Majestic Beings (week 3, day 1)
“She is, in a word, majestic.”
“Majestic?”
“In a word, yes.”
“Are you looking at the same dog as me? ‘Cause I’m not getting ‘majestic’ as the first word that comes to mind. Persistent, maybe, or resilient, but not majestic.”
Slane folded his arms across his chest and peered down his nose at Bobby. “You’re not looking hard enough.”
The two friends stared at each other for a moment before breaking into simultaneous grins. The dog in question wagged her tail.
“See? She’s smart and majestic. A true intuitive.”
“I don’t know if you’re trying to convince me or you but whatever.” Bobby put his hand out for the dog and she moved tentatively towards him. “If you want to adopt her, do it. You don’t have to give her some important attributes or anything. Just say you think she’s the one and let’s go.”
The other dogs in the room were bounding to and fro, passing just close enough to Slane and Bobby to consider pets and then dashing away. Only the dog Slane had decided was majestic was quietly lingering by the two men.
“I’m not convincing anyone of anything. I’m just calling it like I see it. She’s majestic, intuitive, and likely to come home with me someday.”
Bobby sat down on the floor and the dog put her paw on his thigh. “She might want to come home with me at the moment. Just sayin’.” He looked up at his friend. “Not like she’d be the first bitch to choose poorly.”
Shane shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “A dad joke? About a dog?”
“What? I gotta get ready don’t I?”
“Practicing at the pound…wait til I tell Melanie.”
“You’re not going to tell her shit. You’re going to be too distracted by this majestic beast.”
It didn’t take long to fill out the adoption paperwork and pay the fee. Shane left Bobby with the dog while he took care of the details and only picked up her leash after everything was finalized. She looked up at him with her expressive brows up as if to ask a question.
“You’re coming home with me, Maji.”
“Magi? As in…gift of the?”
“Maji as in Majestic.”
Bobby let out a bark of laughter that made the dog jump. “Sorry, sorry.” He got up and put his hand out to Maji in an attempt to rebuild trust. “Maji works.”
Shane led the way out of the pound and towards his car. He didn’t have much in the world as possessions went. He lived in a studio apartment, and he drove the same car he’d bought over a decade ago when he was just a junior in high school. His clothes were well-worn and he didn’t wear jewelry. From the outside no one would guess that he was worth seven figures and could, essentially, have his pick of whatever he’d like.
He and Bobby had been friends since the third grade and had traveled disparate paths while remaining friends.