Honey

This short story was written for the 750 Word Project 2024 and the Valentine's Day Story Contest 2024. It is completely non-erotic.

Honey

I got a good scent (the scent of a bloodhound they say), and I could smell it -- my days were numbered.

But don't you worry about me. I'm satisfied with where my life has taken me. I lived it fully and filled it with love. I was not worried about me, but I was worried about someone else: my main squeeze Pat.

How could that man survive without me? Who'd give him his daily dose of love when I'm gone? I hadn't given it much thought before because he's always had me. But now that I was at the edge of death, the notion that he would be without my love weighed heavy on my heart. If I could howl in anguish I would, but I'm an old girl. I didn't have the strength to howl. I'd live forever for him if I could, but that's out of the question. What then could I do?

Well, I had a plan. A plan to get him someone to replace me when I'm gone so that he'd keep getting his well-deserved doses of love. And I knew just the place to find her: The Park.

If it's a sunny Sunday, she'd be at the park sitting by the duck pond, her nose buried in a book. And today was a sunny Sunday.

And who is she, you ask?

Well, she is Layla, a human just like Pat. Importantly, one that I could trust to give Pat his daily dose of love.

Why her, precisely?

Well, know that I didn't pick her out of the blue. Layla is special. Whenever we'd encounter her at the park, she'd give me a pet and a treat, and then she'd give Pat a beaming smile. She'd ask him how he's doing, and he'd ask her what book she's reading. And she'd twirl her hair and Pat would fidget, and they'd laugh. Most notably, their scents would change in the unmistakable way humans changed their scents when they desired to give each other love. The tragedy, however, is that initiating human love required a social deftness neither Pat nor Layla seemed to possess. So, though they desired to give each other love, neither had it in them to ask the other for it. It was up to me then.

I jawed my leash and hobbled over to Pat. He gave me his patented ear scratch. "Hey, Honey girl. You wanna go to the park?"

I let my tongue loll, which he had learned to mean 'heck yes.'

The park is my favorite place in the world. Pigeons, ducks, and squirrels galore. Ponds and creeks, and sticks enough for a lifetime. But today I had to resist the urge to imbibe. Today I was on a very important mission: get Layla.

Sure enough, there she was down by the duck pond, nose in book. I went towards her. Pat pulled on the leash. "Honey, no. This way."

We never went straight to the duck pond. That's where we finished our walk. But not today. Today, I couldn't risk her leaving early. Too much was at stake. I didn't know how much longer I had yet to live, only that it wasn't long. I yanked on the leash hard and when I pulled free, I flew to Layla as best as my old bones could carry me.

Layla yelped and fell off the bench as I pounced upon her. I pinned her and licked her face viciously. Pat arrived just in the nick of time.

I learned from "The TV" that one common method humans employ to get their love interest to fall in love with them is to rescue them from a vicious predator. That was my strategy: get Pat to rescue Layla from a vicious predator (me). And he performed marvelously.

To my delight, Layla joined us on our walk after the rescue. Then she joined us for coffee at Pat's favorite café, then ice cream after that. A few days later, Pat cooked her a lovely dinner, and she stayed the night. Their scents went wild with love. By all accounts, mission accomplished.

Before long, my vision fogged up completely, I couldn't get out of bed without help, and I could barely swallow my food. What can I say? My days are numbered. But I'm not afraid of death. I lived a full life, and now that Pat had Layla to give him his daily dose of love, I could die a happy dog.

The End

It was a quickie, but I hope you enjoyed it! Anyhow, here's a song I like:

Man of the Hour - Norah Jones