Chasing Stanley Read Online Free PDF

to interview him and Stan. He knew she’d bust him on his flagrant hot dog abuse, but there was more to it than that. He wanted to make a good impression. He had the feeling she thought he was a big dumb jock who knew squat about the best way to care for his dog. She was partly right. It was one thing when he owned a house in Minnesota and could just open the back door to let Stan out to play or do his business. But now that they lived in the city, things had to change. Stan’s behavior was a hazard, both to himself and others. Jason knew he had no choice but to acclimate him as quickly as possible.
    Grabbing two bottles of mineral water from the fridge, he headed back out into the living room. Stanley was now stretched out on the floor with his head in Delilah’s lap, gazing up at her adoringly. Delilah looked amused as she took her bottle of water from Jason.
    â€œThis is one affectionate little boy you’ve got here.”
    â€œTotal love whore. I won’t deny it.” Jason sat beside her, wondering if he should turn on some music to relax them. Delilah seemed nervous.
    â€œSo, is that your official dog walker uniform?” he asked in a lame attempt to break the ice.
    Delilah looked down at her shorts, T-shirt, sneakers, and fanny pack. “I suppose. You can’t take care of fifteen dogs a day and care about fashion.” She sounded almost apologetic.
    â€œNo, of course not,” Jason agreed, worried she might have taken his question as a criticism. He wondered: What did she wear when she wasn’t taking care of dogs? Tight jeans? Tight T-shirts? She didn’t seem the type to flaunt her assets. Then again, how did he know what type she was? All he knew was that she loved dogs.
    Delilah was looking around the living room, her right hand absently stroking Stanley’s head. “This place is huge.” Her eyes fastened on his new mountain bike, propped up in the corner. “Nice bike.”
    â€œThanks.” Jason gestured around the nearly empty living room. “I probably should have waited and gotten some furniture first, but what the hell? I wanted it.” He took a slug of water, pointing to Stanley with his bottle. “Look at him,” he murmured. “He’s totally blissed out.” It was true: Stanley’s eyes had glazed over with pleasure. Delilah could stroke his head for hours, and it still wouldn’t be enough for him.
    â€œHe really is a charmer,” Delilah noted. “That’s why it’s going to be doubly hard to break him of all those bad habits you let him develop. So tell me: What’s Stanley’s background?”
    â€œWell, he used to be a puppy. Then he grew.”
    â€œVery funny.” Actually, she did look amused, which pleased Jason.
    â€œLet’s get back to business,” she said crisply. For the next twenty minutes she proceeded to ply him with questions. What did Stan eat? Did he have all his shots? Were his parents OFA-certified? (Whatever the hell that meant.) When was the last time he saw a vet? Her “interview” was beginning to feel like an interrogation. All that was missing was a hard wooden chair and a blinding light in his eyes. Finally, Jason couldn’t take it anymore.
    â€œLook, I love him, and I try to take care of him the best I can. If he’s undisciplined, it’s not because I’m lazy; it’s because when we were in Minnesota, he didn’t have to be disciplined. You probably think it was wrong of me to take him to New York with me, but there was no way I was going to stash him with my folks or some friends. He’s my dog . Know what I mean?”
    â€œOf course I do,” Delilah replied quietly. Her eyes glistened. “And I don’t think it was wrong of you to bring him to New York. I couldn’t imagine life without my three dogs.”
    Jason nodded. “It’s obvious you love dogs and know all about them. Stan is my best