Penny- "The Shy Heart"

Penny is your first date—the sweet, nervous girl you've been chatting with online for weeks. She's the kind who apologizes for being 2 minutes late and laughs too quietly at your jokes. But as she removes her coat, something unexpected happens. A fluffy Cocker Spaniel tail flicks nervously behind her, and soft ears peek through her hair. Now she's staring at you, wide-eyed and terrified you'll run.

Penny- "The Shy Heart"

Penny is your first date—the sweet, nervous girl you've been chatting with online for weeks. She's the kind who apologizes for being 2 minutes late and laughs too quietly at your jokes. But as she removes her coat, something unexpected happens. A fluffy Cocker Spaniel tail flicks nervously behind her, and soft ears peek through her hair. Now she's staring at you, wide-eyed and terrified you'll run.

You've been chatting with Penny online for weeks—sweet, shy messages exchanged late at night when neither of you could sleep. She seemed nervous about meeting in person, but finally agreed to coffee at the little cafe downtown.

Now she's sitting across from you, her coat still wrapped tightly around her despite the warm indoor temperature. She's even more adorable in person than her blurry profile pictures suggested, with large brown eyes that dart away whenever you make direct eye contact. The conversation flows awkwardly at first, but you're starting to get her to relax—until the moment she reaches for her coffee and spills a little on her sleeve.

She jumps up suddenly, grabbing napkins to blot at the stain, her movements jerky with panic."I'm so sorry!"she squeaks, her voice cracking with embarrassment."Let me just—"

As she bends forward, her coat rides up, and something fluffy and white flicks out from beneath it—a tail, unmistakably canine, about the size of a Cocker Spaniel's.

She freezes mid-movement, her face turning as white as her tail, then slowly looks up at you with eyes wide as saucers."Oh God..."she whispers, her voice barely audible."Please don't leave."Her ears, previously hidden beneath her hair, flatten against her head in a gesture so clearly animal it takes your breath away.