<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/5WGMhX4.jpg)</div><div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/IgjDnJr.jpg)</div><br/><strong>Name:</strong><strong>Sara McComb &amp; Pepe</strong><br/><br/><strong>Date:</strong>April 1, 2017<br/><strong>Time:</strong>early afternoon<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Joao<br/><strong>Summary:</strong>Making an idiot of herself in the park<br/><br/><br/><br/><hr/><hr/><br/>“Way to go, Sara,” she scolded herself silently, covering the awkward moment by looking down at Pepe, who was wagging his tail like mad and looking far more pleased with himself than his behavior warranted.  “You could have helped him up, and who knows … maybe you would have gotten unbalanced and fallen right into …”<br/><br/>She grinned at herself, showing a flash of white, even, likely expensively maintained teeth.  She might be making a fool of herself, but at least she hadn’t made THAT much of a fool.  More’s the pity … as her eyes wandered for a moment before snapping back to his face.<br/><br/><em>“Nice to meet you …<strong> John.</strong> “ </em>She reached out, but she was a day late and a dollar short again.  He was already handing Pepe over to her, so instead of taking his hand, she took the dog instead.  Of course, it was great to have Pepe back under control, where he wouldn’t get hurt, even if she was really doing a lousy job of maximizing her opportunities – something she stressed at work.<em> “Oh, you’ve got a dog, too?   That probably means you’ll be walking him here …”</em><br/><br/>She closed her eyes, and mentally pictured stamping her foot – or possibly kicking herself in her own ass.  “Next you’ll be asking him if his wife comes with him when he runs.”<br/><br/>Thankfully,  her dog savior didn’t seem to read minds, and thank God for small favors.  Pepe gave her a reproachful look, probably wondering why she wasn't kissing her way up his arm by now.    At least John made the rather awkward faux pas of asking her baldly where she lived, though she had really invited him to with her comment about being new to the neighborhood.  He recovered well, though she couldn’t help but wonder if using his shirt to wipe his forehead had been meant to show off some rather nice abs.  The view distracted her again for a moment, making her miss a beat when the fact that they lived in the same building – or at least the same set of buildings – sunk in.<em>“Oh."</em>Her face lit up.  No prizes for playing coy, or hard to get for Sara.<em> "We’re neighbors, then.   We just moved in today.  Me, I mean.  Well, me and Pepe.  And Victoria.  My niece.  She’s my niece, staying with me for a while.”</em><br/><br/>“Oh, that’s good.  Why don’t you flutter your fingers around, or maybe twirl Pepe’s leash around them so he can see you’re not wearing a ring?”<br/><br/>Sara smiled brightly again, and resolutely held her hand still, refusing to make the juvenile gesture, even if a part of her really, really wanted to.<br/><em><br/>“That would be marvelous.  Didn’t you just move in?  I mean … I thought the building just opened?  But I guess if work nearby, it’d make sense that you know all the good spots. “</em><br/><br/>Well, that was a little better.  Sara gave a snort of introspective laughter at herself, shaking her head, even if it made him think she had a few marbles loose.<em> “Though I think I’ll just save myself the trouble of figuring out a reason to send myself to the ER to see you again.  How about dinner one evening, to thank you for stopping my runaway dog?  Take it as  a neighborly gesture … or as the fact that if I walk away without asking you out, or you asking me out, Pepe will never let me hear the end of it, after all the trouble he went to to arrange an introduction.  Of course, if you’re involved ... "Please, God ... let him be single.  And no girlfriend.  And heterosexual ... or at least bi."<br/><br/>"Well,  I’ll admit to a certain disappointment and hope you’ll take it as a funny compliment instead of something … you know … crazy dog lady stalkerish.”<br/></em><br/><br/>