Are You My Lover? - Story

I had a lot of fun writing this story, which is based on the P. D. Eastman book Are You My Mother?  It is the story of a little dog, a pug, who is looking for a lover.  She, the pug, has a funny way of asking "Are you my lover?"  She doesn't ask with her voice, but instead humps everything she thinks might be her lover, especially legs.

There is a phrase in the PD Eastman classic that the baby bird says:
"I have a mother, I know I do.  I will find her.  I will, I WILL."

Our little pug has a similar phrase.  Eventually, the little dog comes across some boys who are not kind to her and eventually give her a name: Hump-Pug.  Will Hump-Pug ever find a lover?

Here is an excerpt from Are You My Lover?, to be published on April 19, 2013 at bookofbartholomew.blogspot.com:

The unease suddenly throbbed in her groin. Her tongue hung out of her mouth, her eyes stared at all the... legs. Hundreds of legs! Some legs were in blue denim, some in khaki knits or dark polyester. The unease overwhelmed the poor little pug as she found herself lunging into the crowd and attempting to attach herself to the nearest leg. Her front paws reached for a calf, but the person was walking too fast. The pug fell face-first onto the concrete. She was up immediately, driven by a desperate need.

The next attempt was on a leg covered with black tights. The pug's inner claw snagged on the tights and she was pulled along.

“Hey!!” a startled girl cried. She turned and saw the pug’s cute black face and little tan body. Her eyes widened and she wanted to hug the pug and take it home. But then the dog clamped onto the girl’s leg and began to hump furiously – “Are you my lover? Are you my lover? Are you my lover?” The pug looked up at the girl. The dog’s face wore an expression of embarrassment at being so needy. “Please, oh please, be my lover!”

“Ugh. Disgusting!” said the girl as she shoved the dog away and left.

Undeterred, the pug ran over to a grouping of legs waiting curbside. She launched herself onto a leg with an expensive leather shoe attached. A man looked down. Without saying a word he kicked the pug in the ribs. The poor pug flew into the roadway and the sound of screeching brakes filled the air. The chrome bumper of a 1974 Peugeot eclipsed the sun as the dog cowered in fear, anticipating pain. Nothing happened, the car had stopped in time. The pug slowly opened her eyes. For a moment, the unease had disappeared, but then a flock of legs articulated across the roadway and the dog gave chase.

“I have a lover, I know I do,” said the pug, “I will find them, I will, I will.”