Fiction: Jingle All the Dogs

From within Jingle All the Dogs, Effy Key unlocked the shop, pushed open the door and placed a stone against it to keep it open. The summer heat had yet to intensify on this Saturday morning but as Effy's shop had no working air conditioner, keeping the door opened was the only way to keep cool.
    Effy picked up a piece of crumbled paper off the sidewalk. Inside the shop, she dropped the crumbled paper into the trash bin behind the counter and began her morning routine. As she straightened and dusted the merchandises, she wondered where Jingle was. That dog kept disappearing. If he wasn't her mother's dog and if Effy hadn't promised to take care of Jingle when her mother died, she would have sent him to the pound ages ago.
    After everything was done, Effy sat down on the stool behind the counter and watched the world go by. It might had been a bad idea to start a business when you had just gotten divorced and turned forty-nine but Effy took the chance a few months ago when she purchased the two-story building. Next door was a bookstore Effy had hoped to visit often but they kept such short hours.
    There was not much business in dog toys and accessories but Effy knew dog owners couldn't resist buying things for their dogs. Her mother had been the same way, always getting this or that for Jingle even though he had already enough.
    So far, she wasn't comfortably off but she made enough money to keep the shop running and a few extras for rainy days. Then there was the occasion large orders that helped but she had to deliver them since she was the only employer.
    Hello. Jingle wandered in and went to his corner where his bed was. Effy had already filled the dish with water. Jingle lapped away the liquid without a glance at Effy. Then he wandered back out the door.
    "Nice to see you too!" said Effy but she wasn't mad. Jingle just liked doing things alone now that her mother's gone. But at least, he said hello though she was the only one who heard him.
    
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~

Late in the afternoon, a group of dogs and their owner entered Jingle All the Dogs. The exquisite woman with the ostrich feather in her black, fedora hat and perfectly make-up, heart-shaped face, smiled. "Hi, do you wash dogs?" said the woman.
    Effy shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. We don't offer such services. We sell toys and accessories only."
    The woman sighed. "Oh, well—" A ring rang out. "Excuse me, I have to get this." She pulled out her phone from her large handbag and turned around to answer it.
    One dog, a German Shepherd, met Effy's eyes. May I browse?
    Effy nodded. It was always a bit odd to hear words coming from dogs but she had no control over it.
    You can understand me? The German Shepherd tilted his head.
    Effy nodded again. The woman nudged the leashes she was holding but she kept her back to Effy and the dogs.
    Yea! The German Shepherd slipped off his leash and raced around the shop.
    "Tiny, behave yourself!" the woman shouted but her focus was on her phone.
    The other dogs seemed to realize what had happened. They too asked for permission to browse. Effy didn't know what to do but she nodded. The rest of the dogs, aside from two terriers, went off to browse.
    "I'm so sorry. They're usually so well behaved," said the woman as she swiped her phone screen. "I'm going to call my husband to come and get us."
    The six dogs raced around the shop turning things over, moving them or grabbing them with their mouth. They seemed to be testing the merchandises and doing a lot of barking or rather, talking with each other. The woman started to run around after the dogs and trying to grab a leash here and there but it was useless.
    Effy didn't like the mess the dogs were making but at least, they were enjoying themselves.   
    A bark, loud, clear, rung above the noise.
    Jingle stood at the door. The gray and white Alaskan Malamute appeared like a giant backlit by the afternoon sunlight.
    The dogs quieted and all turned to stare at Jingle. Jingle merely went to his corner, ate his lunch and then before he stepped out, his almond-shaped eyes glared out at the dogs. He barked a few times and then left.
    The woman gathered up all the leashes and said, "I'm so sorry about this. I hope this will cover it all, if not, let me know. Here's my card." She dropped five 100 dollar bills and a white card on the counter." She rushed out the door with her dogs.
    Was the woman afraid of Jingle? His size was intimating. But all Jingle said was, Behave yourself, this is a business, not a playground.
    Effy couldn't help but respect Jingle just a little more. It wasn't his words that got the dogs to behave, it's more his attitude. The dogs had apologized as they were leaving. Effy smiled as she took out the broom from the closet to clean up the mess.

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts are provided by Elephant's Child over here. This week's prompts are: feather, bookstore, comfortably, money, deliver and/or exquisite, nudge, key, stepped, world. I used all the prompts.