After Radley has dropped off his son with his brother, Bandit, he went on his way to the city to locate the restaurant. As he was finding a parking spot, he wanted to see if he could spot Frisky's vehicle around. It didn't seem she was around yet, so he decided to park at a garage building. Before he got off his vehicle, he moved the top mirror to his view; he decided to spruce himself up a bit if anything is off. He slowly pat his hair, ensuring it is in fine form for tonight, made sure he freshened up his breath by taking a few breath mints, and took a few deep breaths. "Tonight, will be an excellent time," he muttered to himself. He left the parking garage and used his phone to locate the Italian restaurant by foot. On his way through each crosswalk in the streets, he spotted Frisky who was sitting at a bench in front of the restaurant. She waited patiently hoping to spot Rad by placing her bag on her lap. "You made it," said Rad happily. "Hello there. Nice evening," said Frisky with a grin. "I decided to wait for you before we let them know about our reservation." The two-couple stood at the crosswalk in front of the restaurant before the green dog signal turned on.
Rad offered to take Frisky's hand as they crossed the walkway; the restaurant name was Casa Oliva. It was both restaurant and bar, and it is the number one recommendation for couples to spend a lovely evening. It was also located near the body of water as it provided a scenic view of Brisbane's ocean. As both dogs went to the entrance, they were greeted by the host, who was a Great Pyrenees breed. "Evening, you two. Welcome to Casa Oliva. Known for its finest Italian cuisine and service. Do you have a booking," asked the host. "Yes, for Radley Heeler and Frisky Spaniel," said Rad. The host looked at his notebook for the list of reservations. He spotted the two names with his pen. "Ah, yes. You have a booking for tonight. This way," said the host guiding the couple to their table. They were able to get a nice spot in the outdoor dining area near the ocean. "My, this is the perfect spot," said Frisky impressed. "I agree. Good thing I was able to find the right booking at the right spot," added Rad as he eyed at the meticulous details of how the table is set up. The table had a white cloth with red trim. There were peonies in the middle of the table with folded napkins and silverware wrapped in cloth napkins. The perfect setup for a romantic dinner.
"I'll give you your menus. Let us know when you are ready to order," said the host, passing two menu booklets to Rad and Frisky. As both dogs examined the choices from the restaurant's menu, they took their time to decide on what to order. "I'll pay for your dinner tonight," said Rad. "Oh no, that's fine. I can pay for my own dinner," said Frisky. "Nah, it's alright. I'll even pay for dessert if you like some," insisted Rad politely. "Well, if that is what you want," said Frisky with a modest smile. While they took their time to look at the menu, Rad decided he will get the prawns in harissa sauce with a side order of pasta while Frisky will get lamb with herb crust, mushrooms, and truffle risotto. As they told the waiter for their order, they decided to get the same dessert. "Can we have tiramisu each? Oh and one slice of torta cioccolato to go before we leave tonight," asked Rad. "Excellent choice, sir. We'll have your order out as soon as possible," said the waiter as he receives the menus back. "The extra cake is for Lyon. I promised him I'd bring something back," said Rad. "I'm sure he'll love it," said Frisky. Afterwards, the waiter brought two glass wine bottles and poured some red wine to the couple. They both took in the view of the ocean in the outdoor dining area.
"A nice breeze," said Frisky as she felt the lukewarm evening breeze of spring. Rad nodded as he enjoyed himself on the quaint evening of dinner. Yet, he wasn't sure what to talk about during his time with Frisky. Before he attempts to say a word, Frisky starts the conversation. "Are things going well between you and your son," she asked, eyeing the red blue heeler.
"Yes, they are," said Rad bluntly. "I'm happy we sorted out the mess on October twenty first. I think he's becoming more understanding since he was okay to be babysat for the night." He took a small sip from his cup, and felt the mild spices of the fruit in the wine. "I'm happy he was wanting me to tag along. I hope we can hang out more all three of us," added Frisky, while unfolding her silverware from the napkin. There was a short silence between the couple as they enjoyed the night ocean view. "So, do you have any family," asked Rad, wanting to learn about Frisky's family. "Well, there's me, mum, dad, and my brother and sister. Dad lives here in Brisbane while mum came from South New Wales. They met on a holiday trip at New Zealand and end up in marriage. My eldest brother, Logan, is a bit of a brute, but he can be a gentleman. My sister, Josephine, or Josie for short, is the middle child. She and I used to have a sibling rivalry back then, but we're good now."
"Hmm, your sister reminds me of my brother, Bandit. He and my younger brother, Stripe, like to compete against each other. They still do sometimes, but in a good way now," added Rad.
"And you're the oldest out of them, yes," asked Frisky while sipping her wine.
"Yup. Just us three Heeler brothers. We used to get into lots of mischief back in the day while our mum tends to scold us over our shenanigans," chuckled Rad. Frisky smiled weakly by that comment. "Sometimes Josie would always steal my secret stash of sweets when I hid them behind my pillow, and we teared at each other's throats until dad breaks up the fight. But over time, we resolved our differences." After both dogs talked about their families, they decided to talk about something else. "We should go to the festival next week. I hear there's going to be some singers, festival games, and the market will be there as well. I think me, you, and Lyon will have a good time," suggested Rad. "What do you reckon?"
"That sounds like a fun plan," agreed Frisky. The waiter soon came with a large tray with both couples' dishes. He laid down a small table, set the tray, and served the meals and dessert to Rad and Frisky. "Thanks, mate," said Rad. "No trouble at all, sir," said the waiter. They ate and chat as they savored the fine evening of a romantic dinner. "Can I try some of your prawns," asked Frisky. "Be my guest. May I also have a bit of your lamb," inquired Rad as he set a few prawns on the side for Frisky. "Certainty," said Frisky as she cut a slice of lamb to Rad. Both dogs exchanged a piece of their dinner. "Oh man, this lamb is amazing," complimented Rad. "The prawns have nice taste as well," said Frisky. She took a napkin and cleaned any sauce from the prawns on her lips. As she set down her napkin, she noticed Rad had some sauce under his chin. "You've got some under your chin," she teased. Rad felt it and had a sheepish look as he wiped it off with his finger.
After dinner, they dined on the tiramisu cakes, a coffee flavored Italian dessert. They enjoyed the buttery, vanilla flavor of the spongy sweet cake. "Gosh, this is so good," praised Frisky. "I'm not much of a sweet tooth lover, but I have to admit, this is tasty," said Rad, while wiping the frost off his mouth. "Almost makes me want to eat Lyon's dessert."
"Don't you dare. One piece of cake is enough for you mister," reprimand Frisky. "Right, sorry," said Rad. "You know, Christmas is almost around the corner. We should all hang out with my family if you like to come," said Rad.
"I'd love to, Rad. After all, getting to know you has been a blessing to me. And I know both Chilli and Bandit so how can I say no?"
After the lavish dinner, both dogs were ready to go. The waiter went to check up on them as he handed out the bill to Rad and picked up any plates. Rad looked at the paper bill. "Yikes, didn't think this place would be so expensive," he groaned as he looked at the massive bill. "It's fine, I can pay for my own dinner. We can split the bill," said Frisky. "No, I promised I can pay for it. Even if it is pricey," said Rad. He went to the counter to pay. Frisky decided to leave a tip at the table without having Rad noticing her doing it.
As the heeler went up to the counter, he took out his wallet to pay. Before he interacted with the host to pay, another dog barged in the entrance, pushing Rad aside. "Hey, what gives, mate," he grunted. The dog appeared to have a black suit and neck tie with black shades, and a small mic to his ear. He appeared to be a rottweiler with a furrowed expression. He said no word to Rad. "I'm talking to you. What gives you the right to shove others like this," said Rad. "Are you looking to get beat, mate? Get lost," he said in a tough voice. "But I was here first. I'm here to pay," said Rad.
"Look bud, I'm just doing my job. Making sure both my bosses come first. You better get out of the way if you don't want any trouble," the adamant guard dog said. Rad showed a mad expression, but he saw two dogs who appeared to be older huskies. One of them had a Monroe hairstyle with a pear necklace around her neck, and the other was a grey- and white-haired male husky with his smoke pipe. "Coast is clear, Mr and Mrs. Snow," said the guard dog.
"Thank goodness. This place is one of our favorite places to dine. I'm glad we get priority service," said the posh female husky. "We have a booking. Edward and Mathilda Snow," said the dignified husky elder. "Right this way," said the host. The rottweiler again shoved Rad as he led both dogs to the restaurant. Then Rad had a flashback in his head when he heard those familiar names. "No, they couldn't be…"
"Sir, you were waiting," said the host. "Oh, right, sorry." Rad handed out his debit card as the host was scanning it into the computer register. Rad eyed the two couple. They appeared to have the centered dining table in the middle of the room. "Hey, you know who those two are," asked Rad.
"Those would be Edward Snow and Mathilda Snow. Apparently Mr. Snow is a respectable businessman as he owns Snow Financial Solutions," said the host. "They're loyal guests to our restaurant."
"Ah, I see," said Rad as he took his eyes away from them. He noticed the guard dog's unfriendly look when he noticed Rad staring at the elderly huskies. After Rad paid for the dinner, he saw Frisky with Lyon's dessert in the foam box. "You ready to go, Rad," asked Frisky. "Yeah, sure," said Rad. Both dogs walked out of the restaurant and decided to stroll along in the streets of Brisbane. They passed through the South Boardwalk of Streets Beach when they saw many families hanging out by the beach side. They passed through the water fountains as they spouted from the attached floor. Rad's mind was still fresh on the old huskies, who happen to be the parents of Audrey's parents and Lyon's biological grandparents, who did not want to take him in the first place. He recalled the day when he chatted with the foster care worker where Lyon came from about them being trouble.
Frisky noticed a disturbed Rad, who was distracted from enjoying the evening. "Is something wrong, Rad?"
"Oh, Frisky. Sorry, I was thinking," said Rad.
"Thinking about what," she expressed with concern. "No, it's nothing. It's nothing at all," said Rad, not wanting to disclose what he saw at the restaurant to Frisky. They arrived at Grand Arbour and huddled together to a bench to sit down. Frisky leaned on Rad's shoulder and sighed peacefully. Rad felt the warmth of Frisky's head, letting out a soft smile. "Don't you just love the greenery here," said Frisky.
'Yeah, it's nice. Almost forgot how fun it is to come to a place like this," said Radley. "So, I know this is a somewhat unrelated and maybe awkward thing to ask, but what was your previous relationship with Bosco like? It's alright if you don't want to talk about it."
Frisky's face went from a peaceful beam to serious frown. "I wouldn't say it was a pleasant revelation. At first, I thought we both had something special. Everything was going well at first until I noticed his odd behavior when we kept meeting. His feelings didn't seem to reciprocate towards me when I asked him what he thought of me," said Frisky. "It wasn't long until I found out he was cheating on me one evening when I visited his apartment. He cheated me for another, and it was the end of our relationship."
Rad whistled as she revealed the painful truth. "Oh…. that must have sucked," added Rad.
"Yeah, it did," said Frisky eyeing down. "But I think it's for the best."
Rad reached out to her shoulder for comfort, and Frisky noticed his selfless act. She smiled at the heeler. "Oh, I almost forgot," said Rad while reaching out something. He brought a single rose bouquet in a fuchsia ribbon. "Wow, this is lovely! Thank you," said Frisky as she takes the flower from Rad. "I picked it out this morning. I hope you like it," said Rad. The two couples turned their gaze at each other. Rad felt somewhat nervous when Frisky leaned somewhat closer towards him. "I…umm," he stammered, feeling a mix of flustered and intimate feelings. Frisky stroke her new boyfriend's hair gently; she feels as if she is starting to develop a connection with Rad. "You're so cute when you're nervous," she whispered.
"Cute? Oh, come on. I think the word you're looking for is handsome," whined Rad.
"Cute or handsome, I think you're a great dog," disputed Frisky. Rad shook off the cute comment and had to go with Frisky's word. "I think…well, you're something special," said Rad while holding his right hand on Frisky's cheek. She felt both enamored and nervous as the red blue heeler felt the same feelings towards her. She leaned much closer to his face as they both slowly adjusted their mouths and kissed. They kissed for awhile with Rad holding the cocker spaniel with both of his arms. Frisky placed both her hands on Rad's sideburns of his head. Both eyes were closed as they didn't pay attention to anything surrounding them. For nearly a minute, they opened their eyes, widened, and shook their heads sheepishly. "Oh man," whispered Rad. "That was…well." He coughed nervously. "Was that too much?"
"No, no not at all," added Frisky. "I think it was fun. Romantic even." She giggled while placing her hand behind her mouth; she felt so much infatuation towards Rad. "Are you sure? I didn't hold you that hard did I," asked Rad worryingly. "Rad, it's fine. Don't worry about it. Is this your first time kissing a woman that you're acting so anxiously around me," asked Frisky with curiosity. "Well, no. I've had a couple of lovers back in the day, but I haven't done something like that in a while," coughed Rad. "There was this one girl in my youth I used to hang out with a lot. She treated this more of a lover's game that we kissed a lot, but there was this other girl who was so jealous of our relationship that it ended up becoming a lover's triangle. I won't go into it, but it didn't end so well," explained Rad about his high school love life.
"I see," said Frisky with an understanding nod. "And there was this one time I…. well, no, best if I don't talk about her," said Rad.
"Oh, come now. You don't feel like talking about it? It might help take your mind off of things that trouble you from your past," said Frisky.
"Really, that other time was the last time I had a relationship with a lady. It was a complicated history with her. We don't talk to each other anymore," said Rad.
"Who," insisted Frisky.
Rad sighed deeply. He knew Frisky was nosey about this mysterious past lover. "Damn it. No point in avoiding this topic," he muttered, avoiding eye contact with Frisky. "There was this time, where I was almost married with this one lady. She was stunning; we first met nearly two decades ago. Her name was Zoey. She was a female blue heeler. Bewitching smile, lovely hair with curly bangs at shoulder length, and a unique personality. We met at a beach when I accidentally backed my vehicle to her car. No one was hurt, but when I came out to check on her, at first sight, this was the one time where I had fallen for her. She shook off the accident, and we talked for a few hours. At that time, it was when we were into each other." Rad brushed off his hair as he kept talking about his previous love life. "It felt like we had really something special. Hugs, kisses, night out dinners, hoo boy you get the idea. The first year we got to know each other, it was at that moment we were engaged. Everything was going well as we moved into the house I own today. We even talked about the idea of making a family. But things didn't turn out well in the end."
"What happened," asked Frisky. Rad looked up at the night sky with a sad face. "As you know, I work at the oil rig business. My job keeps requesting me to work in the field away from home for weeks. Months even. Zoey felt like I was paying less attention to her, and it was when our relationship felt tense. She would call from home, and sometimes our arguments ended up in heated discussions. She complained about things like why I am not home often, or why I love my job more than being with her. I work extra hard to help pay off the house mortgage. I had a reason, but she refused to see that side. I promised her many times I will try to commit to making it home. But she didn't believe me." The blue red heeler shook his head with his eyes closed, and rubbed them with his hand. "Then one day, when I was scheduled to return home, I saw that she wasn't there. Both her stuff and car were gone when I arrived home. It wasn't long until I saw a letter and engagement ring left behind. She said that we no longer had anything in common because I was constantly away from home at my job, and that she decided to find someone else," sighed Rad. He tried not to show his vulnerability, but it was hard to keep the hurt hidden after talking about Zoey.
"Oh, Rad. I didn't know," said Frisky as she placed her hand next to Rad's shoulder. "Nah, it's all good. I'm to blame for my prolonged absences. I wasn't acting like the proper husband I'm supposed to be. It still hurts to know Zoey left me, but I guess that's the price I had to pay. Since then, I haven't dated anyone since." He showed a weak grin, acting as if this didn't affect him after talking it out with Frisky. "It sounds like you share a similar experience like I did with Bosco. We both were hurt emotionally by our lovers," explained Frisky. "Huh, didn't think we shared that in common besides almond milk shampoo," said Rad letting out a weak chuckle and sad eyes. "Frisky. Thanks, for listening."
"Yeah, I'm happy to hear you out," said the cocker spaniel. "Just so long as we're together, we won't be alone, right?" Rad simply nodded off without saying a word. After both dogs exchanged both their past love histories with each other, it was nearly midnight, and thought it was time to go their separate ways. Along the way back to the parking garage holding hands, they stopped at the elevator. With Frisky parked at the second floor, she got off. "We'll see each other soon, yeah," she asked. "Sure. You're more than welcome to come to our house anytime," said Rad with a faint, but enamored smile. Frisky nodded back with the same enamored smile when they both exchanged kisses before the elevator closed on her. Rad went to the fifth floor of the garage; he walked back to his vehicle with a lovestruck expression, but just as before he arrived, he noticed the same group he encountered back at the restaurant. Both the elderly husky couples, and their bodyguards were at a white limousine. His eyes widened by the same dogs that barged into the restaurant as if they were entitled to walk in without the care of others.
Those have to be the same grandparents Dana has talked to me about, but should I just ignore them? I did promised Lyon. A conflicted Rad was unsure whether it was the right choice to introduce himself to a renowned CEO and wife, but he could not forgot the threat he received from the rottweiler bodyguard.
Meanwhile, Edward Snow gazed at the distance and noticed the red blue heeler watching them. "I wonder what that heeler man wants. He's watching us like he knows us."
"Who, dear," asked Mathilda. The rottweiler guard saw the same heeler he pushed at the restaurant. "Son of a…," he silently curses to himself, and marches towards Rad. "Uh oh," muttered Rad. "Hey, mate. Didn't I say not to cause trouble? You really want to get a beating, don't you," said the bodyguard. Rad noticed how intimidating the rottweiler was with his silver piercing in his mouth, and dark sunglasses. "Look, I was just passing by, and now I'm leaving," said Rad. Before he attempted to go to his ute, he was grabbed by the arm, and slammed into the wall. Tensed, he didn't want to engage in a brawl. "Look mate, I said I was on my way, I didn't want to stir conflict," pleaded Rad. The rottweiler guard grew impatient, but before he attempted to exchange fists with Rad, the female elder husky made her way to the two dogs. "Enough, let him go," demanded the posh looking husky. The guard dog didn't want to let this situation go unpunished, willing to hurt Rad, but he was ordered not to. Rad's beating heart slowed down as he was let go by the guard dog. He dusted himself off after the violent grab, not making eye contact at the guard dog.
"And who might you be, sir," asked Mathilda. Rad tried to compose himself from the violent encounter with the rugged guard before he introduced himself. He shook off by dusting his shoulders off from being pinned to the wall; "Radley Heeler, ma'am. Um, look I don't know what your bodyguard's issue was about, but I have no means to cause trouble," he said. "Well, I should hope so. He does have the tendency to overreact for our safety," said the posh husky in a calm demeanor. "Was there anything you needed? He did say you have been staring at us at the restaurant and now?" Mathilda's husband turns his head and saw his wife conversing with Rad alongside with his bodyguard. He decided to check the situation on his own. "Darling, what seems to be the hold up," said the dignified husky elder.
"Edward, it seems this gentleman wanted to speak to us about something," added Mathilda. "Must we really? We have another busy day tomorrow at the company, so we don't have time for small talk," retorted Edward, but in a subtle manner. "This won't take long. There's something I wanted to talk to the both of you about," explained Rad. "First, I just wanted to ask if you know a kid named Lyon Laurent? I know it's been ages since you've heard of the name." The two husky couple were both stunned and silent. It wasn't long until the name rang into their memory. "Wait, you mean to say you know our daughter's supposed son? In what way do you have a connection with our daughter," asked Edward. "Well, in a way yes, but it's a long story. You see, I was great friends with her husband, Marc. The only way I knew you both was that one of the social workers from Lyon's foster home discussed with me about her background, and family connections. She has told me you were her parents. But just to cut to the chase, after the passing of his parents, I didn't think the boy had anyone in his life to take him in, and based on records, you were his only living relatives here in Brisbane. I took him in because I figured since I knew Marc well, I would do the honors of becoming his adoptive father during the process."
"Wait, wait, wait, and just which social worker are you referring to," inquired Mathilda as she paused Rad's explanation. "Dana Ryan, she was the one that filled me."
An irk expression was shown in Mathilda's face. "That incorrigible woman," muttered Mathilda angrily. "Pardon," asked Rad by the sudden confusion. "Look, good sir, I appreciate you taking our grandson in, but we have no interest in taking him in," she insisted.
"But why may I ask? I get you must have had some history with your daughter's choices, but I was told by Lyon he wanted to see if he has any family. I made some sort of promise and-"
"Promise," interrupted Edward. "Mr. Heeler, I understand this was a setup from the foster home to take him in, but we have no intention of custody over him."
"He's your grandson. Look, I'm not saying to take him in. I'm happy that he is with me for as long as he needs to, but couldn't you at least meet with him. He does not have to stay with you guys if it's too much trouble." The couple shook their heads no. "Audrey made her choice long ago to elope with a commoner. After everything we have done for her, we have no intentions of returning the favor," said Edward with condescension. "After all, whoever she married to is a disgrace to us."
"Excuse me," said Rad frustratingly. "Good sir, we are done with this conversation," insisted Mathilda as she tries to break the tensions between Rad and her husband. Both couples walked away, but Rad was determined to change their minds. "Look if you could just hear me out more, maybe we can compromise," insisted Rad. However, the rottweiler blocked his way in a menacing way. He did not say a word to the heeler. "And, if by any chance you try to track us down again, or encounter us, I assure you I won't want to involve the authorities by reporting a stalker in our sights," warned Edward. Rad silently backed off with an angry frown on his face. He couldn't believe the nerve on Lyon's biological grandfather while Mathilda acted more like a puppet to her husband. The limo soon drove away with haste; Rad sighed and looked away as he tried to forget his failed attempt at trying to convince the couple to meet with Lyon. He got on into his ute and placed his head over his eyes. What was supposed to be his best evening with Frisky turned out to be a stressful one; his anxiety when Frisky first kissed him and experiencing the Snow couple's threat against him. He tried to forget what transpired and went on his way to see both his son and brother.
As he arrived to the Heeler's house, he silently unlocked the door to see if anyone was home. He crept through the hallways to search for the duo and saw Lyon sleeping peacefully in Bluey's bed while his young brother was lying down on the floor, asleep as well. Rad felt a faint smile on his face to know everything was well. Since it was past midnight, he thought he wouldn't mind staying overnight at his brother's house. He lightly tapped Bandit's body to wake him up. Bandit snorted as he slowly opened his eyes. "Ugh, who is it," asked Bandit.
"Hey, mate. I'm back," said Rad silently. "Oh man, you could have knocked on the door at least?"
"Sorry, thought our evening would have been over before midnight, but it was passed that. I take it that things were well?" Bandit stood up from lying down, while rubbing his groggy eyes. "Yeah, no worries. We had a blast last night."
"We can talk about things tomorrow. You must be tired from tonight's babysitting," said Rad. "You can sleep here tonight if you like," added Bandit.
"Thanks, I can sleep in the living room if you've got a spare blanket and pillow."
"Yeah, I'll go check in the room." Bandit checked through the cabinet in his bedroom if there's any blankets for Rad to sleep in the couch; he grabbed a blanket and pillow and headed downstairs to hand to his eldest brother. Rad made himself comfy by spreading the blanket over him and fluffing his pillow. He took a deep sigh, and closed his eyes, hoping he would be able to get a good night's sleep.
Hi, I am pleased to say I was able to find some free time this week to keep on writing again, and I am finally able to publish Rad's evening with Frisky. Things have gotten intense here with Rad opening up to his past and his first encounter with Lyon's biological grandparents on his mom's side. Hoping how the next chapter will be like, most likely a Heeler Christimas gatheirng.