The Trainer Pt. 02

"That should do," Charlie concluded.

Amy walked over to where she was surveying their work. "Hi, by the way," she said with what she hoped was an enchanting smile. Learning from her missed opportunity last time, she leaned in to kiss Charlie. They were finally alone and no one had to rush off to go to bed; it seemed only right they picked up where they left off.

Charlie made a move a boxer would have been proud of. It was a bobbing movement, but it was so subtle and natural that it could have been a coincidence. Yet, it had the effect that Amy's lips missed their target and Amy ended up in Charlie's arms instead. Was that deliberate? Amy couldn't be sure. But Charlie's arms pulled her in and hugged her tight. She was a good hugger; it felt genuine and personal. And there was that sweet Charlie scent again. Amy couldn't be too upset about having this instead of a kiss.

"Hey," Charlie said with a broad smile when Amy emerged from her arms. There was nothing to suggest she was aware Amy had come in for a kiss; nothing to suggest she had consciously avoided it. But the moment was gone now and Amy instead picked up the take-away cup she had put down on the ground when she'd been roped into lugging equipment.

"I brought you some coffee."

"Ah, you're a superstar. Thank you. How did you know I don't function without coffee in the morning?"

Good guess. She'd scored some brownie points. She made a mental note: always wake Charlie with coffee, if she got the chance to wake her. She shrugged casually. "Who does?"

"So, what do you think?" Charlie nodded towards the array of obstacles on the field.

"Erm... Looks good? What's it for?"

"For Jamie, of course. I thought we could try some agility with her today. She's such an active dog, and clever. I bet she'll love it."

Right, for Jamie. Amy had almost forgotten that was why she was here. "Oh yeah, I bet," she replied quickly.

Charlie explained that she'd set up the obstacles for a beginner course but they'd try each one on its own first. She got Amy to walk with Jamie towards the obstacle, after which she walked beside it while Jamie went over, under or through it.

The dog did really well with the hurdles and the zigzag poles but the seesaw proved a challenge. She kept jumping off right before the turning point.

"Come on, girl, you can do it. Look, I'll show you," Charlie said. Her focus had been entirely on Jamie the whole time, addressing Amy only to give instructions on how to coach the dog. But that was what they were here for after all.

Charlie crawled on her hands and feet across the seesaw, Jamie following her curiously. She demonstrated going past the turning point but when Jamie jumped off suddenly again, the seesaw lurched down suddenly and Charlie ended up doing a shoulder roll forward.

"Oh shit, are you alright?" Amy asked, concerned. It looked like quite the impact.

Charlie laughed. "You have no idea how many times that has happened to me. You weren't supposed to jump off, you silly girl!" She pulled over Jamie, who had come over to investigate. Jamie thought this was the best game ever and launched herself at the trainer, licking her face. At least someone is getting some action today, Amy thought grumpily.

"Right, let's try that again. Now that you've had such an excellent example of what not to do," Charlie said, getting up after roughhousing with Amy's dog for a brief while. "In fact, we'll each walk on either side and guide her. Here, give me your hand."

Holding hands across the seesaw they formed a barrier for Jamie so she couldn't turn back, while their bodies prevented her from jumping off the sides. It was all purely functional and educational. Yet, the feeling of Charlie's hand in her own set butterflies fluttering in Amy's belly. She was almost sad when Jamie finally made it past the turning point and bounded off the seesaw on the other side triumphantly.

"You see, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Charlie cheered her on. She instructed Amy to try again and to her disappointment no hand holding was needed now: Jamie performed perfectly. She'd gotten the hang of it.

There was another slow start with the tunnel. Charlie said a lot of dogs found this scary at first and they finally got her through by Amy sending her off and Charlie luring her from the other side with a cookie. I would be flying through that tunnel right now, Amy thought. No cookies required. And so did Jamie, after some coaxing.

Agility training with Charlie turned out to be hard work. After all the obstacles went well individually, Charlie had them put it all together. This meant Amy had to run alongside the course, while Jamie jumped and ran and ducked; over and over. As the dog gained more confidence, she ran faster and Charlie urged Amy to keep up with her and reward her at the end.

"Okay, I think I'm done...," Amy wheezed after countless runs up and down the field.

Charlie grinned and patted Jamie on the head. "I think you've tired out your mom, Jamie." Jamie's tongue was lolling and she was panting. "I think she's done too. Go on then, have some water, both of you."

"Thanks, coach," Amy teased before gratefully gulping down some water from the large jug that was sitting on a table at the side of the field. The ice cubes had long melted but it was still very refreshing.

After drinking an entire bowl of water, Jamie flopped down in the shade, a clear sign that she'd had enough of this running around in the sun.

"Well, I'd say that was a success," Charlie said. "I think it's safe to say she likes agility. You know, I run courses just for agility too. I'll probably start one up again in a couple of months, once it gets a bit cooler."

"That's so cool. I never would have thought to do anything like this with her. I've only ever really seen it on TV."

"It's really good for active dogs like Jamie. And the best part is, you can easily do it at home. Just start with getting her to jump over things, race around the table; anything. And then you can easily build a few obstacles and you're on your way."

"Easy for you, you mean. We don't all have your DIY skills."

"Ah come on. Look at these." She pointed at the hurdles. "They are not rocket science." They weren't but they still looked very sturdy and impressively well-finished.

"And then there's of course the matter of getting her to do it. You saw how long it took with the seesaw and the tunnel. You definitely have a knack for getting dogs to do what you want," Amy added.

Charlie shook her head sternly. "It's not about what I want. It's about showing a dog something new; something they actually like doing."

"Yes, of course." Amy sensed that she had said the wrong thing. "It's impressive what you're doing here, that's all I'm saying. The courses, creating your own materials, running the whole business on your own, all of it."

"Now you're starting to sound like Brad," Charlie said with a grin, but Amy could see that underneath the facade of jest, she was pleased with the compliment, proud of what she had achieved.

"Yeah, well, if you ever do put together that nude calendar, I'd be interested in that too," Amy teased.

Charlie laughed wholeheartedly. "I bet you would," she then said quietly, almost as an inner thought. After a moment with that - or some other - thought, she added: "Anyway, I better let you go so you can get on with whatever it is you do with your weekends."

"I don't really have plans," Amy said. She'd hoped to stick around after the training and hang out with Charlie. Or do more than hang out, but that prospect seemed like an overly optimistic dream now. Charlie seemed to have an uncanny ability of turning whatever tension there may be into a casual and friendly or a purely professional conversation. It had happened a few times, and it was so subtle that Amy didn't even notice it until she looked back and realised they had shifted gear completely. And Charlie said she wasn't good with people!

"What do you normally do on weekends then?" Charlie asked. Amy realised that her previous statement had probably been a question in disguise. Perhaps it was a remnant of her 'I'm too cool to be interested in you' attitude that she hadn't asked directly; or at least that was how she'd come across to Amy.

"I usually take Jamie for a long walk. And I try to have some beach time every weekend, if I can. I like swimming and snorkelling. And I love to spend a few hours reading a good book in the sun. I play beach tennis too - recreationally I mean - but there are often mini-leagues on Sundays I take part in. And I usually go out at least one night; sometimes more."

Charlie smiled in amusement and Amy realised she'd rattled off her list of hobbies quite enthusiastically, clearly keen to tell Charlie more about herself. "Ah yes, topless sunbathing on the beach and dancing with random girls on a night out. I did actually know that."

Amy felt herself blush. "I don't do that," she muttered, making Charlie chuckle at her embarrassment.

"What about you then?" Amy asked, changing the subject. "What do you do when you're not doing this?"

Another laugh from Charlie. "Sleeping? That's pretty much it." Amy laughed too, but soon realised Charlie was serious.

"Really? You don't have any hobbies or things you like to do?"

"Of course I do. But I'm lucky enough that my work is my hobby. I love taking care of the dogs, I love walking, I love making things, I love teaching; I get all that from what I do... Seriously, Amy, the dogs are my life; this is my life. I know that's hard to understand for people."

"I understand that," Amy said, although she wasn't sure she did entirely. Surely, Charlie still wanted to hang out with friends, go out, go on holiday, be with her girlfriend?

There was visible scepticism in Charlie's eyes but she said: "That's good. It's great to have friends who understand that."

Amy's heart sank. Friends? Was that what they were? It was certainly better than being forgotten completely - or pretend-forgotten - but it was not where Amy thought they were headed.

Charlie did her magic thing of steering away from tension, but this time Amy was too upset to be diverted completely. So when Charlie told her she needed to get a move on to pick up her walking service dogs, Amy heard herself ask: "When will I see you again?" She was ashamed of the desperation in her voice.

Charlie seemed to hear it too and was either annoyed or embarrassed by it. She looked away as she said: "I'll let you know about that agility course, if you're interested. But I'm sure we'll see each other before then. We do bump into each other a lot. You have my number. And I have yours..."

She hesitated for a moment as if she wasn't sure she had actually bothered to save Amy's number in her phone. "We can hang out sometime. With the girls, now that you've met them. I'll call you," she added. Not only was Amy not special enough to deserve one on one time, it was a classic example of the 'I'll call you' statement; the one that preceded never hearing from the person ever again.

When Amy got into her car a moment later, she felt the first tears roll down her cheeks. She managed to keep it at that until Charlie's house had disappeared from her rear view mirror. Then she stopped at the side of the road and tears of disappointment truly started to flow. Was friends really all she could hope for with Charlie? What about the dancing, the kissing? She thought Charlie liked her. Where had she gone wrong? And why was she so upset about the enigmatic girl's rejection? It wasn't like they had been together, or even had said they wanted to be. Yet, the feeling of losing something she never really had - something she knew would be special - engulfed her until it was all she could feel.

October

It was like Amy's car had a will of its own, when it made the turn into Charlie's road. It shouldn't have come as a big shock to Amy. She had been contemplating it the whole way. It had been a few weeks since she'd last seen Charlie. There had been a few texts back and forth but they had been mainly about Jamie: things Jamie would like, tricks she could try with Jamie, new organic treats Charlie had found in the supermarket. If the dog had a phone of her own, Charlie would probably have texted her instead.

So when Amy and her dog had set out for their walk this Saturday afternoon, the thought had crossed Amy's mind that Charlie must miss Jamie. She didn't dare hope for more than that, but even Amy had to admit there was a slight possibility she was using her dog as an excuse to see Charlie.

The past few weeks she'd been playing their last moments and conversations over and over in her head. Had she really been that obvious in the fact that she liked Charlie? Perhaps she hadn't. Perhaps the girl had no idea. Perhaps Charlie didn't want to take the first step. Perhaps she'd been burned by that in the past. Perhaps she just needed a little more encouragement. Or perhaps she really isn't interested, another part of her brain would at this point pipe up. Perhaps she's just trying to let you down easy and you're just not accepting it.

Amy had always been called brave by her friends. She would argue it was more often stubbornness. Whatever it was, it was that which led her to the thought that she'd rather know than always wonder. It was that which led her to turn into Charlie's road to see if she was home. They would talk, really talk this time. Amy would tell her how she felt and she would get her answer, for better or worse. Of course she had a clear preference for which one, but if not... She couldn't think about that possibility, she had to try.

"Right, here goes nothing," she said to herself, as she arrived at the gate. More stubborn than brave, for sure.

She got out of her car and looked around. She couldn't see Charlie's pick-up, and the kitchen door was closed. That didn't look promising, but she came too far to not at least make sure. She hit the horn of her car gently: a friendly three hoots.

Her mind had already proceeded to the next plan - swing by again on the way home - when a voice said: "Hello. Can I help you?" Amy jumped; she hadn't really expected anyone to be here. And certainly not for that someone to not be Charlie.

"Erm, hi, yes. I'm looking for Charlie," she told the young woman who was giving her a sweeping up and down look.

"You a friend of hers?"

Amy hesitated. That's what Charlie had said, but was she even interested in being friends, after that dismissive 'I'll call you'? "Yes. Yes, I am," Amy said then, bravely. Or stubbornly.

The girl nodded as if somehow Amy's answer made sense to her. "She's out. Was she expecting you?"

"No... I was just on my way to walk my dog..." Amy gestured at her car where Jamie had stuck her head out the window to support her claim. "... And I thought I'd see if she wanted to come along."

"Hm-hm," the girl hummed sceptically, with a smirk that reminded Amy of Charlie. It was then that she realised the extent of the resemblance. This girl's skin was darker and her curls didn't have the light tips that Charlie's had. She was also a bit fuller, in her face and in her body, but the family resemblance was unmistakable.

"You're her sister, aren't you? The one who runs the holiday home?" Amy said.

The girl seemed surprised now. "She told you about that, blanca?" She pursed her lips and gave Amy another look up and down, as she couldn't imagine why Charlie would tell this 'white girl' about her. Then she added: "Charlene went to the west coast with the dogs. You can go look for her if you want."

"Oh, okay," Amy said. The west coast was a big area, and it was rough. She didn't know her way around there. The nice beaches were all on the other side of the island.

She was still wondering how she could possibly find Charlie there when the girl asked: "You know where she usually goes?"

"No, I don't," Amy admitted. Not wanting to come across as a helpless city slicker, she added casually: "But it's fine. I'll drive past there and see if I can find her. Or I'll come back some other time. Thanks though." She felt less calm than she sounded. She actually felt really disappointed. She hadn't admitted it to herself but she'd really hoped Charlie would be home. She'd pictured them talking, clearing things up. She hadn't realised until now how much she'd had to amp herself up to come here. She wasn't sure if she had it in her to try again.

Perhaps Charlie's sister saw some of that reflected in her expression. Or perhaps she was in a forthcoming mood, but she said: "You'll never find her in that dinky toy." She waved a dismissive hand at Amy's car, which was certainly made more for the city than for the west coast. "You'll get stuck and we'll need to come drag your white ass out of there."

The kindness certainly ran in the family too. Amy wanted to point out that that dinky toy had dragged Charlie's not so white ass out of a ditch once, but it seemed too long of a story to explain. She was still thinking of how to reply instead when the girl added: "Come on. You can leave that here. I'll take you. Just give me a minute to finish up here."

At that she opened the gate and waved Amy through impatiently, not even waiting for her response. Of course, Amy was pleased at the prospect of seeing Charlie after all, but she'd first have to drive there with her sister, who - let's be honest - wasn't exactly the poster girl of welcoming and friendly.

When Amy got out of her car, she saw Charlie's sister disappear into the holiday apartment. For lack of anything better to do, Amy followed. She'd never been inside the apartment before. It was modern but still had distinct Caribbean vibes, with what looked like local art on the walls.

"Grab that," the girl said, indicating the other end of the bedding. Amy complied and helped her make the bed. A strictly-business attitude seemed to be another family trait.

"That's us done. If you can carry that garbage back to my truck..."

Amy followed her to a blue pick-up, not unlike Charlie's but in much better overall condition. She threw the bag of rubbish in the back as instructed.

"I'm Dayana, by the way, but call me Daya," the girl finally introduced herself, while she was loading her cleaning supplies into the back of the truck.

"I'm Amy."

Daya nodded but it was clear she hadn't heard about anyone called Amy from Charlie before.

"Help me grab these, please, Amy." Finally a 'please'. Amy was starting to think the way she was raised just didn't fly here. Daya was indicating a set of oversized surfboards and paddles, which apparently had to be loaded into the truck too. The boards were heavy so they carried them together. Amy had no idea why they were bringing them, but she assumed Daya needed them after dropping her off.

"Can your dog ride in the back?" Daya asked her when they had finished loading.

"I'm not sure. She's never done it before, but..."

While she was talking, Daya had opened the back flap and Jamie had hopped in without hesitation. Amy realised that maybe she'd ridden in the back of Charlie's truck, when she was still living here. That seemed like a lifetime ago and she usually didn't think about the fact that her dog had spent so much time with Charlie when she was fostered by her. Lucky girl.

Daya disappeared for a moment and a blond whirlwind came flying around the corner and into the truck, enthusiastically greeting Jamie.

"Hey Diego," Amy said, patting the bouncing dog.

"He's going with us. He's been driving me crazy. He doesn't like being left behind. Are you ready to go?"

Amy nodded and got in the truck. She wondered who Charlie had with her, if not Diego. She'd find out soon, if they did indeed find her.

"So how do you know Charlene?" Daya asked as she turned onto the road, heading west.