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“What?” I snapped as Gambit evaporated.
I moved my hand back from Wizard’s mouth and sat in the darkness, listening to his rapid breaths.
Crawling back along my bed, I picked up my phone and checked the time. How had it got to 2.30am?
Wizard paced back and forth.
I stretched and realised he hadn’t been taken out to the toilet for hours.
He licked my hand again.
“Okay. Okay. Just let me get my shoes on.”
I dragged on my coat and shoes and put Wizard on his lead.
The hotel was deathly quiet as I made my way along the corridors, Wizard dragging me all the way.
We stepped out into the cold night.
The spending pen gate clanged louder than I would have liked when I let Wizard inside.
His feet clicked on the concrete before he stopped and peed, the high-pressure stream like a hose.
“Geez.” I stood, waiting, as the pee kept coming.
After what could have been a minute, Wizard padded back to the gate. “You done?”
I placed him back on the lead and headed back to my room.
I realised Wizard had been desperate. How long had he needed to go? Poor guy.
Lying back on my pillow, a rush of guilt washed over me. How could I balance Gambit and having a dog?
I closed my eyes, but sleep seemed a long way off.
––––––––
A strange sound roused me and I realised that I must have drifted off. I sat up, rubbed my eyes, and focused my attention on the rhythmic, methodical scraping sound, somehow wet and coarse at the same time.
I shifted along the bed, drawing closer to the sound, and sighed. “Wizard, what are you doing?”
Leaning down, I patted his side. Dampness soaked his forelegs. “What are you doing?”
I cursed to myself and shuffled back under my sheets, tossing and turning.
The lapping continued.
“Wizard, shush!”
I reached for my phone and checked the time—3.42am.
“Go to sleep.” I squeezed the pillow over my ears. “Please...”
––––––––
At breakfast, the waiter took my order as Paul poured a cup of tea for me.
“Did you sleep okay?”
I yawned. “Once I got to sleep. I woke up a few times in the night. Wizard was licking himself.”
“I suppose when you’re not used to certain noises, they’ll disturb you.”
Wizard lay at my feet, curled into a ball underneath the table. “Is there anything I can do to stop it?”
“Not really. He’s still just a dog.”
Nidra sat to my right with Jester. Eric and Helena sat across from me.
Helena spoke incessantly to Eric about campaigning and committees and stuff to do with the local council. I tried my best to ignore them. Today was going to be hard enough as it was without having to listen to Helena’s wittering.
“What’s the plan today?” I asked.
Paul sat at the end of the table to my left. “I think you’ll be staying around the hotel today. You’ll do obedience and probably learn some of the basic commands.”
Helena chimed in. “This is my fifth dog. I already know the commands. It’s utterly ridiculous that I have to go through this every single time. I bet I could teach the trainers a thing or two.”
Paul cleared his throat. “It’s as much for the dog as it is for you. Remember, you need to gel with them. Chances are that you probably got into some bad habits over the years.”
Helena tutted. “I’ll have you know that I stuck to everything I’ve learned in all of my training sessions. Perhaps some people let their training slip, but not me. When you’re working with an Alsatian, you have to do it right. It’s called integrity.”
The waiter slid the plate in front of me and I extracted a knife and fork from their napkin wrapping. I ran a hand across the plate, wincing at the ache in my shoulder—two sausages, two bacon rashers, scrambled egg, and beans. I groped around the plate’s edge. “Is there any toast?”
“I’ll bring your toast shortly, sir.”
“Thanks.” I cut into the sausage and started to eat. Wizard rose to his feet and shook. I leaned towards him, patting his rear. “Settle down, boy.”
He made a tight circle and dropped down to his belly.
I took a sip of my tea and the table shook as Wizard bolted to his feet, my grip slipping from the leash. He ran past me, taking the lead with him. “No! Wizard! Get back here.”
I got to my feet, helpless as a woman at the far end of the dining room screamed. Someone else swore.
I followed the sound of Wizard’s feet and panting breaths as he raced around the room.
Paul got up and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. You sit down.”
A few seconds later, Paul returned and handed the lead to me. “There. Maybe hook it around your foot or the chair leg.”
I nodded and took in a shuddering breath. “Thanks.”
“You okay?”
I shook my head and swallowed. “I’m going to head back to my room, I think.”
“Stay. Don’t worry. These things happen. Finish your breakfast.”
“I...I can’t.” I stumbled to my feet. “I can’t do this.”