Dirk had gone only a few steps, when he realized something. He turned around and led Luke back into the locker room.
"Say, Dirk, your new date's a real dog!" teased Nick.
"Yeah. I bet she's a real bitch," Travis added.
"Oh, you guys are observant aren't you? Look between his legs, that's not my dog's tail down there. His tail is up here wagging. And he's not my date, she's waiting for me at my apartment with a candlelit dinner. I just forgot something in my locker," Dirk says gesturing as he spoke pointing out Luke's maleness and tail.
As he opens his locker to retrieve the red foil wrapped gift for his girlfriend, he decides to grab Luke's jersey, shorts, shoes and socks. He puts them into his gym bag with the gift, and exits again with Luke in tow.
When he gets home, Dirk enters via the apartment's backdoor and puts Luke in the laundry room porch. Dirk spreads some newspapers on the floor, and fills a measuring cup with water and sets it on the floor.
"Okay, Luke, you had a rough day, boy. You just drink some water, and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day. I'll take you to the vets, then get you a license, and check into obedience school, but I don't think you're going to need that, you seem to know who your master is, don't you?"
Luke barks in response.
Dirk laughs.
"Good boy. Tell you what, boy, you stay quiet in here tonight, and tomorrow - well, I'll take you out to the park, and we'll spend the day together. Understand, Luke? Nod, don't bark."
Luke nods.
Dirk laughs and gives his dog Luke a good rub. As he stands up, he turns and opens the gym bag and wrinkles his nose. He drops the socks, jock and shorts into the washer, but decides to take Luke's jersey with him. He closes the door behind him.
Jana is on the sofa watching TV when you come from the back of the apartment. She hears you and turns.
"No fair, you came in the back way!" she says standing up. She runs toward Dirk and embraces him.
"Aren't you going to ask how the game went?"
"It was on the news. You guys won. You know I love you, not football." She kisses Dirk and leads him by his collar to the dining room table. She lights the candles, then grabs the warming dinner plates full of food from the oven.
Dirk and Jana's scattered clothing led from the half-eaten dinner back to the bedroom. The bedsprings rocked violently, two people moaned in ecstasy, then they rolled over and slept.
A little after 1 am, Dirk wakes to the sound of Luke scratching at the laundry room door. He gets out of bed making sure not to wake Jana. He is naked. He grabs Luke's jersey, a pair of jogging shorts and his tennis shoes. He steps out of the bedroom closing the door behind him gently. He pulls on the clothes. Then he looks over at the half eaten dinner. He collects the lamb chop bones into a cereal bowl. Then he goes into the laundry room.
"Hungry, Lucky," Dirk asks as he sets the bowl of meaty bones in front of his dog.
You -the living jersey- feel odd draped over Dirk's smaller torso.
Dirk grooms the dog while Luke chews his leftovers. Dirk is leaning into Luke. Their hearts are beating, and you feel righter touching Luke again and Dirk at the same time. Somehow it feels right now.
The moonlight floods the room as the setting moon fills the laundry room window and soon Luke and Dirk and you are all bathed in the light. Luke finishes his makeshift meal and looks at the outside door. Dirk puts his belt back on Luke and takes him for a walk.
As the direct moonlight pours over the jersey, Dirk and Luke, you-the jersey- feels Dirk's nipples harden. Maybe it's the cold air, maybe it's something else. Dirk had an A-shirt tan with white skin where the A-shirt covered his pale skin. You can see or maybe sense is a better word, but Dirk's tanlines are vanishing. His skin tone is getting darker as he walks his dog in the moonlight while wearing you.