Rey made her way down the sloping hill towards the expansive gated-in field. Her dog tugging tough at his leash.
"Jack! Jack calm down boy were almost there!" She called out. The mutt tugged even more, making her laugh. More on the medium side Jack could pass for a Labrador retriever however one vet had claimed he was mixed with a beagle, strangers would try to guess his breed, in the end Rey had just excepted that no one really knew. She had been drawn to him at the pound because, like her, his parents had abandoned him. Unlike her, Jack was lucky enough to be found by the volunteers and taken in as a puppy. When Rey had settled into her new apartment that previous year she felt like it was the right time to adopt a dog. She needed some companionship not to mention an exercise partner. He had been a handful to train but Rey stayed focused and was able to raise him well into his adolescence. She had been coming to this dog park practically everyday for months, it was at the park they walked together. She arrived at the gate and struggled to open it as Jack was wiggling and bursting with excitement on his leash. "There you go boy!" She unleashed him and watched as he bolted off, tongue wagging and all, after the other dogs at the park. Rey walked over to the bench. "Hey Poe, Finn good to see you guys," she waved approaching and sat down.
"Hey bestfriend!" Finn smiled and give her a side hug from the bench from which they now both sat.
"Rey!" Poe walked up bouncing a tennis ball. "Hows our favorite gal doin?"
"The usual pretty boring, work's been busy with lots of orders coming in and out, so this is the first time I've made it to the park in about a week. Besides what about you guys! How are the newlyweds?" Rey asked. Poe and Finn had just returned from their honeymoon.
The two shared knowing glances with each other. "Oh just fantastically Rey. I mean really I've never been happier." Finn smiled and gave Poe a quick smooch, in turn making Poe smile and turn towards the field. Rey had been friends with Finn when she first moved to New York City and had watched him fall for Poe. Poe had actually introduced them both to this dog park location. They both still acted like young school boys experiencing love for the first time. "We've got to get you a girl next!" Finn nudged Rey a few times with his elbow.
She chuckled. "Yeah good luck with that."
"Hey I heard Mr. Solo saying there was a new girl who had been frequenting the park this past week!" Finn continued "Maybe she could turn into something?"
"ASTROOOOooo come here boy!!" Poe called out putting an end to the conversation. A corgi came trotting over with his tongue hanging out. He was orange-ish in color and had a white underbelly. He was definitely on the energetic side and always seemed to be getting into trouble. This was evident with the dirt all over his paws. "Where have you been boy?" Poe put his hands on his hips. "Finn help me clean him up please."
"Getting used to that married life already!" Finn winked at Rey as he stood to follow his husband to the water fountain.
Rey couldn't help but chuckle at her friends escapades. She stood to go find Jack, hoping he hadn't gotten into the same mud as Astro had. She called her pups name a few times but no luck. "Strange," she thought. He had always been good at coming to his name. She looked around the field, and no blonde blur of her dog that she usually saw running around. Finally behind a pair of large pushes on the outer edge of the park she saw his tail wagging with what seemed like a hurricane power force. "Jack there you are!" She called approaching the bushes. As she rounded them, she noticed a girl kneeling and petting him.
"Oh, Hi." She said shyly and stood. Her dark, glossy locks of hair fell forward before she tucked the strands behind her ear. She smiled and Rey felt like she was about to melt. She was wearing a beautiful orange dress that highlighted the sun rays shining on the field. She was tanner, definitely not a New York native. "Sorry is this your dog, he started following me around and is just so friendly I couldn't stop petting him." She smiled again, patting Jacks head.
Rey was practically speechless and caught off guard. "H-Hi yeah yeah no it's totally fine. He's never one for making human friends he's too focused on running and toys so he must really like you."
This caused the girl to laugh and Rey realized she could listen to her laugh forever.
"Well he's got to stay fit to keep up with his owner" the girl said cooly, turning around to search for her own dog.
"Oh my god is she flirting she totally just flirted with me" Rey's mind went into a panic. "S-so, are you new here I haven't seen you around?" Rey asked to keep the girls attention.
"Yes actually, I just moved here earlier this month, but just started coming here about this week." The girl exclaimed. "Sorry I'm just so scatter brained have you seen an Alaskan Malamute around here?" She was now scoping out the field behind Rey.
"You can't find a giant dog!?" Rey laughed
"Hey! It's not my fault, he likes to explore!" the girl also laughed realizing how ridiculous she sounded.
"What's his name, and also more importantly what's yours?" Rey asked sticking out her hand.
"Blue and Jessika, but I prefer Jess." Jess shook Rey's hand.
"Well Jess it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Rey and let's find Blue. You check the bushes I'll go over to the gate, come on Jack." At that point the two girls heard a very loud clamoring over towards the water fountain and also a man yelling hey. The popped their heads up from behind the bushes and saw the giant furry dog with his front paws on Poe shoulders and a certain husband keeled over from laughing.
"I think I found him." Rey said, the two girls laughed and ran over to the fountains, Jack in close pursuit.
"I am so so sorry!!" Jess exclaimed. "Blue down! Blue off now off! Come here." She leashed the big dog as Rey helped her drag Blue off Poe.
"No no problem! I was teasing him with the tennis ball anyway my fault." Poe said dusting himself off.
"Quiet the charismatic dog you got there Miss." Finn chuckled wiping tears from his eyes from laughing so hard.
"He probably gets it from his darn owner!" Jess rubbed Blue's head. She stuck out her hand and introduced herself to Finn and Poe. "I just met your friend behind those bushes over there, nice to meet you two as well. Sorry for the rude entrance."
"What else can you expect at a dog park," Poe smiled and the two men shook her hand.
"Anyways I've got to be going," Jess continued. "It was nice to me you both, and Rey.. I hope to see you again soon, Jack and I need some more bonding." The girl winked, patted Jack, and turned towards the gate with her large dog trotting besides her. She waved once more and walked off into the sunset.
"REYYYYYYYYYY" Finn started to exclaim
"I do not want to hear it!" Rey started gathering her leash and tried to get Jack before her friends could give her a hard time.
"BEHIND THE BUSHES did you hear that Astro behind the bushes!" Poe smirked.
"I'm leaving you two goodbyeeee." Rey made her way out of the park rolling her eyes.
"ALL I'm saying is I wish I could've met my one and only at a dog park how ROMANTIC" Finn said pretending to swoon as Poe fanned him.
"Oh shutup!" Rey called back, turning she they couldn't see that she was blushing. She waved and started her walk home with Jack. She couldn't stop thinking about how cute Jess was the whole way and smiling like an idiot.