A young woman who’s new to the city, her job, and this crazy thing called life is fortunate to have moved in next to a neighbor with an adorable dog.

“If my life were a sitcom, my cute neighbor Jared would definitely be the love interest,” Amanda, 21, explains. “But I honestly am happier that I keep finding reasons to hang out with his perfect dog.”

Amanda, so far, has pretended that something in her apartment was broken, that she needed help cooking to impress her boss at the work potluck, and that she needed companionship when the power went out – to spend a little more time with Scout, a 2-year-old dachshund. Scout apparently handles awkward situations and misunderstandings with surprising grace, and always delivers a neat little moral message before she goes home.

Though he’s confused, Jared says he’s fine with the arrangement. “She was like, ‘my TV’s broken. Can Scout come help me?’ I really want to date this girl, but if what she mainly wants is to dog-sit, that’s fine.”

“I think it’s finally working. Scout might actually consider me a friend now,” Amanda says, giddy. “I didn’t think things ever really happened like this, like they do in movies or TV shows. But I found the perfect dog. It happens when you least expect it.”

Amanda’s ultimate goal, she says, is probably to steal Scout.