Truly, Madly, Like Me - Jo Watson Page 0,31

his head.

“He just wanted a belly scratch,” the guy said.

“Come, Satan!” I called and started walking again. He still didn’t move. I sighed.

“Come, Cujo!” At that, he turned all the way around and trotted after me, out the shop.

“I told you that was a better name,” Video Store Guy shouted, sounding amused.

CHAPTER 14

I arrived at my hotel after a hot and sticky walk from the DVD store. I was carrying a heavy bag and pulling a huge dog along, who didn’t seem to want to go. This just made the whole experience that much sweatier and I was really looking forward to the cool shade of my room. I opened the door and Sata—Cujo—slipped in, just as I saw the manager of the hotel walk up to me.

“Hello!” She waved at me.

“Hi,” I replied with a smile.

“How’s your stay going?” she asked cheerfully. Everyone around here seemed very cheerful.

“Good,” I said.

“I’m so sorry to have to ask this, I don’t want to sound like I’m prying or being nosy or anything like that.”

“What?”

“It’s just, we have a strict no-animal policy here, and one of the other guests said they saw a big black dog hanging outside your room?” She looked me in the eye and I subtly dropped the leash from my hand and threw it into the room. I gently pulled the door closed with my toe.

“Oh my God, I think I saw that dog too,” I said, trying to tap into some nonexistent acting skills I hoped I had. I needed Cujo firmly in my sights, what with that thing firmly lodged inside him. “Do you think he’s dangerous?” I asked, in my most sincerely concerned voice.

“So he’s not yours?”

I shook my head. “No. God. Have you seen him? He’s terrifying. One eye!”

“Really?” Now she also sounded concerned.

“I hope he doesn’t have any diseases or anything,” I added to my embellishment.

“Me too,” she half whispered under her breath.

“In fact,” I continued—perhaps I was having too much fun with this—“now that I think about it, I’m not so sure it was a dog. Could be anything, what with the desert here and all.”

She looked at me uneasily. “The other guest did say it was abnormally big.”

“Could be a coyote?” I offered up.

“We don’t have coyotes here.”

“Wolf?”

She shook her head. “Although on some nights when the moon is full, you can hear distinct jackals calling.”

I clicked my fingers. “Yes! I bet that’s what it is. A jackal.”

She shook her head, looking concerned and then irritated. “That’s all we need around here. I better put up some warning signs. Make sure you don’t leave any food out.”

“I won’t!” I said emphatically.

“Sorry for thinking you would have a dog here,” she said apologetically and for a moment I kind of felt a little bad for lying. She was really pretty. Creamy pale skin, red hair, blue eyes and a great body—not wearing a stitch of make-up. A pang of jealousy wracked me.

“No worries. Don’t stress,” I assured her and then walked into my room and closed the door behind me. Cujo was sitting in the corner, and when I looked at him, I swear he shook his head at me. I stepped forward.

“You know, it’s like you understand English or something, but that would be crazy, right?” I asked him. He cocked his head to the side, as if posing that same question to me.

“Me? You think I’m crazy?” I pointed at myself and thought about it for a while, then started nodding. “I mean, I can see why you would think that, but it’s not fair to make that assumption now. I’m not usually like this. I haven’t been myself these past few days. And, sure, it’s making me feel a little mad. Like I’m losing it. Losing control. Losing . . . everything that meant anything to me.” I took a deep breath and paced the room a few times. “I shouldn’t be here with you. I should be back home. I should be posting to my followers, which I would still have if things hadn’t gotten so messed up after the elevator and . . .” I stopped talking and shook my head. What the hell was I doing? God, Frankie, get a grip and stop talking to a jackal dog, for heaven’s sake. I walked over to the TV. God, it was old. Like those old box TVs you had back in the eighties. I turned around and looked at Cujo as a thought hit me.

“You’re not a