When a friend shows you a different love.

I met my friend Becky after work one Friday. I was feeling down and needed cheering up. We met in a small wine bar and ordered. We got chatting about work and such like. “So how is Todd?” she asked “you haven’t mentioned him”. I took a deep breath “we are not together anymore” I said “I found out that he had been cheating on me”. “Oh I am sorry honey” she said “what you need is a boyfriend who won’t cheat unless you let him, won’t tell you what to wear or where you can go, won’t disappoint you and won’t brag about having sex with you. You need a dog”. I laughed “oh sure, in my little apartment” I replied “it is ok for you in that big house your parents left you”. We drank some more and then went our separate ways.

Back home I sat in the lounge room watching TV but not really concentrating. I started to think about what Becky had said. Then it hit me. “Did she say I needed someone who didn’t brag about having sex with me? I needed a dog?” I thought. No, she couldn’t have meant that. Sex with a dog. My God that was so left field. Now I knew Becky was sort of bohemian in many ways and I knew she had a dog. A lovely dog names Boots. But the idea of her having sex with him, bloody hell. But I couldn’t get her words out of my head. I had read somewhere that there were women who had sex with animals. I had laughed and shaken my head. Now I was wondering if it was real. I had to know.

Saturday I rang Becky. “Honey, last night you talked about a dog instead of a boyfriend” I said “and you said something about dogs not bragging about sex”. There a moments silence and then she said “yes I did say that. It must have been the wine talking”. “Oh ok” I said “it has just been bouncing around in my head and I wondered, you know”. “Tracy, I shouldn’t have said anything” she went on “I spoke out of turn. Sorry to shock you”. I told her I wasn’t shocked, which was a lie. I was totally shocked. “Well it is just you live alone and have a dog. I wondered” I said. “OK Tracy you caught me out. Yes my dog and I have a special relationship” she said “Very special”. I stood there unable to speak. “Tracy. Why don’t you come over and we can talk honey” she said “we need to talk”.

I went to Becky’s house with mixed feelings. Was she having a lend of me? Was she joking? I went inside and we sat in the lounge room.