There had always been dogs in Jai's household, even when they could barely afford to feed themselves. His mum was the sort to take in a stray until she could find a better home for them, and once in a while one would just stick. He'd had Nan since she was a puppy going on nearly seven years now, and she was easily one of the smartest dogs he'd ever had. One thing she was very good about was knowing when she was being talked about. She wagged her tail and barked again, and looked up at Jai with a little whine. Come on, she seemed to say, The guests don't mind. I'm cute.
Jai didn't let up on the lead, but he did consent to walking a little closer. He was still sometimes at a loss of how to interact with the guests or whether or not he even should, but he had a really hard time convincing himself it was a bad idea. Maybe a security guard should have a stricter reputation, but he liked kicking back with the hotel's more pleasant guests. He didn't know this woman, but he did know she hadn't caused any trouble for his lot, and that was enough for him. "Thank you," he said, grinning faintly. "Trouble is, she knows it."