“Calm down, calm down. Hang on.” Taeyeon closed the door and took off her shoes before entering the apartment with the dog running circles around her feet. “Yah! Be careful! I might step on you,” she warned as she made her way to the kitchen and placed her bag and the food she bought on the counter. “You finished your food? And ate your snack too. Good girl,” she said when she saw the empty bowl. She refilled Tiffany’s water then squatted down to play with her.
“Dear lord I was so bored but I can run and jump now. You can’t insult me anymore. I’ll jump off your bed tomorrow morning!”
Taeyeon chuckled at the endless barking. “So happy to see me, huh? I’m happy to see you too,” she said as she scratched Tiffany’s ears. “And good news. They finally approved my designs. The book will start printing in a couple of weeks and on to a new project we go. I’ve never gotten back-to-back projects like this. It must be because of you. You’re a lucky charm of a dog, aren’t you, Ginger?” she cooed before giving the dog a kiss, surprising the black pup who instantly calmed down.
You molested me this morning and now you kiss me? I like you but you seem kinda lonely, Taeyeon.
Tiffany tilted her head when she made that observation, looking Taeyeon straight in the eyes.
“What is it?” asked the woman. “Man you’re so cute!” Taeyeon nuzzled the dog again only to see her scampering away. “Yah! Where are you going? You don’t like my kisses?”
Tiffany ran to the bedroom and curled up in her small bed, hiding her face. She had never kissed another girl before and although this technically didn’t count, it still left her feeling very shy.
Good thing she smells nice and is a very kind person.
She stayed there for a few more minutes until she smelled food and heard the TV.
Although she was still depressed, the hours of being left alone with her thoughts trapped inside the canine body made her miss interacting with humans – she missed Taeyeon, to be exact.
So she climbed out of her bed and strolled towards the living room, in search of the woman who was sitting on the couch, munching on a burger while watching TV.
Taeyeon turned her head when she heard the dog approaching and smiled. “Come here,” she patted the cushion next to her.
Tiffany lifted her front paws and leaned them against the couch since it was too high for her to jump onto. She was, after all, still a dog and not a cat no matter how hard she had practiced jumping that day.
Taeyeon put the burger down, dusted her hands then lifted the dog onto the couch.
“Share!”
Bark.
Taeyeon raised her eyebrows at the dog. “What? You want my burger?”
“Yes.”
Bark.
“I’ll let you have a bit, okay? I didn’t have breakfast and it has past lunchtime so please cut me some slack. I’m starving,” said Taeyeon, breaking a piece of the burger to feed to the dog.
Tiffany ate with gusto, shuddering with joy when she tasted human food on her tongue. She wanted to ask for more but she remembered what Taeyeon said about skipping breakfast so she changed her mind and just watched her eat.
Taeyeon turned her head and laughed when she saw the silent plea behind the stare. “Wow. Those eyes are gonna be the death of me,” she said as she broke another chunk from her burger to give Tiffany.
She watched the dog munch down the burger and felt bad for her somehow. “Oh well. I still have my fries. Here, you can have all the meat,” she said as she took the buns off the remaining piece of meat, broke it into smaller pieces and put them on the wrapper that she placed in front of Tiffany.
Tiffany looked up at the woman in disbelief.
“But you’re hungry.”
Bark.
“It’s okay. You can have it all. I’ll just make ramyun or something,” Taeyeon said, patting the dog’s head. “Go on. I bet they taste better than that dog food stuff, huh?”
You bet. Thank you, Taeyeon.
Tiffany licked Taeyeon’s palm again.
“You’re welcome,” said the woman, acknowledging the gesture. “I’m kinda surprised that you didn’t bark like crazy this time to ask for it though.”
Because I know you were hungry.
“Maybe you’re not that spoiled after all, Ginger.”
Tiffany looked up when she heard that but Taeyeon had already gone back to watching TV while eating her fries.
You’re quite selfless, aren’t you, Taeyeon?
She let out a whimper, making Taeyeon turn her head.
“What is it, girl?”
I’m sorry I made you give up your burger. Tiffany looked at the remaining small piece of meat then at Taeyeon, and felt bad.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Finish the meat. And no, I’m not sharing my fries,” Taeyeon joked.
Tiffany hesitantly ate the last piece and sat there watching the quiet Taeyeon. She wondered whether the witch had intentionally let her meet this woman to learn whatever lesson she was supposed to learn.
But her thoughts were cut short when Taeyeon suddenly stood up from her seat, picking up the wrappers to throw them away.
She heard water running in the kitchen and saw the woman return a short while later.
“Ah… now this is the life,” Taeyeon said as she stretched, lifting her feet onto the coffee table. “We have a few days off before that new project starts so better make the most of it, Ginger.” She picked Tiffany up and placed her on her lap.