Chapter 2

The hum of electric clippers is loud as I carefully trim Max, a golden retriever with fur that seems to have a mind of its own. The sweet smell of lavender shampoo permeates the air, calming both the dogs and customers at Slash and Dash Doggy Grooming salon. I work meticulously, making sure each strand of fur falls into place, highlighting Max"s handsome features.

"Presley, can you hand me the thinning shears?" Ziggy asks, his voice slightly muffled by the apron covering his mouth.

"Sure thing," I reply curtly, grabbing the shears from the counter. As I pass them over, Ziggy fumbles, nearly dropping them on the floor. Rolling my eyes, I mutter under my breath, "Guess not everyone has the precision of a brain surgeon."

"Hey, it takes a special kind of talent to juggle scissors and dog fur all day long," Ziggy retorts, smirking as he catches my sarcasm. We both laugh. WE grew up together in Ann Arbor and share the same sense of humor.

Ziggy and I met in middle school, quickly becoming inseparable as we bonded over finding a malnourished kitten on the playground and hiding it between us the rest of the day so I could take it home and care for it. Our passion for pet care eventually led us to co-own Slash and Dash, transforming our childhood dreams into reality.

"Looks like Max is almost ready for his close-up," Ziggy remarks, admiring my handiwork. I nod in agreement, brushing away the last few stray hairs to reveal Max"s perfectly sculpted coat.

"Good boy, Max," I praise him, scratching behind his floppy ears. He tilts his head and wags his tail happily. There"s something so rewarding about seeing a dog transformed from a tangled mess to a clean and happy pup.

"Alright, Max," I say softly, giving him one last scratch behind the ears. "Time for you to go home." I hand Max back to his grateful owner, who is yet another happy customer and promises to return soon.

"Presley! The Johnsons are here to pick up Rocky!" our receptionist Emily calls out as soon as I finish cleaning my mess.

"Be right there!" I shout back, giving Max one final pat before heading to the front of the salon. My career is everything I"ve ever wanted, but I also know that there's more to life than just this.

"Your baby is all set, Mrs. Johnson," I say with a warm smile, handing over the now perfectly groomed Rocky. The sweet smell of lavender still lingers on her fur, a testament to my dedication and skill. Satisfied customers like these make it all worth it, even when the days are long and hard.

"Thank you so much, Presley. You always do such an amazing job," Mrs. Johnson gushes, her praise momentarily soothing the ache inside me.

"Anytime," I reply, forcing a grin as they leave the salon. I turn to Ziggy, hoping for a distraction from my thoughts. "So, how about that brain surgeon"s precision?" I quip, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, I"ll have you know, I"ve never lost a patient," he replies, feigning offense. We chuckle and chat while we prepare for the next dog to arrive.

"Presley, this is Mrs. Ramirez and her chihuahua Coco," Emily introduces us to a petite woman with a feisty Chihuahua entering the salon.

"Hello, Mrs. Ramirez," I greet her, immediately noticing Coco"s bared teeth and tense demeanor. This dog is going to be a challenge, but I"m up for it. "What can we do for you today?"

"I"ve heard you"re the best in town, and Coco really needs some grooming." Mrs. Ramirez hesitates, glancing at her agitated dog. "But she"s not exactly... friendly."

"Leave it to me," I assure her confidently, gently taking Coco"s leash. The tiny dog growls, but I maintain my calm and assertiveness. Slowly, I guide Coco towards the grooming station, speaking in soothing tones. "Easy there, Coco. We"re just going to get you all cleaned up, okay?"

As I begin massaging shampoo into Coco"s short fur, my thoughts drift once more. My life seemed to be going just as planned, but with every perfectly groomed dog, the fur grows back, making things messy again. My personal life is changing. What's that going to look like as far as impacting my business?

"Presley?" Ziggy calls out gently. "You okay?"

"Of course," I reply, forcing myself to refocus on the task at hand. I don"t want to burden him with my personal shit, not when we have work to do. "Just lost in thought."

"Alright," he says, clearly not entirely convinced but deciding to let it go.

Coco slowly begins to relax under my touch, her initial aggression melting away. Things like this remind me why I love my job so much.

"Okay, Coco," I say softly, finishing up her grooming session. "All done." Coco wags her tail tentatively, a small victory that makes me smile.

"Thank you, Presley. She"s never been this calm after grooming before," Mrs. Ramirez exclaims, admiring her now well-behaved dog.

"Happy to help," I reply, handing Coco back to her owner. As they leave the salon, I catch Ziggy"s eye and sigh. Despite my success, change is coming—a change that will redefine everything I thought I knew about myself and my life. But for today, all I can do is focus on the dogs.

"Presley, we"ve got three more dogs coming in," Ziggy calls out from the front desk. "We"re going to have your hands full."

"Bring "em on," I reply with a grin, ready to tackle the challenge head-on.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur with my hands moving in a graceful dance. I effortlessly trim nails, brush fur, and soothe anxious pups with my calming voice. Each dog is given the same level of care and attention as the last, ensuring they leave the salon looking and feeling their best.

"Wow, Presley, you"re like a dog whisperer!" one of the customers exclaims as she watches me work. "I"ve never seen anyone handle so many dogs at once!"

"Thanks," I reply modestly, trying to hide my pride. "I just love what I do."

Just as I finish working on a particularly stubborn knot in a golden retriever"s fur, my phone buzzes. Seeing my mom"s name flash across the screen, I hesitate before answering.

"Hey, Mom," I greet her. "What"s up?"

"Hi, sweetie! Just wondering how you"re doing." Her tone is laced with concern. "We haven"t heard from you in a while. Are you okay? You know, your father and I worry about you being all alone out there. Are you seeing anyone?"

"Mom, I"m fine," I insist, rolling my eyes at her persistence. "And no, I"m not seeing anyone right now." I don"t mention the one-night stand or the nagging in the back of my mind that I need to have a serious conversation with my parents. Instead, I focus on deflecting her questions.

"Presley, darling, you can"t spend your whole life working," she presses on. "You need someone to share your life with."

"Mom, I"ve got to go," I cut her off quickly as her words hit home. "I"ll call you later."

"Alright, sweetie. We love you," she says before hanging up.

I put my phone away and take a deep breath to refocus on the task at hand. My parents are right to worry about me, but now is not the time to dwell on it. Instead, I must continue to prove my worth as the queen of canine multitasking and face the changes coming my way head-on.

Deep in fur, I"m about to start trimming around Baxter"s ears, but the electric clippers have suddenly died. Not one to panic, I quickly switch to manual scissors and continue grooming without missing a beat.

"Girl, you know I'd be throwing those clippers against the wall. How do you always manage to stay so calm?" Ziggy asks.

"You know dogs can sense when you"re stressed, and that just makes everything worse," I reply with a half-smile.

Just as I"m about to call it a day, a mischievous poodle named Bentley saunters into the salon. His owner claims he"s in desperate need of a trim, but from the looks of it, Bentley has other plans. With a playful gleam in his eyes, he jumps out of her arms and darts around the salon, dodging brushes and clippers like a seasoned pro.

"Bentley, you little rascal," I say with a laugh, joining in on the fun. I bound after him, ducking under tables and weaving through grooming stations, making me laugh. Ziggy watches us with a grin, shaking his head.

I finally manage to catch Bentley, scooping him up into my arms and ruffling his curly fur. "You"re quite the handful, aren"t you?" I tease, my breath coming in short pants from the chase. I groom him in record time because, even though I love being here, I'm exhausted and ready to kick my feet up.

"Ziggy, I swear, Bentley must have been a professional athlete in another life," I say as we start cleaning the salon, gathering up clippers and brushes.

"Or maybe he"s just practicing for the Dog Olympics," Ziggy chuckles, shaking his head. "That poodle has more energy than a caffeinated squirrel."

"Right?" I laugh, wiping down the grooming tables. As I lock up the salon for the night, I glance back at the neat rows of grooming tables.

We walk to our cars while I have some serious nagging thoughts about my upcoming visit to my parents" house. I know they"ll pry into my love life and express their concern for my well-being. The last thing I want is to face them alone.

"Hey, Ziggy," I say hesitantly. "You know how I"ve got to go see my parents sooner rather than later? I was wondering if you"d come with me? You know, as moral support."

Ziggy raises an eyebrow, feigning horror. "What? And miss the last few shows and the season finale of Glitter Wars? Honey, I love you, but there are limits." He grins playfully, wiggling his fingers in a mock salute before climbing into his car.

"Alright, alright," I laugh, shaking my head. "You enjoy your sparkly showdown. I"ll survive the parental inquisition on my own."

"Hey, why don't you check out that dating app called Holidates? And before you shoot my idea down, no, it's not a full-blown dating thing, it's just hiring a date for an event."

"I don't know," I say and shake my head, not thinking that would be a good idea.

"Look, you need support, and no one wants to deal with your parents, no offense," he replies with a wink. "What better way than to just hire someone to do the job, then they don't have to like them or get along with them because it's like a one-and-done deal.

"You and your bright ideas. I don't think that will work," I counter.

"Well, good luck on your own then!" he calls out as his car pulls away, leaving me to face what lies ahead.

Damn, maybe I should at least look it up to see how it works.