JD had been acting funny all day. Edgy and distracted. I wondered if we had had too much fun at the last catering job. I realized after all these years (!) that sometimes when two people share something-- there's a tendency to back away the next time they meet...could this have happened with JD? I mean, things were going great and now...now something was definitely up.

Well.

Not to let my sensibilities leave me hanging, I decided to just ask him.

"JD-- everything okay?"

"Fine, Drew. Why? Are you upset?"

Weird, I thought but I pressed on. "JD, I'm fine. You're the one who's kinda funky today. I mean, you seem so jumpy and you keep checking the clock, like someone's coming or you're late for an appointment or something. Is there anything I should know about?"

"No," he said-- a tad too loudly. Then he made the strangest look. He started to smile, bigger and bigger and bigger. I turned around, assuming someone was standing behind me.

Someone was.

An eight week old Golden Retriever.

One of the secretaries was holding him, the most incredible dog I'd ever seen, or at least that's how I was feeling right then. I took him into my arms and instantly he started licking my face and sniffing, tickling me. I was definitely in deep love with this puppy.

"Oh-oh, JD. This could be trouble. I may never let this thing go. Who does it belong to?" I asked.

"You, dummy. He's yours. I believe his name is Shelby." JD patted the dog on the head. I was blown away. I couldn't even talk.

"JD...really? Really, you bought me this little guy? That's incredible. That's so sweet. Why?"

"Come on, recently you've been looking like a puppy yourself. I thought you could stand to have a little company on your own level. And you better take good care of him, he cost me a week's pay. You don't think Eric will mind, do you?"

"Nawww, how could anyone mind? Look at him...Shelby!"

*****

"What were you thinking, Andrew?" Eric said. He minded.

It was two in the morning and Shelby was having a bad first night. He'd torn up everything he could get his needle teeth on, he'd peed everywhere in sight and he was now crying-- loudly-- for his mom.

Eric wasn't too thrilled about the new member of the family. Underneath, I knew Eric was just jealous. But what I couldn't figure out was whether he was jealous of Shelby...or JD.

He'd never gotten over the fact that I happened to be working with the guy who, for want of a better word, was the first to pop Eric's cherry. He even asked me to look for work somewhere else when I told him JD Clein was who I'd be working for at Power Food.

"I just think I should have been consulted, Andrew. Having a dog is a huge responsibility and I live here too, you know."

"Eric," I said. "I had no idea JD was gonna buy me a dog. How could you be 'consulted' if I didn't know? It'll be fine. I'll take care of Shelby."

Deep inside, I knew Eric was right. I should have asked him but I just didn't care.

Shelby already knew his name and came up, jumped in my lap and slowly fell asleep.