We pull into his garage, and I step out of the passenger seat to the back to get Arthur. I carry the dog while Wyatt carries the cooler back inside. “Holy fuck. It’s disgusting in here,” Wyatt cries as we walk in.
The heat has taken its toll on the temperature inside the house. It’s probably a muggy eighty degrees. “Thank God we’re not sleeping here.”
“True, but I don’t think Colin would appreciate a dirty dog running around his house.”
“We can’t leave him here.” If someone sees the pictures I posted on the local social media pages, they could be wanting to come get him any minute.
“Let’s put him in the tub and get him clean. Then I won’t feel bad about bringing him.”
We bring him to the guest bath, setting up our phones asflashlights. I hold my wrist under the tap, waiting for the right temperature.
It’s a good thing we’re both disgusting because we would have ended up that way anyway trying to get Arthur bathed. He wasn’t super happy about being wet, and he let us know it by shaking his dirty water all over us while we tried to wipe him down. “Hold him still, Wyatt,” I shriek as Arthur shakes again, coating me in sudsy water.
“He’s so small I don’t want to hold him too still and hurt him.”
I pick up the extended shower head and start to rinse him. “It’s okay, little guy. We’re almost done.”
I spray him all over, the water that was running gray starting to finally run clear. When all the soap is gone, it’s like an entirely different dog is looking back at me. “Oh my God. He’s white.”
Wyatt bursts out laughing. “Arthur the color-changing dog.”
“He was cute when he was brown and dirty, but now that he’s clean he’s adorable.” I wrap Arthur up in a towel and hold him to me. With one hand I wipe him dry on one side, then turn him around in my arms and towel dry the other side. “I’ll hold Arthur; you go get cleaned up. We’re already late for dinner at Colin’s.”
Wyatt gets up and starts to head toward his bathroom but stops abruptly just short of the door. “Wait. How do I take a shower in the dark?”
I can’t help it, I crack up laughing. I laugh and laugh with little Arthur in my arms. I don’t know why the image of Wyatt fumbling around in the dark trying to turn on the shower is so funny to me, but it just is. “The same way Arthur just did. Take the flashlight from the living room with you,” I answerbetween bursts of laugher. “Then bring it out to me so I can use it when you’re done.”
While Wyatt’s showering, I head to the kitchen to find Arthur something to eat. I was hoping that Wyatt would randomly have dog food from dog sitting or for feeding the raccoons, but I can’t find anything to safely feed him except white rice and a can of mixed veggies.
I set a pot on the gas stove and fill it with water to boil. I set Arthur on the ground to explore and lean against the counter.
My phone doesn’t have much battery left, but if I can make this call before it dies, that’s all that matters.
“Yellow…”
When we get to Colin’s, the house is already packed. People are lounging around the couches and on the floor. There’s a game of cards going, and Mack and Jaden are playing chess on Colin’s ridiculously fancy stone chessboard.
“I saved you guys the last room, since you’re a couple. I gave all the single guys the couch or a blow-up mattress,” Colin says as he leads us up the stairs to dump our overnight bags. I wouldn’t say he was thrilled to see Arthur in my arms, but he let us in anyway.
“Thanks, man,” Wyatt says as he dumps our backpacks on the bed. “This is way better than my place.”
“It’s not as cool as I normally keep it, but it’s not as hot as it could be, so we’ll take what we can get.”
My phone pings in my pocket, and I check it while Wyatt is distracted by Colin. God bless that woman. She got me the information I need so quick…like she was expecting it. Her note confirms my suspicions: “Good luck.” I’ll tell him tomorrow. Tonight, we should just hang out with friends and revel in how lucky we are to be sleeping in a house with lights, air conditioning, and no flood waters.
We head back down the stairs as Colin says, “There’s grilled chicken, broccoli, and baked beans downstairs. The generator runs the AC, the fridge, and a couple outlets to charge phones. But not many lights, so we’ve been using candles and flashlights.”
“We brought our own flashlight, so we’ll be good up there with that, and we’ll take a turn with the charger once everyone else is done.”
“Sounds perfect.” He gestures to the kitchen. “Please help yourself to dinner and refreshments.”
“Refreshments,” Wyatt says teasingly. “Who are you? Chrissy has rubbed her hostess with the mostest all over you, bro.”
I elbow him. “They’re literally feeding us a hot meal when we have no power. Be nice.”
He hangs his head like a reprimanded puppy.
Chrissy has returned to the couch, surely exhausted from feeding several football players and a sleepless night with the storm. I walk over and offer her Arthur. “Could you watch him while I eat? I’m starving, but he’s too cute to not be held.”