Scoundrels

        The breeze is so warm, even a little damp. It smells of damp soil and aging leaves. The sky is a deep and crisp blue. There's not a single cloud anywhere in the world above. A couple of sparrows fly overhead, screeching their soft cries.
        Off to the East, the sky is growing steadily darker. The sky to the West has that pale late evening light, still. The trees are all bare. The leaves scattered about on the ground, creating a sea of dark browns and dying golds. The squirrels are busy -running back and forth, chattering to one another as they run up and around the slumbering trees.
        Everything is so quiet. The park is all but empty. There are a few people coming and going. Joggers. People walking their dogs. Cyclists.
        The benches are all a dark brown. Not a nice colour, but rather the kind that comes from years and years of painting over graffiti.
        She sits by herself. She sits on the same bench, every Friday, at this time, as she's been doing for three months. It's her little bit of time alone. It's the only place she enjoys anymore.
        A dog rushes up to her. He's big and black. A lab mix, she thinks. His eyes are round and shining. His tail wags back and forth with more enthusiasm than she could ever hope to muster. His tongue hangs out the left side of his mouth, gobs of thick drool glistening his jowls and chin. He's dropped a very soggy tennis ball at her feet.
        She smiles a little and extends her hand slowly. The long and wet tongue immediately licks her hand. The dog barks playfully, something of a high yelp, but still with that trace of deep throated bark.
        Her foot kicks the tennis ball. The dog chases after it. His feet run straight over the slimy green thing. His whole body sort of bends-in on itself and he dives forward at the ball. His tail-end comes around to the right, hard and fast. His whole body rolls over the ball. He pushes it forward, somewhat running while laying on his side. His nose nudging the ball forward as he tries to grab at it with his teeth.
        She watches him play, and she laughs a little.
        He jumps up, grabbing the ball in his mouth, and rushes back to her. His expression shouts "Do it again! Throw it again!!"
        This time, she reaches down for the ball. He runs back a few strides and watches her. The front part of his body lies flat to the ground, while his back curves up. The thick black tail continues to swing back and forth, causing his back-end to way beneath the momentum of the tail.
        She smiles at him as she grabs the ball. The gobs of thick saliva coat her hand, but she doesn't it much attention. She tosses the ball. Not overly hard, just far enough to give him a good run.
        Laughter trickles up from her soul as she watches him chase after the ball again. He runs straight over it, turning sharply and almost swallowing the ball whole.
        She looks around the park. No one seems to be watching. No one seems to be looking for their errant mutt.
        The dog comes hurtling back. He runs quickly, almost jumping up with every other stride. Again, he drops the ball by her feet. He watches her carefully as she reaches down for the green piece of rubber and fur.
        She makes to throw it, and laughs as he runs off and looks to see where his quarry has landed. He looks back at her. She tosses the ball into the air a little and catches it. He watches the ball, his tongue waggling out the side of his mouth again.
        That's when she sees him, striding toward the park with the utmost grace. His arm draped over the shoulders of another woman. She stares. She can't help it. She knows full well that he cheats of her. She knows, also, that she can't rebuke him for it. She did it once. She won't do it again.
        The dog nudges his snout against her hand. She drops the ball. It bounces once and rolls under the bench. Her eyes are fixed on him. He smiles at her, and kisses the other woman, before smiling in her direction again and continuing on his way.
        The dog nudges her hand again. This time fixing his snout under her hand, chin resting on her knee. She looks at him, at the round and shining eyes staring up at her. She smiles a little, scratching his ear.
        A woman comes up into the park from the right. She's carrying a leash in her hand and she makes a straight line toward the black lab.
        "Scoundrel," she says, tying the leash to his blue collar. "Hope he didn't bother you," she says with a smile, reaching under the bench for the tennis ball.
        "No. No, he didn't bother me," she answers, with a soft smile.
        The other woman starts to walk away, the dog in tow. He bounces around his mistress, barking and yelping with apparent glee.
        She watches as they walk away. She looks at her jeans, and notices the considerably large gob of drool where his chin had been.
        A smile crosses her lips.