down Toronto streets, a big, scary-looking guy with a Mohawk, tattoos, and piercings, leading the fluffy little fur ball on a leash. Probably a black leather leash with studs or something, she thought, taking note of the dog’s black leather collar with spikes sticking out of it. If it was supposed to make the little fuzz ball look tough, it failed miserably. He was too damned cute to look scary. But she suspected the sight the pair made left most people gaping.
“Right now I’m living in one of the apartments over the club,” G.G. told her. And then lowered his gaze to his plate and frowned before muttering, “If you drink soda, you probably eat too.”
Ildaria raised her eyebrows at the comment. “Not as often as I used to, but si, I still eat.”
G.G. nodded. “Would you like something? I can make you a burger.”
Ildaria considered the offer briefly. She was hungry. It was a sensation she experienced less and less often lately, but which was presently gnawing at her stomach. She didn’t want to make him cook for her though, so promising herself she’d hit a drive-through on her way back to Marguerite’s, she murmured, “Maybe just a fry.”
“Help yourself.” G.G. pushed the plate to rest halfway between the two of them on the counter.
“Thanks,” Ildaria breathed, and left off petting his dog to pluck a french fry from the mountain of greasy goodness.
The moment she bit into it, the dog in her arms sprang awake, his body jerking as if the slight sound were an alarm of some sort. The little mutt then squirmed to turn in her arm and climbed up her chest to sniff her mouth as she chewed. Chuckling, Ildaria caught the little beast and set him back in her lap.
“Ill mannered cretin,” G.G. said with a scowl, scooping the dog out of her lap and setting him on the floor as he said firmly, “We’re eating. Go lay down.”
H.D. merely rose up on his back paws and laid his front paws on the man’s lower legs, his eager gaze sliding from his face to Ildaria’s, his eyes wide and tongue sliding in and out of his mouth eagerly.
Ildaria chuckled at the display, amazed at how human he looked with his big green eyes and lip smacking. Her laughter earned a scowl from G.G. and an exasperated, “Don’t encourage him.” He then turned his gaze back to the dog and repeated firmly, “We’re eating, H.D. Get in your basket.”
H.D. hesitated, the hope dying on his face, but then dropped back to all fours and began to walk slowly back along the bar to the end of it. He was walking as slow as molasses, head and tail down, looking back every couple of steps as if checking to be sure G.G. hadn’t changed his stance on the issue, but G.G. just scowled and eyed him firmly until he disappeared out of sight around the bar.
“Where is he going?” Ildaria asked, raising herself up enough to see over the bar again.
“I put his bed behind the bar so he could stay with me until we open,” G.G. said, picking up his burger.
“Oh.” She settled back in her seat as he took a bite, and then commented, “Marguerite didn’t mention that you brought your dog to the club. I’d have come in to check out the place sooner if I’d realized that.”
G.G. shook his head as he chewed and swallowed, and then said, “I don’t usually. But his sitter didn’t come in today and I didn’t want to leave him at home alone.”
Ildaria’s eyebrows rose. “You have a sitter for your dog?”
“Have to. The little monster eats things he shouldn’t if he’s left alone. And I don’t mean human food.”
“Like what?” she asked with interest.
“Shoes, rugs, clothing . . . my razor.”
“Razor?” she squawked with alarm. “Was he all right?”
“It was a cordless electric razor,” G.G. said on a sigh. “He chewed off those little round blade things. Didn’t swallow any of the pieces, though, before I caught him.”
“Oh.” She relaxed a bit.
“He destroyed the razor though,” G.G. added with irritation. “I was pretty pissed.”
“I can imagine,” Ildaria murmured.
“Not as pissed as I was when he ate my passport, though,” he grumbled and bit viciously into his burger.
“Your passport?” she asked on a disbelieving laugh.
G.G. grimaced and nodded as he chewed, but once he’d swallowed, he added, “I was packing and it was lying on the bed next to my suitcase. I left the room, came back