As Cal walked Stella, the sudden buzz of his phone against his thigh was an unwelcome distraction. With a grimace, he pulled it out, noting that it was coming from an unknown number. He considered ignoring it, his thumb hesitating over the "answer" button. Work, whether legitimate or not, was supposed to be off the table for the day. Yet, as he was about to answer, movement caught his eye, and he looked up to see Ana approaching, her hand raised in greeting, with a grin on her face.

The sight of her, walking towards him instead of disappearing through a back exit, was met with a mix of surprise and relief.

[i]"And who's this gorgeous one?"[/i] Ana asked, addressing Stella.

"This," Cal replied, "is the lovely Stella." He crouched beside the dog, scratching her chest affectionately. "We just met today, but I knew I couldn't leave without her." His heart skipped as he drew a parallel between his immediate connection with Stella, and the magnetic pull he'd felt to Ana the night before. 

Turning his attention to Ana's dog, Cal extended a palm gently, allowing the German shepherd to get acquainted with his scent. "And what's this gorgeous girl's name?" he inquired, his gaze lifting to meet Ana's, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes at their serendipitous meeting.

As the moment hung between them, Cal's natural charm found its footing once again. "This must be my lucky day," he crooned, "Stumbling upon two beautiful girls in the same hour. What are the chances?" 

Stella was approaching the shepherd with curiosity, going nose-to-nose with the new potential friend, her tail wagging tentatively as they had their own silent conversation.