Coming Clean
Coming Clean
copyright 2010 comidacomida
The bed was cold beside him when Paul awoke in the morning. He remembered hazily something about Tanner nuzzling the back of his head and wishing him a good day. Blearily, Paul opened his eyes and gazed at the alarm clock: it read 9:21-- it had been a long time since Paul slept in past eight. He went through the motions of getting ready, half in a daze as he took the time to adjust to his altered schedule.
Having missed the morning news, Paul grabbed the newspaper off of the counter. He sat down at the table and casually read through the articles, gazing at nothing in particular as he passed the time. The young man did not miss the Mein Hund add however. It was a small picture involving Casey holding up a leash attached to his collar; it wasn't Paul's project-- it had been headed by another of the AHB managers with Ray as the acting photographer.
Paul sat back in his chair letting the newspaper fall back to the table. Despite the two Dogs' rocky start they seemed to have found a reasonable working relationship and Paul was glad for that. What bothered Paul as he thought about Ray however was their current mutual situation. Letting out a sigh, Paul stood, pushed in his chair, and went to the bedroom. He retrieved his cell from its place on the nightstand and flipped through his contacts. Finding Ray's number, Paul hit the SEND button.
The phone rang three times before it was picked up, "Hi, Paul." it was a simple greeting, but it held some genuine warmth, "Feeling better today?"
Paul was quiet for a moment before admitting, "I still don't like how things turned out yesterday."
Ray chuckled in response, "We don't always get to choose the direction life takes... but I meant your nose."
"Oh... uh... yea." Paul felt himself blushing, "Nose is a lot better, thanks." he paused a moment before quickly adding, "How're your knuckles?"
Ray laughed, "Fine. It's been awhile since I threw a punch, but apparently my paw remembered how." Paul found himself smiling at the comment, and Ray continued, "But I take it you weren't calling about discussing war wounds, were you?"
"Uh... no." Paul admitted, feeling himself blush again, "I... saw the Mein Hund ad in today's paper."
"Oh... that came out TODAY?" Ray inquired, "I guess I forgot... I thought it was Saturday's edition."
"Page 5... living section." Paul noted, glancing down at the newspaper.
Paul heard the dog speak away from the phone, catching a few words including "newspaper" and "page 5." He also clearly heard the sound of rustling paper followed by Ray laughing, and then a moment of silence. Ray came back on the phone, "Oh... well what'da'ya know? There it is." he chuckled.
"Do you have friends over?" Paul asked, "I didn't mean to interrupt if you were playing host."
"Nah... it's alright, Paul." Ray dismissed the concern, "I was hoping to chat with you today before making the trip to the airport to see a few European Dogs off."
"Oh." Paul emoted, pausing as he digested the comment, "I didn't know you were planning on going."
Ray chuckled, "They helped me keep my job-- I'd say that's a pretty big favor. The least I could do is say goodbye."
"They did?" Paul asked.
"I don't know Eizenzahn as well as you do, but one thing I HAVE figured out is that Dog likes to keep everything under-paw." Ray noted.
Paul felt himself blushing at Ray's assessment, "Yea... I guess that does sound like him." many memories of the Doberman flashed through the young man's head-- not all of them appropriate for polite company.
"Um... Paul?" Ray inquired.
"Yea?"
"You're blushing, aren't you?" Paul could hear the Dog's grin in his voice.
"Damn it..." the human covered his face.
"I'll take that as a yes." Ray laughed.
"How did you know?" Paul demanded, "Did you sneak a surveillance camera in my condo or something?" he tried joking, hoping it'd get rid of the embarrassment.
"No... just thinking back to seeing you in the locker room with him and his assistant... 'assisting' him." Ray's evil grin was evident in his voice.
Paul put the phone down on the counter, covering his entire face as he felt it flush even deeper red. "Ray, I swear to god..." and he found himself laughing.
"Don't mind me, Paul... I'm just giving you a friendly prodding." the Golden Retriever chuckled, "Someone's gotta keep you in your place, after all."
"Laughing at my expense..." Paul cracked a wry grin as the retort flowed smoothly out of him, "and here I thought you were one of the 'kindly sort' among the old guys."
"Old guys?!?" Ray responded, "You little shit!" the exclamation came out amidst a laugh, "I'll remember this so I can get you back when YOU reach your 40s."
"Except when I'm in my 40s you'll be in your 60s." Paul announced, his smile widening.
"Damn you young whipper snappers these days and your fancy mathematics..." Ray commented.
Their friendly jabbing continued for another several minutes before they settled down to conversation. Ray confirmed that he'd meet Paul at the airport, but pointed out that Casey mentioned that he wanted to come but didn't have a ride.
"Is that a hint?" Paul inquired with a smirk.
"Only if you want it to be." Ray responded, "Personally, I think Kitten Chaser and I have a fine working relationship, but I wouldn't want to test it in a social setting."
"That's very 'mature' of you, Ray." Paul offered with a grin, fighting back a snicker.
"One more age joke, Paul, and I'll bite you next time I see you... assuming I can find my dentures." the retriever stated.
"Alright... alright... I'm done. I promise." Paul laughed, "So," he inquired, getting back to business, "Where are we supposed to be meeting up?"
"Well... how familiar are you with SFO?" Ray inquired.
"Um... I kinda know where it is." Paul responded sheepishly, "It's south of downtown, right?"
Paul heard Ray sigh, "Alright... hmm... we'll meet at the Aviation Library... it's pretty easy to locate." the Dog paused for a moment, "You have a pen?"
"Got one now." Paul answered, grabbing one from a drawer. He took a piece of paper and quickly scribbled down the directions as Ray listed them off. They chatted for a few more minutes until Ray mentioned again that he had company. They said their goodbyes and Paul looked down at the directions; one thing Paul disliked about the city was trying to navigate to new places without help. Letting out a sigh, Paul picked up his cell again and hit a quick dial button.
"Hey, Paul!" Casey answered after only one ring. The tone of the Dog's voice helped Paul imagine the Dalmatian's tail wagging a mile a minute.
"Morning, Casey." Paul answered casually, "Were you planning on coming to say goodbye to Eizenzahn? Ray said that you didn't have a ride."
"Yea..." Casey sighed, "Damn car's engine finally died... and not outside the house of anyone special either." the comment held an edge of pointed humor to it-- one that Paul did not fail to catch.
"Ah..." Paul nodded, pausing, "So... how long will it be in the shop?" he inquired.
"It's in the garage right now." Casey explained, "Repairs have to wait until I can afford the extra cost."
"Didn't you just get paid?" Paul normally made it a point not to pry into things like finances, but Casey's admission seemed strange considering everyone at AHB received their paychecks every two Wednesdays.
"YOU got paid... I'm on a contract." Casey countered, "I work for Mein Hund, remember?"
Paul paused and rolled his eyes, "Oh... right."
"But don't worry!" Casey added in a more upbeat tone, "I'll get it covered... just not soon enough to say 'bye' at the airport."
The human swallowed the knot in his throat, "I could take you." he offered. Paul closed his eyes as the Dalmatian on the other end exploded into hyperactive excitement. He calmly moved the receiver further from his ear; it was going to be a long afternoon.
* * * * * *
Paul pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, waiting in the car as he saw a large collection of Dogs mulling about at the entrance to the building. A spotted arm rose above head-height and waved his way. The human watched as Casey detached himself from the mob and, offering them a quick farewell, came over to Paul's car.
Paul felt his heart quicken when he saw several of the other Dogs follow the Dalmatian, slinking down in his seat when he realized that several of them wore collars. He watched as they approached, fanning out around the driver's side, "This is my really good friend Paul. He takes pictures of me in my collar." Casey announced, flicking the tags on his collar; Paul realized that the Dalmatian wasn't wearing his usual turtle neck.
"He looks like he thinks he's gonna get eaten." Paul heard one of the Dogs say mirthfully to Casey. He felt his face flush red.
"Nah... he's not a Leasher." the Dalmatian responded to the Australian Shepherd.
"Aw..." noted a female Shih Tzu, "All the cute ones are either gay or not Leashers."
Casey winked at her, "or both." Paul closed his eyes, wondering if it was possible to die of embarrassment. He quickly realized that if that were the case he should have considered life insurance weeks ago. "Alright Dogs... back... back... you're scaring him." the Dalmatian waved them away.
"Heh..." a large St Bernard chuckled, deep voice making the car's windows vibrate, "It's like he's never seen a group a Burb Dogs before."
"Yea... he's from Canada or something." Casey noted.
Paul refrained from saying anything as Casey went around to the passenger's side and climbed in. The human watched as several noses poked against his window, which was open just a crack. A chorus of sniffs and snorts made Paul slowly lean away from the door as he glanced to Casey, "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
"I promised them that they'd get a chance to see you if you ever came by." the Dalmatian responded casually, "It'd make their day if you were a little more polite, you know."
Paul hesitantly turned toward the numerous Dogs looking in on him through the window, "uh... hi." he raised a hand off the steering wheel. A chorus line of tails began wagging followed by a cacophony of 'hello's, 'hi's, 'hey there's, and 'hiya's. The Dogs finally moved away from the car when Paul started the engine, and he quickly reversed out of the parking space and headed out of the parking lot.
"So..." Casey offered calmly, "...you look a little stressed."
"You aren't wearing your turtleneck." Paul commented, eager to change the topic.
"Oh... yea..." the Dalmatian nodded, "Ever since the second or third ad people have started recognizing me... didn't really seem to make sense to bother after that." the Dog's tail beat out a regular tempo against the seat.
"The popularity doesn't bother you?" Paul asked.
Casey shrugged, "Well... there's lotsa people out there that don't like Burb Dogs, but for the most part people seem to think it's kinda cool meeting a celebrity." he panted.
"Celebrity..." Paul chuckled uneasily, "Yea... a Dalmatian in a sexy pose wearing only a collar?"
Casey glanced his way, ears up, "Did that ad come out already?" his ears turned red and he drooped slightly in his seat, "I thought that wasn't coming out until next week." he added softly.
Paul smirked, "Yea... you and Ray both." He glanced to Casey as the Dalmatian began insistently looking around the interior of the car, opening the glove box, glancing in the back seat, and fidgeting, "What?" the human asked.
"You're from Minnesota..." Casey pointed out, "don't you have a scarf somewhere in here... or a sweater or something?"
"I'm not from Minnesota, and I'm not Canadian." Paul retorted, stopping at a red light, "It's not even that cold out-- why would you want a--?" he looked at Casey, who unlatched the collar from his neck and slid it into his pocket. "Uh... Casey?"
"What?" the Dalmatian challenged, putting his paws in his lap, looking at Paul.
The human reached out and rested a hand on the Dog's neck, smoothing out an uneven section of fur where the collar had been. "Nothing." Paul answered, looking back to the road.
A sense of understanding came across the young man as the light turned green and he continued down the street. Thought it took a moment for him to realize it, Paul recognized Casey's reaction all too well even if the Dog didn't want to admit it; Casey was self-conscious. The huamn said nothing else to his passenger as they drove the rest of the way to the airport.
As he parked the car, Paul turned to Casey, "You okay?"
The Dalmatian fidgeted, gripping the collar in his pocket through his jeans, "I didn't know the ad was already out."
"But you knew it would be out eventually, right?" Paul asked.
Casey nodded, "Yea... I just figured I'd have a little more time to prepare."
The human reached out and laid a hand atop the Dalmatian's paw, "If you were that worried why did you agree to the photos? I figured you'd be gung-ho about this kind of thing."
Casey glanced toward Paul, then down at the hand on his paw; Paul was surprised to hear that Casey's tail did not start wagging. "Can I tell you something, Paul?" the Dog asked quietly.
"Sure." Paul smiled, "We're friends. You can tell me anything."
"It's not easy being a Burb Dog." The simple comment sounded like an obvious observation to Paul but he was struck dumb by the weight of conviction with which it was said. "Sometimes I just wish... I dunno... I guess I wish things would be easy..." the Dalmatian continued, looking up to meet Paul's gaze, "I know I come across like a flake sometimes and everyone knows about my devil-may-care attitude, but the truth is that the 'happy-go-lucky' thing isn't so easy to keep going all the time."
Paul slowly removed his hand from the Dalmatian's paw. "You were hoping that the photo shoots could do your talking for you." He glanced to Casey, who nodded, "And now you're starting to think that they talked a little too loudly?" the Dalmatian nodded again.
"And it's a little late for second thoughts." Casey added with a sigh, looking down at his paws, "I guess I was just trying to figure out how to get the kind of attention I was looking for... and I didn't stop and think about all the other attention that'll probably come with it."
"Getting noticed isn't always a good thing, believe me." Paul nodded, and held out a hand, "Collar."
Casey looked up at the human and obediently pulled the collar out of his pocket and put it in Paul's hand. The human smiled reassuringly and took it, unfurling it, and reached across to put it back around the Dog's neck. Once it was snapped in place Paul sat back square in his seat.
"I don't think I ever saw you once react in a way that wasn't professional during our photo shoots." Casey noted.
"Well... I AM supposed to be professional." Paul smiled.
The Dog nodded, "You don't think of me any differently after having gone through that?"
Paul shrugged, "Not really... should I?"
Casey let out a deep sigh, "The worst problem with those pictures is that they'd probably end up attracting the wrong kind of person..." he drew a single finger across the collar around his neck, "and not someone like... well... like you."
Paul wasn't really sure how to respond to that. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction and flattery from the Dog's admission but, at the same time, images from his months-old dream flooded back into his mind; he worked to blot them out. In the end, Paul chose to forage ahead in the conversation, sidestepping the Dog's comment.
"You've set yourself on this path for a reason, Casey. Whether it was a good decision or not, you just have to remember why you did it and trust that you made the right choice."
"Even if I didn't?" the Dalmatian countered.
"Set a goal goal, and achieve it." Paul offered, readily recalling where he heard that piece of advice: the two easy steps.
"Somehow I don't think it's that easy." Casey noted.
"You like taking orders from humans, right?" Paul asked.
Casey smiled a little, tail hitting the side panel of the door, "Yea..."
"Alright... then prove me right." the human ordered, "Set a goal, and achieve it." Paul offered a smile in return.
Casey's tail picked up pace and the dalmatian even managed a laugh. He leaned forward and licked the side of Paul's face, "Yes sir." The Dog opened up the passenger side door and stepped out, "We're meeting at the library inside, right?"
Paul nodded, "Yea. The Aviation Library... Ray said he'll be by the statue outside."
"'kay... let's go find him." the Dalmatian suggested.
Paul exited the car and locked it and headed for the airport tram. Casey fell into step beside him, tags jingling, "You know, Paul..." the Dog began.
"Hmm?" Paul inquired.
"You're pretty good with dogs." the Dalmatian bumped him with an elbow as they walked.
Paul felt his face redden in embarrassment, "I hear that a lot."
* * * * * *
Ray was waiting for them at the entrance to the concourse, seated on a bench with a backpack beside him, book in paw. He closed the book as they approached and stowed it in his bag, "Guess the directions were good." the retriever acknowledged.
"Nah... Paul's got a GPS." Casey noted with a grin.
"And the directions helped." Paul added.
"People are going to lose every last bit of independence these days... eventually nobody'll be able to take a piss without an iPhone app for it or something." Ray noted.
"Hey, Nine..." Casey countered, "your age is showing... might wanna cover up a bit." he grinned, tail wagging. Ray strolled in with both fists, playfully cuffing the Dalmatian, who responded by latching onto one of the retriever's forearms with his muzzle, mock-gnawing on it.
"Okay... okay... break it up you two." the words came out of Paul's mouth before he realized he'd spoken them. The two Dogs sat down obediently on the bench, eliciting more than once glance from a passerby. Paul felt himself blush at the attention, surprised at his own words.
"You are growing to fill the shoes you've been given, Paul." the firm, slightly accented voice caught the human off guard. Eizenzahn casually strolled over to join them, one paw leading a set of ebony colored, elite-looking luggage on wheels, "Already your managerial instincts are encouraging order from chaos... and it appears that you can command obedience."
Pascal glided along behind him, likewise burdened by his own carry-on: two smaller, pink leather suitcases, likewise wheeled. "Il sera parfait." the poodle noted in French, leaning against Eizenzahn. He glanced to Paul, "You are doing very well, Paul Miller." the French Dog's tail wagged encouragingly.
"Ja..." Eizenzahn nodded casually, eyes focused on Paul, "ist er bereits."
The human wilted under the steely gaze of the executive, "Um... I'm going to have to learn German... aren't I?"
Pascal winked, "It would make things very interesting, garcon mignon."
"And French too, apparently." Ray offered.
"It is rude of us, I am sorry." Pascal offered, and glanced to Eizenzahn.
"I am glad that the three of you could see us away." the Doberman noted, "We are looking forward to working with you when we return."
"So..." Casey paused, "how long is that, exactly?"
"A matter of months." Eizenzahn explained, "I must return to the headquarters and account for our activities here. After that, time with my family. Once my passport is renewed and I can apply for a new Visa, then we will return."
"Are you going back to France, Pascal?" Paul asked.
"Moi?" the poodle asked, surprised, "No... Deutschland is my home, silly boy.. I have lived there for ze last several years."
Paul felt himself blush, "Oh... I just thought..."
"Pascal applied for citizenship when he became a full time Mein Hund employee." Eizenzahn explained.
"I'm on contract... you're not gonna make ME do that, are you?" Casey asked.
Pascal laughed, "It is not required... I wanted to."
"Eizenzahn..." Paul interjected, unable to keep from mentioning it any longer, "What's going to happen to Ray?"
"No one can see the future, Paul." the Doberman offered with a smug grin, "Though, if you mean his job, I would guess that it will be there for him in another week and several days." and Eizenzahn took a step closer, lowering his muzzle as he leaned forward next to Paul's ear, "and yours shall too." The executive straightened and glanced around, "We must check in. Pascal--" he glanced to the poodle, "Hast du die Tickets?"
"Oui." Pascal replied, "Naturellement."
Eizenzahn turned back to everyone as Pascal continued toward the baggage check. "Again, thank you for your hospitality and the work you have done for Mein Hund. I will expect nothing less when we return."
"You bet!" Casey noted emphatically.
"Thanks for the business." Ray acknowledged.
"Um..." Paul paused, "you're welcome."
Eizenzahn laughed at Paul's comment and slapped the human on the shoulder, "Walk with me for a time, Paul... I would like your company to the gate."
"He's my ride home." Casey pointed out, "Don't keep him too long."
The Doberman didn't speak up until they were several steps away from Casey and Ray, "You are a good man, Paul Miller."
"Uh... thanks?"
Eizenzahn smiled at the words, "You are also in the process of becoming a good manager."
"Set a goal and achieve it, right?" Paul offered with a hesitant smile.
"What IS your goal, Paul?" the Dog inquired.
Paul's steps slowed as the question caught him off guard, "I.... uh..."
Eizenzahn came to a complete stop and turned to regard Paul. He said nothing, merely folding his arms across his chest, waiting expectantly. The human paused longer, searching for an answer, wondering if such an easy question would leave him stumped. He found the answer at that moment, "I want to be able to get back to work and keep my job, and I want Ray to keep his."
"Done." Eizenzahn acknowledged, "You've already achieved it... that is no goal." a vice-like paw clamped down on Paul's shoulder as the Doberman clasped it, "Paul... certain people can set their own goals, and some have to have goals set by others... which one are you?"
The young man paused, feeling as if he were going to start squirming underneath the Doberman's gaze. It was a strange thought, realizing that Eizenzahn had no direct authority over him, and yet probably had more control than anyone else in the world. It was sobering, frustrating, intimidating, and just a little frightening. "What do you want me to say?" Paul squeaked.
"It sounds as though you are the second kind." Eizenzahn chuckled, patting him on the shoulder, "But never fear... that is something we will work on." and the German executive turned around, "Sieben... Sieben... Sieben..." he mumbled to himself, glancing around at the gates along the concourse, "Ah!" and he began heading off toward the hall with a large '7' posted on it.
"Uh... Eizenzahn?" Paul called after him.
"Yes, Paul?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, "Work on what?"
A wide, devious grin spread across the exec's muzzle, "I will let you figure that out, Paul. Auf Wiedersehen! Until next time!" and he disappeared into the crowd.
Paul let out a sigh, "Apparently I'm not THAT good with Dogs." he told himself, and turned around, heading back to Ray and Casey. His footsteps slowed as he saw the two of them: the retriever had the dalmatian in a headlock and was demanding he say 'uncle'. Paul sighed. He rolled his eyes. He took a deep breath. He stepped forward. He managed.
* * * * * *
Tanner chuckled at Paul's retelling of the airport fiasco, "And that's all he said, huh?"
Paul nodded, sitting in the passenger seat of the Dog's car, "Yea."
It had been a strange day and he had no trouble letting Tanner drive since it gave him more time to reflect on the events. It had been simple enough to drop Casey off; the Dalmatian had been very generous in offering to have the human let him out at the corner store two blocks from the apartment complex; Paul was glad for the break.
"So..." Tanner spoke up, breaking Paul from his reverie, "How did you even find out Rin Tin Tin was playing? It's been DECADES since it's been in theaters?" the Dog parked the car in the relatively empty parking lot.
"Well... I know you like it, and you said you wanted to see a movie... so I did a search."
"A search?" Tanner's ears went up and he glanced sidelong at Paul.
"Yea... on the internet." Paul explained.
"And the computer didn't burst into flames?" a wry grin spread across Tanner's muzzle.
"No." Paul rolled his eyes.
"The condo didn't spontaneously combust?" Tanner pressed.
"No." Paul chuckled.
"And the fire department wasn--"
"NO!" Paul laughed, "I'm getting better about it."
"Well... for all the horror stories you tell about your use of computers, hearing an actual story of success is a little contradictory." the Dog smirked, leaning forward to touch his nose to Paul's.
The human smiled, "Everyone has a chance to learn... I guess I've just been lucky that the tech guy at work had some extra time to teach me how to avoid turning a PC into a bomb in three easy keystrokes."
"It's a good thing too... you would have been on the national terror watch list if you didn't overcome that handicap." the Dog winked, "Can't have you going around turning PCs into C4 now can we?"
"It's 'National Pick on Paul Day', isn't it?" Paul demanded, "Why didn't I have that marked on my calender?"
"Relax... movie dates are supposed to be fun." Tanner patted Paul's leg and got out of the car.
Paul exited and closed the door, glancing at the Dog across the top of the car, "And right now it sounds like you're having fun at my expense."
Tanner winked, "I'm having a blast."
"Ass." Paul accused.
"Guilty." the Dog confirmed, wagging all the way to the ticket booth.
* * * * * *
Paul had always preferred to sit near the back of the theater when he was at the movies while Tanner always chose a seat closer to the front. Like many parts of their relationship, the two found a happy medium and selected seats near the middle row. The two found seats toward the center of the row and settled in. Tanner, who had purchased a tub of popcorn from the concessions stand, set it in his lap.
"You know... I heard that the theaters make more money on the movie food than they do on the movie." Paul commented, taking a small handful of the Dog's popcorn.
Tanner smirked, "Well... seeing as the popcorn cost as much as the ticket, I'd believe it." he inhaled deeply from the bucket, "but nothing compares to the smell of fresh movie theater popcorn."
Paul chuckled, and held a few kernels up to Tanner's muzzle; the Dog took them right off of the human's fingers. "You do." the young man said to the German shepherd.
"Buttering me up so you can get at more of the popcorn-y goodness, are you?" the Dog grinned, taking a single kernel out and feeding it to Paul.
Paul was about to respond when others finally started filtering into the theater. He felt himself blush and looked ahead to the screen. The human was thankful for Tanner's patience with his idiosyrasies; the Dog likewise looked back to the local advertisement slide show illuminating the screen. Paul could not avoid smiling however when he felt his boyfriend's paw give a gentle squeeze to his hand.
"Thanks." Paul said quietly, "Sorry..."
"No problem." Tanner offered casually, tail softly beating out a rhythm against the seat, "I understand."
The two munched on popcorn quietly as a few more people filtered into the room. Paul figured an evening showing of an old classic probably wouldn't have much of a draw and, as the lights dimmed, he wasn't at all surprised to see that nearly 3/4ths of the seats were empty. He sat back in his seat, relaxing. "You alright?" Tanner asked softly.
"Yea..." Paul confirmed, "Just fine." he noted, resting his head against the Dog's shoulder after the lights dimmed.
"We don't have to do outings if it bothers you." Tanner offered quietly, "I know you get a bit uncomfortable in public."
Paul shook his head against Tanner's shoulder, "It's not that--"
"Yes it is." Tanner countered, "you're self conscious."
"...yea..." Paul admitted, "...a little..."
A wide grin split Tanner's muzzle as his eyes glinted green in the half-light of the theater, "A little, huh?" he chuckled, "I'd hate to see what 'a lot' is to you."
"Remember when I told you about the day I found out that I was going to be taking pictures of Casey?" Paul inquired.
"I do." Tanner acknowledged.
"THAT would be 'a lot'." and they both shared a laugh.
Tanner rested his head against Paul's and they patiently waited as the movie finally began. While watching old movies wasn't exactly Paul's choice of entertainment, he did enjoy gifting Tanner with little surprises and he was more than happy enough to have an hour and a half with the Dog. Paul let out a contented sigh and simply enjoyed the time he had to sit with Tanner. The movie wasn't half-bad either... for the fifteen minutes he watched it.
Just as the movie was starting to pick up speed Paul's attention was drawn to two movie-goers three rows down from them. As the screen grew brighter during a sunny-day-beach-scene, Paul got a sihlouetted view of a woman and a dog amidst the audience in one another's arms. Although he couldn't see them clearly in the dim light, he knew that she was doing more than touching his nose with hers, and his paws were definitely not on her shoulders.
Paul glanced to the screen, then to the couple, and then to Tanner. He gave his boyfriend a light elbow and then motioned to the two lovers further down the rows from them. Tanner chuckled softly and whispered, "Classy." he smirked, "Well, you know what they say about movie theaters..."
"Uh..." Paul paused, "back home they were family establishments."
"Here too." Tanner answered, "until around 6 o clock."
Paul felt himself blush as the Dog's head disappeared beneath the sihlouette of the seats and the woman leaned her head back, gripping the seat on either side of her. Paul cleared his throat, "Ummm..."
Tanner chuckled again and slid an arm around Paul's shoulders, "Just keep your eye on the screen... I don't want you having a heart attack or something over this."
"Is it really all that common around here?" Paul asked, feeling his face redden even further.
"Well... back when 'Attack of the Clones' came out I saw a midnight showing with a really good friend of mine and he had me--"
"Never mind." Paul quickly interrupted, "trying to avoid a heart attack... remember?"
"I missed the entire scene on Kashyyyk. I didn't see it until I rented the DVD." Tanner admitted.
"Too much information." Paul spoke up. His eyes went back to the sihlouette of the woman, who was obviously trying hard to avoid squirming in her seat. The young man swallowed a developing knot in his throat, "Wow... that's... uh..."
"Leasher and Burb Dog." Tanner noted quietly.
"What?" Paul questioned.
"I heard his collar jingle." the Dog explained.
"Oh." Paul felt himself blush even more. He was just about to excuse himself to avoid the continued awkwardness when the sihlouette of the Dog's head reappeared above the seats. The woman and the Dog kissed.
"Voyeur." Tanner poked him in the ribs.
"HEY!" Paul exclaimed, but quickly lowered his voice, "I'm not... I--"
"Just couldn't look away?" Tanner grinned, "Got a bad case of rubbernecking? Were so surprised that you couldn't help but stare?"
Paul returned the poke, "I just can't believe people do things like that in public."
"Oh poor, poor sheltered Paul." Tanner chuckled, sliding an arm around the human's shoulders, "Welcome to the big city, where people are crazy."
"I'm starting to see that." Paul acknowledged, then paused as the woman and the Dog further down the theater stood. The couple made their way toward the exit, drawing them right past Paul and Tanner. Paul tried not to look their way but he couldn't help himself. The half-light wasn't enough to see them clearly, but he forced himself to look away before he started staring.
Just as the two got to the row where Paul and Tanner were, the woman giggled, pulling the Dog into a seat and setting herself onto his lap. Feeling suddenly very self-conscious, Paul finally managed to look away. He grabbed a handful of popcorn and busied himself stuffing kernel after kernel into his mouth.
The loud sound of the sound track suddenly skipping made Paul jump. The film slid off of the projection screen and several unpleasant comments emerged from around the theater. "I'm sorry folks..." came a call from the projection room, "It'll take a few minutes to get the projector back in operation." and the lights slowly faded back on. Paul couldn't help but glance at the woman and the Dog only a few seats from him.
"PAUL?!?" recognition was plastered clean across the surprised golden retriever's muzzle, eyes wide as the Dog stared at him. Paul could imagine that he had the human equivalent on his face as he stared right back.
The popcorn kernel in Paul's fingers fell to the ground, completely forgotten, "RAY?!?"
Tanner leaned forward, glancing past Paul. "Oh... so you're Ray. Nice to meet you."
* * * * * *
The two humans and two Dogs sat outside the coffee shop at a circular table. The top two buttons of Ray's shirt were open, providing Paul a distracting view of a red collar perched prominently in view. It had been a awkward fifteen minutes as the four left the theater and reconvened to talk further. Ray started the discussion.
"Michelle... this is Paul, the human from work I was telling you about." Ray explained to the woman by his side, her hand in his paw before looking to Paul, "Paul... this is Michelle, my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" Paul asked, still working to overcome the news.
"Girlfriend, yes... and... my Leasher." Ray explained, "I'm a Burb Dog." the words came out of the Dog's muzzle as if they had been practiced a dozen times but hadn't been polished to the retriever's liking. Ray's ears drooped slightly.
A strange, surreal sense of understanding overcame Paul at that moment, and he found himself nodding, "I guess that makes sense..."
The three people at the table looked at Paul, "What?" they all asked in unison.
"Well... just little things..." Paul explained, "I didn't really think anything of them at first, but now they just all seem to add up." he shrugged, "the directness... deferring management... little grins here and there... your tail wagging..."
Michelle laughs, "Yep... that sounds just like Ray." she leaned over and kissed the side of the Dog's cheek. Ray's ears drooped, their insides turning red as he blushed.
"So... a Burb Dog..." Paul nodded thoughtfully.
"This is where you get mad for me not mentioning it?" Ray questioned.
Paul smiled, "I think this kind of fits into the 'self reflection' category of information."
Ray let out a deep breath, "So... now you know."
"Kind of a relief, isn't it?" Paul smiled. Ray nodded, obviously still recovering from the discovery, "Yea... I can empathize." the human winked, making the retriever smile.
"So is this your Burb Dog, Paul?" Michelle smiled in a calming, pleasant manner. Paul choked on his coffee.
"I'm a friend... not a Burb Dog." Tanner responded, "Tan Paw Jr." he introduced himself, "Tanner is just fine."
"Oh... I'm sorry." Michelle apologized, "It's nice to meet you, Tanner." she smiled, "And you too, Paul." she offered Paul a napkin.
Paul readily accepted it, dabbing at some coffee he coughed up, "Thanks." he noted. The young man looked between Ray and Michelle. The Dog was nearly twenty years older than himself, but it was readily apparent that Michelle was less than a decade his senior, which meant that she was somewhere between his age and Ray's.
Michelle, watched Paul, resting her chin on her tented fingers, "So... Ray tells me that you've been working with him on a really big account."
"You talk about me at home?" Paul asked, intimidated.
"You come up in conversation occasionally." Ray confirmed, "Highs and lows of the day... you're usually included in the first part." the Dog offered a faint smile.
Paul nodded, "Oh... well... yea." he looked back to Michelle, We've been working together for awhile now, but this is the first time we've really had a project together."
"He's a smart kid... learns fast." Ray acknowledged, apparently finding the gumption to rejoin the conversation.
"So what do YOU do, Michelle?" Paul asked, using what little skill he had in small talk to try and slip the focus of the discussion away from himself.
"I'm an RN at the Pacific Campus of CPMC." Michelle responded, "I work in the oncology department."
"That sounds exciting." Tanner offered.
"Sometimes too exciting..." she acknowledged, "but I enjoy it." Michelle smiled.
"The hours are hell sometimes though." Ray added.
"Rotating shifts... it's the second worst part of the job." she confirmed.
"What's the worst part?" Paul asked, happy to keep the topic of discussion focused on something other than himself.
"Losing a patient." Michelle answered, looking down at her coffee, "I've been a nurse for almost 10 years but it never gets easier." she sighed. Ray slid a paw into her hand and their fingers entwined. Paul almost started to wince at the display of affection, but he paused when he saw them looking to one another. There was something that Paul couldn't identify in their shared gaze... something... enchanting.
"You two..." Paul paused, "you have something really special... don't you?" he asked.
"We do..." Michelle said, still gazing endearingly at Ray.
"But I think that's a story for next time." noted the retriever, looking at Paul.
"Next time?" Paul asked.
"Well... since you're the only one from work that knows about my personal life..." Ray winked, "I think it's time we work on this more-than-just-a-coworker thing you swear by."
"So... something like a double-date, huh?" Paul cracked a grin, but suddenly froze as he realized what he just said. His eyes slowly scanned over to Michelle; he had just said 'double date' in front of her-- she was practically a stranger. Paul felt his blood freeze in his veins.
Michelle laughed, "Deer in headlights." she patted Paul on his hand, "Relax, Paul... just like you said about Ray, 'It makes sense'."
"What?" the two Dogs and Paul said in tandem.
"Nothing." Michelle smiled warmly, "You two make a cute couple." she noted, and glanced to Ray, "It's almost eight... we'd better get back home."
They all said a series of goodbyes and farewells, but Paul's mind was elsewhere. Something about Michelle was highly disarming... an aura of comfort almost that put him off guard. He'd actually alluded to a date with Tanner... in public! The young man felt as if he were going to hyperventilate at the realization of his slip and yet, as he considered it, and pictured the calm, smiling face of Michelle in his mind, he realized that somehow it didn't seem to be that big of a deal.
"You alright?" Tanner asked, sliding his paw into Paul's grasp as they got up from the table and headed back to the Dog's car.
"Yea..." Paul noted cautiously, as if saying it aloud would change his status-- it did not. Smiling a little more, he confirmed it in a more assured voice, "Yea... I am." a smile slowly spread across his lips. Ray was a Burb Dog. Ray's Leasher and Girlfriend honestly felt like a good lady.
"Heh... she could almost be his daughter." Tanner said out of nowhere.
"He's not THAT old." Paul countered.
"They looked like they were easily fifteen years apart." the Dog explained.
"I'd say closer to ten... besides, I think we've already established that a relationship can overcome a LOT of variety." Paul smiled, resting his head on Tanner's shoulder.
"Heh..." Tanner chuckled, pressing the remote to unlock his car, "Yea... I think we've both pretty well figured that out." The two got into the car, and Tanner added, "I half thought you were going to lose it when she said we made a cute couple." the Dog grinned from ear to ear.
Paul couldn't help but smile at that, "You and me both."
"So..." Tanner began. Paul did not fail to miss the mischievous tone in the Dog's voice.
"Hmm?" Paul inquired, bracing himself for the worst.
"It's only eight o clock and they're heading back home... she was squirming in the theater, and they haven't had any alone time... two guesses what they'll be doing when they get back." Tanner started up the car, muzzle spread in a wide grin.
"I hate you." Paul noted flatly.
"I know." Tanner wagged.
"You enjoy watching me squirm, don't you?" Paul accused.
"I do... very much." Tanner noted, turning to the human with a smirk.
"Then let's get home and you can get a private showing with as much squirming as you can handle." Paul countered... and his grin matched Tanner's.