Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 111980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Then, maybe because of my dog senses or a mix of instincts, I stick out my hand to the star. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” I say to Jubilee.
The little angel, of course, knows how to shake. She offers me a paw and a demure tilt of her head.
When I let go, I say to Jubilee, “I’d like you to meet my dog, Captain.”
Before I can even turn around though, Sawyer clears his throat and says, “Captain, say hi.”
We barely rehearsed this moment, but it’s perfect. Captain raises his paw and waves to Jubilee.
“They’re waving to each other,” Linus exclaims from behind his desk, like he’s losing his mind. “So freaking cute. I want to put this on my socials. Can I put this on my socials?”
The producer shakes her head, gesturing to the chairs. “Jubilee needs all appearances cleared with her owner. Let’s sit down. I’m glad to know you’re a fan of Jubilee. Linus has set up meetings with a few local trainers. I’m taking this opportunity to work with local businesses seriously.”
“Makes sense,” I say, nerves thrumming through me all over again. “We have a lot of great dog trainers in and around the Darling Springs area.”
“Some of them are quite impressive,” she says, her eyes drifting to the closed door that Hallie just walked through. My stomach plummets again.
“One of them does synchronized routines,” Linus puts in.
And it falls to the center of the Earth. That’s Abner. He’s a former circus performer who worked with stage dogs. I’ll never win against him. “That sounds delightful,” I say, mustering enthusiasm I don’t feel.
“If you’re looking for a Vegas-style show,” Sawyer says, all cool and smooth, and damn, that’s a good point.
Alexandra casts Sawyer a look I can’t read, then pivots back to me. “Why don’t you tell me why you think we should hire you? As you can imagine, our lead dog already has her own handler. Corinne Madison Pavlov.”
“She’s amazing,” I say, since I’ve heard of the famed Hollywood handler, known for her meticulous and loving style.
“She is. But since the show centers around meet-cutes at a dog park, there will be dogs in many scenes.”
And it’s showtime. Confidence, like my mother said. Like Sawyer exudes. Because I don’t do Vegas-style dogs. Or no-nonsense training. But I believe in what I do.
“I can handle all of that with my brand of positive training. I believe dogs, like people, learn best with positive reinforcement rather than negative. I want them to be motivated to produce an action rather than operate from fear,” I say. “I’ve trained all sorts of behaviors in and out of dogs, from stopping barking, to ending food aggression, to shaking paws, to rolling over, and to saying hi, as you saw. With that in mind, I’ll be able to review the scripts and develop training sequences for any desired action for the supporting cast of dogs while ensuring a happy and safe workplace for cast members, both two-legged and four.” I flash back to Angelo’s words—treat it like an audition—and I slide into the performance part. “I could even show you a few of the tricks my own dog knows. Sawyer, would you mind?”
“I’d love to.” Sawyer stands, turns to Captain, who’s parked dutifully in the middle of the floor, and says, “Take a bow.”
Captain lowers his front legs in a little curtsy.
The producer claps. Linus cheers.
“Captain, touch,” Sawyer says, and Captain gently noses Sawyer’s hand. It’s sweet and fills my chest with warmth, and I dare anyone not to feel their heart grow.
I turn to Linus next, suspecting he’ll love this—and it can’t hurt to have the mayor on my side. “Could I use a couple of your hats?”
His eyes light up. “Of course!”
He scrambles to the coat hook and grabs a newsboy cap, a fedora, and a gangster-style hat. He sets them on his desk.
I take over the commands now. “Pick a hat,” I say to Captain.
Captain trots over, nudges the fedora, picks it up, and pops it onto his head. Linus’s jaw drops. Sawyer smothers a smile. Alexandra purses her lips. She has the poker-est poker face ever.
“I can teach any of the dogs on the show those tricks or anything like that. And I could even teach Jubilee all of those today if you’d like,” I say, the spirit of confidence flowing through me. Walk in like you’re the one they should be pitching to.
The producer strokes Jubilee’s head. The little princess basks in the adoration. “I’m sure she could learn them in five minutes,” she says, a little snooty.
“I have no doubt,” I say, since it’s important to be, well, a little obsequious with the star. “She’s as brilliant as she is beautiful.”
“She is. It was such a coup when we cast her,” Alexandra says, clearly adoring the dog—and the win. She draws in an imperious breath. “Now, tell me why I should work with you and shoot the scenes at Dog Tails.”