Free Birthday Burglar by K.A. Merikan Page A

once-over.
    “No, for my
boyfriend.” Jamie winked at her. He used to be so deep in the
closet that now, being out, he wanted to show off his gay pride any
time he got the chance.
    Disappointment
briefly flashed over the girl’s pretty face, but it soon
disappeared, replaced by a contented smile. “That’s so cute! What
kind of dog would he like?”
    “A cute one,”
Jamie said as they walked closer to ‘Puppy-land’. “One that likes
to play and cuddle and doesn’t bark a lot.”
    “We have a
golden retriever.” The girl looked at him, stopping by a bunch of
adorable baby dogs in glass cages. Some were kept alone, but most
pens contained up to three puppies. Two of the little balls of fur
were playing, completely absorbed by their harmless combat.
    “Oh my God!
They’re adorable!” exclaimed Jamie, pressing the palms of his hands
against the glass. “How do people choose just one...?” he added in
amazement.
    “Well, you
could take more if you want, although they might be a little too
much,” said the girl, smiling at the playing puppies. One of them
looked like a golden retriever, though its fur was more beige than
yellow. It knocked the other puppy over, trying to bite its ear
with a loud yelp.
    Jamie let out a
sigh. It was true; two of those would be too much. Maybe they could
get another one later in life. “This one is so fierce.” He laughed,
pointing at the puppy.
    “That’s one of
the dogs I was telling you about,” said the girl, moving closer to
Jamie to avoid being knocked over by two small boys chasing each
other through the store, much like the puppies. “His siblings are
already gone.”
    “Oh, no! He’s
the only one left?” Jamie sighed, looking into the dog’s eyes. He
noticed a nice golden tint at the tips of its ears.
    “Yup.” The shop
assistant smiled at the puppy. “He’s really sweet, and this breed
works well with most people.”
    Jamie scooted
down to be at the puppy's eye-level. “I think Neil will love this
one,” he said with a wide grin and tapped on the glass with his
fingertips, which caught the attention of both the dogs. The
smaller black puppy backed away, looking at him with caution, but
the golden retriever jumped up, standing on its hind legs with the
front paws pressed against the glass. His tail was wagging like a
windshield wiper.
    “Isn’t it
adorable?” laughed the girl.
    “Is it a girl
or a boy?” asked Jamie.
    “Ah, well, it
has all the necessary bits,” came the flat reply. She was right
about that.
    Jamie laughed
and scooted down to take a closer look. “He does! I’ll take
him!”

*

    Jamie strode
into the bright bedroom decorated with a large photograph of him
and his boyfriend hanging above the bed. There were also several
large candles and a bunch of dried flowers on the windowsill.
Neil’s exercise bike was standing in the corner, and next to it
were a few boxes containing stuff they couldn’t fit anywhere
else.
    Jamie rushed,
trying to put his balaclava on as fast as possible. He was already
behind on the schedule he'd made for himself that morning. It was
all because of the dog! The poor thing got sick all over the car,
and Jamie's attempts to clean the upholstery went horribly wrong.
He had spilled the water in the parking lot and didn't have any
time to spare, so he decided to take care of the car later. He'd
left the puppy in the little storage room in the corridor just so
that it wouldn’t ruin Neil’s birthday surprise. Neil was due home
any minute now and if Jamie didn’t hurry, his plan would be
ruined.
    They both loved
sex role-play. Usually, they had it all planned, but not this time.
If more spontaneity was what Neil wanted, that's what he would get.
What could be better than a birthday burglar? Jamie took the time
to buy a pair of new black jeans and a turtleneck to look the part.
Once he heard the door being unlocked, he quickly donned the
balaclava, ran into the bedroom and hid in the wardrobe just in
time. Their