Bark Up and Smell the Coffee Read online

  On the other hand, she didn’t want to lose the opportunity to compete with Lady Valkyrie because Terry was imagining murders. She needed to keep her on track, or they would lose the championship.

  She took a few steps around the kitchen, trying to organize her thoughts and reconcile these opposing forces. An idea occurred to her, and she spun around to face Terry.

  “You said Jack tells people how to be good dates?”

  “That’s right. He’s a dating coach as well as a bachelor personality.”

  “Why don’t I call him and set up an appointment?” Willow suggested. “That way I can question him about Kaitlin but not seem obvious about it. And I might be able to set your mind at ease.”

  “I don’t know about this,” Griffin said, looking up from the coffee grounds.

  “No. It’s a great idea,” Terry said. “I’m sure he’d remember me, but he’s never seen you before. He wouldn’t know that you were searching for evidence to prove he’s a killer.”

  “Well, looking to see if he’s involved,” Willow amended. “And who knows? Maybe I’ll actually get some good advice.”

  “That’s true. We might need it,” Terry said. “Though I’m not sure I’d trust it from him.”

  Griffin abandoned the coffee and moved closer to the group.

  “You’re actually seeking dating advice?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” Willow said, trying to shrug it off as if it weren’t a big deal. “I mean, Terry and I had been talking about getting back in the dating saddle yesterday. And I guess I’m a bit out of practice, so it might be something that I could get advice on.”

  “I could give some advice,” Griffin said. “Dating isn’t something you need to practice. You find somebody that you like, and you ask her if she’d like to see a movie. You just need to be yourself, and then you see how things play out.”

  “Well, finding the somebody that you like can be the tricky part,” Willow said.

  “It could be someone right under your nose,” Griffin countered.

  She purposely avoided eye contact with him. Not wanting to give a real answer to that suggestion, she decided to deflect and opted for a joke. “I’m so short, the only one under my nose is Tele. And I pictured the man of my dreams having better breath.”

  Griffin didn’t laugh. He looked serious. “You just need to take a risk.”

  “And she is,” Terry said, stepping forward. “She’s going to take a risk by talking to a killer for me.”

  Willow was grateful for the interruption. She grabbed her laptop from the other room and began searching for Jack Grim online. She found his website and a number to call.

  “Here I go,” Willow said as she punched the number into her phone. She turned to Terry. “Of course, he might be very busy. He is a famous dating coach, right? It might be a little while before he can see me. But I promise I will talk to him and get this sorted out.”

  She pressed the call button and waited as it rang. Terry was looking nervous, and Griffin was looking grumpy. Willow was nonchalant. She felt like she had figured out the perfect way to settle the situation. Jack would surely be too busy to see her right away. He was a famous and busy man. She would make an appointment to see him, and the waiting period would give Terry some time to calm down.

  If Terry did decide that she’d been wrong to make those accusations when she was so upset, maybe she could accept that Kaitlin’s death might have been due to an illness. Willow could always cancel the appointment. If it was no longer part of an investigation, she could decide whether this was embarrassing or not.

  Then a man on the other end of the line spoke up. “Jack Grim, Dating Guru. What’s up?”

  “Hi. I’m Willow Wells.” She could feel the eyes of the other people in the room upon her and tried not to react to his self-proclaimed title. “I was hoping to set up an appointment to go over some dating advice. You see, I’ve been out of the game for a long time.”

  “You in Pineview?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s meet for coffee in an hour.”

  “An hour?” Willow asked. Well, there went her plan to give Terry time to calm down.

  “That’s right. I had a cancellation, so I have an opening in an hour. Come on down to my office.”

  “Sure,” Willow said, hoping she had hidden the disappointment in her voice.

  She hung up the phone and Terry hugged her.

  “You’re meeting him in an hour? This is great news.”

  “I don’t think you’ll get any good advice though,” Griffin said. “The best thing to do is just jump into the dating game.”

  “Ask him about Kaitlin and see how he reacts,” Terry advised.

  “You’re sure you can’t come with me?” Willow asked. She was hoping that the answer would still be no, but she’d rather know in advance.

  “I can’t. I think he would recognize me, and then he’ll know that I’ve figured him out.”

  Willow nodded. “Well, I’ve got to go get ready,” she said.

  Maybe it would be good that the meeting was right away. She might be able to wrap it all up in an hour. All she had to do was meet with Jack Grim and feel him out, and then she could reassure Terry that he wasn’t up to anything nefarious. But first, she needed to figure out what to wear.

  5

  “Hey, Wednesday, what does one wear to a meeting with a dating coach?” Willow asked. She held her cell phone up to her ear in one hand and an outfit she was sure she was going to reject in the other hand.

  Terry had left to check that Lady Valkyrie was safe at their hotel room, and Griffin had gotten to work on the final projects around the house. Telescope had followed him off, and Willow was glad. She didn’t like how loudly Griffin was hammering, and she felt he was protesting her meeting with Jack Grim.

  “You’re meeting a dating coach?” Wednesday asked. “That seems sudden and random. But it also sounds more exciting than the paperwork I’ve been filling out today.”

  “Well, it’s not just for dating advice,” Willow said and began explaining the situation.

  “You had me at potential murderer,” Wednesday said. “No. You had me at dating coach. Who am I kidding? You had me at – what should I wear? I’m coming over.”

  “What about work?”

  “This is for my other job. The posts for my feature. I bet I could get a bunch of hits if I show myself spending time with a famous dating coach.”

  “You mean you’re coming with me to talk to him too? Not just helping me with the outfit?”

  “I bet I could cross-promote with him and get even more of an audience,” Wednesday said excitedly. “And, of course, I would be there as your backup in case he really is a killer.”

  “I guess that is a good idea,” Willow admitted.

  “I’ll be right there. Pick out a few potential outfits for me to choose from. Just make sure that maroon dress with the belt isn’t one of them.”

  Willow looked at the maroon dress that she was holding and sighed.

  “Call him to let him know that I’ll be there too,” Wednesday said. “Okay? I’m on my way. Bye!”

  Willow hung up that call and redialed Jack Grim’s number.

  “Hi, this is Willow. We spoke a few minutes again.”

  “You better not be standing me up, baby. That’s a big no-no.”

  “Not at all,” she said. “I was just calling to say that I am going to bring my sister with me to the meeting.”

  “You’re bringing your sister?” Willow could hear the disbelief dripping from his voice. “You do need help with your dating life. Good thing you’re coming.”

  Willow could have argued with him and explained Wednesday’s social media campaign idea, but instead, she just agreed and hung up. She threw the maroon dress onto a chair.

  She was supposed to be busy training a show dog. How did her day end up like this?

  Dressed in a Wednesday-approved business casual outfit, Willow entered Jack Grim’s office with her sis
ter at her side. She wasn’t quite sure what she expected a dating guru’s workplace to look like, but it was even more obnoxious that she thought it would be. Large posters of Jack Grim from his TV appearances and book jackets adorned the walls. Mixed in amid the décor were statues in various poses from the karma sutra.

  Willow reminded herself that she was doing this for Lady Valkyrie. Then she adjusted her thoughts and added that she was also doing this for the deceased woman. If there was a chance that she really had been murdered, Willow had to do something about it.

  “Sisters,” Jack Grim said, entering the lobby.

  “Hi. I’m Willow,” she said, extending her hand to shake his.

  Jack opted to kiss it instead and then reached for Wednesday’s who accepted it with more good humor than Willow had.

  “I must say, if I knew the two of you would be so lovely, I wouldn’t have made a fuss at all.”

  “Did Willow not tell you what I wanted to do?” Wednesday asked, making a face at her sister without Jack seeing. Willow stuck her tongue out back at her and Jack happened to see that.

  “What did you want to do?” he asked suggestively, then laughed as if he had told a great joke.

  “I’m doing a ‘Week in My Life’ piece for Clickable ConTENt, and I was hoping that I could take some pictures of me supporting my sister in her search for love.”

  Jack seemed to give Clickable ConTENt the due that Wednesday thought it deserved. Willow noticed that he didn’t have to ask what it was.

  “I think we might be able to work something out,” he said. “What did you have in mind?”

  “I could plug your business in my posts, and you could tag me on your site? We could cross-promote each other and get more hits.”

  Jack nodded, and Willow felt her mind wandering as the two of them discussed their plans for the angle of the piece. Her attention snapped back when she heard her name.

  “Maybe the advice you give Willow will be helpful to one of our followers,” Wednesday said.

  “I’m always game for a social media bump,” he agreed.

  “And if it’s not helpful, at least it might be humorous.”

  Willow frowned.

  “Her dating life is that bad?” Jack asked.

  “It’s not bad,” Wednesday said. “It’s nonexistent!”

  “Hey,” Willow said defensively. “I’m not that terrible at dating. I was married.”

  “And how did that turn out?” Jack asked. He rubbed his chin as if this was a very profound question.

  “I never said anything bad about Benjamin while you were married,” Wednesday said. “But now can I let loose?”

  Willow also had some choice words to describe her ex. Benjamin had been controlling and manipulative. He had not been a partner in the true sense of the word. She resented how much time she had spent living up to his ideas of what she should be instead of being true to herself, and she hated that he had been able to keep her original dog training business in the divorce.

  Still, she liked to think of the future and not focus on mistakes of the past.. In fact, the reason she had left Pineview originally and even met Benjamin had been due to a mistake.

  However, she didn’t plan on saying any of this to Jack Grim, and she hoped her sister wouldn’t either. Wednesday must have interpreted the look on her face because she switched gears.

  “Nah. Complaining about Benjamin would take hours. It’s better if I tell you about her dates in high school.”

  “That was forever ago,” Willow protested.

  “As an outsider, how would you describe these dates?” Jack asked.

  “I’d say that she pushed away all the people who would have made her happy, and instead she dated Eugene Filhop.”

  “Eugene was nice,” Willow said.

  Wednesday rolled her eyes. “Tell the truth. You were only dating him to spend time with his dog.”

  Willow opened her mouth to protest but then giggled. “He did have a really beautiful Weimaraner.”

  “I think I’m getting the picture here,” Jack said. “But why don’t we get some real pictures in a photo shoot? And then we’ll get down to the consultation?”

  Wednesday whipped out her phone in agreement. Willow tried to look happy as they staged some photos with Jack in front of a picture of himself. They took a few shots of her appearing thoughtful as he spoke to her and then took one of a group hug.

  Afterwards, Jack led them into a side room where he said he usually conducted his meetings. It was set up like a restaurant with a table for two in the middle. This must be where some of the “practice dates” took place.

  Jack smiled as Wednesday showed him her favorite pics, the ones she planned to post and said she would continue to take candid shots throughout. Willow hoped that the session would be fruitful enough to warrant a group hug after, but she wasn’t feeling optimistic. Still, talking about her dating life might provide a segue for her to ask about his relationship with Kaitlin.

  “So,” Jack asked, settling into a seat and inviting Willow to sit across from him. “What are you looking for in a relationship?”

  “Someone loyal and caring,” she said, trying not feel as awkward as if she actually were on a first date. “And… acrobatic.”

  Wednesday stopped taking pictures and crossed her arms. “Are you just describing Tele, so you don’t have to really answer the question?”

  “No,” Willow said, looking away. “Maybe.”

  “And Tele is?” Jack asked.

  “Her dog,” Wednesday said, blabbing.

  “I’m sensing a theme with the canines here,” Jack said.

  “Wends, remember why we’re really here?” Willow said, trying to convey her secret meaning. “You don’t need to sell me out. And besides, it’s not like you’re always dating.”

  “I date all the time,” Wednesday said. “I just haven’t met anyone I like enough to introduce to you or Dad. I know that I’m multifaceted and want someone who can keep up with me. Besides that, I don’t know exactly what else I’m looking for in a partner. But I enjoy going on dates and talking to attractive men, so they provide me with an opportunity to learn what I like.”

  “That sounds very self-aware,” Jack said, praising her.

  “Thanks,” Wednesday said. “Selfie!”

  She posed with Jack giving her the thumbs up. Willow considered what her sister had just said. She might as well answer some of these questions honestly and see what advice she got.

  “Okay,” Willow said, “I want to be in a relationship that feels natural and where I can be myself. I want to have fun with a guy and to be with someone who I can tease and who makes me laugh. He’s got to love dogs. That’s a deal breaker.”

  “Strong canine theme,” Jack repeated in a mutter.

  “And I want him to have his own thing and for me to have mine, but when we work on things together, we’d make a good team,” Willow finished, impressed by how she’d opened up.

  “You know who that sounds like?” Wednesday asked.

  Willow saw the smug look on her face and groaned. “Don’t say Griffin.”

  “But it does sound like Griffin,” Wednesday protested.

  “Who is Griffin?” Jack asked. “Another dog?”

  “My contractor!”

  “The guy she secretly likes,” Wednesday said.

  “No,” Willow said. “I’m not going there again. I’m keeping my business and personal life separate. Griffin is part of my business life. He’s the man who built my training facility and who will hopefully build my doggie spa, as well as any other projects that might creep up.”

  “But—” Wednesday began, but Willow cut her off.

  “No buts,” Willow said. “I learned from Benjamin. You need to keep your business separate from your love life.”

  Wednesday didn’t offer a rebuttal. Instead, she focused on her phone and began posing for more pictures.

  “Do you want my advice?” Jack asked.

  “Sure,” W
illow said. “That’s the reason I’m here.”

  “It seems that in your last major relationship you didn’t feel like you were truly yourself. When you go on dates in the future, make sure that the suitors get to see the real you. Then, if all goes well, it will be based on truth. And you should be able to break the cycle of your last relationship.”

  “That’s actually pretty good advice,” Willow said, impressed. “The be yourself part is similar to what Griffin told me.”

  However, Willow’s kindly feelings towards Jack Grim didn’t last long. “Of course, in order to get to that first date, you’re going to have to attract a man. And it so happens, I offer a class for just that. Flirting, winking, suggestion. We cover it all.”

  Willow barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes but then sensed an opening.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Are these classes really worth it? After all, you are a bachelor, aren’t you? What do you know about being in a relationship?”

  “A curse of the trade, baby,” he said with a laugh. “But I know all there is to know about attracting a mate and keeping one.”

  “But you don’t have one yourself?”

  “Nope. I’m enjoying the single life and dating lovely ladies too much.”

  “But there have been some exceptions to this rule?”

  “Well, if someone really special were to come along, we might last for more than one night. But I’m not one to kiss and tell. Unless it’s on TV,” he joked.

  “Who was that someone special?” Willow asked.

  “Let’s focus on you,” he suggested.

  “Was Kaitlin special?”

  Jack blinked, but then immediately responded with, “Well, I’ve known a lot of Kaitlins through the years.”

  “Kaitlin Janes?” Willow said, keeping a close eye on him for a reaction. He remained cool. He just shook his head and laughed.

  “You’re trying to trick me into giving away some insider information, aren’t you? I’m afraid that won’t work.”

  “You won’t talk about her at all?” Willow asked.

  Jack looked towards the door, and she could tell if this had been a real date, that Jack would have asked for the check by now.