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D o g g o n e (d)






"Sorry, dude, no can do."

"If you'd asked me earlier maybe..."

"We're not even home, sorry."

"Are you kidding? I just got a new leather sofa!"

This is just a small collection of the kind of replies Joe got when calling family, friends and acquaintances in order to ask if any of them could take care of Dax while he was on tour.

The man finally gave up and went over to where his beagle was lying in his basket. He crouched down and scratched the puppy behind his ears. As Dax raised his head and rolled onto his back Joe sighed.

"Do you think I should phone Carl?" he asked the dog.

What Dax was thinking was that Joe should get him a snack and move his hand from his neck to his tummy. He tried to communicate those wishes through a low growl.

Joe, too caught up in his ridiculous human problems, mistinerpreted his pet's behavior. Well, a lot of people only hear what they want to hear...

"You're right, buddy. I'm gonna call her," the man raised from the floor and picked up the phone.




-





"So..." Carl trailed off.

"Yeah..." Joe wasn't too helpful either.

"Passing the time, huh?"

Joe pulled a face, "Yup. Talking to pass the time."

They were standing in front of her apartment building, waiting for the tour bus to pull up. Joe had asked the guys to pick him up here. He brought Dax over to Caroline's place shortly before they had planned to leave.

They were late. Joe was nervous. Sentences were simple.

"Would probably be easier if we had things in common," Carl pointed out.

She was nervous, too. The woman hadn't talked to Brenda ever since that message on her answer phone. When it came to humans, she wasn't one to fight for her own wishes. If Brenda felt like throwing her away then so be it. Obviously she had put too much faith into the relationship. Could it even be considered a relationship?

"Well, we do have some things in common... You like girls. I like girls," Joe pointed out inappropriately.

He didn't mean to say it. It's just that he couldn't stop thinking about it. Not about Carl and Brenda being together, Pete! Jeez. About the fact that he had taken her girlfriend away from her.

All of a sudden the woman felt even more uncomfortable than before.

"Is this you giving me shit because I didn't express my sexual orientation when you hired me or something? Because that is just utterl-"

"No. NO! Not at all," Joe shook his head vehemently. How did he always manage to be misunderstood? No use in blaming his lisp this time.

"I meant..." he looked at Brenda.

She looked like someone who was trying to cover up her sadness and hurt with indifference and anger about an unfortunate comment made by a guy who didn't know how to deal with the current situation.

"I am so sorry, Caroline," he sighed, hoping she would realize he was being sincere.

"You don't need to apologize, Joe," she replied and crossed her arms. She didn't mean to be defensive. She didn't mean to take it out on him. He had already told her on the phone how bad he felt about this, that he hadn't known.

"I feel like crap," the man said softly.

"Another thing we have in common then..."

Carl also didn't mean to sound bitter. She didn't mean to BE bitter. But she couldn't help it. Of course, she had kept her word and still wanted to look after Dax while Joe was gone. The poor beagle didn't have anything to do with the daftness of failed relationships.

"I'm not seeing her right now... I mean I'll be on tour," Joe rambled on.

"I remember. You told me on the phone."

Joe wished she would cut him some slack. He did what he could. Of course, he could also simply hold his tongue.

"Is it ok if I let you wait on your own? I think I should go inside and check on how Dax is doing with Pepper and Oreo," Carl turned her back on him.

He knew that that wasn't the reason why she wanted to leave. It was awkward and it was even worse for her. The man thought that she chose to go upstairs because she was mad him. In reality she wanted to go because she didn't want to vent her anger on him.

"Sure. Thanks for taking Dax... I'll call you, ok? Ask how he's doing and all," the guitarist replied.

"Take care, Joe."




-





A few hours later Joe checked his cell phone. He had turned it to mute because it would ring non-stop for five minutes. Brenda sure was determined.

She hadn't left any voice messages but there was a text message: "Please don't treat me like this. I gave it all up for you."

"Clingy much, eh?" Joe felt hot breath against his neck and found Pete scanning the phone display over his shoulder.

"Not now, Pete. I don't need your advice on women."

His intrusive friend sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I believe you do need advice on women."

"My bad. Wrong stress: I don't need YOUR advice on women, Pete."

"Whatever," the other man rolled his eyes and started playing with his bangs. "Do you think I should get a new haircut?"

"I think you should get a new lead guitarist, dude," Joe grunted annoyed and climbed into his bunk.

On the one hand Joe was really thankful that he was on tour. It allowed him to get away from the crappy situation at home, at least physically. On the other hand, physical distance didn't
have any beneficial effect on what was going on in his head.

He couldn't bring himself to stop thinking about the way Carl had looked and acted before she had went upstairs. He hated to ignore Brenda's calls and text messages but he wouldn't know what to tell her. The man still thought she was fun to be with and if this hadn't involved Caroline, he could have even seen himself fall in love with her. For now his feelings for the young woman were put on ice.

His three band mates and the other people he hung out with on tour noticed his bad mood and eventually stopped trying to cheer him up. On stage he acted like a professional, he knew when he had to pull himself together. He took pictures with fans, signed CD booklets, t-shirts and various other objects.

He also missed his dog.

Dirty slobbering all over his face was just not the same. Dax's breath was much better.