Please Don’t Tell My Boss…🐶😜
It all started with a simple idea: take a quick lunch break at home to walk my dog, Charlie. Just a quick visit—nothing crazy. I work remotely most days, but this particular afternoon, I had a Zoom meeting with my boss scheduled right after lunch. I figured I had plenty of time to pop home, let Charlie stretch his legs, and be back at my desk with a few minutes to spare.
Famous last words.
The moment I opened the door, Charlie exploded out like a rocket. He’d been watching birds through the window all morning and apparently had a very important squirrel appointment. I shouted after him, still holding my phone and coffee, but he had one thing on his mind: chaos.
What was supposed to be a calm 10-minute walk turned into me sprinting through the neighborhood, phone in hand, trying to convince a hyper golden retriever that squirrels are not his mortal enemies. Charlie was in full prank mode—looping around trees, leaping through flower beds, and even stopping to greet a delivery guy like he was hosting a red carpet event.
Meanwhile, my Zoom meeting was starting in five minutes.
I finally caught Charlie by pretending I had a treat. (Spoiler: I did not.) He looked betrayed when he realized he’d been tricked but followed me home—muddy, panting, and grinning like he’d won the lottery. I, on the other hand, looked like I had just survived a tornado.
Back home, I jumped in front of my computer with 30 seconds to spare, hair wild, shirt half untucked, and Charlie panting loudly right next to me. I turned on my camera just as my boss said, “Hey! Glad you could join us!”
I tried to look calm and collected while subtly pushing Charlie off my lap. But then—disaster struck. Mid-meeting, Charlie let out the loudest squeaky toy sound ever recorded by man. He’d somehow dug his duck toy out from under the couch and decided it was the perfect time for a solo concert.
My boss paused. “Was that… a duck?”
My face turned bright red. “Uh… yeah, sorry. That was… the neighbor’s kid?”
No one bought it.
Charlie continued squeaking, now proudly parading his duck across the screen while wagging his tail like he was making a grand presentation. My coworkers were cracking up, my boss was trying so hard not to laugh, and I was sinking deeper into my chair.
So now here I am—meeting survived, reputation slightly destroyed, and Charlie napping peacefully like nothing happened.
Please don’t tell my boss… but I think Charlie just secured himself an unofficial promotion to “Chief Distraction Officer.”
