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Chapter 1
Chapter One: Bring Your Dog to Work
Eddie Park lived in a building where everyone loved pets and the rules loved to pretend they didn’t. The lease said no animals. The lobby said yes to holiday wreaths, package stacks, and the periodic drift of dog hair that rolled like a tumbleweed past the mailboxes. Mr. Hargrove, the landlord, said no twice.
On Thursday night, a flyer popped up in the group chat at Eddie’s startup: Bring Your Dog to Work Day! Friday! Camila, our CEO, added: Let’s humanize the brand, people. Eddie’s stomach dropped. He did not own a dog. He figured “humanize” was code for “show us you’re fun.”
His neighbor across the hall, Gloria Santos, had a dog named Pickles. Eddie had helped carry groceries and once assembled an IKEA bookshelf for her, so he knocked.
Gloria peeked through her door chain. “Eddie?”
“I have a favor to ask that may or may not change my career trajectory,” he said.
She opened the door and Pickles bounded into view, a caramel-colored rescue with big brown eyes and a tail that wrote joy in the air. “Oh, hello gentleman,” Gloria said, to the dog. “Eddie, you mean Bring Your Dog Day?”
“Yes. I’d be forever grateful. I’ll bring him back by six. I’m very responsible. I have snacks.”
Gloria hesitated. “Pickles has a schedule,” she said. “Dog yoga on Saturdays, reading hour at the kids’ center Tuesdays, allergy shots Wednesdays. He’s beloved.”
“I can read to him,” Eddie said. He did not know if that was necessary.
Gloria laughed. “All right. Take him. But text me pictures.”
At the office, they stepped into a sea of kombucha taps and plants that had LinkedIn profiles. People cooed. “Pickles!” someone shouted, like the dog was a celebrity returning from the Hamptons.
“Whose perfect cloud is this?” yelled Theo from design, sliding on socks to meet the dog. Eddie flinched. Theo Kim lived two floors above him. Eddie had never seen him with a dog.
“Uh,” Eddie said carefully. “Mine for the day.”
Pickles wiggled, charmed the barista at the espresso machine, then, at Eddie’s desk, promptly fell asleep on a hoodie and looked like an ad for peace.
Camila Duarte glided over. She was all bright eyes and bolder moves. “Introduce me,” she said, crouching to scratch Pickles behind the ears. “I keep telling our investors: we need a story. And this face is a story.”
Eddie’s heart did a quick sprint. His boss was finally noticing him. “This is Pickles,” he said, steady. “He’s very good.”
Camila stood. “He’s perfect. We should put him on our socials, see how the metrics move. Eddie, can he come back Monday?”
Eddie’s mouth, which belonged to him and should have known better, said, “Absolutely.”
He took a selfie with Pickles and sent it to Gloria. He did not expect the reply.
Great shot! she texted. Love the office. I need to check with the other owners about next week.
Eddie stared. Other owners?
