A Dog's Life Ch. 05

I awoke the next morning and did my usual morning routine, after which I lifted my leg and peed on my piss tree and then crawled to the porch to see if she fed me or if I must wait until suppertime. The bowls were empty, except for the key to the lock on my collar and a note from Gretchen.

"Go inside and take a shower. Use the master bedroom. You will also find your clothes waiting for you on the bed. Get dressed and wait for me in the living room."

My legs were shaking as I entered the house. I realized that I hadn't stood in nearly three months. I was pleasantly surprised when I entered the girls' room. Gretch had turned it back into a traditional married couple's bedroom; complete with a king sized bed. I checked the closet and found not only my clothes but hers, as well.

I felt like a new man as I sat on the floor and waited. Gretch's orders did not include sitting on the furniture, so I waited, wondering what she had in mind. She soon opened the door of the vault and came in the living room with a pleasant morning greeting and a soft kiss on the lips.

"We've got a very busy day ahead of us, but first I want to show you something. Come out to the backyard with me."

So we stood in the middle of the yard and I waited for her to tell me what was going on. She produced a device that looked very much like a TV remote control. She pointed it at my doghouse and the entire structure began to move. With a grating noise, the doghouse turned until the back was facing the front. To my amazement, the doghouse was now a very well built storage shed!

"Before you thank me, I want you to see this." She pointed the device at the structure and we watched it rotate again until it was a doghouse once more.

"Keep this in mind," she said. This is all it takes to turn the storage shed back into your doghouse. I can put you back here anytime I please. It might be a punishment, or I may just want to play with my little pet. Now, we're going downtown for breakfast.

"We have much to do and you will need specific instructions." She returned the doghouse to facing the back corner and said, "Let's go; I'll drive."

We did a little shopping before a wonderful lunch at a little bistro. Throughout the day, nothing was mentioned about the events of the past summer. It was nice. I loved our new relationship, but I was hoping that Gretch apparently didn't see this as a 24/7 arrangement. She dropped a bomb, however, and it was a big one!

"You'll never guess whose birthday it is today," she said over coffee. My ignorance must have shown on my face as she continued.

"It's Dan Reynolds' day to be the birthday boy."

"Wonderful," I said sarcastically and chanced a question. "Where is it going to be held; in the vault?" I expected a scolding but got a sly look from Gretchen.

"Nope, they're throwing it in the yard." She meant the office and lot of the family's construction company. I was irritated, because everyone knows what a dirt bag bully Danny is and I couldn't believe they were doing this, and I told her so.

"I should explain," she said. "It's a surprise party, and it's being covertly thrown by Dan's former wife and her two sisters. Dan is apparently way behind with his child support payments.

"Everyone else thinks it will be the usual bratwurst and beer with Grandpa's Um-pah band and polka dancing followed with cake, presents, and the Birthday Song. You know, just the usual routine.

"Dan is tolerated by most, disliked by everyone but those desperate housewives who couldn't resist a strong handsome man. Most of the guests would have rather been anywhere but here at Danny's party.

"Dan might be an asshole, but he's a master carpenter and cabinet maker, and since our company does restorations and room additions exclusively, Dan is a definite asset to the company.

Lucky, as you know, the bottom fell out of the local housing construction boom. Because our company specializes in renovation and restoration, we are the only company with steady work. He knows my Grandfather would never fire him. He's been with the company since the beginning. And for all these years he's taken the opportunity to make everyone else miserable.

It occurred to Gloria, Dan's ex, that it was a two sided sword. "If Dan left your company, he'd be lucky to find a job hanging drywall."

Apparently, Dan had been a dirt bag all of his life. Hmm, I wonder if he's spoken to his former sisters-in-laws recently. Gretch had more:

"Did you listen in when I piped the audio in from the vault? The silk panties and nightie we were discussing was Dan's. Danny was wearing the nightie, not me. That was a recording I made weeks ago.

"It took another two weeks before he would admit that he was into more than being stroked through satin panties. You should have heard him! I'll let you listen to the rest later, but he finally broke down in tears and admitted that he liked to dress up as a woman.

"He got down on his knees and begged me not to tell anyone that he was a closet transvestite. He lives in fear that he will be exposed. We've been playing dress up since then. He looks ridiculous in his little French maid's outfit, but he does a wonderful job keeping the vault clean.

"Today is his birthday and Danny's past and his selfish ways will soon be addressed, but we need you to do something for us."

"Anything, if it will make Danny's birthday a big surprise! What do I have to do?" Gretchen pointed to the old trees in the back corner of the lot.

"Good, then you see the six chemical toilet booths under the shade?

You will find him in the one with the "Out of Order" sign on the front. He doesn't know it's there and he's terrified that one of the crew will open the door."

"The door locks from the inside; why doesn't he just leave?"

"My guess would be the handcuffs, not to mention the outfit he's wearing, but we need a little insurance, and that's where you come in. We need you to keep him company until sunset."

"Not a problem," I said. "What do you want me to do with him?"

She smiled. "You can do anything you want; that's what he is expecting. What he doesn't know is who will come to unlock the cuffs and bring him his clothes and the keys to his truck."

"Have fun, but keep him occupied until dark."