A Fresh Start ( Closed for NewGame8)

[Girly_girl]

Dr Laura Riley DVM knew from a very early age she had wanted to be a veterinarian. For the past 5 years she had been working at a small clinic just outside of Philadelphia, as much as she loved what she did, she was not happy with the location and had been searching for new opportunities elsewhere. Her best friend back home had told her that their local veterinarian wanted to sell and was looking to sell at a decent price. Laura's time here had not been easy, her partner of almost 9 years had cheated on her, stole money from her, not to mention toxic and abusive. Just before losing her mom, she had promised her that she would one day escape from him and start her own practice, which had always been her dream. Right before her 35th birthday, her dream came true when she flew home and met with Dr Blake to visit the practice.

She found a lovely little house on the other side of town, just around the corner from where she grew up, and better yet, she was able to move in right away. A month later after closing on both the practice and her home, she packed up everything in her city apartment into a small uhaul and headed back to her new home. At 35 years young, Laura was ready for a fresh start on life, she had always been a strong woman but the past 5 years had worn her down, she no longer trusted easily. As much as she kept a smile on her face, one could tell there was a lot of hurt behind her mesmerizing hazel eyes.

Pulling into her new driveway of her new home, she got out of her car and walked up onto her front porch and unlocked her door. Part of her couldn't believe this was all hers, she had a feeling this fresh start was just what she needed and going to be an incredible journey. Going back out to her car, she unlocked the Uhaul and started to bring her stuff inside, the movers would be bringing her furniture and larger items in the morning. After several hours of unpacking, she decided to order a pizza and open a bottle of wine, there was a lot to celebrate and this was just the beginning.

 

[NewGame8]

Kevin Jones was 35. He is 6'1" with brown hair and hazel eyes. He keeps himself in good shape with a regular workout routine. He enjoyed the small town life. He had moved out of the city after his divorce. Fortunately, there were no children involved, so, with the sale of the house, it was a clean break. Well, except she got to keep the dog. He was a GSD. It wasn't like she really liked the dog. Thor was definitely attached to Kevin, which is why she insisted on getting the dog. Kevin was not giving Thor up willingly, but ultimately she won out. It was hard on Kevin to let him go.

After finding a nice home on a quiet street in the small town, Kevin settled in. The house was just big enough for him, and the dog he was going to have to get to replace Thor. In addition, it had a home office, which was perfect. As a financial analyst for an international corporation, Kevin worked from home. He was very well respected in the company. In fact, no major decisions were made without his input. The CEO of the corporation had him on speed dial, and often called him in the middle of the night to discuss business. Kevin couldn't complain too much, he was paid very, very well, even though you would never know it from the way he lived. He didn't flaunt his money. He drove a nice SUV, but nothing fancy.

When his phone rang, Kevin was shocked. He was on the treadmill getting in his regular morning workout. Normally he would go out for a run, but the rain this morning kept him inside. The call was from his lawyer. He wanted to know if Kevin wanted Thor. It seems that his ex and Thor were not getting along at all. Kevin smiled to himself. Thor probably acted out because she took him away. Of course Kevin wanted him back.

The reunion was perfect. Kevin met her lawyer at a park, signed a paper, and got Thor back. Thor was happy to see him, and Kevin was happy to see Thor. They went for a little walk together. Thor seemed off, though. He seemed nervous/ anxious as they passed other people. Thor had never been like that. He was always a happy dog that got along with all people. The only time Thor would act differently was if he sensed a threat. He was different now.

Kevin tried for a couple of weeks to work with Thor, but things didn't seem to change. Thor was great when they were alone, but around other people, he was not comfortable. This was not the dog that he had before and that he lost in the divorce. He needed some help, and decided that a visit to the vet for a check-up might be a good place to start. He looked up local veterinarians online and found one that was not far from him. He decided to call and make an appointment.

 

[Girly_girl]

The following morning Laura waited for the movers to arrive with her furniture, while waiting she called her best friend who had so graciously kept Laura’s dog Peaches until she was settled. Peaches was a 5yo rescue Boxer who loved everyone. The movers had come and gone and now everything was in its place, grabbing an umbrella she made the short walk 2 blocks away.

Laura was 5’5”, 135 with long reddish brown hair and hazel eyes. She kept herself in good shape but avoided gyms, she would often go on a run or walk with Peaches or walk on her treadmill. After securing Peaches from Amy they took the long way home. Peaches sniffed her way around the new house and wagged her little tail giving her approval.

It was a few days before Laura was to report to the office so she focused on some cleaning and relaxing. Dr Blake’s staff had chosen to stay and Laura was grateful as they came with stellar recommendations from Dr Blake himself. After making a pot of coffee she grabbed a blanket and went to sit on the porch swing for a bit. “I have a feeling this is going to be a great place for us Peaches, I truly do.” Taking a sip of her coffee, she cuddled up with Peaches and watched people go about their day.

 

[NewGame8]

When Kevin called the Veterinary Office, he was told that they were in a transition and a new vet would be taking over the practice shortly. Since he had no connection to the vet who was leaving, Kevin decided he would wait until the new veterinarian took over. He wanted to make sure that if there needed to be follow-ups that Thor would see the same doctor.

After scheduling the appointment with the new vet, Kevin decided that he was going to take Thor for a long walk. He figured that Thor had probably been couped up and had not had much stimulation while with his ex. Kevin wondered if isolation was causing Thor's issues. Thor had always been great around people. He looked scary because of the breed, but was really a gentle soul that loved people and was never a threat to people or other animals... unless, of course, he sensed some kind of threat or danger. For him to be nervous around other dogs was a shock to Kevin.

After hooking Thor up, they headed out. Kevin decided that they would walk to the park and then around the lake. Kevin hoped that the exercise and the exposure to people and, possibly, to other dogs would help Thor. The beginning of the walk was great. Thor seemed like his old self; walking right next to Kevin with his head up and his tail up and wagging.

Things changed when they got to the park. It was crowded and there were a lot of dogs. Thor suddenly was on high alert. It was as if he perceived every other dog as a threat; no matter how big or small they were. Kevin's mind raced. What could be causing this? What had she done to him? Once they left the park after going around the lake, Thor was fine again. Of course, they did not encounter any other dogs on their way back home. Kevin was worried about Thor. He hoped the vet would be able to help.

 

[Girly_girl]

Laura spent the next few days getting settled in her new home, hanging pictures and putting everything in its place. She was looking forward to starting work tomorrow in her new practice and making relationships with her patients and owners, Laura had always wanted a small town practice and now here she was. Later that afternoon she decided to take Peaches to the dog park, upon arriving though it was incredibly crowded and decided not to stay.

Something had caught her eye, a well dressed man walking his GSD in the park. The dog seemed anxious and out of sorts, it was not uncommon to see dogs anxious around crowds. Keeping an eye on them from a distance as she did not want to spook the dog even more, waiting to see if they moved away from the park. Eventually they started moving towards her and Peaches, Laura moved to the side and waited for them to pass.

It was not uncommon for Laura to strike up conversations with people on the street when she saw them with dogs. As they got closer the dog seemed to calm, so much so that it stood horizontally in front of her almost as if it was protecting her. It’s been said that if a dog does that, it senses the person is sad and they sense it. “Your dog is beautiful, what’s his name?” The behavior of the dog had completely changed from what she had just witnessed in the park, he seemed settled and content.

 

[NewGame8]

As they walked along the street, Thor was right next to Kevin. He didn't pull. He didn't lag behind. He stayed right where he was supposed to be. That made Kevin feel good. Thor was able to leave the stress of the park behind. Kevin believed that, in time, Thor would snap back to being his old self. They just needed more time together.

A woman approached them with a dog. Kevin started to get anxious. He knew that was not a good thing, because Thor would sense his anxiety and would become anxious himself. He smiled at the woman as she neared. He noticed two things as they neared each other: her Boxer dog and that the woman was very attractive. It seemed when Kevin's focus moved away from worrying about Thor, Thor relaxed a little.

He smiled at the woman, when she commented on Thor being beautiful. "Hello. His name is Thor." Kevin was surprised by Thor's reaction during their interaction. "What is your dog's name?" Kevin took a deep breath as they stood in relatively close proximity. He was surprised that Thor did not react to the woman's dog. It was like the old Thor was back.

 

[Girly_girl]

“Well that is a perfect name for this breed, hello Thor.” Laura’s hand was by her side and Thor sniffed her hand and gave it a nudge giving his approval for her to pet him. “This is Peaches.” When Peaches heard her name she wiggled her little nub of a tail and calmly approached the man waiting to be pet. Laura smiled at the attractive man with the beautiful dog, she almost asked what vet he used but decided against it. “May I pet him?”

They talked for a few minutes and parted ways, she was sure she’d see him again at the dog park or around town. The next few days flew by and before she knew it, it was time to start her new and long awaited journey. The alarm went off at 6am Monday morning, after showering and getting ready Laura slipped into her emerald green scrubs and made some coffee. After pouring some food into Peaches bowl and refreshing her water, Laura went in to brush her teeth and put her hair in a clip. Gathering Peaches up, she walked out the door and began their short drive to the Animal Clinic.

Grace was the lead technician, she had been with the practice for over 20 years and was very good at her job. She had printed out Laura’s appointments for the day and left them on her desk. After setting Peaches dog bed and some blankets in her office, Laura sat down at her desk and looked through the appointment schedule. One appointment caught her eye and she wondered if it was the same dog and owner she had met a few days ago. From the looks of the appointment “Thor” would need a complete work up and would be a longer appointment, thankfully the rest of the appointments were yearly check ups and the partnering vet was also in today if she needed more time with Thor.

 

[NewGame8]

"Of course you may. He seems comfortable with you, which is much different than he was around everyone in the park and all of the other dogs. He seems okay with your dog, as well." They made small talk for a little while and then said goodbye to one another. Kevin turned and glanced as the woman as she walked away before heading home with Thor.

Kevin continued to take Thor out everyday for a long walk. Each time, Thor was great as they walked along the street until there was interaction with another dog. Some dogs Thor would act aggressively toward. Kevin realized that it was usually bigger dogs, and Kevin figured it was because Thor perceived them as a threat. The weird thing, however, was Thor's anxiety around other dogs.

On the day of Thor's appointment at the vet, Kevin took him for a short walk before they went; hoping to expend some energy. After loading him in the car, Kevin drove to the clinic. Once inside, a woman, who introduced herself as Grace, took them to a room and started to get a lot of information about Thor. She also asked Kevin for contact information. Kevin shared Thor's history and what happened with the divorce. He shared about Thor's sudden anxiety. Grace nodded her head and wrote the information down. Then, she said that the doctor would be in shortly.

What a shock it was to Kevin when the attractive woman he had met on the street walked into the room and introduced herself as Dr. Riley. Kevin smiled at her. "It is nice to see you again, and, I think you remember Thor."

 

[Girly_girl]

Laura had heard Grace go in the exam room and begin getting vitals and some information for Thor, after about 15 minutes Grace intercoms in and lets Dr Riley know Thor is ready. Laura read briefly through Thors notes and saw he was experiencing some anxiety and aggression toward other dogs and people. It seemed to be it came on all of a sudden after Mr Jones had divorced and his wife had taken Thor for awhile.

Stepping into the room, it was clear that it was the dog and owner she had briefly spoken with a few days ago. “Good morning, Mr Jones, nice to see you again, and of course I remember Thor. So Thor is experiencing some aggression? I would’ve never guessed when I saw you the other day, he seemed quite content.” Laura began examining Thor, making sure he wasn’t painful anywhere, as that can also be causing his behavior. After a thorough exam, Laura talked to Mr Jones to see if there was any recent injuries.

“Mr Jones, has Thor experienced any trauma or injuries lately?” He appears to be in great health and I wanted to rule out anything physically wrong, sometimes if our pets are hurting they can come off as being aggressive. From what I’m seeing, he didn’t even growl at me or from my technician from what she relayed to me.” She began to pet Thor as she spoke with Mr Jones. Getting down to Thors level, she spoke to Thor, almost as if he could understand her. “What’s going on, Thor, huh? You’ve been the best boy here today.”

Thor licked her hand as she spoke to him. “May I offer him a treat, because he certainly deserves one.” Laura smiled at the attractive owner, he had kind eyes and a nice smile.

 

[NewGame8]

"My name is Kevin, please don't call me Mr. Jones. It makes me feel old. It is one thing to be called that when I am working, but outside of work, I would rather not be called my father's name." He chuckled and smiled at Dr. Riley. "Yes, he was fine when he was around you and your dog that day. Of course, that was a 1 on 1 situation and not like being around a number of other dogs and people."

Watching as Dr. Riley examined Thor, Kevin was a little nervous. He wasn't totally comfortable with Thor around others just yet. Not like he used to be. "I just got Thor back from my ex. For some reason, she fought to get custody of him in the divorce. I have no idea why; probably just to piss me off. Oh, sorry. Probably just to make me mad and get in a final dig. He was nothing like this before she took him. So, I don't know if there has been any trauma or injuries. We only communicate through lawyers. In fact, her lawyer is the one who delivered him to me when she decided she didn't want him anymore."

Kevin saw Dr. Riley move down to Thor's level. He knew that was a good strategy with a dog, but he had to admit he was still nervous. However, as he watched Dr. Riley move down with Thor, Kevin noticed that Thor was completely relaxed. This was the old Thor. There was no perceived threat, so, he was perfectly fine. When the attractive veterinarian asked if it was okay to give Thor a treat, Kevin nodded. "Just be careful though. If you offer him treats, he will want to keep coming back here."

 

[Girly_girl]

“Okay, I will make you a deal. If we are around staff or my other clients I will call you Mr Jones, during appointments I will address you as Kevin, how does that sound?” She smiled at the man and they went on to talk about more about Thor. “How would you feel about some training for Thor? Not your usual run of the mill training you’re probably thinking of, it would be more of a therapeutic training to bring the “old” Thor back.”

“When I was in vet school I used to work with therapy dogs and I think Thor would be an excellent candidate. I would start out one on one with him and build it from there, I really think he’d thrive from it.” Laura gave him her card with her cell on it. “I would like to run some labs on him to rule out anything medical though, just to make sure.” When Kevin agreed to the labs, she intercoms Grace to come in to get Thor to take him for his labs.

Laura and Kevin talked for a bit before Grace brought Ace back in,” He was an absolute angel!” Kevin, if I’m not mistaken, I believe I just moved into the house across the street from you, I saw you outside with Thor a few days ago after we had met in the park.

"Just be careful though. If you offer him treats, he will want to keep coming back here."

“Well, you can bring Thor to visit me anytime you want, I keep the good treats for all my patients.” She knelt down again and rubbed Thor’s ears and gave him another treat. “Do you have any further questions for me?” You can always call the number on the card I gave you if you do, I will always pick up.” I will call you tomorrow with Thor’s lab results.” It was a pleasure seeing you again Kevin…you too Thor!” Laura smiled and walked Kevin up to the front desk and told him she’d talk to him tomorrow.

 

[NewGame8]

Kevin listened as Dr. Riley talked about doing some therapeutic training with Thor. It certainly wasn't what he had expected to hear, but he was willing to consider all options to get Thor back to the way he had been before his ex had hijacked him. He was surprised to hear the doctor say that Thor would make a good therapy dog. "I am willing to try anything Doctor Riley. The Thor you see in front of you now is the Thor I always knew. The one that is anxious around other dogs is not my Thor."

He enjoyed chatting with the beautiful veterinarian while Thor was taken to have lab work done. Dr. Riley was definitely easy on the eyes; very attractive and all the right curves. He was careful not to check her out while they were alone. He didn't want to do anything that would upset her and make her not want to treat Thor.

When Dr. Riley said that she moved into the house across the street from him, Kevin was very surprised. He knew that someone had moved in recently, but hadn't noticed anyone at the house. Of course, most of his time at home during the week was spent in his home office with work. When he wasn't working, he was trying to figure out how to help Thor.

Taking the card with Dr. Riley's cell phone number on the back, Kevin smiled at her. "Thank you for all of your help Doctor Riley. I hope that the labs come back normal and that your specialized training will work to bring back the old Thor."

 

[Girly_girl]

When Laura arrived to work the next morning, she saw that the previous days labs were back. Unfortunately there were a few she would have to deliver some bad news too, that had always been one of the hardest parts of her job. After making all the necessary phone calls to everyone, she took a look over Thor’s labs and it revealed he was a little malnourished otherwise he was completely healthy. Laura thought of the conversation that she had had with Kevin the day before, him telling her that his ex wife had kept the dog from him, most likely she hadn’t been feeding him right.

“Hi Mr Jones, this is Dr Riley. I just wanted to let you know that Thor’s labs came back, other than being a little malnourished he’s completely healthy. Sensing how much you love that sweet boy, I know he will be well taken care of now, he’s very lucky to have you.” I’m here through Friday, let me know when you’d like to start him with some of that therapy to get him back to his old self and we can discuss some details about it. Okay, looking forward to hearing from you.”

After a busy day of seeing patients and some minor surgical procedures Laura was glad to be home. Going into the kitchen she poured herself a glass of wine and put her feet up, sensing she was sad or upset, Peaches walked over and placed her sweet face on Laura’s leg and looked up at her. Peaches always made her feel better no matter what. After finishing up her wine and placing the glass in the dishwasher and headed up to start a shower.

 

[NewGame8]

After getting home from the Veterinary Office, Kevin took Thor for a walk. Once again, Thor was fine as they walked along the street, but once they got to the park, Thor was obviously very nervous. Kevin decided against putting his dog through the stress again and he turned around and headed home. Once they were in the house, Kevin went into his office and checked his email.

The next day was a busy one for Kevin. It started with a phone call at 3 am from the CEO. He had questions about a possible acquisition in Germany, and wanted Kevin's input on it. The CEO emailed all of the information Kevin needed and Kevin spent the next few hours pouring over hundreds of pages of documents so that he could provide the CEO with the best possible advice.

Once he had a response to the CEO, Kevin decided to get dressed and go for a run. It had been a while since Thor had gone on a run with him, so, Kevin decided to do a short loop around the block with Thor and then he would finish his run by himself. Once he was back from his run, Kevin showered and dressed. He had an online meeting that he had to attend, so, he put on a shirt and tie. After the meeting and dealing with several other items, Kevin decided that he had enough for the day. Sure, it was only 4 pm, but that was after an early morning start.

He grabbed a carbonated water out of the refrigerator, and picked up his phone. He saw that he had missed a call from the vet. Kevin listened to her message and was happy that there was nothing major going on with Thor. "The bitch probably just fed you crappy food, huh bud." He rubbed Thor's ears as he talked to him. "We'll take care of that. You always get the good stuff from me."

Kevin took out the card that the vet had given him. He looked at the cell phone number that Dr. Riley had written on the back of the card. At first he decided he wasn't going to call the number outside of business hours. That wasn't fair to Dr. Riley. After all, not everybody had to answer calls 24/7 like he did. Then Kevin changed his mind. "If she didn't want me to call after regular business hours, she would not have given me her cell phone number."

Kevin dialed the number. "Hello Dr. Riley, this is Kevin Jones. I am sorry to bother you after hours, but I just wanted to let you know that I got your message and that I am willing to try the therapeutic training."

 

[Girly_girl]

After her shower and getting dressed, Laura curled up on the sofa with Peaches and opened her book, not long after her cell rang, she didn’t recognize the number but it could be a concerned owner. “Hello this is Dr Riley. Oh hello Kevin, no bother at all, feel free to call me anytime with concerns. Wonderful, would you and Thor be free on Saturday morning and we could begin then?” If you need to check your calendar and get back to me, no problem.”

When their phone call ended, Laura read for a bit before her and Peaches head up to bed. She found Kevin to be quite attractive but she knew he had been through a lot with his divorce and Thor taken from him, it was quite obvious Thor had been more his dog than hers. Laura had seen a lot of cases like this over the years, some worse than others, the spouse would take the pet out of spite and most of the time neglect of some sort.

More than likely his ex had given him low quality, cheap garbage food and/or table food which really was not great for dogs, she had no doubt Kevin gave Thor the good stuff. The following morning when arriving at the office Laura saw she had a full day, which she loved and made the day go by faster. On her break, Kevin had called her to let her know Saturday morning would work.

 

[NewGame8]

After the phone call with Dr. Riley, Kevin and Thor went out into the backyard. Thor was still adjusting to his new surroundings, so, Kevin sat on the deck while Thor once again explored the area. Eventually, Thor came back up onto the deck and laid at Kevin's feet. Kevin was pretty certain that Thor was going to be okay; he just needed time to adjust to being back where he belonged.

Before going to bed that night, Kevin checked his calendar. He didn't think that he had anything going on on Saturday, but he wanted to be certain before committing to Dr. Riley. He didn't want to waste her Saturday by cancelling after he found out he had something else to do. After checking his calendar and confirming that he had nothing at all going on for Saturday, Kevin got ready for bed. It had been a long day, and he had no idea if the CEO would be calling him in the middle of the night.

Fortunately, there were no middle-of-the-night calls, but Kevin was up at 5 am. He just couldn't sleep late most days. He thought it was because he was constantly expecting a call from the CEO. He got up, put on a pair of gym shorts, and went down to make coffee. Thor followed him down the stairs and waited patiently for his morning treat. While waiting for the coffee, Kevin turned on his computer and checked his emails: nothing pressing.

After pouring his coffee, Kevin and Thor went out on the back deck. Sitting in the dark with his coffee, Kevin let Thor take as much time as he wanted. They sat outside and watched the sunrise. Kevin liked this house. It had enough open space around it, but was still in a community where there were people who were very sociable. Now, his new, attractive vet had moved in across the street from him. Kevin's mind wandered to Dr. Riley. She certainly was a looker. He wondered if she was single, but then he shook his head. "Easy Kevin, you are getting way ahead of yourself. She is Thor's doctor and nothing more."

Kevin went back inside and answered a few emails of very low importance. He then opened an email from the CEO. It contained more documents pertaining to the Germany deal and a possible add on to the deal of a company in Italy. "Slow down dude. Let's figure out whether the German deal is worth it before we start adding on to it."

Kevin printed the documents, and, while they were printing, he went upstairs to shower and get dressed. On his way back down to the office, he decided that he should call Dr. Riley before he started reading all the info that had been sent. He left a message on her voicemail letting her know that he was okay for Saturday morning. "Just let me know what time and I will be at your office. I am an early riser, so, whatever works for you is fine." Kevin then dove into the documents. The more information he had, the more the German deal looked to be a good one for the company, and the Italy add on could be a good one, also.

He called the CEO to discuss everything. Kevin told the CEO that both deals were good, but he thought they could get a better deal on the Italy one. "Keep the terms for the German company the same as they are. They will be happy with the offer, and we can turn that company around and make a lot of money. By giving them what is on the table for that one, they will see us as being fair, and when we go lower for the Italy company they will be more open to it."

The rest of the week had Kevin working on analyzing all of the details and working with lawyers to finalize the offers for both companies. The corporate attorneys agreed with Kevin about making the offer for the German company first. By Friday night, Kevin was exhausted. He had been putting in 16-18 hour days to get these deals put together. The work he was doing was way above his job description, but Kevin wasn't worried about what the job description was. He was trusted by the CEO and he was paid very well for what he did.

When he woke up Saturday morning, Kevin was looking forward to the day. He didn't have any work to do, and Thor was going to get started on his therapeutic training. Hopefully, the old Thor would be back soon. He had his coffee on the deck while Thor sat next to him. He was ready well before his scheduled time with Dr. Riley.

 

[Girly_girl]

The rest of the week crept by, without anything too serious coming in, at the most a deep laceration. Laura spent most of her remaining days at the office catching up on medical notes and paperwork. Mr Jones had confirmed with her that he was free on Saturday to do some work with Thor. Laura had no doubt that Thor would be back to his old self in no time, with a little help from her and lots of patience he’d be able to go out without feeling anxious around other dogs.

Friday was a slow day so she decided to leave a little early, as her colleague decided to stay if anything else came in or called. Arriving home around 5, Peaches greeted her at the door happy to see her, “I can always depend on you being happy to see me.” She rubbed Peaches ears and poured some food in her bowl and gave her some fresh water. Her mind wandered to Kevin, she found him to be incredibly attractive but knew his main focus was Thor and work.”Don’t even think about Laura, he’s a client and Thor is your patient…he probably wouldn’t be interested in you anyway.”

Laura’s alarm went off at 6:30 Saturday morning, the plan was to have Kevin meet her at the office at 8. Finally rolling out of bed, she showered and got ready choosing gray yoga pants and a sage green fitted tee. By the time she came downstairs the coffee was ready and got her insulated coffee mug to bring with her to the office, she grabbed Peaches and they walked the block and a half to the office with it being a beautiful day.

 

[NewGame8]

Kevin was not sure what Dr. Riley needed from him in Thor's training, so he put on a pair of gray gym shorts and a black fitted t-shirt, so that he could move around easy enough if he had to. Just as he was getting ready to walk Thor to the Veterinary Office, he looked out the front door and saw Dr. Riley walking out of her house with her dog. Kevin decided to wait for a couple of minutes before leaving; he didn't want the Vet to think he watched her leave and then wanted to join her. He didn't want her to think he was trying to do anything but get help for Thor, although, Kevin wouldn't mind getting to know her on a personal level.

After making sure that Dr. Riley and her dog were close to the office, Kevin headed out with Thor. Despite the fact that it was early on a Saturday, there were a lot of people out; many of them with dogs. Thor's anxiety started to show. There was one particular dog that Thor showed a lot of aggression toward, but Kevin was able to keep it moving and get to the Veterinary Office without any major issues.

Once inside the office, Kevin stood in the waiting area, and Thor sat down right beside him. This was the Thor that he used to know. When Dr. Riley walked out to greet them, Kevin was speechless. She looked amazing in the yoga pants and the fitted tee. Kevin worked hard to maintain eye contact. He didn't want Dr. Riley to see him checking her out. "Good Morning Dr. Riley. Thank you for making time for Thor this morning."

 

[Girly_girl]

Laura had some plans to help Thor to not feel so much anxiety around other dogs, but time and patience would be needed to help Thor with his new journey to getting back to the social dog he was before the divorce and whatever trauma he endured being away from Kevin for so long. She would start out by bringing Peaches along for their “sessions”, as he seemed to be comfortable around her.

After getting settled in the office she made a pot of coffee just in case Kevin was a coffee drinker, it was still fairly early and Laura needed more than one cup. Soon after she heard the door open and Kevin and Thor walked in, she smiled and greeted them but noticed how great Kevin looked in shorts and a tee. Thinking to herself that he was just a client and patient and he probably had women throwing themselves at his feet.

“Good morning, Mr Jones. You’re very welcome, it’s my pleasure to help you and Thor out. It will require time, patience and lots of his favorite treats.” Smiling at Kevin, he seemed to relax after she finished telling him it could take months but she was positive by the time they were done, he’d have his “Old” Thor back. “Would you like some coffee before we get started.”

 

[NewGame8]

Kevin was a little surprised that Dr. Riley said it was going to take months of therapy for Thor. He hadn't been expecting a miracle cure. He knew that Thor would need several sessions with Dr. Riley, but he hadn't been thinking in terms of months. Kevin wasn't upset by that. In fact, he was rather relieved that Dr, Riley was going to dedicate so much time to Thor. Of course, it would also mean that he would get to see Dr. Riley more often. It wasn't like Kevin expected anything to happen between them, but she certainly was very easy on the eyes.

"Yes, I would love a cup of coffee, please, Dr. Riley. That would be great." He watched as Dr. Riley went into the back office. His eyes moved over her form as she walked away. Other than a quick glance he stole on the street the first day they had met, this was the first time he saw Dr. Riley from behind, and what he saw was perfect. He shook his head to get that thought out of his mind, but it wasn't easy to do.

He wasn't sure if he should follow her when she walked away to get the coffee, so, he stayed in the waiting area.. When Dr. Riley walked away, Thor let out a little whine. Kevin looked down at Thor and saw Thor staring up at him. "Yes, I know that she didn't give you a treat. Don't worry buddy, I am sure that you will have a lot of treats coming your way from Dr. Riley."

 

[Girly_girl]

Laura headed back into the conference room to pour a cup of coffee for Kevin, she wasn’t sure how he took it, so she left it black. He certainly was easy to look at, but there was way more to him than being physically attractive. He clearly loved his dog and how someone treats their pets and others is something that always tells her a lot about someone. “Easy Laura you barely know him and you’re probably not even his type….and his dog is your patient.” She grabbed a treat for Thor and headed back to the waiting room.

“Here you are, I wasn’t sure how you liked it so I left it black, and how awful of me not to offer Thor a treat, only with your permission of course.” Laura pulled up a chair and started to tell Kevin about some of the things she had planned for Thor, she pulled out her iPad and showed him an anxiety jacket which helped a great deal in all of the cases she’s seen with high anxiety in dogs. Another way would be to try which had been a higher success rate was to offer Thor a treat when sensing his anxiety to distract him from the way he was feeling.

“I want along with your help to get Thor back to the old Thor, and I have high hopes that WE will get him back. So how about we start with taking him out back in our fenced in area and running around with Peaches, they seem to enjoy each other’s company and we can talk more about getting Thor back where he needs to be. It’s a beautiful morning and there’s a table out there where we can sit and drink our coffee while we talk.”

 

[NewGame8]

Kevin smiled at Dr. Riley and took the cup of coffee from her. "Thank you very mush Doctor." Then Kevin looked down at Thor. "Didn't I tell you the good Doctor would be giving you treats." Thor ignored Kevin and was totally focused on Dr. Riley as she held out a treat to him. He took it gently, and chewed and swallowed it in no time.

Listening and looking as Dr. Riley shared her plan for "fixing" Thor, Kevin nodded his agreement. Although he was not sure about the anxiety jacket, and he wasn't sure Thor would be thrilled about it, Kevin was willing to go along with whatever Dr. Riley wanted. For a second Kevin wondered if he would have put up some resistance if it was a male vet recommending it and not the hot, female vet.

"Okay Dr. Riley. I think it is a good idea to have your dog involved. Thor seemed very accepting of her when we first met, so, I think having her involved might let Thor know that other dogs can be trusted... until they can't." Kevin followed Dr. Riley out to the fenced in area. Thor walked confidently next to Kevin as they went outside. When they moved out into the yard, and Thor saw Peaches, Kevin sensed Thor tighten up, but only for a second until Thor realized who the other dog was.

 

[Girly_girl]

Laura smiled and handed Kevin the mug of coffee, “You're very welcome Mr Jones, and please…call me Laura.” Thor, I always keep the good treats here and at my home.” He waited patiently for another treat after gobbling the first one within seconds, she didn’t want to keep giving him treats without Kevin’s permission first, so she waited until he gave the okay. “Such a good boy he is, he takes his treats so gently, whenever Peaches takes her treats she acts as if she’s starving.”

She felt that Kevin was not quite sure about trying the anxiety jacket, but he agreed to try it and see if it helps. “Again, motivating him with treats will help a great deal, after putting it on him give him a treat, he will associate that when you put it on him, he will get rewarded, also when you begin to take him to the dog park and you sense him getting nervous or anxious….give him a treat.” I really do think he will catch on and he will be back to himself in no time.” Kevin struck her as he would try anything she recommended to help Thor and she admired him for that, a lot of owners thought it was BS.

Looking at Peaches and Thor mingling while they talked, she had a feeling they made a friend for life. “I think it’s a wonderful way to start to get him back to socializing with other dogs, honestly.” They walked out to the fenced in area, at first Thor seemed to tense up a bit but soon softened and then him and Peaches began to play around. “So, tell me a little about yourself, what line of work are you in.? ” Did you grow up here?”

 

[NewGame8]

As he sipped the coffee, Kevin listened as Dr. Riley told him to call her Laura. "If we meet outside of your office, I will call you Laura. However, I feel that, through all the hard work that you have done, you have earned the right to be called Doctor. So, if it is okay with you, I will call you Dr. Riley while you are working with Thor."

After saying that, Kevin wondered if Dr. Riley would think he was implying that they would get together outside of her professional practice. He didn't want her to think that he was being too forward. He was going to say something about that, but thought better of it; saying anything more might just make things awkward between them.

"I am open to whatever you want to do. As long as you think that it will bring Thor back to the way he was prior to being taken away from me, I am okay with it. As far as the treats go, well, if you keep giving him treats, and he finds out that you live close to us, he might spend more time at your house than at mine." Kevin laughed a little to make sure that Dr. Riley knew he was just teasing. He realized that joking with someone he barely knew could be taken the wrong way.

Kevin was a little taken aback when Dr. Riley asked him to tell her about himself. He did well to hide his surprise, and took a moment to gather his thoughts. How much did he want to reveal right now? Yes, the doctor was "hot" but he wasn't sure how much information he should share. Then, he thought, "well, I am not the one that asked the question, so, she can't think I am being too forward. Stop overthinking things Kevin."

"Well, I am not from here. I moved here from the city after the divorce. I work from home for a multi-national corporation as a financial analyst. It is a fancy title, but I really just work for the CEO doing whatever he needs me to do to evaluate the financial viability of different projects that he wants to take on. I started out just working in the office, but I dissented when my supervisor recommended the purchase of a South American corporation. My boss was pissed but the CEO asked me why. When what I told him turned out to be correct, and I saved the corporation millions of dollars, I ended up where I am now. My only demand was that I work from home, since he calls me at all hours of the day or night."

He paused. "Sorry, that was probably a whole lot more information than you really wanted. So, it is your turn. Tell me about the good doctor."

 

[Girly_girl]

As he sipped the coffee, Kevin listened as Dr. Riley told him to call her Laura. "If we meet outside of your office, I will call you Laura. However, I feel that, through all the hard work that you have done, you have earned the right to be called Doctor. So, if it is okay with you, I will call you Dr. Riley while you are working with Thor."

“Okay, fair enough but I will do the same. When I’m with you and Thor at the office I will address you as Mr Jones and when we’re not at the office I will call you Kevin, deal?” She smiled and held out her hand, hoping he wouldn’t mind her calling him Mr Jones from time to time, she knew it made him feel old, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

Laura was looking forward to her time with Thor and Kevin, but she didn’t want to seem too eager about it, the last thing she wanted to do was make things awkward between them. Her top priority was helping Thor and getting him back to the dog he was before Kevin’s ex wife kept him and subjected him to God knows what. It was obvious that Thor had been exposed to some type of negative energy and she’d go to extreme lengths to get him back to where he needs to be.

She sat and listened to him talk about his job and how he moved here after the divorce, part of her envied him that he worked at home but the other part definitely did not when she heard him speak of wee hours of the night phone calls. “Not at all too much. Sounds interesting and frustrating at the same time, especially with phone calls at all hours of the night. In some ways I do that also. At my last office, some of my longtime clients had my cell number if something came up overnight with their pet.”

“Hmmm, there is not much to tell. I grew up here but have been away for sometime, I graduated first in my class in vet school, I’m single….and have been for awhile. Peaches is not only my pet but my emotional support dog.” She kept it short as she didn’t want to bore him or make things awkward.