To protect the innocent, I will keep certain details of this little incident discreet.
It was a hot summer day as I walked into a very small business to do an errand. The business was small enough so that it was plain to see the only person there was the man who ran the business. He gave me a form to fill out, so I walked over to the other side of the room and found a small ledge on which to write.
Having my back to him, I had been writing for about a minute when, suddenly, something brushed against the back of my left leg. Of course, I panicked . . . thinking the man was grabbing my leg! I froze while the brushing feeling continued. Finally, I got brave enough to look down and around so that I could see what on earth was rubbing against my leg. Guess what I saw? A big, beautiful . . . DOG!! As in “Ruff, Ruff, Bark, Bark” – not as in the man was a "dog" because I thought he was grabbing my leg!
That’s one of the most relieved moments I’ve ever had in my life! I happily began stroking the dog’s head as he continued to brush up against me. He was a big dog, almost as tall as me – which is not saying a whole lot since I am only 5 feet 2 inches – but he had the friendliest look on his face. You could tell he would not harm a flea (well, OK, being a dog, he probably would take a swipe at an annoying flea), and it was obvious that he was accustomed to being around people. I’m sure he came to work often with his owner and probably quietly escaped from behind the counter every chance he had in order to make a new friend.
The man, finally noticing that his beloved pet had snuck away from his side and moved across the room to my personal space, came rushing over and gently scolded the dog. “Sorry about that,” he said to me with a sincere look on his face. “Oh, no problem at all,” I reassured him. “He’s fine.”
And I was fine, too.