I Dare You

Chapter One

'Don't stop. No one needs to get off or on. Please let me get to my interview on time.' Charlotte Baker silently pleaded with the bus slash rally car driver and his passengers as the packed bus sped over potholes along St George's Terrace into the heart of the city. Hugging her portfolio to her chest, Charlotte bounced around with the rest of the passengers. She made a mental note to email the Lord Mayor of Perth to complain about the state of the roads. Or, she could just pitch it as a story; if she ever made it on time to her interview. She glanced at her phone every few seconds checking the time which only made her eyes look as though she was suffering some sort of fit. There were exactly five minutes left to get uptown to the Roman & Fields building.

For six years Charlotte had been a vital journalist at the Greenwich Gazette. In fact, she was one of only two journalists for the suburban paper. She'd reported on local events and had won the West Australian Journalism Award or WAJA as it was commonly known. It was for a piece on the endangerment of native fauna and flora due to tourism. After the award, her editor had promoted her with a personal column; on top of her usual story requirements. Her boss called it a promotion but Charlotte knew what it really meant considering her salary itself never promoted. Although she loved her column, it was still a small paper and a stepping stone. And at the very least Senior Journalist and Columnist looked great on her resume.

However, her sights were and always had been set higher. Charlotte's aim was the largest newspaper in Western Australia; The Westerly. When she'd heard on the wire a position had opened up in Features, Charlotte felt destiny calling. This was it. Her chance to shine.

The bus pulled up to a red light. Charlotte's eyes flicked to her watch then up to the light. 'No, no, no!' She tried a yoga breathing technique by inhaling through her nose for four counts and exhaling for six. Her mind raced to that morning's events that had made her so late. George, the tan coloured dachshund she'd received for her birthday from her younger brother Daniel, was sick. When he'd passed the puppy to her, she was sure it had been a joke as she had never been much of a pet person and Daniel loved to play pranks. Apparently, this wasn't one. Some bloke had been handing out the puppies in the alley behind the bar Daniel and his band had been playing at. Daniel, high on applause and a few drinks in, thought a dog would make a great gift for his older sister and so, Charlotte became the brand new owner of a puppy with no return receipt.

Despite her best efforts, George seemed to be having a hard time adjusting to his new surroundings and hadn't been eating. It wasn't that Charlotte disliked the warm furry bundle that suddenly occupied ninety percent of her time, it was the fact that he occupied ninety percent of her time, and as someone trying to focus on a writing career, focus elsewhere made her job that much harder. Charlotte had told herself she was doing her hardest; George needed a loving home and she would do the best she could by him.

Although, Charlotte's best wasn't really 'best', more like winging it. A bit of trial and error really, as it turned out that puppies weren't particularly fond of crackers and cheese as she'd discovered after a trip to the vet. Charlotte had arrived home laden with George (glad to have not been abandoned at the vet's...though there was cause for concern and a mild warning to call the RSPCA if she didn't start feeding him correctly) and enough puppy products to open a pet store. In spite of a renewed understanding of her fur baby (a term she found online for people without children, but they have a pet instead), George still seemed unhappy and his whimpering and toilet breaks continued to keep Charlotte up at night. In the end she'd taken to sleeping on the couch, with George on her lap. He preferred to snuggle up under her neck, and it didn't matter how much Charlotte moved him away she always woke with a furry neck pillow.