SCORN - A Man Possessed by Molly Sands

Author:Molly Sands [Sands, Molly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction
Publisher: Venus
Published: 2020-06-26T18:30:00+00:00

JAMES STOOD anxiously in front of the array of dog collars. The collars gave off a strong smell of leather, and the larger collars looked as if they would be a good fit. He took an expensive, well-made collar that matched Catherine’s description from its hook. It felt strong and heavy in his hand, and the prospect of wearing it made him catch his breath. He thought of trying it around his neck for size, but the shop was busy and he was afraid of being seen. He measured its length with his eyes and decided it would probably do.

The dog-leashes were hanging on a nearby rack in a dizzying selection of lengths and colours. He was examining a sturdy leash in matching brown leather about five feet in length when his phone rang. It was Catherine.

‘I forgot to say,’ she said. ‘Buy a dog-tag too. A name-tag.’

‘A name-tag?’ he said. ‘Why?’

‘Why do you think?’ she said. ‘Is there an engraver in the shop?’

James looked across the racks and saw a small counter with a sign above that said, ‘Names Engraved— £3.00.’

‘Yes,’ he said with a sinking feeling. ‘There’s an engraver.’

‘Perfect,’ she said. ‘You can have a name engraved on the tag.’

‘What name?’ he said, dreading what she might say.

‘I’ll leave that up to you,’ she said. ‘I’m sure you’ll make the right choice.’

She laughed when he said nothing in reply.

‘Pick me up when you’ve finished,’ she instructed. ‘Outside the book-shop.’

‘Yes, Mistress,’ he said in a very quiet voice, but she’d already ended the call.

The engraver was a wiry man in his sixties with a surly manner. When James said the name he gave a sly smile and said, ‘You’d be surprised how often I’m asked for that.’

James waited in an agony of embarrassment while the engraver did his work. James hoped he’d think the name-tag was for someone else and not him, but he suspected the man knew exactly who it was for. To his relief, the engraving didn’t take long, and no-one James knew came into the shop while he was waiting.

He was glad the engraver put the disc in a little envelope. It meant the girl at the checkout couldn’t read the name on the tag.

‘What kind of dog do you have?’ she asked him to be friendly.

‘An Irish wolfhound,’ he told her.

‘Oh, they’re beautiful,’ she said.

‘They are,’ he said.

He paid for his items and walked quickly to his car.

He found a parking place outside the book-shop and sat listening to a tennis match on the radio. Federer was up two sets to one and ahead in the fourth. He was a supporter of Federer, and should have been pleased, but he was in such a submissive state of mind he couldn’t bring himself to care who won or who lost.

It was nearly an hour before Catherine came out of the book-shop. He got out to open the passenger door for her and put her packages in the boot. She offered no apology for making him wait. Not that he wanted an apology.

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