It’s a Saturday morning and Johnny is sound a sleep dreaming of the latest nurse that has caught his eye at Rampart. Suddenly the phone next to the bed starts ringing. He looks at the clock.

"8:00 in the morning! Chet I swear if that is you on the other end." He scowled as he reached for the phone. "Chet I told you!"

" Johnny? It’s me, Terry. Did I wake you?" Terry sounded a little upset. (Johnny feels bad he yelled at her)

Johnny feeling bad he yelled at her, stammers. "Oh sorry, Terry. Ahh, no, I’m wake. What can I do for you?"

Terry smiles as she speaks."I need to go to the airport and pick up Jeff. But I can’t leave my puppy in the car it’s way too hot."

Johnny's brow furrows. He really doesn't want to 'puppy-sit'." Can’t you just leave it alone in your apartment?"

Terry gasps." He’s only 2 mths old! Johnny, he’s just a baby!"

Johnny hates it when ANY woman cries takes a deep breath."He’s a little dog I’m sure he’ll be just fine by himself."

Terry gets ready to turn on the water works."Gee I thought you were a friend, Johnny. I never ask you for anything and this is how you act the one time that I do. Well I never...."

Johnny knows she's right, unlike other girls in the aprtment complex they live in. H sighes and faces the inevitible. "Okay, Terry. I'll watch him for you."

Terry stops crying. "Oh thank you, Johnny. I’ll be there in five minutes."

After disconnecting, Johnny walks into the bathrooma dn loos at himself in the mirror.

"Your such a pushover for a pretty face, Gage." He reaches for his jeans that are on the floor and slides them on. He's brushing his teeth when he hears a knock on the door. He walks out of the bathroom and into the livingroom. He takes a deep breath then opens the door.

Terry's standing there all smiles and roses."Hi, Johnny. Thank you so much. I’m sorry I called so early but Amber couldn’t watch Harry for me. She has a Nascar race she's going to.

Johnny can't help but smile."That’s okay, Terry I don’t mind."

She hands him a light brown Palmaraininen puppy. "Here's Harry. And here's some dog food."

Johnny looked from the dog, to the food then to Terry." Just how long are you going to be gone?"

Terry again gives Johnny that smile that makes him melt. "Just long enough to pick up Jeff and then we’ll be back."

But Why a BAG of food?" Johnny again turns his attention to the puppy.

Terry gave Johnny a look. Don't you know anything, Johnny? Even puppies need to eat." She scratches Harry’s ears."I’ll call you and tell you when were headed home." She then reaches over and gives Harry a kiss on his head."Bye Harry see you later. Thanks again, Johnny."

"You're welcome." He watched as she walked down the hallway and around the corner. Shutting the door and sets Harry on the floor. "Well Harry it’s just you and me kid. I got a lot of cleaning to do so you’ll have to keep yourself amused."

Harry cocks his head to the left as if he’s listing to what Johnny is saying.

"I’ll be right back Harry. I need to take the laundry down to laundry room." Johnny picks up the laundry basket and leaves the apartment. He returns ten minutes later to find that Harry isn't on the floor but asleep on the couch. "Harry no sleeping on the couch. Come on get off!" He gently picks Harry up and sets him on the floor. He then walks into the bedroom and starts picking up the dirty clothes up from the floor. He gets to the bed and looks at it. 'Now how'd he do that.' He thought at the sight of Harry on his bed. "Harry get down now!"

He again picks Harry up and sets him on the floor. "Go on get out of the bedroom." Harry walks out of the bedroom and lies down in the hall. Johnny walks into the bathroom to get some towels. He opens the shower door to check in there and jumps back. "Harry how in the world did you get in here?" He reaches in the shower and picks the puppy up. Harry licks Johnny's face. Johnny wipes his face with his hand. "Great puppy slobber, that's ALL I need." He then turns to the pup. "Stop it, Harry! Now get out of here. Once again he sits the dog on the floor.

Johnny finishes with the bathroom and looks around. "I don’t know about you Harry, but I’m thirsty." He then walks down the hallway leaving Harry on the floor. He hums softly to himself on the way to the kitchen. Opening the cabinet door, Johnny about drops the glass he just grabbed. "HARRY!! How in the hell did you get in there?" Harry again cocks his head like the RCA dog. "This is really getting weird Harry? Now I’m going to get my clothes from the laundry room and you'd better not be on the couch or in the shower, or cabinets. Now STAY!" Once again, Johnny finds himself setting the dog down on the floor. He then grabs his laundry basket and heads down to the laundry room. He sits the basket down next to the dryer. He then opens the door and reaches in for the dry clothes. As he starts to place them in the basket he about jumps out of his skin. "HARRY!! Man what did you do? Follow me down here? I could have sworn I pulled that door shut tight." He finished putting his clothes in the basket and places the pup on top of the warm shirts. He then carries both up the stairs and to his apartment. Walking down the hall to the bedroom he's brought to a halt by the phone ringing. After talking on the phone for a couple of minutes he returns to where he set the basket and pup down. He sees the basket. But no Harry.

"Harry? Harry where are you?" Johnny looks around the bedroom all the time calling for the wayward pup. "Come on Harry! Come out from where ever you are.Please." He gives up and heads back out of the bedroom."Ok Harry fine stay where you are I don’t care. Johnny grabs his uniforms and walks back into the bedroom. He jumps when he opens the door. "Harry! How the heck did you get in there?" He reaches up on the top shelf and takes a hold of Hatty. "Look you, this is getting really weird. I don't know how in the hell you keep getting into the places you do, but this has got to stop." He speaks to the dog as if he's really listening to him. "Okay, I’m going to livingroom and you're coming with me. He carries the dog to the front of the couch and sets him down. "Now, don’t move!" He starts to pick up papers to set on the coffee table. Turning to look at Harry his heart skips as doesn't see the pup. He starts the calling all over again. "Harry, Harry! I told you to stay pu."

Johnny looks all over the apartment. He just can't find the dog. Just then the phone rings. Johnny runs to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hi Johnny, it’s me. Jeff and I should be back in about 45 minutes." Terry says from the other end.

Johnny cringes. He pulls himself together enough to sound non-chalant. "Oh that’s good."

Terry asks the one question Johnny was hoping she wouldn't "Is Harry okay?"

Johnny crosses his fingers behind his back before speaking. "Oh, he’s just fine. Just fine." His eyes scant the room looking for the disappearing puppy.

"That’s good to hear. Is he sleeping?" Terry sounds like a new mother away from her baby for the first time.

Johnny thinks fast."Ahh yeah he’s sound a sleep. Look I'd better let you go. I’ll see you in 45 minutes. Bye. He hangs up quickly just knowing that Terry heard the lie he'd just told his friend and neighbor. "Oh man. this is not good." He picks the phone up and dials Roy’s number.

"Hello?" Roy answers the phone.

Johnny pulls himself together, barely before speaking. "Roy? HELP! Man I've messed up good this time and I really could use your help." Johnny pushed out quicky before Roy could say anything.

Roy sensed the panic in his friend. "Whoa, slow down there, Junior. What’s wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No. It's worse than that. I lost Terry’s dog in my apartment and I can’t find him anywhere. It's like he's a magician or something. He's there, then he's gone. Can you please help me?

Roy can't help but chuckle."How can you loose a dog in your apartment it’s not that big?"

Johnny ran his hand through his hair."I don’t know! He’s a little dog. A Palmarainein. Terry is going to be here in 45 minutes and I gotta have him back before she gets here. Can you come over?"

Roy knows it's useless to fight it."Okay, okay. I’ll be there soon as I can."

Johnny releases a breath. "Thanks Roy." He then hangs up and continues looking for the elusive pup for fifteen minutes until Roy arrived to help.

Roy starts talking as soon as Johnny opens the door."Did you leave the door open and maybe he got out?"

Johnny 's pacing the small living room. "No, but I don’t think a door would stop him. He’s been appearing and disappearing since he got here."

Roy thinks that his partner has finally lost it.'He's crackers.' He thinks before speaking.
"That’s impossible a dog just can’t appear and disappear."

Johnny's really beginning to worry. "Well this one has. Man, we gotta find him. It's only a matter of time before Terry shows up." Johnny glances at his watch.

Just then there’s a knock at the door. "Oh no!" Johnny walks slowly to the door and opens it. "Terry, you're early."

Terry smiles. "Yeah we made good time." Terry and Jeff stand in the hallway. "So, where's Harry?"

Terry tries to enter the apartment. "Hi, Roy. Wasn't expecting you to be here."

Roy smiles at his friend's neighbor."Hi Terry, Jeff."

Jeff gives Roy a small wave."Hey Roy."

Terry again tries to enter the apartment. "Johnny is it okay if we come in?"

Johnny looks nervously around. He finally steps aside after trading looks with Roy. "Oh yeah, ahh, come in."

"Johnny, are you okay? You seem a little out of sorts."

Johnny takes a deep breath getting ready to tell Terry about Harry. He starts to speak slowly."Well ahh"

Just then Terry sees Harry under the coffee table. "Harry! Come here boy." Harry raises up and shakes himself. He then walks over to his Mistress. Terry picks him up and gets a kiss for her efforts. "Have you been a good boy. Harry? Hmmm, were you being good for Uncle Johnny?" She cooed at the puppy.

Johnny stifled a gag. "Oh yeah it was like he wasn’t here at all at times."

Terry smiled at her friend. "Well I’ll take him now and maybe you can enjoy the rest of your day off. Say goodbye to Johnny, Harry."

Johnny walks closer to Harry, the pup yips at him.

Johnny hands the bowl and bag of kibble to Jeff. "See ya, Houdini." Terry turns back around.

"Silly, his name is Harry, not Houdini. But he is a decendent of Houdini's dog." Terry laughs.

Johnny has the grace to blush. "Somehow that doesn’t surprise me." He too chuckles.

Terry gives Johnny an odd look. "Why do you say that?"

Johnny composes himself. "Oh no reason really."

Terry shrugs. "Oh okay." Looking at Roy, she asks the question he'd been asked several times over the course of his partnership with Johnny. "Is he okay?"

Roy grins."I've been asking myself that same question for the last 4 years.

Johnny scowls."There’s nothing wrong with me! I’m fine."

Terry winks at Roy. "If you say so. Well, we gotta go. See you later, Johnny. Bye Roy."

Roy winked back. "See you later, Terry. Bye Jeff."

Jeff was feeling a little lost. "Bye see ya."

After they leave, Johnny and Roy sit down.

Johnny sat there with his hands between his legs. "How did Harry get under the coffee table?"

Roy was just as much at a loss. "He must have been under there the hole time we were looking for him."

Johnny sat up straight. "Roy, we both looked under that coffee table. He wasn’t there."

Roy shrugged. "Well, I don’t know, Junior."

Johnny sighed." Me neither. That dogs no plain Harry, Roy. He should be called Harry Houdini. I mean, one second he's there, the next, he's gone."

Just then there’s a ringing sound. Johnny opens his eyes he looks at the clock. "Whoa that was a strange dream. Stupid phone rings right in the middle of it.8.00 am who in the world is calling me that early on my day off. Man it better not be Chet." He picks up the phone and growls into it. "Chet this better not be you."

"Johnny? Hi, it's me, Terry. Can I ask you a favor?" Terry asks from the other end of the line.

Johnny’s eyes get real big, then he drops the phone. "Aaarrgghhh!" He runs down the hall to his bathroom. Closing the door so he can't hear the voice on the phone calling him.

"Johnny? Hey, Johnny? You there? Is everything all right? Johnny?"

The End

For my Muse hee,hee

My 1st and probably only comedy that I’ll ever do. A big thanks to krys and her magic fingers.

Pally51@excite.com