The winter of 2014 was an exceedingly hard one for me. My mother passed away and I faced a significant health scare of my own. The call I received giving me the all clear on my follow-up tests was the first good news I’d had in weeks, and I let out a sigh of relief strong enough to rustle the spring buds on the trees outside my window. Maybe it was the giddiness of gratitude over my test results or maybe the low grade spring fever I was running, but what happened next was completely out of character for me. I hung up the phone and for the first time in my life, I went looking for love online. Looking for, as the kids say, a hook-up. With a total stranger.
Fingers trembling, I began Googling sites, nervous and embarrassed even though I was alone. I was scrolling through photo after photo of prospects, none of which caught my eye, when suddenly, there he was, staring out from the computer screen. Strawberry blond hair, flecked with gold, and light brown eyes that seemed to penetrate me. I was certain he was the one. Was it because he reminded me of a past love? Maybe, I don’t know. All I knew at that moment was I wanted him and I wanted him bad.
My heart was racing as I wondered if I could I really go through with it. Could I seriously bring a third party into our home to spice things up for my husband and me? To be honest, it had been a secret fantasy for a while. I hadn’t broached the subject with my husband, but I often sensed that he, too, felt something was missing in our relationship, an element of excitement that we’d lost along the way. We’d grown a bit too comfortable and predictable with each other. Maybe Mr. Brown Eyes was just what we needed to heat things up.
When my husband came home, I told him what I’d done. Initially reluctant, he finally agreed to meet Mr. Brown Eyes the following Saturday in a public place. I was delirious with delight.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” he said evenly. “Let’s just see how this goes. You and I both have to feel comfortable with him.”
I spotted him among the crowd the minute my husband and I walked through the door that fateful Saturday morning. He was even better-looking in person than in his photo, his reddish gold hair brilliantly shining in the morning sunlight that streamed through the window.
“Harper?” I asked rhetorically as I sidled up next to him.
He swung his head in my direction, his caramel-colored eyes meeting my gaze as he politely offered to shake my hand. When I heard him speak, I knew I was done for. And my husband wasn’t far behind. This guy had us at “Woof.”
From that moment on, there was little doubt that Harper was the third party we were looking for. He was a handsome boy with a sturdy build and a demeanor so dignified he practically barked with a British accent. In fact, if we had any reservation at all, it was that he seemed almost a little too reserved. I loved that he walked so nicely on his leash and sat calmly while my husband and I made all the adoption arrangements, but I was a little concerned that he might not be playful.
I needn’t have lost any sleep over the playfulness issue. Since my husband and I were going to be traveling the next few days, we arranged for the adoption coordinator to bring Harper to our house the following week. The dog that burst through our front door the next Saturday certainly looked like Harper, but he bore no resemblance in manner to the dog we’d met a week before. He was an explosive mix of nonstop jumping, spinning and rolling. He tore around the house at top speed, sending throw rugs sailing through the air like magic carpets and leaving a cloud of dust and dog hair in his wake. Every last vestige of reserve was gone and there was no doubt that he was barking in full-out, top-volume American!
My husband and I stared at each other in complete shock, only half joking when we wondered aloud if doggie Quaaludes had been involved the week before. Who knew, but one thing was certain—this was not the dog we had signed on the dotted line for, not the one we had agreed to take into our home and love forever. No, this was not that dog! This was a dog even more wonderful than we had realized the week before! We’d gone looking for someone to spice things up and now we had him–cayenne, curry and chili pepper rolled into one. Harper was the exact ingredient our lives had been missing. For the first time since our last dog, our wonderful “Jif the Exuberant,” had crossed the rainbow bridge, our home and our hearts felt complete.
It’s been two years since we bade farewell to order and tidiness and gratefully welcomed chaos and calamity back into our lives. We are awakened each morning with the poke of a wet nose instead of the buzz of an alarm clock and our time is measured in ear scratches and belly rubs, not minutes and hours. And we couldn’t be happier. Our third party, our online love, our wild, crazy and sweet, sweet, sweet Harper boy is truly the spice of our lives.
I adore this story! And love a happy ending, because i can relate !!
Riley and Harper boy are the best people!Time to rub some bellies, right?
What a great storyteller—I’m sure you meant it, but my mind was reeling a little at first!! I need to have my husband read this too—because I think a Harper would be fun for us!
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
midlifeblogger
Gotcha! One of my friends messaged me at midnight and said, “Man, at first my mind was reeling, you really got me good!” Harper is such a good boy now…well, there was the possum incident, but other than that…:-) I can’t imagine life without him.
Talk about a hook to reel the reader in! This was fanfastic….and a lovely ending for all! You paint a perfect picture of this rambunctious little guy…well done, my favorite storyteller friend!
Thank you, Joan! Yes, this is about as “wild” as it gets in my life. 😉 Harper filled such a void after losing my mom and sister. And even though he thinks he’s a little guy and tries to climb on your lap, he’s 70 pounds!
You’re such a great writer! I can picture him perfectly!! Dogs really are the best. Pure love.
You’re so sweet, Jennifer, thank you. The time between losing my last dog and getting Harper was the longest I’d ever gone without a dog. Family illnesses and my work schedule had made it impossible. Then that day, I said, “it’s time” and there he was! 🙂
Gee, you have had way more success online than I have…
A love that lasts!
I’m telling you people are the real dogs in this world! 😉 You and I have always struck gold with the four-legged companions.
This is super cute. We brought a new dog into our lives a couple of years ago and had it similarly upended. It really is like getting another kid.
Thanks, Katy! It is just like getting a new child, with all the good and bad that goes with it! And you wouldn’t trade the dogs or the kids for anything…well, the dog anyway!
Masterful story telling Lee. ..love this…love you and love Harper even though he has yet to slurp my face. But we love our furbabies so much!
Jeanie, don’t you make me cry right here on my keyboard! I was so heartbroken when my last dog got bone cancer, I couldn’t bear thinking about another one. But, you know how it goes–if you’re a dog person, you need a dog! And if you can’t get a dog, get a Harper! 😉 Love you!!
This is too funny—you had me going there for a minute!
You thought I was going for a walk on the wild side, huh? Well, if you’d see me being walked by the 70-pound Harper beast (when he’s not on those doggie Quaaludes!), it IS a walk on the wild side! Thanks, Marcia!
You had me at woof too! Nothing better than upset carpets and flying dog hair in my book. Life is lovelier with a pup in the house!
It really is! The time between my last dog and Harper (2 years) was the longest I’ve ever been dogless, but it was not a good time to get a new pooch–family illnesses and work schedule. My house was cleaner then, but my heart was lonlier! thanks for stopping by!
lol at first I was convinced you were talking about a person! I’m looking for a pooch too. My Neo passed about two years ago now and my heart is broken. I think another pooch would help mend that. I love this story. Thanks so much for sharing.
I know how awful that is when they go. They leave such a big hole. It was two years in between dogs for me this last time, too. The time was finally right and Harper LEAPT into our lives! I do think only another dog can fill those last empty spaces in your heart after you lose one. XO
This was a very spicy story, Lee, and I feel like a voyeur looking in on your clandestine hook up with Harper. What an affair to remember! But since there is so much love involved, I do believe it is going to last. We are experiencing the same empty feeling that you and your husband had, but we haven’t been brave enough to take the next step. Yet. XO
I am a bit of exhibitionist, you know, Molly! 😉 Oh, I know that empty house feeling. 🙁 I had to wait two years in between dogs because of family illnesses and work schedules. Now we have Harper and all of his hair to keep us company!
Aw puppy love
I missed this comment (and Lori’s) for some reason. I’m telling you it’s full blown puppy adoration. He totally owns us!
Love this story! You hooked me right in to your wild side. Lol! Thank goodness for the love of a dog.
I’m so sorry, Lori, I missed your comment! Yes, indeed, we love our doggies, don’t we? 🙂
Fab story – you got me hook, line & sinker! LOL
He got us that way too. He is so spoiled now, but we love him so much! 🙂 My friend says I had much better success with online “dating” than she has so far, looking for a human mate! 😉
Love it! But I do feel that you should have been able to foresee the leg ‘sploding risks – I mean, if you want to live life on the wild side, you have to expect consequences!
Always shoving that personal responsibility thing down my throat. Hey, I was living in the moment! 😉
I love romantinc stories 🙂
Yes, indeed. The love story continues–with every woof and face lick!