A Short Tail

A young woman with a big smile and a black and white houndstooth jacket stopped to say hello. You were a Santander customer, right? 

Yes, I said, recognizing her.

Now I work across the street at Bank of America.

I glanced down and noticed my dog Romeo had his mouth on something and was chomping. I looked closer, and saw a dried flat rat tail and shriveled rat foot dangling from his mouth. Rat jerky! I quickly looked away.

What'd he get?

Something disgusting, I'd rather not say, I said, stepping forward to block her view of my dog's mouth. Thanks for saying hello, I said. You look lovely.

When I got home I immediately brushed Romeo's teeth with his chicken flavored toothpaste and I sponged his face just so I could feel better about kissing him again.