LOVE PROBABLY

24.

I knock softly on Rosie’s door. Only Romeo’s barks answer me. Damn… We were supposed to go out and about. What’s she doing? I tried to get ready as quickly as possible but maybe I lingered in the shower too long. Where did Rosie go?

I try to open the door and since it isn’t locked, it opens a c***k, freeing the dog who starts sniffing me everywhere. What if he bites me? Well, Madeline, I realised, have you forgotten where you come from? All those hours spent with the flock of sheep on the green hills and the sheepdogs, when I was a kid! This small size won’t scare me!

I push him away bluntly with my foot. He comes back and starts fussing over my leg when Rosie comes out of the bathroom.

“Oh, are you there?” she said to me, pulling up her fly.

“Yes, sorry. I let myself in…”

“You did well! Ooooh, Romeo, stop bothering Maddie! This dog will have my nerves,” she said, grabbing it. “He jumps on anything that moves. I need to find him a female as soon as possible. He can’t take it anymore. He would spend his time fornicating this one… A male, to be sure.”

“Yes, well... He’s still a dog…” I said, laughing hard.

“Yeah…” she said, doubtful. “Here, put your suitcase there, near the chest of drawers. What do you want me to wash?”

“I have these...” I said, handing her a ball of clothes containing my jeans, my socks and my panties, grey, too. “Say! Can I put my laptop somewhere to charge?”

“Go ahead, make yourself at home! There are sockets all over the place. Do you know where you’ll sleep tonight?”

“I haven’t thought about it. It seems difficult to get Jacky out and even more so, to spend a second night in his apartment. He’s a pretty nice guy. He doesn’t seem to know about the lease. I don’t believe there’s anything to it. On the other hand, his mother wants to see me. She expects us on Sunday for lunch.”

“Um… Elena wants to see you…” she whispers, filling the washing machine. “Well, you’ll just have to sleep here. I have a room available. It’ll save you paying for a hotel, and then you’ll keep me company. Well, if you agree, of course. I don’t want to force your hand if you have other plans. You should feel free to do whatever you want.”

“As I have nothing planned, I gladly accept. You surely have billions of things to tell me.”

“Sold, then! Will you put the leash on Romeo, please,” she said, washing her hands. “I’ll put on my coat and off we go. Don’t be fooled by appearances, despite the sun, the temperatures remain cool. Are you ready for your first trip to London?”

“Yes, so ready!” I answer enthusiastically.

“Let’s go!” She invites me to the front door.

Romeo is already pulling on the leash like a madman. He’s in a hurry to go for a walk, it seems. No sooner have we set foot on the sidewalk than Rosie is stopped by a man in work clothes with a notebook in one hand, a toolbox in the other:

“Hello! Mrs Butcher, is it?”

“Yes, sir, that’s me!” she replies perky before changing her mind realising something. “Oh, damn it, you’re the repairman! I forgot you! Maddie, let me explain. My dishwasher broke down several days ago. He’s the guy from after-sales service. He shouldn’t be long. well, I hope. But I can’t leave him alone at home, you understand?” she whispers, rolling her eyes. “You just have to leave without me. Romeo knows the way. Go take a look around! You will see, there are nice shops in the area. Here are the bags, you never know if he’ll make a big deposit.”

“What? Should I pick up his droppings?” I asked, surprised.

“Sure! It’s like that in town, if you don’t want to get fined a thousand pounds.

“Ah, okay. So I’ll continue along this way?”

“That’s it, go, my child!” she said, already walking away on the arm of the repairman.

Romeo isn’t offended for a moment by his mistress’s absence and is already going at top speed, pulling me with the energy of an ox. So worried that he might escape me, I ignore my surroundings. We walked at high speed for several minutes in the Londonian crowd. I hope Romeo knows the way because personally, I have already lost all my bearings. I don’t know where we are or where we’re going, all the buildings look identical to me. I plan to turn back when a woman, cigarette in mouth, challenges me:

“Hello, beautiful! We do everything at fifty per cent off. You want to take a look… or even two,” she laughs, proud of her own joke.

I look behind her to discover a storefront of what appears to be a women’s ready-to-wear store.

“Everything less than fifty per cent, you say?”

Don’t think I’m cheap, huh! But I’m in London and I don’t know how long my stay will last. I have to be careful with my money. For the hotel, it’s settled and for shopping, some savings from the outset will be welcome.

“But... the dog, what do I do?”

“Animals are our friends! How cute is this doggie,” she says, giving him tickles as Romeo welcomes them with four paws in the air.

“Okay, but I’m just taking a quick look,” I said, pushing aside a heavy red curtain to enter the store.