Breaking up with My Boss - Alexis Winter Page 0,87

is hanging out in the back, she’s the newest addition and isn’t sure what’s going on yet. And Dozer, well he’s all over me, making me fall back until I’m laying on my back on the floor. I can’t hold back my giggles at how excited they are.

“Okay, okay. Who wants to go outside?” I ask, pushing them back as I work to get myself off the floor. They all start barking, whining, and running for the back door. I walk through the living room, kitchen, and into the laundry room where the back door is located. I unlock it and open it, and all the dogs go running out at full speed. I step outside to watch them run and play in the fenced in back yard. I got lucky with this place.

This is my grandmother’s house and I only got it after she moved into her assisted living condo across town. The place is paid for, but I still have to pay water, power, and property taxes. Plus the upkeep of fixing anything that breaks and paying the company that mows the lawn. It’s a great place and I couldn’t even find an apartment on what I make, especially one that is okay with me having foster dogs. But fostering the animals is a part of my job, and it’s often one of my favorite parts.

I work as the PR director for a local no shelter so I handle all the advertising, adoption and foster events. But no kill also means non-profit. I get paid very little. I know I could probably go elsewhere with my talents, but this is where my heart is. My dad once said, find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. Well, I may have taken that a little too seriously. There should have been something in that speech that included money somewhere, you know, so I can provide for myself a little better. Don’t get me wrong, I make enough to stay afloat, but it would be nice to not constantly be trying to figure out if I can afford to go on a three day weekend once a year or get my eyebrows done. It would be nice just to skip out of work for a fancy lunch and a shopping spree, but this is the life I chose. Sometimes, I think I’m doing this whole adulting thing wrong.

As I watch the dogs run and play, my phone chimes from my back pocket. I pull it free and read the message on the screen from Cora.

Stella’s Bar, eight o’clock. Be prepared to party it up!

I laugh and shake my head before turning the screen off and sliding it back into my pocket. I stretch and let out a loud yawn. Maybe I just didn’t get enough sleep last night. Maybe I’ll take a nap before hitting the town. That’s probably why I feel weird today; it’s not because Cora is engaged. That thought makes me feel a little bit better.

I clap my hands and call for the dogs. They come running immediately and we all go back inside. They rush off to the living room, ready to lay down, a couple playing tug-of-war with their rope toy while I make myself a late lunch. I eat a sandwich and some chips and drink a glass of tea before locking the house and going to the bedroom for a nap. I leave the bedroom door open and every single dog climbs into bed with me. I really need a bigger bed.

The alarm on my phone goes off two hours later and my eyes flutter open. I silence the alarm and look toward the window where the late afternoon sun is filtering through the blinds. The dust particles in the air are light up like glitter as they float down to the ground. It’s five o’clock, but thanks to it being early summer, the sun is still high in the sky, not ready to go down and call it a day yet.

I stretch and yawn, trying to force myself to wake up. Finally, I push myself to my feet and trudge to the shower. I strip out of my jeans and don’t buy, adopt T-shirt I wore to work today. I climb beneath the hot flow of water and tilt my head back, allowing the hot water to wash over my hair and face.

I take extra time in the shower since there is still a couple of