2020-02-06 - Boston Roulette

In response to Geoff's texts, Harper texts back that she's just now leaving work and will be home after a quick stop at the grocery store. Does he want her to come over to his place, she inquires. He replies that he's coming to her place and so it is that when he arrives, she's just barely gotten there herself, still all library-Harper-style-chic in her work clothes. (https://i.pinimg.com/564x/be/c3/e2/bec3e266dab789599457405248df10fd.jpg)

For the moment, she's putting groceries away, having put on some of her favorite Mose Allison music. She sings along as 'Back on the Corner' plays warmly through her speakers. A Geoff-visit so early on a Thursday almost-evening is a welcome surprise. The late afternoon-early evening hours so often seem to be busy for him. She'll pull out one of his favorite snacks for nibbling while putting items away. She also opens a bottle of ginger beer and enjoys swallows of its burning sweetness.

Geoff shortly arrives after Harper, after all he'd come straight from work which is not too far away. On entering he calls out "Honey, I'm home." which by itself is none too strange, though what is a bit off is the tiny yip of agreement that follows that...Definitely not from Geoff. Rounding 'round the corner Geoff appears clad in a hoodie with a light dusting of snow along his shoulders, and hood, a pair of jeans, a manila envelope under his arm...Oh and a boston terrier puppy tucked under his arm. The puppy excitedly looks around, with little snorts of excitement and it's butt wiggles back and forth excitedly in time with its tail.

With that boyish grin that Geoff so often wore in the past when he stole them a beer, or was recounting some minor bit of mischief to Harper at a book club "Hey babe, Jake brought this little rascal into the shop today and I knew I had to show it to you." Strolling towards Harper he offers out the pup so she can get a better look at the youthful ball of puppiness.

Harper hears the sound of the door opening: she just might have been listening for it. Hearing Geoff call out, too, a familiar smile curves at the corners of her lips. It's started so nicely. But what follows is a disconcerting yip. Did that sound come from outside before he closed the door? The smile tips to a thoughtful look as she puts the last of the perishables into the fridge and closes the door. It definitely came from outside. No other option makes any sense. There are still a bunch of pantry items to put away, but Harper circles around the kitchen to head for the living room, lifting a hand to tuck a dark tress of hair behind her ear.

Geoff and his god-damned grin. It's what Harper sees first. It may always be what Harper sees first. Why would she be looking for anything else? She knows that tone, knows it well. And the opening words prepare her for yet another amusing Jake story. It might be comical watching the pieces of evidence adjust Harper's expression. There's a puppy in her house? She has to work to dissolve the frown that follows this realization away. Why would Geoff bring a sweet, innocent puppy into This House?

"You should have told me to come by the shop --" she begins. But her wary gaze drops to the baby Boston Terrier and her heart grows two sizes in Grinch fashion. She stops within reach of Geoff and has to fold her arms across her chest to avoid swooping in and scooping all the adorable up in her arms. "Did you even think about reasons why bringing --" What's its name? "-- that bundle of adorable into this house might not be a wise idea?" Harper manages to sound both critical and on the edge of infatuation at the same time. At the word 'adorable', her stern brown-eyed gaze drops back to the puppy, and, unable to help herself, she sinks to the floor and forward to her knees in those bright tights she's wearing beneath the bright printed skirt with a giant print of olives, wrapped around her body. "Hello, little stranger," she greets, her voice softening reflexively. Still, she keeps her hands away from the irresistable puppy with ears comically too big for its little head.

Geoff keeps that boyish grin of his as he makes introductions "Harper, this little ball of energy and licks is named Buddy." Scritching the dog's beelly much to it's contentment he continues "Buddy, this is Harper I'm very much in love with her and she's very kind." And that's when he does the unthinkable, he kneels down and releases the pup who runs right to Harper to lick her and try to climb up onto her to be held and get closer.

Smile turning a touch more warm he watches the scene before him "You know I did think about bringing him here and I'm confident that nothing will happen." Kneeling down he brushes his knuckles against Harper's cheek "We're together Harps, nothing bad can get through that." And there's some of that Geoff logic aimed at Harper logic, try and refute /that/."

Now and again, Harper tips her gaze up from Buddy to measure Geoff's expression for an answer to the question ringing in her brain. But always back again. Back again to the puppy. Damn Geoff Turner. Damn him to ... something. He releases the wiggly bomb of awkward cuteness and she's attacked. "Oh my god," she objects, lifts her voice as if she might verbally stave off all the incoming. But no. Soft little paws and pricking little claws, a fat little belly and eyes that the devil himself uses to gather souls: all of this climbs up into Harper's kneeling lap. Her hands have to come into play, now. She catches the little thing up and closes her eyes, stealing a few moments to simply let herself feel a place in her soul filled with adoration, protectiveness, and a haunting cry of want. She nuzzles her nose against soft-soft puppy fur and kisses next to Buddy's big ear. "Why didn't you tell uncle Geoff that coming here was a reckless idea, Buddy?" Harper doesn't use baby-talk with the baby pup. It's a regular conversation.

Finally her eyes open once more and lift to Geoff, soft-and-accusing all at once. She lifts the bundle of irresistable and tries to shove it back at Geoff. Already her reserves are halfway gone. "I can't believe you'd risk this sweet puppy just to prove something like that." She frowns at Geoff, her gaze stormy again. "Where did you even get -- it?" She makes herself avoid a gender as if that will keep her from wanting to kiss that round belly.

Geoff laughs and confirms to Harper "Buddy there is a boy, and he's quite a good boy." then he asks to the pupper "Buddy, Buddy! Whose a good boy!" and at that he wriggles around excitedly before turning his large eyes on Harper as if to ask for confirmation of that fact. Standing he gestures towards the couch "Why don't we take him over there, I have something else I want to show you. I saw it and I thought of you first thing so I had to order it." Walking towards the couch he takes a seat and waits for Harper and Buddy to join him before he pulls a book out of the manila envelope, but not just any book it's Madeline Finn and the Library Dog, an illustrated children's book. Holding the book open to the first page he casts his most winningest mile at Harper and asks "Do you think you could read it to us babe? I'll turn the pages so you don't have to put Buddy down."

It's a stand-off: Geoff's optimism and Harper's disapproval. The problem is the puppy is hitting below the belt. Harper would be doing much better than this if it were a hypothetical conversation; and Geoff knows this quite well. She has been abandoned with the puppy that's entreatingly searching for love and approval. "Dammit," Harper breathes under her breath before scooping up the adorable bundle of irresistable and pushing to her feet to follow Geoff toward the sofa. This would be an excellent time for some puppy pee.

Harper drops to the soft cushions of the sofa beside Geoff and -- with a nuzzle behind one puppy ear and an inhalation of sweet puppy breath -- looks accusingly at Geoff. "This isn't --" But the damage is done, by her standards. Now she just has to get through the 'visit' that she assumes this is. "Tell me you didn't buy this puppy, Geoff," she states slowly as if any faster would result in words she'll regret saying. There's a dangerous glint to her brown eyes that Geoff has only seen the barest glimpses of in her more stubborn moments. "Buddy," she murmurs beside the puppy's ear. "We've got to have a serious talk about the difference between 'safe' and 'dangerous'."

That's when she finally has enough brain to spend on noticing the manilla envelope and its literary contents. "What is that?" She knows what it is. Men have successfully seduced her with children's books in the past. Spots of color rise on her cheeks. "I will not read that book," she argues, thankful for the moment that she has her hands full of affectionate, wiggly puppy. Because goddammit, she would read it.

More intensely thrums her demand, "Tell me now." If there is such a thing as not making eye-contact with a book, Harper is assiduously attempting that feat.

Geoff does his best to appear entirely innocent in this, and the fact that Harper is so adorable with the pup is certainly help him "Buy him? No, I wouldn't just buy an animal for us without getting you to sign off." he reaches down to ruffle Buddy's ears "Besides, if we were to get a dog I really think a shiba would best fit into the schema of our lives. Apparently they are great dogs to take camping." Camping. With a Dog. Their dog.

Running his thumb over the bottom of the page he says "The art work really is quite nice, are you sure you don't want to look at it?"

Harper uses Buddy as a canine-shield between herself and the book. "You think this is funny," she states flatly. "This isn't funny, Geoff." Harper is being completely unreasonable, if Geoff-logic is to be followed. And the more that Geoff-logic tickles her thoughts, the more sharp that usually-warm gaze becomes. Geoff calls it the 'schema' of their lives; it's the sexy-philosophy talk all over again. "Stop that," she snaps. "This is not charming." It's so charming.

"Do you think my life is a joke? Maybe Dad's death is cute. Or maybe deep down you know that I am crazy." It's a familiar label that never bothered Harper. But she's hitting below the belt in response to what he started. He won't like that accusation. The accusation Geoff out of the blue punched another kid's lights out over in high school? Unlikely.

Harper pushes back to her feet, Buddy all caught up and cuddled protectively in her arms and she paces across the open span of the great room. She's probably considering covering the dog's ears from words that -- for Harper -- are scathing. "You want Erasmus?" Harper's already using the name. "I thought that was a joke." She brushes her cheek against Buddy's face when he tries to crawl up her chest to lick her face, ending up with a wet cheek, her attention elsewhere entirely. She's a walking paradox.

Geoff closes the book and sets it to the side when Harper starts to get visibly distressed, though he remains quiet as she goes off on him. Finally though once she has said that he stands and walks over to pull her into his arms, sandwiching buddy between them and protectively tucking his chin on top of her head as if to shield her from the world. Taking a deep breath he holds it for a second before letting it out "No, I don't think you're crazy. Your life is no joke, an dad's death was tragic." There he goes using /dad/ again. His arms close tighter around her, warm and strong "I do want Erasmus, and I know you do too. Pulling back he tries to look into her eyes "Also beyond any shadow of a doubt I'm confident we could protect him, and give him a long happy life. I'm confident that we're a team and that we're so much stronger together then we are apart. That when we're together nothing evil can break through." Bringing a hand up he cups her cheek "Babe, do you think I'd get a puppy if I thought it was going to end tragically...That I'd do this without every assurance it would bring more happiness to our life together?"

Harper doesn't stop moving until Geoff physically stops her. She grumbles audibly as he pulls her -- and Buddy -- close, tossing her head to look to one side, trying to cling tenaciously to the paradigm that's navigated her through this dark life in the face of Geoff's optimistic schema. He counters with gentle, unprovoked words and Harper relaxes in his arms.

She's quiet for long minutes, finally asking in response to his statement that he knows she wants Erasmus, "How do you know that?" It's a stretch, but maybe Geoff will shore up her argument for her.

She doesn't immediately look into those familiar green eyes when he pulls back; she keeps her face pressed against Buddy's little body. "You can't know that," she argues even more softly to the statement that they could protect an animal in their care. But he's used this same logic on her successfully and unrelentingly over the past five-plus months. He knows the words to use.

Harper lifts her gaze to his, searching. She can't be lost with Geoff there. She tips the dog-kissed cheek into Geoff's palm. "What if you're wrong?" She drags in a deep breath. "I think you know what you want," she half agrees and argues at the same time. It feels like fate is suddenly hurtling in their direction. But she exhales slowly as Buddy settles sleepily between them and rests his little Boston Terrier head on her shoulder with heavy eyelids. "I don't understand why you suddenly want this so badly." If Harper were a bitter person, she'd be angry as Geoff deftly steers her in his direction.

Geoff bumps his brow down against Harper's head and gently points out "You're already calling him Erasmus, and you haven't put down Buddy yet, you adore him." He kisses her hair with a warm smile. He gives her another warm squeeze "Can we ever know anything one hundred percent? No, but as far as I know and can anticipate I'll be able to keep him safe. I've stood up to the dark men, murderers and cultists. I can handle protecting a puppy." He pauses for a moment before saying "I want this for us, for me, for you, for our life going forward. Erasmus would fit into our lives so well." Lips turning up in a smile he adds a bit playfully "Besides when he acts up, don't you want to lecture him on free will and how he can choose to be a better doggo?" There he goes, working the philosophy of Erasmus into a conversation about dog Erasmus

Harper listens to Geoff's answers. "Damn you, Geoff Turner," she murmurs in a voice that speaks everything but those words. "If something horrible happened to Erasmus," she begins and stops, recognizing she's just proven Geoff's claim. Again. "-- it would destroy me. Are you sure this isn't just a --" She lifts one hand from the puppy's back to wave it around demonstratively. "-- whim? Easton has a dog." Harper doesn't think Geoff is about whims. There are few examples in a decade-plus of anecdotal data to support Geoff being a fickle man. Her eyes are the first to warm to his playful statement. "Yes. Of course I do. Raz will be the most rational, good-hearted, autonmous dog in the history of dogs." She's already nicknaming the hypothetical dog she's arguing against? "I'm a fan of the canine-ist ideology." Buddy groans in his puppy-sleep. It's a terribly endearing sound. Harper looks down at him and back up at Geoff. "I assume you've thought through all the logistics of dog ownership?" Prove it.

Geoff laughs and shoots Harper an amused /look/ "Babe, when was the last time I just shot out on a whim." Brushing his nose to hers he confirms "If I'm looking after Erasmus for his sake /and/ to protect you, what chance does the world stand." he presses a soft reassuring kiss to her lips and fills in "None, none at all." When she nicknames the dog he laughs softly "You've already nicknamed him Harps, we're pretty much just a weekend away from going to a breeder's house to pick out the /perfect/ Erasmus. Of course we'll have to examine all the pups and love on them to see which is the best, even if Raz ends up being a girl." Yes, the dog will end up Erasmus regardless of gender, this is a given. "As for logistics, I'll start training Raz and I have enough room in the trailer to start. We'll come over every day till you get more used to him with the occasional test of his free will to be a good boy, but I figure housebreaking him in the trailer will be a lot easier. "

Harper takes a step back and away from Geoff in order to more judiciously watch him talk through his proof. "Well, to be clear, I think you're spontaneous as hell. But I don't think you haphazardly change your convictions." There. Whimsical versus fickle. "It's really not fair for you to use my own prejudices against me," Harper observes equanimously. She quells her answering smile when he laughs at the fact that she may have nicknamed their hypothetical dog. Her arguments at this point are just a weak effort at going through the motions.

Going to visit a litter of baby Erasmi? Harper breathes a slow, steadying sigh. "Have you ever even had a dog?" Much to her chagrin, Harper cannot remember if Geoff's home life in high school included pets. She's willing to wager that it did not. "It seems like there are things that we -- that people should know before they bring a puppy home." Home. Harper abruptly considers the significance of their multiple home situation. They'll come over every day. The librarian frowns faintly, but lets it go.

"Are you planning to take him to work with you?" She glances down at the puddle of warm, sleeping puppy in her arms. Buddy was at work. Geoff's dog's free will to be a good boy. Harper can't hold out any longer. She laughs quietly: she wouldn't want to wake the puppy (who is sleeping the unwakable sleep of all puppies). Dipping her chin in a nod, she comments simply, "I'm this predictable, hmm? How boring for you." Despite that, Harper steps closer and reaches with one hand behind Geoff's neck to invite him to dip down and give her a kiss. "I'm sorry I was so cross. But don't get used to me just giving in willy-nilly all the time." Willy-nilly? Do people in this century even use the word 'cross' that way anymore? "I'm going to be replaced by a puppy." Her brown eyes sparkle too much for that to be actual jealousy.

Geoff shakes his head "I never had a dog as a kid, but I always wanted one...Home just wasn't right the right place for it." When Harper pulls him in to invite him for that kiss he takes it. Taking her hand he leads her back over to the couch and sits down, moving the book to rest in his lap "Yeah I'll take him to work with me, and I'll even come to the library to show him off there to the kids so they can read to him. I bet he'll be a good listener, unlike dogs named Martin Luther who just run around yipping their ninety five theses at people." giving the hand of hers he still holds a light squeeze he adds "I wouldn't say you were unduly cross, I know this is a lot for you to think about and accept. I just thought that if I could get you to see it the way I see it, little Raz would bring so much more joy and happiness into your life then a bit of a rocky conversation." Leaning over he steals another kiss "I wouldn't dream of you giving in all the time, and if you can find a dog that could replace you you'll have found the impossible."

And Geoff speaks the magic words that would have knocked any argument off its foundation, had he chosen to be manipulative from the beginning. They end up back on the sofa and Harper finally hands Buddy to Geoff and gives in to the burgeoning desire to ... pick up that picture book! "Let me see this." She reads through the book, finishing it with a smile and a shake of her head. "You are a dangerous, dangerous man, Geoff." Damn right he'll bring Erasmus to the library. He all but promised it when he bought that book.

"Martin Luther dogs are such buzzkills," she agrees blandly. "And they won't shut up. All those nails in all those doors?" Laughter lights her eyes and curves a smile on her lips. "Of course he'll be a good listener. All canine-ists are." He uses the same nickname and she arches a brow inquisitively. "You don't have to call him that, you know." But she will. If he could get her to see it the way he does? That's one of Geoff's greatest skill sets.

"So, honestly: how long have you been thinking about this? You knew the breed you wanted. You'd picked out a name. Tell me how it started." A stolen kiss and a pretty promise. Harper scoots her body down on the sofa so that her head rests against the back cushion and she can draw her tights-clad feet up onto the seat cushion as she looks from the book to the puppy to Geoff. Someone might as well have transported sophomore-in-high-school Harper to this very moment in time.

Geoff just grins as Harper reads that children's book and leans over her shoulder to look along at the pictures as he pets Buddy who just cuddles in more "Tell me I was wrong and that isn't the perfect book for you. I thought you'd like it." Settling Buddy into his lap he scritches at the puppy's belly and says with a shrug "I don't have to call him that, but I like it and it fits."

And then the question comes to how long he's been planning this out and that is when he turns a little bit sheepish "Well...I've wanted a dog for a long time like I said, but prior to now it just didn't feel right. Doesn't mean I didn't look at them though and figure out which breeds I'd like." Offering a softening expression towards her he continues "When it really started though was on our camping trip, on our way back I got this thought that it would have been fun to have a dog with us. Then I started thinking about you, and how I was sure that deep down you'd love a pet but for as much as you loved it you'd fight it just as hard. Which is tragic, because I want you to have everything that could make you happy even if I have to move the sun and the moon for you."

"You were wrong. This isn't the perfect book for me," Harper drawls dryly, turning her gaze up at Geoff teasingly without moving her head from the pillow. From there she looks to the blissed out, sleeping puppy in Geoff's lap. "I can't even ... you know me so well it's a little scary, Turner." She carefully closes the book so as not to crease the paper cover. "It's going to live in my bookcase. Though it will go to the library with me when Raz first goes. Maybe you'll come along, too." She's quite certain he'll be there. "So whose puppy is Buddy? Lex's?"

Sheepish Geoff is fascinating! Harper watches him closely from her recline on the sofa cushions. "Okay. You've wanted a dog for a long time. I have no problem believing that." He even researched breeds. "So why Shiba Inus, specifically?" He starts to talk about their first camping trip and Harper warms like chocolate on the tongue. "You could have said something then, you know," she tells him gently, already aware that he handled the topic in the most thoughtful way he could have. She's quiet for a time while thinking back to the trip and super-imposing a dog along the way with them.

"This dog is going to rule your world, you know. I can already see it. And it's beautiful." She pauses and frowns for a half moment then starts laughing. "Bennie and Easton are going to figure out how whipped I am." It doesn't look like that fact bothers Harper at all. And then he talks about moving the sun and the moon: Harper exhales softly. "You astonish me, Geoffrey. All the time."

Geoff tucks an arm around Harper's shoulders bringing this moment awfully close to being a family moment "Well I should hope I know you well, you've been a part of most of my life." Fingertips toying against her shoulder he adds "I wouldn't miss going to the library with you two for the world. It'll be fun to see how Raz handles the kids an to see you doing your job there." with a tap of his foot he says "Buddy belongs to Jake, my apprentice."

"Well I like that Shiba's are intelligent, brave and loyal to their family. They aren't the most cuddly dogs and can be independent but they want to be where there family is which makes it perfect for activities with us." With a content sigh, Geoff seems utterly relaxed in this moment, eyes closing as he confirms to Harper "It's true you know...I'd move the sun and moon if I could make you happy doing it. It might take a bit of work, a plan and ingenuity but I'd make it happen for you." Leaning over he kisses her cheek, "And you act like our pup isn't going to rule your life as well."

When Geoff moves to wrap his arm around Harper, she repositions her slouch to instead lean in against Geoff much like she did when the first got together at his trailer to celebrate his return to bachelor-hood and to watch wrestling. With plenty of alcohol. "You know," she confides teasingly, "You don't have to come up with a grand scheme to get a dog to spend more time at the library with me." In addition to their semi-regular lunches, that is. "I seem to remember a plan to teach the youth of Gray Harbor how to make shivs out of bookmarks." Ah ha. Buddy belongs to Jake. "But he's so young," Harper protests. "He has a dog?" Harper says this as if having a dog is equal to having children. "Tell him I owe him one," she murmurs in reference to Jake. It's not clear whether this is a good or bad thing. "And tell him we're available for dog sitting if he cleans your station correctly." Because Buddy is the epitome of adorable.

Listening to the description of the qualities of Shibas that Geoff has clearly researched, Harper agrees. "Perfect." A beat. "Have you ever met one up close and personal?" He speaks those words again, tells Harper what he'd do for her and she rolls toward him, pressing herself all along his side without disturbing Buddy's nap. "You might as well be omnipotent," she agrees. "When you set your mind on something, I've yet to see you fail. Some things just take more time than others." And yes, she may just be thinking about those four efforts in high school. "Raz will have my heart in his rational, efficacious paws from the first time we meet," she agrees. "He might have already left some nose prints." She opines, "Aside from the lack of cuddliness, Shibas sound a lot like wild Geoffs in their natural habitat." She lifts a hand to trace the backs of her knuckles along Geoff's beard from near his ear all the way up to his chin, then down over his throat. "You knew choosing a philosopher would do me in, didn't you." More statement than question.

Geoff feigns surprise at the fact he doesn't have to come up with a dog scheme to spend more time with his favorite librarian in her natural environment "What do you mean I don't have to get a dog to do that." with a tsk and a shake of his head he opines "Well then, I'll just have to call the breeder this evening and cancel the puppy viewing and learning session I'd scheduled for this weekend." looking down to buddy he teases the pup "They're lucky you're such a slug or else I'd already have my phone out."

He just lets the fact that he'd scheduled a session speak for if he'd actually been around them up and personal before or not, Eyes falling closed he enjoys the feel of Harper's fingers against his beard and skin "I rather suspected it would have that effect, but I had to choose the right one. I couldn't have anyone who dabbled in Nihilism because that is cat territory there. Also couldn't be overly pretentious and and had to be perfect for the pup. That left Locke, Kant, Voltaire and Erasmus as the best to choose from."

Harper's smile grows slowly at the feigned surprise, and it just grows when he talks about the breeder. "You already found a breeder? Are there puppies on the ground?" Harper may just be anticipating that particular day a little bit. He's taking it seriously enough to take a class on dog-rearing. "Can I come along?" To both, really. "I'm happy to frisk you for your phone. Betcha I can do it --" Molest Geoff, really. Any excuse. "-- without waking Buddy."

"Wait wait wait. You've already seen puppies?" Harper's brown eyes widen. He answers her before she really needs to pursue the topic. "I'm glad Nihilism is out. I hate the thought of living in a box." Harper must have a visual definition of nihilism's paradigm. Fingertips slowly trailing down from Geoff's neck in a wandering path over his torso, she traces where she knows his tattoos are from memory atop his shirt. "G'head, Turner. Keep talking about philosophy and Buddy's going to learn some extremely naked lessons about his owner's boss." She smiles a lazy, teasing smile that has an element of sincerity to it. "When do I get to meet puppies?" She'd like to go right now, if Erasmus is waiting somewhere.

Geoff nods his head "I did find a breeder and they offered to teach me about the pups after I mentioned I wanted to take a look at the pups but I also wanted to learn more." voice lowering he whispers against her ear "I told them I'd be bringing my girlfriend along. If it wasn't for Buddy here showing up in my shop I would have taken you to look at the pups this weekend as a surprise date then shown you the book. So you'll get to meet the puppies this weekend if you want. They're just old enough to be parted from their mom."

Harper tips her head toward the whisper against her ear. "Mmmmn. It's probably good Buddy came along," she admits. "Have you vetted the breeder?" Of course Geoff Turner has vetted the breeder. The man thought to buy a book about dogs in the library. He vetted the reputation of the breeder he's made an appointment with. "If I want. Hmm. That's a difficult one. I'll get back to you on that." She pauses and resumes her atop-the-shirt tracing.

"Yes." She got back to him. The puppies will just have been weaned. That leaves a handful of weeks before they'll be ready to come home. "Will Raz be an 'Ides of March' boy?" Until and unless they learn otherwise, Erasmus will have a male gender designation. Up until now, Harper didn't at all mind the groundhog's addition of six extra weeks of winter. Now she wants mild weather so a puppy can have his potty training in comfort. "So you've seen the dame. Did they have the sire on site, too?" For someone who had a hard no for pets, Harper seems to know a bit about the process. "Were they what you expected when you met the breeder's dogs in person?"

Geoff shakes his head "I haven't been there yet, I've just vetted them online and with people who have bought from them before. I wanted to save that initial trip to go with you, I thought it'd be better and more memorable that way." Turning his head he presses kiss after kiss against Harper's hair "I look forward to finding Raz with you." With a sigh he looks down to Buddy "I hate to say it but I should probably get back to the shop and return Buddy to Jake. Can't go stealing his dog."

Harper has been generous with Geoff's lap in that she's allowed Buddy to have it. It hasn't stopped her from draping herself across the top half of him, though. He hasn't been to the breeder yet in person. He saved that for a trip with her. Harper lifts her head after those kisses fade away to share the warmth of her curving smile with Geoff. "I'm pretty sure it will be memorable." He needs to return the Boston Terrier to his person. "Okay then." She gently pushes herself away from the man and climbs up off the sofa, setting the picture book on the coffee table. Still in her 'work' clothes, she stretches languidly. Tension melted into quiet acceptance drifted to warm relaxation. "If I were Jake, I'd be a little out of my mind right now." She waits for Geoff to get up, then says, "I've heard puppies need to go outside as soon as they wake up." Where did she hear that? It's like she gathers information all day or something. "Am I making dinner for one or two?" As it's been, either answer is comfortable.

Geoff rises up and stretches, Buddy letting out a cute snorty yawn as he wakes up and begins to wiggle "I'll let him use the restroom before getting him back to the shop." Looking to Harper he considers her for a moment before deciding "Dinner for two, it's already bad enough that I have to go back to work but I'm not giving up our evening. Need me to bring anything back?"