two hearts are better than one

[jagger]

Mirrah pulled her straw hat down over her disheveled hair, sunglasses coming off her face as she entered the establishment and glanced around the airy office. Slender, barely tanned arms peeked out from under her white t-shirt sleeves, hands swinging freely beside her wrangler-clad thighs as she waltzed in, humming a brief tune under her breath. Nice joint. Pretty classy for a low-budget public servent.

Tucking her sunglasses into the front of her shirt, she braced her arms on the table, chirping lowly to catch an office worker's attention and explain her situation. "I'm here to adopt a pet.. but I'd like to go off more than a profile.. I was hoping to have a quickie. Tour, that is." She flashed the slightly appalled woman a cheerful smile. She hadn't meant the innuendo, but lordy, a quickie could be nice by now too.. it had been far too long. She switched gears, her brain aborting that thought and moving at breakneck speed onto the next.

Assured an "Adoption Counselor" would be up immediately, Mirrah turned heel and stepped back to the waiting area, collapsing comfortably into the nearest chair and folding one leg over the other. She sifted through magazines, discovering an ooolllddddd Cosmopolitan issue and paging through it idly. She tittered slightly at the names of some of the articles. "How to be a Sex Goddess with One Simple Move.." She giggled, flipping more pages.

[rain]

Since Oliver's arrival, there had not been one case of loose kennel cough and he made it his personal agenda to see to it that it stayed that way. He had done some rearranging and better insulated the infirmary so that those displaying any signs or symptoms, or those transferred from over-run shelters were immediately contained before spreading it to the rest of the animals. As a result, he found it safe enough to start bringing Brutus to work, where he hung out in his office and slept most of the day away under his desk. Aside from the occasional fart, Oliver often forgot he was there and it was easy to stay focused on his work. The director was up to his elbows preparing for their yearly inspection and while he was confident they would pass, there were still a few things to finalize to secure that possibility. The fire department was no demanding a lock box out front only they could access for emergencies, and all the keys to the building needed to be provided. While he made copies of all the keys, made sure they all worked, and had already purchased the lock box, it had to be set in the ground with cement and mounted to a steel pole. That was another task all in itself.

Spending most of the morning getting quotes for the pole's installation, Oliver was in desperate need of a mild break, which came just in time with the chiming of the front door. Being that his office was literally around the corner of the lobby, he caught most of the conversation and chuckled to himself before stepping out of his office. He had modified his office door into halves in order to shut the bottom and still keep an eye/ear out for whoever was in his office. Brutus, who was now aware of his absence, waddled to the half door and stared upwards, making noises something akin to that of a gremlin dying a horrible, slow death. Best to ignore the behavior, no point in reinforcing it right now.

Striding into the waiting area, he swept the room until he caught sight of the familiar face. He recognized her from the block party where Brutus worked his charm on her to his own whorish advantage. His smile widened a moment as he greeted her. "Hey, it's Brutus's Belly Buddy. Good to see you again, love." A British flair to the last sentiment, he swept a hand towards the Cattery. "Feline or..." and with a gesture to the door marked 'kennels' he continued, "Canine?"

[jagger]

""Ten Bedroom Confessions"? Seriously? Do any of you read this smut?" She demanded of the front desk ladies, a mischievous, tormented little giggle tearing it's way out of her clenched teeth. Glancing up as the quote-unquote "Adoption Counselor" entered, she stood, making her way to the dividing door between waiting room and counter before fully recognizing the tall European as the same owner of the pair of buns she'd been admiring all night at the aforementioned block party. A bright grin flashed across her face, taking on a near flirtatious - okay, definite flirtatious - quality, and she cooed, sidling closer. Oh hey darlin', good to see you again.

Ever cheerful, she could only be described as bubbly.. and although that was horribly inconvenient for some, she found it rather enjoyable to be bubbly. Dark gaze shot toward the wailing from the other side of the door; Mirrah grimaced slightly at the whimpering smeagol obviously being torn in half in Oliver's office, pouting slightly on the dog's behalf. Poor Brutus. He's obviously so neglected. She chuckled, continuing to answer his question promptly. Canine, of course. I don't 'do' the pussy. I mean, pussy cats, of course. Shit, the innuendos kept coming.

Heading toward the pre-offered direction of the kennels, she held a hand out to Oliver for an official introduction, brushing her hat off her head with her spare hand and tossing it on a waiting room chair. No worries taking it with her; it would no doubt still be there when she returned. Rubbing that same spare hand through her hair to flatten the disheveled flyaways, she shot a distracted, exasperated look heavenward, huffing slightly. Mirrah Vesuvius, by the way. Small world, Mr.... ? She trailed off, waiting for his own name in return.

[rain]

An eyebrow irked as Oliver watched her slide closer, dropping his shoulder against the wall as he crossed his foot over the other and rested it on its toe. He smirked, just slightly. "I must say the pleasure is more mine." His tone dropped as he spoke, surprisingly, and it went noticed across the room as the lady at the front desk has to laugh under her breath. He shot her a playful but firm look and waved her off with a flick of his wrist. She snickered, but rose from her chair and shuffled off to the back to busy herself. Brutus soon began to howl in frustration, a momentary onset of separation anxiety upon him. He had only recently started coming to work with 'daddy,' and the new environment coupled with the stress of moving had left him a little insecure. Casting a sympathetic stare towards his office, he sighed with a bit of a frown as he called out to him. "Hang tight, big man. I'll make sure she says 'hi' in a minute." While he loved his boy, his boy had a home, and while he was at work his first priority was finding a home for those who had none. So, he returned his attention back to the flirtatious fatale just as she made her inner-laden comment. A burst of laughter errupted from him and he decided, in his own professional manner, it was best to just let that bit of innuendo go with the breeze.

Stopping at the kennel door, he pivoted as she made her name known and inwardly smacked himself for poor manners. Of course, introductions were in order, how could he have forgotten. Even with passing clients, he always made it a point of introducing himself upon first seeing them. He chalked it up to the unexpected familiarity waiting for him around the corner that must have thrown him off kilter. Chuckling in an embarrassed manner, the hand that was pressed against the door to open it left its post to meet her own, shaking it tenderly as he responded. "Oliver Yarborough, but you can call me Ollie if you promise not to tell anyone." He winked slyly with a mischeivous grin as if he had just revealed a deep-buried secret. Truth be told, it was his mother's nickname for him as a child, and for some reason, he felt it important to pass that along to this new individual. Odd, as he had never done that before. Ignoring that fact, though, he put a hand to the door again and just as he was about to push through, he paused. "Fair warning - It's gonna be loud. The whole "pick me! pick me!" factor."

[jagger]

Pumping his hand twice before releasing, Mirrah smirked slightly - "Ollie-ver." she drawled in her peculiar little accent; tasting his name. He seemed to get a kick out of nicknames; she'd have to remember that. Elbowing him playfully in the side, she took the initiative and pushed through the door ahead of him, levi'd hips bumping it lightly out of her way as she sashayed ahead of him. "Truth be told, I'm a little loud myself honey." She winked, and then the noise became momentarily deafening.

Upon entering any sort of kennel, the dogs always go bananas; seeing their chance at escape with this new person entering, or weaseling another snack out of the people they see every day. Mirrah knew - and anticipated this - given her past history of adopting from shelters and only shelters. She'd owned purebred dogs before; but never from breeders. She was usually fairly annoyed when people spent gads of money on a purebred puppy when so many were rotting in shelters, even worse when it was something like a Cockapoo or a Labradoodle. Paying $1,500 for a mutt? Dear Lord. Wincing slightly at the sudden shrieks, howls, wails and incessant barking, Mirrah held her breath until the initial fray died down, sucking in a deep breath. Now that the cavalcade of noise had resumed a livable level, a conversation could likely be resumed - until they entered a new wing, of course.

Falling into step behind Oliver's left shoulder, she craned her neck to glance into the nearest run. "So, I own horses - actually at the moment only one - and I need a buddy who's good around her. Fairly trustworthy and honest. Doesn't have to be perfect.. I can do training and housebreaking and all that.." She trailed off, stooping to shove her fingers through the chain link and scratch the nose of the nearest dog.

[rain]

The raucous was deafening as they stepped into the kennel. Up front, there were only four pups with "Available" stickers on them, the rest were separated by a temporary wall divider for their holding period. Some, being strays, only had up to 3 days to wait before going up front, the rest were being variously tested for different things. Some were heartworm positive, some were too shy for being put under the spotlight just yet, and the rest were pending cruelty and neglect cases so their fates were still up to the court system. Oliver hated seeing poorly owned animals return to poor owners, but unfortuantely there was little he could do to control the outcome of a trial. Sure, his report upon intake was used as testimonial during trial, but that was never conclusive enough to determine how a judge would call a case.

Distracting himself from that thought, Oliver's hand found the small of Mirrah's back as he gently directed her to the few ready and waiting to go home. "I'm sorry to say we just have the 4 available to adopt right now." As the hullaballoo started to settle down, he presented each with a fair amount of exposure, starting with the least likely candidate. Bella, the red and white long-haired Chihuahua pup waddled to the front of her kennel in her all-too-intimidating 3 pound form. "Bella," and then looking across the walkway, he acknowledged the the mostly white and shaggy Aussie yapping in a repetitive manner. "Romeo, great dog but he is deaf," gotta love irresponsible double merle breeding to produce another lethal white in the world. A step further and he leaned against his favorite girl's kennel. "This is my Kalli-doll..." Interrupting him was the loud-barking red mutt next door, impatiently demanding he be recognized.

"That is pretty much our resident mascot, Lance. More the outdoor type, barks his ass off when he's inside." As if he knew Oliver was talking about him, the chow mix shut his trap and just locked a stare on him. He'd be a piece of work, honestly. He had some dominance issues and that was the primary reason he had been there the longest thus far. Not entirely sure Mirrah would find what she was looking for, he rubbed the back of his neck with an exasperated sigh. "Got a few more moving up in the next few days, if you don't see a connection here." Focused on the dogs, he was rather oblivious to the last statement and the open door he made ready for misinterpretation.

[jagger]

Rubbing the scruffy little chihuahua through the bars, Mirrah stood to shuffle on after him, peeking in at Romeo for a minute with a sad look on her face. "I don't think I could keep a deaf dog safe. One wrong move and he'd get stepped on. Not a good situation. He's a pretty boy though." She passed Kalli at first to look at the obnoxious barker on the end, chuckling slightly at his last comment but failing to reply herself. She grimaced, staring at the obvious part-Chow for a second before jerking her green gaze back to Kalli. oNay on the barking, I've a feeling Cherokee would have heart attack if she saw Lance coming. Kneeling on the floor of the kennel, she shoved her fingers through the bars, kissing lightly to the big shepherd Oliver stood before.

She's cute. Hey, pretty mama. C'mere. She cooed, coaxing the shy Anatolian mix closer. Letting the dog come to her, she stretched one finger out to scratch the thick ears, already in love. Sitting back on her heels, she glanced up at the preoccupied Oliver. Noting his far-off look, she finally used his back pocket as a handle to haul herself to her feet, holding on a little longer than necessary to catch her balance. Jerking a thumb at the shy little fawn, she nodded. Any way we can get out of there? Just to see if we click.. D'oh! Kalli, I mean. See if the dog and I click. A sweet Mirrah smile.

Realizing her grip on his pocket - oh, buns - she tugged her hand loose, smirking slightly and turning to face away from him, hands on her hips as she surveyed the little - big - dog she was considering. Seemed like she tended to gravitate toward the shy ones.. her mare wasn't all that outgoing either. Mirrah, the exact opposite of shy, protector of all things nervous. What the hell, it worked. Shrugging, she scratched the top of Kalli's nose again, waiting.

[rain]

Oliver completely understood about Romeo, he would need some special one-on-one attention and it wouldn't be a quick understanding. Deaf dogs were never an easy scenario, but it could be very rewarding if one had the patience, time, and proper schedule for it. Definitely NOT a ranch dog, though. As she made her way back to Kalli, Oliver looked on with intense inner hope. If anyone was to fall in love with Kalli, he had hoped it would be someone like Mirrah. Her focus and attention she had given Brutus at the block party was tell-tale to her affinity for the mutts in life, which he could absolutely appreciate. Kalli seemed to enjoy her attention also, which spoke volumes as the big pup was still a bit wary of new people though seemed rather comfortable with Mirrah.

Just as he was about to suggest taking her for a walk, he sucked in a sharp breath as her hand found his pocket and what sat behind it, bracing against the kennel at the added weight that was now pulling on his hips. A nervous chuckle slipped through his nostrils as she got to her feet, clearing his throat along with it as she corrected herself. He nodded in approval as he retrieved the assigned leash that hung from a peg near the kennel gate and flipped the latch to open it up. "C'mon, sweet pea." Having spent enough time to build a recognizable relationship with Oliver, the black-masked leggy gal padded over to him in a laid back fashion so he could clip her up. Once on the leash, he led her out and handed her over to Mirrah with proud smile as if presenting an award to someone. "If you want to head out into the office with her, I'll grab Brutus. They're good pals." In fact, Brutus was part of her rehabilitation and confidence boosting therapy. The smush-face Don Juan was a sucker for the bitches and being a regular Casanova, he could make any girl feel right at home with him.

[jagger]

"Ohh I don't know who I'm more excited about walking with... you or Brutus." Mirrah tittered slightly and eagerly took hold of the leash, rolling part of it to fit comfortable in her right hand and the slack remaining crossed her body to trail through her left hand, thereby 'asking', through body language, for the shepherd to remain on her left side.

Heading toward the office, she nudged the door open with her hip and allowed Kalli to walk ahead of her for a brief instant before catching up and asking the overly large young female to remain at her heel. All it took was a little tug when she even considered pulling - which she didn't, she was vastly well behaved for a shelter dog. Crossing the threshold, she stopped to wait for Oliver to catch up, glancing down at Kalli quietly.

She knew better than to crowd the dog and rush her for attention, and instead sat with her arms folded and the leash lax while Kalli sat politely. Crowding an already nervous animal was the main reason people ended up bitten, or in the case of horses, kicked or thrown. It was never smart to make the first move. Reaching down with gentle fingertips to caress the top of the shepherd's head, she was rewarded with a glance upward and a brief - though distracted - tail wag. Tapping her foot in mock impatience, she called (loudly) into the office after him. "Hurry up, us gals are waitin' here."

[rain]

Oliver scuttled hurriedly to his office, meeting the woman who worked the front desk to go over some shipment orders. It was the day for ordering dog and cat food and she needed his final approval. He hated the deal that was previously worked for food. It was basically chicken-coated-sawdust; the first ingredient was ground yellow corn. Unfortunately, they got a good deal so long as they promoted it at adoptions, which he never did. He admitted they were supposed to, but also handed adopters tons of literature and research on GOOD brands of food. Brands where the primary ingredient was a real protein source and not some kind of filler. He made quick work of signing on the 'x' and then pushed around her and into the office. Brutus scuttled backwards as he entered, huffing indignantly in a 'how could you?!' fashion. Oliver simpered a moment as he snatched up Brutus's leash off his desk and hooked it to his collar. He apologized to the squatty pooch, then let him waddle out ahead of him and into the waiting area.

"Your knights in shining armor have arrived!" Oliver sang through the otherwise empty lobby. The same woman who accosted him at his office now laughed out loud, shaking her head as she did, though she kept her eyes to the desk. Oliver rolled his eyes, casting a glance back over his shoulder at her with a sharp 'shhh!' at which she rolled her lips inward and chuckled through her nose. He was good natured enough to know she didn't mean anything negative by it. Truth be told, he enjoyed the woman's company, especially considering she was volunteering all her time until the shelter gained more staff. Brutus was quite up in Kalli's business, re-acquainting himself with his buddy. His nubby tail wagged furiously as he got to see another friendly canine, especially one he was already familiar with. "There's a covered play yard outside, just through the door and to the left if you want to try that out." His hand swept towards the door as he tugged Brutus along with him. Once there, he stepped through and held the door open, waiting for the girls to come along.

[jagger]

Mirrah cheered unabashedly as he arrived, stooping to greet Brutus cheerfully. Planting a kiss on the bully's nose, she ruffled the fur on the top of Kalli's head as well, standing up to follow Oliver and his waddling dog. Switching the lead to her left hand only, she brushed past Oliver - a little closer than she truly needed to - and breathed deep, a small groan escaping her. He smelled even more divine than he looked. "You smell delicious, by the way." She quipped, tone completely neutral - as if she had just told him the weather.

Hooking a left, she led the large, padding, over-grown puppy to the play yard indicated, breaking into a quick sprint once inside. After a moment of being caught off guard, Kalli got with the program and sprinted after her, giving playful chase. Slamming on the brakes, Mirrah collapsed on the ground, growling playfully as Kalli pounced on her, the dog momentarily forgetting her shyness. Laughing as she picked herself up, she waited to be sure the yard was entirely fenced in and closed off, unclipping Kalli's lead.

Watching the Shepherd mix dart off to run zoomies, she giggled, rocking back to sit squatting on her heels. Rewarded with the occasional check-in of a wet nose pressed against her arm before the dog darted off again, Mirrah was encouraged. She stood, shaking the kinks out of her legs before making her way back over to Oliver, arms crossed over her chest. "I appreciate this. I know a lot of kennels expect you to make your decision just by looking at them." She glanced up at the happily goofing off shepherd, whistling sharply. Kalli glanced up, further proof she was paying attention. It wouldn't be an overnight thing; but she had trust potential obviously. Chuckling again, she unfolded arms to shove her hands in her pockets.

[rain]

Brow shirking upwards in a mildly shocked manner, a smirk crossed Oliver's features at the 'delicious' comment bestowed upon him. True, he prided himself on looking (and smelling) his best. First impressions mattered to him. Always the tight-lipped one, he managed a chuckle in response but left it at that as he and the pudge black beast at his heels plodded along behind her. Brutus stepped ahead to shove his nose up Kalli's butt, getting reacquainted with his pal. Oliver hissed at him and before he could pop the leash, Brutus fell in step with him.

The group passed through the gate into the fenced enclosure and Oliver stooped to remove the leash from the bulldog's collar. Taking long strides to a covered bench, he sat and watched as the black dog tore across the yard in playful exuberance to meet with the female three times his height. From there, the pair bounded about the yard in their own synchronized chaos. Occasionally going upright in their play, but nothing aggressive was a part of their styles. They broke off a few times to meet back with their two-legged counterparts, but always returned to their yard monkey antics.

Watching as Mirrah approached him, Oliver shifted to give her room and patted the open spot next to him in invitation. Looking back to the pup in question, he smiled and leaned back against the back of the bench. "You've never been to one of my kennels. No good ever came from an impromptu adoption. I'm doing no one a favor, especially these animals, by expecting folks to just...I dunno, point and click?" Chuckling now, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees surveying the pair that were now broadside in the grass, soaking up the sunlight. Brutus's round barrel heaved in his panting, the poor boy was doomed to have a hard time breathing. It was the curse of the breed. "Looks like Kalli likes you, though. Which is saying something."

[jagger]

Mirrah grinned cheerfully and shrugged, flopping down beside Oliver without any further prompting - gee, she's so shy. Shaking her head as she watched the mutts - the universal term applied to all four-legged members of the canine persuasion, no matter how pedigreed or registered - play, grinning slightly wider at Kalli's evident happiness. The big dog was relaxed, and that much was evident. Her body language was much - much - different than it had been in the kennel.

"Well.. I like her. So it's a good match. As long as she can stay out from under Cherokee's feet, we're good. And if she can't figure that out, I guess I have to keep her confined when I'm working.. though I hate to do that. A dog deserves to be a dog." Scratching the back of her neck lightly, she turned to gaze at Oliver sedately, considering which of the thousand questions constantly rolling through her head to ask him first. She squeezed her inner eyes shut and pointed with an invisible hand. Viola.

"How long have you been working here? It's obviously an enjoyable profession, you look rather pleased with yourself." It was a hum-drum sort of question, but the only other question that came instantly to the tip of her tongue was a scream-in-the-library moment. She had a feeling some sort of sarcastic So, what underwear is more your style, boxers or briefs? question wouldn't blow over so well. She opened her mouth and then promptly shut it again, her grin turning into a half smirk as she considered the reaction if she truly had asked that question before thinking better of it. Oh, Mirrah. Nobody said she was normal.

[rain]

This guy put a lot of stock in 'his' animals, and Kalli was certainly no exception. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel almost defensive when someone criticized one of the animals in his care. Be it dog or cat (despite being a clear-cut dog person), he was quick to defend them if someone wasn't completely savvy to their personalities. Spending all day on end with them had that affect on him. So hearing that Kalli might need to be locked up set his hairs on end, which he quickly quelled with his stoic nature. "I doubt you'll have that problem with her. She's a sharp cookie." That was, of course, if cookies could be sharp. But then again, no one would like cookies if they were sharp. Damnit Oliver, stay focused!

Pulling a leg over his knee, Oliver gazed upon Mirrah appreciatively. She was brimming with personality and an infectious energy that was difficult to not notice. She was the quintesscential type that made one 'feel alive.' It was easy to see why folks could like and hate her all at the same time. Her behavior at the block party had left him more than intrigued by this individual, though he was always a bit guarded with his behavior. Hey, he was British. Kinda hard to break old habits. Especially those that were ingrained since birth.

Quickly, he snapped back to reality at the sound of her voice again. He blinked a moment, then spoke. "Actually, I took this post about a month ago. But I've been in this field for about 10 years. This is the fourth shelter I've overseen and personally, I'd have it no other way. The pay is lousy and there's no health benefits or paid vacation, but I go home happy every night." Sighing blissfully, he hesitated, the smiled warmly at her. "We're giving second chances - to these guys," he swept a hand towards Kalli for example then continued, "And to you." At the risk of sounding corny, he stopped that statement there. But, it was the honest-to-goodness truth; he loved his work. Sure, there was the occasional bad day just like anyone else, especially on days when a euthanization was unavoidable. While he had the animals to consider, there was ethics also, and if an animal had displayed the appropriate behavior to be a potential threat in a new home, there was some tough decisions to be made. But, he hadn't had to cross that bridge since he started and he continued to hope that he would not see that day for quite some time.

[jagger]

Mirrah cracked a smile at the corny but sentimental statement issued by this tall, appealing and yet intimidating man. Standing again, she whistled, calling Kalli to her - whom, after a moment, wandered over to sit obediently before the duo, ears flicked skyward with a "What?" sort of expression on her sensitive face. Ruffling her ears, Mirrah reattached the leash and turned to survey Oliver with a void, blank face. This was her poker face.

"Well, it's a match made in Heaven, and I'd like to bring her home. What paperwork do we need?" She queried, still maintaining that blank palette. This was where things always got sticky. She had planned on taking a dog home too-daay; not tomorrow, not next week, today. Usually she hit the "Well, there's a 4 day hold and then ..." and was usually extremely put off by that.

Pausing for a second as she turned toward the gate - inevitably they had to go back inside; as there was no paperwork out here - she threw another comment over her shoulder. "And just so your girls don't over hear and give you shit... " she meant the front desk ladies, of course - "I figured I'd give you the chance to reject a lunch date out here instead of inside." Tada! That was what her poker face was for, and she maintained it - very well - glancing over at the black waddling beast as he returned to his master to be leashed.