He was dreaming, and it wasn't your typical canine dream, his legs weren't running across an imaginary field, Rex was flying. He'd learned that if he jumped high enough, using all the strength in his hind quarters, then clawed the air above him as hard as he could with his forepaws, he could get enough altitude to stay in the air then, like "UnderDog," he could point his paws and fly, twisting and spiraling to check out what was happening down on the ground just like an eagle.
Rex was flying through a cloud above a group of females, all of them looking quite delectable, their yips and yaps drifting up, their scents wafting in eddies and puffs of warm air. He was a happy dog, doing what other dogs couldn't. He smiled a toothy smile, panting, soaring, as the dog voices changed, morphed, became human -- annoying human voices, feminine, "...then the cute guy said...," "NO WAY! She wasn't even there! HE was the one..."
He realized he wasn't flying anymore. He was lying back, napping. He was jiggling, too. It was kind of nice, the jiggling. Relaxing. He thought about going back to sleep. He opened one eye, seeking the source of the human voices. Some annoying teenagers. Females. He'd like to bite the high-pitched one, not to hurt her, just to let her know his kind didn't like her pitch, volume or incessant need to blather on.
His doggy senses tingled and his open eye shifted to the right. A female sat looking at him curiously, her head tipped to one side. He opened the other eye and looked away, suddenly concerned that perhaps he'd been drooling. He straightened out a little, bringing up one forepaw to wipe his muzzle. He looked back. She was still staring at him, a bemused look on her face. Ah, she was also listening to the girls -- or maybe she was amused at them AND him.
Rex felt his collar. Bare. Hm, he'd taken off the black bow tie, he recalled. and had stuffed it in the pocket of his tux jacket when he'd entered the subway car and sat down. The formal function had been one notch past tedious and the last glass of wine had contributed to his having drifted off. He sat up a bit straighter and lifted his head off the ad poster behind him, looked down at his shoes stretched out in front of him, took a look at his watch, wondered how many stops he'd slept through. The girls' gossip was grating.
He snuck another glance up. She was still eyeing him. He chewed on the inside of one cheek. There was a Nine West shoebox on the seat beside her. She had a tight skirt on and had legs like a dancer's. He stirred, cleared his throat, "What did you buy?" he ventured, his chin gesturing toward the box. She looked surprised, then said in a strong accent "Ah... Shoes." He smiled and held her eyes, his dancing, "Yes, last time I checked, shoes come in boxes just like that one." She smiled, embarrassed, and looked down at the box.
She was actually very pretty, about 30-something, too pretty to be riding the subway at midnight alone, he thought. Dark hair, longish face, high cheekbones, a Borzoi, he judged. His protective radar switched on and he quickly scanned the car for predators before his attention returned to her. The coast was clear but she misinterpreted his surveillance and suddenly became wary, picking up the box and wrapping her arms around it protectively. "I like the shoes at Nine West. Always very classy" he said and shifted his head to read the station name as the train drew to a stop. Crap, he'd missed his transfer station.
Three rambunctious young males came bursting into the car through the door facing her like a pack of
Bull Terriers, immediately shouldering each other and gesturing, eyes popping and rolling as they decided to plunk down in the seats beside, at 90 degrees and the one catty-corner to her, leering and snuffling, mouths open. She looked down the car away from them.
He sat eyeing them, slowly drawing his feet in under him. The movement caught their attention and all three shifted their attention to him. He stared back, from one to the other, his intent unclear. They all suddenly changed their postures, looking out the window and at the ceiling, leaned back as one, six feet splaying out with feigned casualness. He looked back at her. Her chin down, her eyes flicked up to his. The train began to slow for the next stop.
"This is our station, Honey" he said and drew to his feet smoothly, one hand on a hand rail, proffering the other to her. She hesitated..
Rex was flying through a cloud above a group of females, all of them looking quite delectable, their yips and yaps drifting up, their scents wafting in eddies and puffs of warm air. He was a happy dog, doing what other dogs couldn't. He smiled a toothy smile, panting, soaring, as the dog voices changed, morphed, became human -- annoying human voices, feminine, "...then the cute guy said...," "NO WAY! She wasn't even there! HE was the one..."
He realized he wasn't flying anymore. He was lying back, napping. He was jiggling, too. It was kind of nice, the jiggling. Relaxing. He thought about going back to sleep. He opened one eye, seeking the source of the human voices. Some annoying teenagers. Females. He'd like to bite the high-pitched one, not to hurt her, just to let her know his kind didn't like her pitch, volume or incessant need to blather on.
His doggy senses tingled and his open eye shifted to the right. A female sat looking at him curiously, her head tipped to one side. He opened the other eye and looked away, suddenly concerned that perhaps he'd been drooling. He straightened out a little, bringing up one forepaw to wipe his muzzle. He looked back. She was still staring at him, a bemused look on her face. Ah, she was also listening to the girls -- or maybe she was amused at them AND him.
Rex felt his collar. Bare. Hm, he'd taken off the black bow tie, he recalled. and had stuffed it in the pocket of his tux jacket when he'd entered the subway car and sat down. The formal function had been one notch past tedious and the last glass of wine had contributed to his having drifted off. He sat up a bit straighter and lifted his head off the ad poster behind him, looked down at his shoes stretched out in front of him, took a look at his watch, wondered how many stops he'd slept through. The girls' gossip was grating.
He snuck another glance up. She was still eyeing him. He chewed on the inside of one cheek. There was a Nine West shoebox on the seat beside her. She had a tight skirt on and had legs like a dancer's. He stirred, cleared his throat, "What did you buy?" he ventured, his chin gesturing toward the box. She looked surprised, then said in a strong accent "Ah... Shoes." He smiled and held her eyes, his dancing, "Yes, last time I checked, shoes come in boxes just like that one." She smiled, embarrassed, and looked down at the box.
She was actually very pretty, about 30-something, too pretty to be riding the subway at midnight alone, he thought. Dark hair, longish face, high cheekbones, a Borzoi, he judged. His protective radar switched on and he quickly scanned the car for predators before his attention returned to her. The coast was clear but she misinterpreted his surveillance and suddenly became wary, picking up the box and wrapping her arms around it protectively. "I like the shoes at Nine West. Always very classy" he said and shifted his head to read the station name as the train drew to a stop. Crap, he'd missed his transfer station. Three rambunctious young males came bursting into the car through the door facing her like a pack of
Bull Terriers, immediately shouldering each other and gesturing, eyes popping and rolling as they decided to plunk down in the seats beside, at 90 degrees and the one catty-corner to her, leering and snuffling, mouths open. She looked down the car away from them.
He sat eyeing them, slowly drawing his feet in under him. The movement caught their attention and all three shifted their attention to him. He stared back, from one to the other, his intent unclear. They all suddenly changed their postures, looking out the window and at the ceiling, leaned back as one, six feet splaying out with feigned casualness. He looked back at her. Her chin down, her eyes flicked up to his. The train began to slow for the next stop.
"This is our station, Honey" he said and drew to his feet smoothly, one hand on a hand rail, proffering the other to her. She hesitated..
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