Marley ran through the door of Pets 'r' Us and straight into her slightly overweight, balding manager, John.

“Um.. I'm pretty sure I'm not late...” Marley said from the floor, a sheepish smile on her face.

“1:59, You're not late, but I still need to speak to you before you leave.” John told Marley, a disapproving frown on his face.

Marley got up from the floor and brushed herself off. She walked into the back room and pulled her iPod from her pocket, and put it into her locker along with her jacket and bag. She washed her hands and headed out a side door to the puppy pens.

“Hi babies.” Marley cooed in a baby voice to the puppies. A small pug jumped up at her and Marley reached down to pick it up.

“You're my favorite, but don't tell the other dogs, okay?” She whispered to the dog, laughing when it licked her face in reply.

***

Marley stayed in the puppy pens until four o'clock when she remembered Brian was coming to drop her phone off. She sighed and stood up, heading to the sinks to wash her hands and check her hair in the mirror. Deciding that she looked presentable enough, she walked out to the front of the shop.

Brian was standing at the front desk. He was wearing dark jeans with rips in the knees and a white v-neck shirt with a leather jacket over the top.

“Hi,” Marley waved, a smile spreading across her face.

“Hi, here's your phone.” Brian said, and passed Marley her phone.

“Thanks, I don't know what I would have done if I would have lost this, I have pictures from back home on it.” Marley laughed.

“Yeah, about your pictures... when I found your phone I looked at the pictures to try and find out who it was...” Brian laughed, a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Yeah?...”Marley asked, puzzled.

“Well, I found a picture of you, in a bath, holding a bottle of wine... na-”

“Oh my God, don't finish that sentence!” Marley jumped up and covered Brian's mouth with her hand.

Brian was looking at her with one eyebrow raised.

“Why don't you want anyone to know? If I had tits like yours-”

“There are some things my fifty year old boss and co-workers don't need to know, thank you.” Marley cut him off.

“So anyway, I decided for payment, you should let me take you out for drinks on Friday.” Brian told her.

“You decided? And what payment?” Marley questioned.

“Payment for bringing your phone here, and I took the liberty of sending that picture to my phone.” Brian told her, an innocent smile on his face.

Marley flushed. “You are not blackmailing me into going out with you!” She whisper-yelled.

“Well, its not really blackmailing, I'm just... using different persuasion methods.” He retorted.

“Persuasion.” Marley scoffed.

“So will you come?” He asked, a hopeful look on his face.

“If I do, will you delete that picture?” She asked him.

“I'll think about it.” He replied a smirk on his face.

Marley scribbled down her address on a piece of paper, scrumpled it up and threw it at him.

“I'll pick you up at eight on Friday, see you then, sweet cheeks.” Brian laughed.

Marley stuck her tongue out at him, but he only blew a kiss in return, unfazed by her stubbornness.

***
“Taylor, can you and Aaron mind Raxus on Friday night please?” Marley asked her friend. It was Wednesday and Taylor and Marley were sitting in Taylor's apartment watching Zombie Strippers.

“Sure, we were gonna walk Betty Lou and Bruce anyway, we'll just take Raxus with us.” Betty Lou and Bruce were Taylor and Aaron's two pugs. Marley and Taylor often took them out together.

“Thanks, are you sure Aaron won't mind?” Marley asked.

“He won't, don't worry.” Taylor told her.

“You know that guy who answered my phone the other day,” Marley said to Taylor.

“Um, I think I do, why?” Taylor asked her.

“Well, do you remember Aaron's birthday party last year, and I got completely wasted..”

Taylor laughed, “And you ended up naked in my bath?”

“Well, someone took a picture of it on my phone and I never deleted it. Brian found it and now he's blackmailing me into going for drinks with him on Friday; Which is why I need you to mind Raxus.”

Taylor looked at Marley for a few seconds and burst out laughing.

“Glad you find it funny.” Marley muttered.

“Chill out, if he would have asked you normally you would have said no anyway, but maybe he can be your Aaron!” Taylor told her, trying to stifle her giggles.

“I might have said yes! He doesn't know that.” Marley argued.

“Get over it, bitch tits.” Taylor said, bursting out into hysterical laughter.