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emotional.”
    “Sorry, dude. But this is seriously fucked.”
    “You said it!”
    “It’s false advertising,” shouted someone. “Bait and switch.”
    “Says Doggies’ Night, and they won’t even let dogs in!”
    Ryan addressed a large black man who seemed to have assumed a leadership role. “They can’t let dogs in. Health code.”
    “Then why call it Doggies’ Night?”
    “No clue. I don’t have a dog, so why don’t you let me through and I’ll find out what the deal is?”
    “Better get back here quick.”
    “You got it. Keep the bloodshed to a minimum until I get back.” He clapped the man on the shoulder. The crowd parted to let him through. Inside, something bopped against his head. He swatted it away. A misshapen balloon smiled at him like some kind of beheaded monster. It wasn’t the only one; crowds of them dangled from the ceiling. The place stank of spilled beer. The din of drunken chatter rang in his ears. He didn’t see Katie anywhere. The only person behind the bar was one of the old men he recognized from earlier.
    “Katie?” He called into the madness. “Katie, are you here?”
    He took a step forward and heard a yelp. A beagle who reminded him of Stan scampered past, followed by Katie at top speed. He snagged her by the arm as she passed.
    “Katie. What the hell is going on here?”
    Her dark eyes, big with indignation, swung to his. “You! What are you doing here?”
    “I was hoping to get another drink. But this place seems to have turned into Animal Planet.”
    “Let me go. I have to get that dog out of here.”
    “I’ll take care of the dog. But there’s a crowd out front that’s about to go postal. I gotta tell them something.”
    She tried to tug herself free, but he tightened his grip. “I already told them they can’t bring their dogs in here. They’re supposed to bring a picture of their dog. It’s all in the ad. If they misunderstood it’s their fault, not mine.”
    “Let me see the ad.”
    She snatched a flyer off a nearby table. Ryan squinted at the tiny print at the bottom of the ad. “It says ‘bong a puncture of logs.’ ”
    “I hate you.”
    “Hey, I’m trying to rescue you for the second time in one day.” Ryan snagged the beagle, which had decided to chase circles around a sinking balloon.
    A woman holding a glass of wine tottered after the beagle. “Oh my sweetie-kins, leave the handsome man alone.” She winked at Ryan as he handed the dog’s leash to her. He turned back to Katie before the woman could start a very badly timed flirtation.
    “So why did all these people bring their dogs?”
    “I don’t know. That’s their problem. Look, I have enough to deal with here. Do you know how many pictures of the same cute little puppy I’ve seen tonight? Don’t people have any integrity anymore? My bartender just texted me that he’s on his way to Burning Man, which is like months from now, and my bouncer is in the hospital. Oh, and I have a former Latin teacher telling people that ‘canines’ are ‘interdictum’ or something.”
    As she talked, his gaze wandered down her body. She’d changed her clothes, from jeans to a short, flirty skirt that showed off her legs. His eyes scanned her slender ankles, ran along the curve of her calf to the last glimpse of flesh under the hem, then back down again. Then back up, as if riding a half-pipe.
    She took advantage of his distraction and yanked her arm free. “Do you mind?”
    Another dog, a St. Bernard big enough to sit on, ran past. With his other hand, Ryan grabbed its collar. He bent down and squinted at the name on the dog tag. He stood up and shouted in his fire scene voice, “Would the owner of Vishnu please meet your dog outside? If no one’s claimed him in the next five minutes, there’s always the pound.”
    No one answered.
    “Come on,” he told Katie. He pulled her to the front door, where he explained the concept behind Doggies’ Night to the assembled crowd. The presence of