . . By the way, what is

your name, so that I'll know who to ask for when I do?" he continued

to smile and Jo-anne felt the heat of it against her.

"Jo-Anne . . .Jo-Anne Bonner and what's yours?"

"Johnny, and the James part you already know." he said as he

backed out the door with the pup wiggling in his arms and his smile

showing off a set of gorgeous white teeth.

"Hey! What do you call yo . . . . ." but once again he was gone and

had not heard her question. Jo-Anne still did not know the name of

the little dog who had the best looking owner that she had ever laid

eyes on.

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