Aria

Now the VIP was staring at me, a questioning glare in his eyes, and I was floundering like some kind of drunk sleaze.

“I… I’m so sorry!” I stammered out, taking a staggering step back. “I… I just… I thought you were someone else! It’s dark in here, and I-I didn’t realize—”

“Enough.” The VIP rolled his mismatched eyes and turned to the blond, who I was just now realizing was the owner of this bar. “Do you normally allow this kind of behavior in your establishment?”

The bar owner’s face visibly blanched. “No! Of course not, Mr. Avarise,” he replied, dipping his head. “This is completely unacceptable.”

The VIP—Mr. Avarise—scoffed and turned on his heel without so much as looking at me. “Then I suggest you take care of this… problem.”

With that, he was gone. I couldn’t help but stare at his retreating form as he made his way up the stairs to the VIP section, suit jacket taut around his muscular back. He carried himself with such an air of authority that even other VIPs coming down the stairs moved aside for him, women gawking at his chiseled jaw and men ogling his lush, long hair.

And to think that I had just kissed that man, who was not only a VIP but totally and utterly out of my league…

A dick move on my part, if I was being honest.

“Here.” The sound of the bar owner’s gruff voice and something being shoved into my hand snapped me out of my reverie. “I can’t exactly kick you out over something like that, but I’d appreciate it if you’d close your tab and see yourself out.”

Frowning, I looked down at what he’d just handed me; two free drink vouchers.

A more diplomatic way to say ‘Get the fuck out and don’t leave a bad review on Yelp.’

By now, my face was beet red, which was made even worse by the fact that other people around us were staring and whispering amongst themselves. I could feel their glares on my skin—no doubt judging the drunk little hussy who had practically assaulted a VIP.

So I didn’t need more convincing.

Bella—after a bit of whining about our night being cut short—finally agreed to close our tab and leave with me. The night air was cool and refreshing against my hot skin as we stumbled out onto the busy city street, and only then did I let out the breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding.

As soon as the door was shut behind us, my friend began to laugh.

“Wow, Aria!” Bella crooned, draping her arm around my waist. “I didn’t know you had it in you! Kissing a stranger VIP like that!”

A few passersby glanced at us, and I resisted the urge to bury my face in my hands. “Bella, not so loud—”

“That’s probably the boldest thing you’ve ever done!” Clearly, my friend had no volume control when she was drunk. She wiped away invisible tears, stumbling against me as she said, “They grow up so fast!”

I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. “Yeah, well, I’m never doing anything like that again.”

Bella grinned impishly as she twirled a strand of jet black hair around her finger. “I don’t know, Aria… Never say never, right?”

“I’m saying it now: never.”

My friend rolled her eyes and giggled again. “You just had some bad luck, that’s all. If he wasn’t such a curmudgeon about it, maybe you could have even gotten his number.”

“Bella…”

“I mean it!” Bella slurred, nudging me with her elbow. “That kiss was passionate as hell, and the guy practically reeked of Armani.”

She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk then, spreading her hands in front of us as if reading the words in neon lights.

“I can see it now… Aria, the rich CEO’s doting wife!”

…

I woke to the sensation of warm sun hitting my cheek… and a piercing headache.

“Ooh,” I groaned, wiping the drool off the side of my face. My alarm hadn’t even gone off yet, and I was already awake with a blistering hangover. I really should have had more water before bed last night, I thought as I sat up and chugged the glass that Drunk Aria had been smart enough to set on the bedside table.

It was then, water dribbling down my chin, that it hit me.

I nearly choked.

“Oh, Christ,” I groaned, palming my forehead as the events of last night finally came rushing back.

Kissing a rich VIP like that… I’d made an utter fool out of myself. What was I even thinking? That was it; I was never drinking again.

He probably doesn’t even remember your face, I thought to myself as I threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. I kept telling myself that, a weak attempt at self-soothing, as I stumbled to the bathroom and popped a couple of Advil to combat the nasty headache that was radiating throughout my skull.

I turned on the hot water, steam slowly filling the bathroom. My entire body ached, especially—

“What the…?”

Leaning forward, I wiped some of the mist away from the mirror and gingerly touched my collarbone. I winced and pulled my hair aside to reveal a swollen mark on my skin. The flesh was raised and angry, as if burned, in the shape of a crescent.

Weird. I didn’t recall getting injured last night, but to be fair, I had gotten hammered; Bella had convinced me to hit up another bar with her after leaving the first one, and the rest was history after that.

But damn, did it hurt.

After my shower, I tenderly put some ointment on the mark and dressed casually—an oversized sweater, leggings, and a puffy winter coat and cozy scarf—then pulled my hair into its usual braid and headed out.

Despite everything that happened last night, I was excited for my day. It was Monday; and every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I would walk dogs.

Dog walking was just a side gig for me, something to make a bit of extra cash for a couple of hours in the mornings, but it was honestly the highlight of my week. I loved all animals, but especially dogs, and since I wasn’t able to own a dog myself, hanging out with other people’s dogs filled that furry void. The exercise was nice, too.

The winter morning air was chilly but invigorating as I made my way out of my brownstone apartment and began my usual route. It was February, but it hadn’t snowed in some time, so that the cold air and barren trees were the only indications of winter.

My first pickup was just a few doors down—an adorable little dachshund named Morty who was always excited to see me.

“Good morning, little guy!” I cooed as I walked in the front door. Morty yipped excitedly, practically leaping into my arms as I crouched down. “Are you excited for our walk?”

“Morning, Aria!” Morty’s owner, an elderly woman named Anna who couldn’t walk him in the mornings anymore due to her arthritis, waved from around the corner and held up a mug. “Coffee?”

Coffee sounded nice, but I was running a little late after spending too much time wallowing in the shower. “Erm… I don’t suppose you could make it to go?”

Anna beamed and shuffled away, cabinets banging as she prepared the coffee. A moment later, she emerged with a thermos and one of her famous oatmeal cookies in a little baggie. “You can bring the thermos back later,” she said, glancing at my dark circles. “Late night?”

I flushed at the reminder of what had happened. “Something like that,” I said, thanking her for the coffee and heading out with Morty in tow.

Munching on my cookie, I continued on my route, picking up my other dogs as I went—an elderly labrador named Goldie, a lazy pit bull named Cooper, a feisty pomeranian ironically named Bella.

After I picked everyone up, I headed to our usual haunt: a dog park downtown. The dogs were particularly excited today, practically pulling me along as we went. Once they saw the dog park, it was all I could do not to let them drag me down the sidewalk.

“Alright, alright,” I laughed, swinging open the gate and heading inside. “Don’t worry, we’ll have lots of play time today.” The cool air was soothing against my hangover, and I wouldn’t mind spending some extra time outside.

But as I went to unhook Goldie’s leash first, the usually-serene older dog suddenly went on high alert. Her ears pricked up, tail straightening, and I could even hear a low growl rumble in her throat.

In fact, all of the dogs went stiff.

Frowning, I followed their piercing gazes across the lawn, and that was when I saw it: an absurdly large—I’m talking enormous—brown and white husky bounding toward us, tongue lolling out of its mouth.

“He just wants to play,” I assured my dogs. But all four dogs, who were normally quite friendly, seemed… stiff. Nervous. Even Bella yipped and hid behind my legs as the husky ran up to me and nuzzled my hand with his comically large snout.

“Hey there, buddy,” I said, scratching behind the husky’s chocolate-colored ears. As if in response, he whined up at me with mismatched eyes—one blue and one brown.

I looked around, but didn’t see an owner heading my way, which was strange. The park didn’t enforce leashes, but dogs weren’t allowed to go completely unattended. “Where’s your owner?”

“Sorry. That would be me.”

The sound of a deep, rich male voice that was oddly familiar caused me to startle. I whirled around, and there he was—dressed differently than last night, in a casual jacket and jeans, a few strands of his long, raven black hair falling loose from its bun, but…

It was him. The wealthy VIP from the bar.

The one who I’d kissed.

I just stood there, mouth slack. Don’t let him recognize me, I thought desperately, tucking my chin into my scarf to hide my face.

But he recognized me.

Those mismatched eyes narrowed dangerously, and I felt my stomach drop as his next words were anything but friendly.

“You? Again?”

Aria

“I-I’m so sorry about last night. I was drunk, and—”

“Lucas. Come.”

The man didn’t even look at me as I tried to explain myself—he just snapped his fingers. Laughably, the affectionate husky with eyes that looked an awful lot like his owner’s whined and sat down next to me.

“Lucas…” The man seemed to be growing frustrated, and I had to choke down a chuckle as the dog cocked his enormous head and whined again.

“Is he a show dog?” I asked, nodding toward the husky.

The man finally looked up from his dog, but only to glare at me. “Excuse me?”

“A show dog.” I felt heat creep up my neck, even though it was supposed to be an innocent question. “He’s really beautiful. And quite large, even for a husky.”

“Oh.” The man shrugged and said, “No. He’s just a… rare breed.”

My eyebrows shot up at that. “What breed?”

The man opened and closed his mouth for a moment, little puffs of white air escaping, clearly not in the mood for small talk. Finally, he responded, “Part wolf.”

“Wow!” The exclamation slipped out of me before I could stop it. “No wonder he’s so big! Purebred wolves are enormous—I spent a summer once working at a wolf sanctuary and—”

“Lucas. Let’s go.”

My mouth snapped shut at that, and I felt my face turn what was sure to be a brilliant shade of crimson. Clearly, my attempts at small talk were unwelcome.

But the dog just sat there.

And yipped at his owner as if in protest.

I had to cover my mouth with my hand to hide my smirk. Finally growing impatient, the man turned on his heel and began to stride away. “I’m leaving, Lucas. Unless you want to find your own way home, you should come with me.”

He talks to the dog like he’s a human, I thought to myself, but I couldn’t blame the guy. I often did the same with animals. But shockingly, the dog barked and whined once more as if responding, pawing at the grass with one foot.

The man’s back stiffened, and he stopped in his tracks.

“Lucas…”

The dog growled softly and nuzzled my hand, clearly not wanting to go. By now, the other dogs had relaxed somewhat and were sniffing him curiously, although he didn’t seem all that interested in them.

“I guess he likes me,” I joked.

“No. He doesn’t.” The man turned, placing his hands on his hips, and continued to stare at the dog. “I’m not sure what you did to make him come to you, but he’s not usually this friendly.”

I frowned, cocking my head. Was he implying that I’d given his dog treats or something to make him come to me?

“He just ran up to me,” I remarked, and placed my hand on Lucas’s head. “Seems friendly enough to me.”

Sure enough, the husky nuzzled into my hand. His owner looked a bit surprised, creases forming between his dark brows. A slight breeze ruffled the loose hairs around his face, and even though he was being a bit standoffish—for good reason, I supposed—I couldn’t help but blush at how handsome he looked.

“How did you manage that?” the man asked. “Lucas is… particularly picky with who he likes.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Dogs have always liked me, I guess.” Suddenly having an idea, I pulled my business card out of the pouch at my hip and held it out to him. “I’m actually a professional dog walker. If you ever need someone to walk him when you’re busy—”

“I don’t need to pay someone to do something so frivolous.” He didn’t even glance at my business card.

I quickly looked away, feeling embarrassed beneath that piercing gaze. Right; he still hated me for what I had done last night. “Sorry,” I managed, pulling my hand back. “I just thought…”

Suddenly, as if a dog whistle had gone off somewhere nearby, the husky began to howl and whine miserably. The man sighed, staring at the dog with his hands on his hips. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that the guy and the dog were in the middle of some kind of battle.

Finally, the man shook his head as if giving up. “Alright, fine.” Before I could react, he took my card and studied it. “It’s rare to find someone who Lucas accepts, so I guess I’ll take it. Just in case I need a babysitter.

My eyebrows shot up again. “You mean a dogsitter?” I quipped.

The tips of the man’s ears reddened slightly. “Right. That’s what I meant.”

I let out a tiny breath of relief. More work was always a plus for me, especially with wealthy businessmen like this guy, and dogsitting made even more money than walking. I watched as he studied my card, and those mismatched eyes glanced up at me.

“You’re Aria?” he asked.

I nodded and stuck out my hand. “Aria White, at your service. And you are…?”

The man looked at my hand for a moment, as if considering, then sighed again and shook it. “Darren Avarise.”

“Nice to meet you, Darren.” His palm was warm and large against mine, practically dwarfing my fingers. I was taller than most women—standing at five-foot-nine—and it was rare for me to feel so small next to a man.

But with Darren… He had to have been at least six-five, maybe more. I almost had to crane my neck to look up at him.

“Ahem.” Darren cleared his throat, and I quickly pulled my hand away, realizing I had been shaking his hand for far too long.

“Sorry,” I managed, turning away in the hopes that he wouldn’t see me blush again. “I should get going—these guys need their playtime. It was nice meeting you.” I paused, swallowing, and added over my shoulder, “I really am sorry about last night.”

Darren didn’t respond, and so I went to leave.

But before I could take more than two steps, I felt something tug at the hem of my sweater.

Stopping, I looked down to see that Lucas was biting my sweater. His mismatched eyes stared almost pleadingly up at me, and a soft whine escaped his throat as if he didn’t want me to go.

“Oh, uh… See you too, buddy,” I said, patting his head. The dog still didn’t release my sweater, and I let out a small chuckle and glanced over at Darren. “I guess he really does like me.”

Darren just stared at his dog, looking shocked. “Lucas.”

Only then did the large dog, albeit reluctantly, release his grip on my sweater—leaving a big, wet mouth print on the fabric. Whining, he tucked his tail between his legs and hung his head as he returned to his owner’s side. Darren walked away without a word, and Lucas shot me one last sad look before following him.

I couldn’t decide whether to laugh again or feel bad. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded adding the big softie to my list of clients, although I doubted that Darren would actually call me. I shook my head to dispel the notion as they disappeared over the hill and returned my focus to the other dogs.

…

By the time I returned home that day, it was past noon. I’d spent more time than usual at the park, savoring the fresh air, and had also chatted for a while over coffee and more oatmeal cookies with Anna.

I kicked my boots off by the door, tossing my keys onto the counter as I trudged back into my apartment. Home sweet home…

I need to clean today, I thought, glancing around at the unwashed dishes in the sink and the full hamper in the corner. It was a small apartment, just about all I could afford, which meant that it got messy quickly.

First, though, I grabbed my laptop and settled cross-legged onto the sofa to get some writing done. I hadn’t even opened Word, however, before a new email notification was popping up.

“RE: Job Application to Lunar Labs — Application Accepted.”

Aria

“Dear Aria,

We are pleased to let you know that your job application to Lunar Labs has been accepted. Are you available to come to our head office for an interview today at 2 PM?

Best,

Adam (Hiring Manager)”

I rubbed my eyes, wondering if what I was reading was a figment of my imagination.

The advertising department job I’d applied to months ago at Lunar Labs, the top canine nutrition company in the country, had finally gone through. I thought that my application had been ignored, seeing as how I had no formal degree, but…

“Dear Adam,

I would be honored to come for an interview today. See you soon!

Best,

Aria White”

I typed out the response before I could even think twice; this was a huge opportunity, after all. To have a position at Lunar Labs, regardless of position, was basically a ticket to financial security.

A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was almost one o’clock, and Lunar Labs’ head office was on the other side of the city, so I’d have to move quickly.

Slamming my laptop shut, I bolted to the bathroom for my second shower of the day—just to make sure I wasn’t covered in dog hair—and quickly rinsed off. Once I was clean and dry, I picked out a smart outfit consisting of a pair of tailored trousers and a clean white button-down that I saved specifically for interviews, and then I was out the door.

As I ran for the subway, I still couldn’t believe that I was even being considered for the job. I had never been able to afford college due to a… rough upbringing that resulted in emancipating myself early and living in youth homes/communal situations for years.

So because of that, I was usually passed over for full-time jobs. Applying for this job was even a bit of a stretch despite my experience with animals and freelance writing, so when I hadn’t heard back for months, I didn’t think much of it.

But now, I was finally getting my chance. I just hoped I would make the right impression.

I made it to the Lunar Labs head office with ten minutes to spare after taking two different subways, and smoothed down the front of my slightly-rumpled shirt as I strode in through the front doors.

The building was sleek and modern, with tiled white floors and walls that were mostly comprised of windows. It was situated right along the river, lush gardens that were gorgeous even in the dead of winter lining the walkways. A koi pond sat in the middle of the lobby, gold and red fish flitting about beneath the serene surface as vines in hanging pots swayed from the ceiling.

It was so… nice.

I knew that Lunar Labs was an extremely successful company, but I’d always pictured a cold and industrial office building, not contemporary white chairs and lush plants and enormous abstract art pieces.

“Hi,” I said, somewhat out of breath, as I stopped near the sleek front desk. “I have an interview. The name is Aria White.”

The receptionist, a freckled redhead, looked up and eyed me up and down over the rim of her glasses.

“Human?” she asked, looking confused.

“I…” My eyebrows shot up in surprise, and I let out an awkward chuckle. “I mean, what else would I be?”

The receptionist didn’t reply, instead furrowing her brow as she typed on her keyboard. A moment later, she pushed her chair back and stood, leading me over to a set of frosted glass doors behind the desk. “Right this way.”

Still puzzling over that strange question, I followed the receptionist—who was just as tall as I was, if not taller, and her heels made her even more so—through the doors and down a bright white hallway.

As we passed by employees and rooms with big windows that revealed meetings going on inside, I couldn’t help but notice that people seemed to be… staring at me.

I glanced down at my shirt, wondering if I had developed some nasty pit stains during my mad dash across the city. But my outfit was just as neat and clean as before, my hair pulled back into a tidy bun at the nape of my neck.

Maybe they’re just not used to newcomers, I thought. Or they can tell that you’re poor as hell just from one look.

Finally, the receptionist opened a door at the end of the hall and gestured for me to enter. “Adam is just inside,” she said, shooting me a terse smile. “Good luck, human.”

And with that, she was striding away, her heels clicking rapidly on the tiled floors.

Human…?

“Come in.” I looked up to see a man with brown hair and a neat beard gesturing for me to enter, and I managed a smile, shutting the door behind myself. He glanced at me up and down, just as the receptionist had, as I took my seat.

“You’re human?” he asked.

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” I laughed, wholeheartedly believing that this was some kind of inside joke at this point. It was a company for canine nutrition, after all. “Very funny.”

The man, Adam, smiled tightly and shuffled some papers on his desk. “Haha, yeah,” he said, confirming my suspicions—albeit weakly. He gestured to me and leaned back in his chair. “So, tell me about yourself.”

Even though I had applied to this job months ago, I had come prepared. Without missing a beat, I launched into an explanation of my past experience.

“I began volunteering at various animal shelters at the age of twelve,” I began, sitting up straight. “Every weekend, I would help care for and walk the dogs. At sixteen, I spent an entire summer working at a wolf sanctuary outside the city, and—”

“A wolf sanctuary, you say?” Adam cut me off, cocking his head.

I nodded. “Yes. I helped care for the sick and elderly wolves. It was an amazing experience.” I went on, “After that, I took on a job at—”

“Hold on a second. You said you are human, correct?”

Frowning, I stopped mid-sentence. What the hell…? If this was a joke, it wasn’t really funny anymore. If anything, it was just becoming downright weird. “Yes,” I replied, trying my best to sound unbothered.

“I see.” Adam stood, stroking his beard as he looked down at me. “I’m afraid you won’t be cut out for this position,” he said after a moment.

I felt my stomach drop. “But I thought my application had been accepted,” I managed. Why would they invite me for an interview, only to tell me that I wasn’t ‘cut out’ within the first two minutes?

“Yes, well… I’m afraid our application system is run by AI,” Adam explained, looking a bit apologetic now—although not as much as he should. “Sometimes it makes mistakes.”

“But—”

“I’m sorry, Miss White.” Adam moved some papers aside and picked up what looked to be a copy of my resume. “I see here you have no formal education. The position requires a bachelor’s degree at minimum.”

“Oh.” I felt my shoulders slump. I did recall that the job listing had said as such, but I had applied anyway, figuring that there was no harm in trying. I did have extensive experience in animal care and freelance writing, after all.

Adam tossed my resume back down on his desk. “My apologies, Miss White. You can see yourself out.”

I didn’t move right away. “I can’t even complete the interview?” I asked, starting to feel a little frustrated. “I mean, your system was the one that made the error, and I came all the way here—”

“I guess I need to repeat myself,” Adam chuckled wryly. He spoke slowly, as if speaking to a child. “You. Are. Not. Qualified.”

“But my experience—”

“You lack the education. Plain and—”

“What are you doing, Adam?”

Adam and I both jolted at the sound of the familiar voice. Eyes widening, I turned, and there he was: Darren.

Before I even had a chance to process what was happening, Lucas was bounding into the room and nuzzling my leg, whining as if he hadn’t seen me in a hundred years. Meanwhile, Adam stammered incoherently and Darren placed his hands on his hips.

“I’m the one that accepted her application,” Darren explained, striding into the room. “Unless you’re implying that I’d be so careless as to make a mistake in the hiring process at my own company.”

Oh No.

It was then that it hit me.

Darren was the CEO of Lunar Labs—therefore making him one of the richest people in the country.

And I accidentally kissed him last night.