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He hadn’t been planning to get a dog, and really, he never would have agreed to adopt the thing if he hadn’t seen those beautiful pictures of him. Those pictures certainly didn’t make up for having to carry poop in a bag while walking through downtown, however.
Dorian sighed heavily as he waited for Asp to finish his business, the black borzoi sniffing along the grass between a mailbox and a fire hydrant, nearly four blocks from Dorian’s apartment. Why Asp had decided he needed to go this far from home to squat was an utter mystery to the man. Still, it wasn’t in the house, so he really should be grateful.
Digging in his pockets to find a baggie, Dorian blanched. “Oh no,” he muttered to himself. “I can’t have honestly forgotten-”
“Need a bag?”
The voice made Dorian start, and he turned quickly, the leash around his wrist tugging against his gloves some.
The man who had spoken was certainly handsome, his blond curls brushed loosely back from his face, and a scar that tugged his smile into something more roguish looking. “Maker’s breath, is that a dog?” Dorian choked out as he looked at the dog at the man’s side. It was nearly as tall as his chest, and had the largest head he’d ever seen on a dog.
Laughing, the new man offered him a little blue bag, which Dorian took gratefully. “This is Smith. He’s a Great Dane,” he said, before shifting to guide a smaller dog into view, the hound looking graceful with a sleek golden coat and a dark black muzzle. “This one is Wesson. He’s a German Shepard.”
“I- I see.” Dorian said, before blushing as he knelt, picking up the mess that Asp had left. “This is Asp, he’s a Borzoi.”
There was a moment of silence between the two of them, Dorian offering the blond a smile, and an awkward laugh.
Returning the small smile, the blond shifted to offer his hand to him. “Cullen.” he offered, and Dorian moved to take his hand, only to realize he was still holding the bag of… well. Quickly changing it to his other hand, he took his hand to shake with a nervous chuckle.
“Dorian Pavus.” he introduced, before giving Cullen a glance over. He was very fit in all the right ways, if the silhouette under his red wool coat was any indication.
Cullen gave his hand a slight squeeze before their hands parted, and Dorian’s hand hung in the air just a moment before dropping back to his side. “I- ah.” Why was he at such a loss for words? He never had much of an issue when he was in a club setting, texting people online. When it didn’t matter.
But this was such an innocuous situation, catching him entirely off guard and leaving him floundering.
How did one woo a man in broad daylight, on the sidewalk?
Looking down at Asp, as if the Borzoi could save him, he swallowed thickly. Awkwardness was settling in the air between them, and he wanted to dispel it as quickly as he could.
“The dog park.” he blurted out. “Would you come with me sometime?”
Cullen blinked once, before giving a soft laugh and rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand, drawing a look of annoyance from Wesson at his side when the leash tugged lightly. “I’d love to meet there. Sure the dogs would like it too.”
Dorian’s heart was beating in his throat as he searched around his pocket a moment, before drawing out one of his business cards. Unscrewing the cap to his fountain pen, he was far too aware of the blue bag swinging in his hand with the action.
He really needed to find a trash can to dispose of that in.
Scribbling his cell number on the back, he offered it to Cullen with a small smile. “I’d love if you called me.” he said. “To set up the dog park meeting, that is.”
Cullen took the card, smiling at the number, before flipping it over and looking at the business information on the front as well, smiling just a bit. “It’s a date.” he said with a nod, before stumbling as Smith lurched forward impatiently, letting out a bark that sounded ridiculously like a huff. “Ah, right. I should get going, the boys want to get home.” he said.
Dorian nodded at that, smiling a bit. “I’ll wait for your call then.”
Smiling that lopsided smile once more, Cullen waved slightly, before pointing a bit down the sidewalk. “There’s a trash can down that way.”
“A trash- oh! Oh. Yes. Thank you.” Dorian said, his cheeks heating as he watched the blond walk off. Looking down at the blue bag in his hand, he groaned some. “Maker. Of all things. Getting a date because of dog shit.” he muttered to Asp, starting down the snow slicked sidewalk to find the trash can Cullen had mentioned.