A Dog's Life

Sarah bit her lip, starring at the envelop she’d dropped on the dining room table. Did she open?
She knew what it was. Hell she should have seen it coming ages ago, but she just didn’t open her eyes wide enough!

The envelope was a beautiful cream, pearlescent paper, with her name and address added in curly italic calligraphy. It was pretty.

Sarah was use to seeing this stationary, she’d seen it a number of times at the wedding store and wedding events she had displayed the shops dresses at.

She knew a wedding invitation when she saw one. There was only one person Sarah knew who had recently got engaged, there was one person she knew who would have such an elaborate invitation. However, she had never expected to receive an invite.

She fished her phone out of her pocket and text Shell. She had to find out if this really could be an invitation to Cliff and Louise’s wedding. She circled the dinning table a few more times, and made herself a cup of tea before she finally sat down to open the envelope.

Fate however intervened.

“Hello?” She picked up her phone without checking caller ID.

“Park 10minutes, no choice?”

“What?” She questioned hearing the unfamiliar voice and trying to work out who it was. “PARK! Like now! Vamoose! Moose!” She pulled the phone away to see what the caller ID said.

“Jimmy is that you?”

“Yes it’s me now vamoose!”

“What? Why? Is Rhian there?” Sarah huffed, not really having the patience today to work out what he was going on about. She heard Jimmy sigh in defeat.

“Ugh she wants to speak to you!” She heard him huff before a few noises that sounded like the phone dropping and then Rhian’s cheery voice.

“Hey love, you ok?”

“Average, your boyfriend is insane,”

“Eh, I know, he was meant to be inviting you to the park,”

“In 10 minutes?”

“That would be correct,” Rhian whittled off the details of the afternoon and evening plans, while Sarah starred at the envelope; she agreed to whatever the other English woman said and finally put the phone down.

“Who was that?” Sarah jumped at the sound of his voice. “Sorry,” Zacky chuckled noticing the look of shock. “The phone?”

“Oh umm Jimmy and Rhian, everyone’s going to the park,”

“Cool, we’re going?” Sarah nodded at the we’re. It was the one thing that continued to make her smile as she glanced down at the envelope. “You okay?”

“I have this,” She pointed to the envelope as Zacky sat down infront of her, she got a wiff of his shower gel and deodorant. He just looked at the envelope. Until this point in time life was on the up, her scars were fading, her arm did not ache as much and she had the most incredible boyfriend. Zack had sat down with Jenny and been complete straight with her; she needed to fuck off or Sarah would press chargers. Sarah hadn’t been keen on that; but in heart she just wondered if Jenny needed help and would she get help if she pressed charges?

They hadn’t heard from Jenny since, and instead were able to get back to basics with their relationship. No being the other woman, it hadn’t happened straight away, but they were getting there and that was what Sarah wanted. She’d been offered more hours at the wedding shop and taken it, if anything it was building her portfolio which what she needed. Though this meant a lot less dog walking, and in some senses Sarah felt that was the right step for her.

“So what is it?” Zacky questioned guessing this wasn’t something Sarah wanted at all. “Do we open it?”

“I think it’s a wedding invitation to Cliff and Louise’s wedding,” There she’d said it out loud.

“Oh,” Zacky looked down at the envelope. From his luggage to hers, were they ever going to have it easy. “Are you going to open it?” Sarah shrugged and looked to him for an answer. “Should I?” She nodded pushing it to his side of the table. He sighed as he read through it confirming Sarah’s thoughts.

“You’re invited to the wedding of Clifford and Louise, Clifford, what a fucking name!” Zacky tried not to laugh as Sarah looked over to him. “You plus one,” He added with a shrug. “Are you going to go?”
That was the million dollar question right there. Would she go?

“I don’t know,” Sarah muttered, hadn’t she been through enough already these past few months?

“Think about,” Zacky said pushing the letter inside. “Let’s not worry about it yet, let’s go catch up with everyone else, enjoy the day?” Sarah just nodded closing her eyes and letting Zacky pull her up from her chair. “You don’t have to go,” He whispered into her ear pressing a kiss on the sensitive skin behind her lobe.

Sarah just nodded, pulling herself closer to her boyfriend. She was so glad she had.

“Come on, let’s get the dogs,” Zacky let go and left her to sort herself, she glanced at the envelope one more time.

By the time they had got to the park everyone else had already secured themselves a perfect sunbathing spot. It didn’t take long for Sarah to relax and forget about everything, it helped being surrounded by these people.

“Ha ha!” Jimmy Sullivan jumped up and down as once again Spike and Ichabod ran after the ball he’d pretended to throw. He jumped around triumphantly, he had out smarted a dog.

“He’s seriously proud of that?” Taylor questioned watching the tall man with amazement. “I mean seriously?”

“Taylor be nice,” Her husband reminded her with a small smile.

“Nah she’s fucking right, he is proud of that,” Niki muttered rolling her eyes and then pushing her sunglasses back up his nose. “Ya know what I like though?”

“Hmm?” Rhian turned round to smile. “Is it that Foo Foo hasn’t gone for the ball once?” Niki nodded in agreement with a huge smile.

“That dog is intelligent,” Sarah replied from her place on the picnic bench, able to watch Jimmy playing with the dogs, but still be close to Zacky.

“I always said those Chihuahua’s were the shit,” Taylor replied. “I knew it,”

“Ah come on! Go for it!” Jimmy was heard winning at Foo Foo, who starred at him expectantly. “How does she know?”

“Because women are smarter than men!” Niki called backing earning a grunt from her husband who was spread out on the grass. “Don’t deny it Brian, it took you twenty minutes to get the printer to work today! Me five!”

“Whatever,” Was his reply as he stretched out again. Sarah just smiled taking in the view around her, Jimmy was running back from the dogs having finally thrown the ball for Foo Foo. Brian was stretched out on the grass, Niki sat on the picnic blanket next to him with Taylor and Karl. Opposite Sarah was Rhian, Johnny and Matt, while Zacky sat next to Sarah.

The sun was blazing down on the park, and the group of friends were making the most of a relaxing Sunday, they had a BBQ planned for the evening and that was it. They were enjoying their weekend. Sarah smiled to herself, this was perfect.

Next to her Zacky was flicking through images on her phone, she’d taken photos of some designs she’d completed for Vengeance University. There was one he was keen to use, and to get Sarah to model; he hadn’t mentioned that bit yet. Though he had plans for Sarah, he wanted her input in the business; fashion was something she was good at.

Things were looking up.

Zacky wrapped an arm round Sarah as he handed back her phone.

“Those are amazing doll,” He leant in and kissed her lips softly. “I want to use them,”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really, you don’t give yourself enough credit, send them to my email and our forward them to the printer, we can get that shit going straight away,” Sarah just smiled leaning in to kiss Zacky this time. She realised something as he kissed her again, pulling her a little closer. She had an incredible life; she had an incredible job, incredible friends and an incredible boyfriend. She had no reason to hide away from a family wedding, she had no reason to be ashamed or feel guilty.

“I want to go,” She spoke up earning a confused look from Zacky. “To the wedding,” She clarified. Zacky looked straight into her eyes, trying to work out what had changed. “I need to go, to make things right,” Sarah explained taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. “Will you be my plus one?” Zack nodded without hesitation.

“Darling I will never leave your side,” Zacky kept eye contact, starring into her beautiful eyes. He hated that he nearly messed this whole thing up, he was an idiot, but he’d learnt from it. That was the key to this, he’d learnt from his mistake and knew now that what he had with Sarah was worth giving up all his previous issues for. So what if he got fucked over by a girl, he had an incredible girl sat in front of him that was willing to put up with his shit and even loved him for it. He was the luckiest man alive.

“What if you have to piss?”

“Jimmy mind your own!” Zacky groaned elbowing the drummer in the side. Of course he couldn’t give up his friends; however much they ruined perfect moments.

“Thank you ducky,” Sarah whispered, still smiling as Jimmy grumbled loudly. “I love you,”

“I love you too,”