‹ Prequel: Hurricane Jenny

Hurricanes in Pittsburgh?

007:

Chapter Seven
“So what you want to do is slowly bring Candy closer to other dogs, start off with smaller dogs first before you start to bring her around bigger ones,” Andy, the dog trainer, said as he held onto Candy’s leash and I watched, “So I brought Lilly,” he said bring a pug over from his van.

We met at the local park, it was only three blocks away from my condo and I only had enough time to be with him for an hour. My schedule was so crazy this week that I was surprised that I had some time to do this.

My parents and brothers left this morning because they needed to get home. I had to meet the trainer at the park at ten in the morning because at one I needed to be at the arena for a photo shoot. Right after the photo shoot, we had a charity event at the local bowling alley for a children’s hospital, I knew I was going to be at least a half hour late to that.

I was tired because I didn’t get home until around two in the morning, from the club. Eric and Marc had to help Jordan because he was drunk, and they basically threw him onto the couch and then left to go to bed. Eric was pretty pissed at him because they had a game the next day and Jordan was going to be hung over. Mom and dad were asleep in one of the guest bedrooms and Eric and Marc were going to share the other guest bedroom. I had an air mattress blown up because I knew that they weren’t going to share a bed.

“Pull her back a little,” Andy said and I sighed and then bent down and pulled Candy back, “I understand that she was abused when she was younger, but I’m not understanding why she’s not very trust worthy.”

“I don’t understand it either, she’s very well behaved when she’s around other people,” I said as I rubbed Candy’s back, “But when she’s with other dogs-“

“Was she around other dogs?”

“I don’t know, I got her about a year ago,” I said, “I never really had her around other dogs; no one around me had any.”

“This might take longer than I thought,” he said and I sighed and nodded my head, “What time do I have you till?”

I looked at my watched and saw that I needed to leave, “Now.”

“You know this is going to take time,” he said and I nodded my head, “When can I see you again?”

“I’ll have to call you, with my schedule-“

“If you want to have a dog, then you have to put the time in for it,” he said and I snapped my head towards him.

“I am putting the time in! She’s well with people, not other dogs!” I growled.

“And it’s your responsibility to put the time in to train her to be well with other dogs! What do you do with her when you’re on the road?! You can’t leave her by herself!” he nearly yelled and I picked Candy up.

“I don’t! She’s coming on the road with the team!” I said.

“That’s not good for her, it not good for her to be always on the road-“

“What do you want me to do?! My parents watched her when I was in North Carolina! Everyone I know here are my teammates,” I said and he sighed.

“Then I’ll watch her,” he said and I looked at him a little taken back.

“Um, I don’t know-“

“Annie’s not the only one that has a boarding business,” he said as he placed the pug back into the van and then turned around, “I don’t normally do it, but you seem desperate.”

“It’s fine, my team agreed that I could bring Candy with us.”

“But that brings me back to the fact that she shouldn’t be on the road-“

“The only reason that I left Candy with Annie was because I was desperate, clearly that didn’t work because she spent most of her time in a cage, I don’t want that to happen to her with you,” I said and he shook his head and took a step closer towards me, I little too close for my comfort so I took a step back.

“I’ll watch her and show you that she’ll be fine,” he said and I sighed.

“I have a game in Philly on Thursday, I’ll pick her up Friday morning,” I said and he smirked and nodded his head, “I’ll drop her off at your placed Thursday morning?”

“All right, here’s my address,” he said and I nodded my head.

“I have to go now,” I said and he nodded his head.

-Beau-
“So you don’t really trust him?” I asked and Jen shook her head ‘no’, “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to give him a chance,” Jen said and then sighed, “I know it’s probably not right to bring her on the road, but-“

“How is it not right?” I asked and she shrugged her shoulders.

“That’s what he kept on telling me,” she said and I placed my hand on her knee and squeezed it, “If it doesn’t work then she will come on the road with us. She’s good with people, not other animals.”

“It’ll be all right,” I said and she sighed and leaned her head on my shoulder, “Do you want me to come with you when you drop her off?”

“Please?” she asked and I smirked.

“Of course,” I laughed.

“Thanks, he’s kind of weird,” she said and I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her head.

“How was the photo shoot?”

“I hate wearing makeup,” she laughed and I smirked and then stood up and then pulled her up and placed my hands on her hips.

“You’re beautiful,” I smiled and then pressed my lips onto hers and felt her hands on my chest.

“Come on love birds! Time for some bowling!” I heard someone yell, probably Tyler.

Jen and I, along with the rest of the guys, walked out towards the crowd of families. Our names were called and we were introduced to each family and then assigned to one. Jen and I were placed next to each other and then decided that our families were going to compete against each other.

I was given a little boy named Ian; he’s an eleven year old who has leukemia. Jen was given a little girl who looked like she was eight or nine, I wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, but whatever was, she was having a blast with Jen.

-Jennifer-
“Oh my god, that was so much fun!” I laughed and then leaned against Beau, saying goodbye to all of the families and then decided that once the families were all gone, the team was going to have a game against each other.

Some of the guys didn’t want to play, they were finished with bowling, but there were at least ten of us who were going to have a competition. Sidney, Geno, Pascal, Kris and I were one team while Tyler, Beau, Tanner, Marc and Simon were on the other. Everyone else were going to watch and be the cheerleaders.

When we were with the families, the team wives and girlfriends were in charge of the bake sale, while the player’s kids were in the backroom playing or helping with the bake sale, or playing with the other kids.

Sidney was going to go first, strike; he smirked and then walked back towards us and high fived everyone.

“Is everything you do a big competition?” I laughed and he smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

One by one everyone went, I laughed when Simon got a gutter ball. Finally, it was my turn; I picked up my hot pick ball and walked over towards the lane. Staring at the pins, I brought the ball up to my face and then tucked it behind my body.

“CHOKE!” someone yelled and I dropped the ball, jumping in the air, hoping that it wouldn’t land on my foot, “WHOA!”

I turned around to see that my hot pink ball was heading back towards where everyone was sitting. They laughed and I growled and walked over towards the guys, Geno picked up the ball and handed it to me.

“What was that?!” Geno laughed and I growled and looked at the guys.

“Which one of you assholes did that?!” everyone pointed their hands back and I followed the fingers to see that they were leading to Cooke, “Cooke Monster! You jerk! I’ll throw this at you!”

“I’d like to see you try,” he laughed with the others.

I growled and then shook my head and walked back over towards the lane and got myself positioned again. I tossed the ball down the lane, strike!

“And that’s how it’s done,” I smirked and skipped back towards the guys and high fived my teammates.

“We should have team bowling night!” someone said and I snorted and rolled my eyes.

“I’m gunna need a beer if we do that.”