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Fiction Short Story

by Susanne Shaphren

The Girl Who Loved Animals

You didn't keep many secrets in the tiny town where Jill Raymond grew up. Everybody knew Jill could save the baby bird who fell from the nest. Stray puppies and kittens always found a home with Jill.

It didn't take a front page story in The Herald for the whole town to know the girl who loved animals made the mistake of her life by trusting the handsome stranger who'd passed through town last spring. He promised to triple the money she'd saved for college, pledged to love her forever. He lied.
   
Though her letters insisted she was doing just fine in the unfamiliar big city hustle and bustle, deep down Jill couldn't help feeling just like a turtle hiding in a protective shell.

Sometimes Jill worked straight through lunch, lingered hours after the office closed. There was always one more chart to file, one last postcard notification to mail. One more perfectly good excuse to postpone going back to the lonely apartment.

Unlocking the office door bright and early each morning was just like coming home again. Working for Dr. Abbott was wonderful except for one tiny detail. Jill Raymond's embarrassing problem couldn't possibly be anything but job-related. If she sold shoes or typed boring business reports all day, her landlady's brightly dyed hair and off-key singing couldn't possibly prompt her to say, "Good evening, Mrs. Canary," instead of,  "Mrs. Kennedy."

Looking in the mirror, Jill often saw an Irish setter instead of the  attractive redhead her mother visited every month. The people who brought their pets to Dr. Abbott seemed to take on animal identities too.

Doug Shepherd, with that single strand of straight brown hair that refused to stay out of his eyes, looked exactly like the mongrel he spent a fortune trying to keep healthy—hardly movie star attractive, but who could possibly resist those warm chocolate eyes?

Mrs. Perkins' fluffy permanent made her look just like her poodle. The pharmaceutical salesman, who always wore a vivid feather hat and talked constantly, could have passed for a parrot.

Jerome Alexander Katz reminded Jill of a sleek tomcat who'd rather be curled up in an armchair preening himself than waiting impatiently to see the vet.

While they struggled to hold his Persian still, both being very careful to stay out of the way of the hypodermic Dr. Abbott wielded, Jerome Alexander Katzgazed deeply into Jill's emerald eyes and actually seemed to purr.

"Dinner?"

Dr. Abbott accepted the invitation for Jill, assuring her later that Jerome Alexander Katz was a fine young attorney. Gently chiding her for spending far too many nights working late at the clinic, Dr. Abbott suddenly reminded Jill of a wise old owl. "Who will keep you warm on long winter nights? Who will make your dreams of gold rings and loving promises come true? Who? WHO? Jerome Alexander Katz, that's who!"

After double-checking on the poodle coming out of anesthesia and spending a few minutes with the lonely fox terrier whose master was out of town for the weekend, Jill hurried home. A quick shampoo left time for a nice long soak in lilac scented bubbles.

No Irish setter in the mirror when Jill previewed what Jerome Alexander Katz would see. Her long red hair sparkled almost as brightly as the yard sale treasure clips that secured the delicate swirls. Soft emerald fabric matched her eyes and highlighted the curves her lab smock usually camouflaged.

Jerome Alexander Katz rang the doorbell precisely as Jill's antique clock chimed the hour. His sleek black sports car reminded her of Cinderella's coach.

Walking into The Starlight Room brought Jill's every childhood fantasy into reality. Tiny lights in the midnight blue ceiling glowed like stars. No fairy tale castle could possibly compete with the elegant decor.

There was a single red rosebud tucked elegantly into Jill's napkin. Each velvet petal was perfect to the smallest detail.

The way other people stared told Jill that she and Jerome Alexander Katz made an attractive couple, but there was something wrong with the picture. Like the tomcat he resembled, her dinner companion seemed interested only in himself. All his sentences began with "I" and never strayed far from his favorite theme.

So easy to let her mind and her eyes wander. The blonde at the next  table was tall and sleek, regal as an Afghan. Nothing at all like her companion, that sweet mongrel named Shepherd.

It was wonderful to see him smiling again. Jill had been so very  worried about him ever since that awful day when Dr. Abbott had been unable to save Ginger.

Comforted by Jill's gentle hugs and the promise of a new puppy, Doug Shepherd's young sons had taken the news remarkably well. Their father's sad eyes betrayed the secret his face tried so hard to keep. The loss of their long-time pet had brought back every painful detail of his wife's illness and death.

Obviously too busy trying to concentrate on the blonde's constant monologue, Doug Shepherd didn't even see Jill.  The tables were so close together that Jill couldn't possibly avoid overhearing how similar the blonde's favorite topic was to Jerome Alexander Katz's.

Jill was more than glad to let Jerome Alexander show off his French and order for both of them. All of Mrs. Kent's high school lessons had somehow evaporated into thin air. Nothing on the leather-bound menu even looked familiar.

There was a beautiful garden just outside the window. As her dinner companion catalogued his accomplishments, Jill couldn't help stealing glances at the flowers. Jerome Alexander contentedly rambled on and on, never seeming to notice if Jill missed an 'ooh' or 'ah' now and again.

Suddenly, Doug Shepherd appeared right in the middle of the biggest flowerbed. On his hands and knees, he seemed to be reaching for something. Was he gathering a bouquet for his princess?

When Doug returned with a tiny ball of gray fur and tried to tempt it with morsels from his plate, the blonde couldn't begin to hide her disgusted embarrassment.

Jill didn't think twice before springing into action. She was a girl who loved animals, a girl who knew exactly what the scared little kitten needed. She'd be  more than happy to  provide the warm secure hug during the drive to a quiet safe place. Doug could decide if that place should be his house or her apartment.

Somehow sure that the sleek tomcat and the regal Afghan wouldn't miss them, Jill suddenly sensed she didn't need a turtle's protective shell anymore. Her heart sang about building a happily ever after future with the special man named Shepherd.


About the Author
Susanne Shaphren's articles and fiction have been published in a wide variety of print and online venues including: ABSOLUTEWRITE, DANA LITERARY SOCIETY ONLINE JOURNAL, E-CLIPS, ESPRESSO FICTION, and SPRING HILL REVIEW. Her short story, "Arrangements," is included in the Mystery Writers of America anthology, SHOW BUSINESS IS MURDER.