FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The young German Shepherd admired himself in the bathroom mirror of his cramped studio apartment room. A few faint rays of morning sun were just beginning to peek through the blinds as he gave himself another quick once over. He looked pretty decent in a suit and tie, he thought to himself with a slightly confident smile. The college student frequented the gym after his final class of the day, and it showed, even through his suit. His tailored garment further accentuated his shape with sleek lines, and lent strength and confidence he didn't always feel. It was about as professional as he could manage to afford with a college student budget and an intern’s salary.

His name was Derrick and his fluffy tail wagged as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door to start another day at the office. It was a great position; it gave him investment banking experience while also helping him network with some powerful people in the field. Despite his lack of meaningful compensation, he was incredibly lucky to land the competitive position and never took it for granted.

Derrick trotted briskly down the street, briefcase in hand, tail wagging with excitement. Unfortunately his car was still acting up so he had to hoof it. He stopped at a simple shop that made decent coffee, grabbed a cheap little pastry for breakfast and two coffees: flat white for himself and an oat milk latte for his boss.

Ah, William. The golden Labrador's smile held all of the beauty of a sunrise to Derrick. He never minded the sensation of his tail wagging as he'd set the lab's coffee down on his desk every morning and watched William inhale the perfectly memorized coffee order, which never failed to bring a warm smile to the canine's lips. It was enough to help Derrick get through the rest of his day entirely on its own, remembering that this unpaid work will go a long way to help him get a better job once he finished his studies.

This internship was his big chance to prove himself, and he was determined not to mess it up.

As he approached the tall glass building, home to Synthorpe-Finklemeir-Smith, he took a deep breath, straightened his tie, and pushed through the revolving doors. The lobby was already bustling with activity. Derrick headed straight for the elevators, his shoes clicking on the marble floors, and proudly padded through the building, offering smiles and waves to the others busily shuffling about the office. Up on the 45th floor, it was controlled chaos. Phones rang incessantly, copy machines whirred, and the rumble of urgent conversations filled the air.

This was the bigwigs' floor of the company, housing the offices of multiple junior partners to the firm. The next level up was largely populated by the senior partners and owners, when they actually needed to show up for meetings, which was rare. Derrick weaved through the maze of cubicles until he reached his small workspace tucked away in a back corner. After setting his briefcase down, he logged into his computer and began going through his preliminary tasks for the day: research market trends, analyze financial reports, organize files. While the systems booted up he swung by William's office and checked in with Candace. From what he heard, the small tabby had been with the company almost as long as William had. After some idle catching up he headed back to his desk.

The work wasn't glamorous, but he tackled it with enthusiasm, remembering his ultimate goal - to become a top investment banker. Around noon, his supervisor stopped by his desk.

"Hey Derrick, I need you to put together a presentation for a client meeting this afternoon. Think you can handle that?" Derrick's tail started wag. William always told Derrick he had the potential to own a company of his own someday if he continued to work hard, just like he did! Maybe even find a girl and raise a family of his own someday. Derrick never really had a proper response for that, not that he was worried William might be a bigot; the lab always told him about how much he loved his own kids regardless of what they grew up into. No. It was the fact William was a happily married man. As Candace would always say, "William ain't no alley cat." He was always true to his wife Nancy, through thick and thin.

Every day he dropped off his boss's coffee, saw that warm smile he fell in love with, and turned to have their before-work chit-chat. He'd be greeted by the photo of the lab and his family smiling back at him. The shepherd would remind himself he was not some love-struck teenager, with eyes for only one man. There were plenty of fish in the sea… but all that garbage did nothing to soothe a broken heart or help those unrequited feelings go away.

Instead, he would have to be satisfied with being lucky enough to work as an intern under someone so great. Derrick could live with that… at least if it wasn't for the constant pestering of William's equivalent of a workplace rival: Spencer.

It was a poorly kept secret that the older Doberman was competing with the lab for the vacancy once Mr. Wilkerson left. The old cheetah had decided to get out of the business, blaming the fast paced lifestyle too much for someone of his age. That meant that a senior partnership opportunity would soon open up at the firm. It was a big deal, one the Doberman -- who was renowned for his ruthless business tactics -- was not going to let fall to chance.

Derrick knew well enough after William's honest warning about ‘Spencer's habit of chewing people up and spitting them out when he was done with them’. Though he hadn't seen it first hand, rumor had it that there wasn't a single intern that worked with the Doberman that lasted through the summer. Most had a nervous breakdown by the end of their first month. With that in mind Derrick pretty much just ignored any e-mails he received from the Doberman that weren't official business. Of course, the older canine seemed to just get more persistent, more aggressive, and even louder as time went on, going so far as to "run into" the shepherd and pretend they were both arriving at the building at the same time in the morning.

Derrick had had enough, so that day, when he received an e-mail from Spencer asking him to meet in the lunchroom at 3PM, he sent a curt response that explained he would agree to meet, at the very least in hopes that saying "no" to the man's face instead of dodging invites would end the incessant pestering.

Derrick made sure he was in presentable condition before heading to the lunchroom. Spencer, of course, chose the perfect time to meet when they wouldn't be disturbed. Though they weren't exactly alone in such a bustling office the room was abandoned for the rest of the day after 2PM. As the shepherd made his way into the room, Spencer was sitting at a table, seemingly taking a late lunch judging by the drink he had on the table, razor-sharp eyes focused intently on the young intern the minute Derrick entered the room. Derrick felt a chill run through him as the Doberman put on a discernibly practiced smile, those pearly white teeth on full display as he got up to shake hands before inviting Derrick to sit with him. Derrick took a deep breath as Spencer chuckled softly before speaking, "Nice to finally meet you! Willy has been singing your praises since you got here, pup!" the older canine said, seemingly relaxing in his seat once more. "Seems like he's taken a liking to ya."

"Interesting", Derrick thought, the Doberman seemed to look past the fact the shepherd had been ignoring direct e-mails from him. Which meant...

"I'll get right to it! Don't wanna confuse you with any technical stuff or details but, I want your assistance in this jockeying for senior partner."

Before he could continue, Derrick attempted to cut in. "Well, I wish you lu-" he started, but Spencer simply raised his voice ever so slightly and took back the conversation.

"Just! Let. Me. Finish. Pup." He punctuated each word, even the 'pup', "If you hear me out, you'll never hear from me again."

Derrick felt like he didn't really have a choice in the matter at this point. "Fine," Derrick huffed, even adding an eye-roll which he realized only made him look much like the 'pup' Spencer referred to him as after doing it. He sighed and settled in to hear Spencer's proposal. The Doberman leaned forward, his dark eyes glittering. "It's simple, I'm the best dog for the job and the company deserves the best. Now I'm sure if you're like me," Spencer pauses a moment before giving Derrick a long once over, “then I like some competition. Now you and I, we both know that the board can't just give me the job without thoroughly considering their options. But we can't let the board make a decision before they think things through carefully. See, this is where you come in. I know you're close with William, but no offense, he's way out of his depth. All I need is for you to keep your eyes peeled. We both know he can be a bit sloppy at times juggling his family and job and all. He's not as... detailed oriented as you or me, so I'm sure he makes plenty of mistakes that you need to fix. Just small things. Now he won't step up his game unless he's held a little accountable for that lax attitude, am I right? Nothing the higher ups need to know, but as an equal I could talk to him so we're both putting our best paw forward."

Derrick frowned. "I don't know if I feel comfortable with that. You're asking me to be a spy? That seems dishonest." He didn't like how deliberately the Doberman was phrasing things. Something didn't add up.

Spencer shrugged. "Think of it as helping William make his best case. I have more than the necessary experience for this promotion, I just need William to be on the same level so that it doesn't look like they're just giving the position to me." He reached out and put a paw on Derrick's arm. "You seem like a good kid. I'm sure you want what's best for the company too. Sometimes you have to bend the rules a little to make that happen."

Derrick shifted uncomfortably at the contact. He glanced around but no one else was nearby, desperately looking for a witness to this interaction. He tried to keep his expression neutral. "I'll… I'll think about it," he said finally.

"Excellent!" Spencer said, flashing that predatory grin again. "I knew I could count on you." He stood up and straightened his impeccable suit, leaving the rest of his lunch untouched.

"Oh! Thought you should know" Spencer went on, unfazed by the other canine's seemingly uninterested expression, "I see the way you look at him you know. With your tail wagging and your stomach in your throat. You think he hasn't noticed it either? He's content to leave your relationship as purely "professional", he gets to be promoted, he gets to resume his happy little life. What do you get? A reference. Maybe."

Derrick smirked slightly, the thought of this guy talking to him about interns getting treated "fairly" was a joke in and of itself, yet Spencer continued. "Me? I'm where I am because I take what I want. Now you can judge me for that, sure, but I'm happy because I'm where I want to be. You can be too. I'm even willing to give you the opportunity to take what you want. Dictate the terms of your own life pup. If you're interested give me a call, you can do great things with the right mentoring." The Doberman handed Derrick a card with his private number on it, and then left the lunchroom.

Derrick didn't even know why he bothered tucking the damn thing into his shirt pocket. He immediately dismissed the Doberman's claim, of course. How could he "take" William's love? What garbage, the shepherd thought to himself as he made his way back to his cubicle. William was happy, not to mention straight; Spencer was clearly just trying to manipulate him into sabotaging his boss. When he got that promotion, what would Derrick get? Fired probably. Then he'd have even less than a reference.

Derrick looked at his screen. He'd spent about thirty minutes just staring at it contemplating that stupid offer. Ugh! The young college student shook his head. There were far more important things to worry about! Midterms were coming up soon, so he'd have to schedule time off for those and the office of course was bustling with things to do. Derrick shook his head again, refocused, and put all thoughts out of his mind as he began writing up this month's budget report for William's division. It took longer than usual; Derrick had a hard time focusing and he didn't get the end-of-day tasks he normally easily swept through done today but they could wait until tomorrow.

The shepherd hopped in his car and made his way home, the canine was about to treat himself to dinner for finally dealing with Spencer before the service light on his dash lit up and he realized he probably shouldn't be spending what he didn't have for the next couple of months. Instead, he made his way back home to his apartment, began cooking some macaroni and cheese, and marked on the calendar the day he'd be able to take his car into the shop. It was an old hunk of junk but until he could afford to trade it in, he was stuck with its maintenance costs. The canine sighed heavily, it would just be a couple more years before hopefully he'd get a shining reference to his resume and hopefully land a job that could finally start improving his quality of life. The canine drowned out the voice in his mind that kept reminding him that statistically, he wasn't guaranteed anything. Even the reference wasn't a complete guarantee. Derrick decided to stop thinking about it for now. That smirking Doberman was still on his mind, that's all it was. He sat down on the chair he found on the curb and turned on the television he was lucky enough to find at a yard sale. It mostly worked. He popped in a DVD-- of course he'd seen all these movies before, but cable TV was outside his budget with the way they made you also buy internet and a land line to install it. Basically, it was just comforting noise at this point as he got up and poured the cheesy pasta into a bowl. The rest would make a decent breakfast tomorrow. After pouring the leftovers into a container, the canine went back to spending the rest of the evening watching the movie he'd watched several times already and eating his dinner before heading to bed.

The next day things didn't get any better. Derrick struggled to focus on his work; every time William spoke all the shepherd could think was, "Oh, how wonderful for you," as the gold lab talked about his kids or his wife. Derrick tried to shake off his resentment and focus on his work, but Spencer's words kept creeping back into his mind. As much as he hated to admit it, there was some truth to what the Doberman had said.

Here Derrick was, working hard and getting nowhere, while William seemed to coast along on his charm and family connections. It wasn't fair. Derrick was smart, talented, determined - yet he was still struggling to pay his bills and driving a junk car. He deserved more. He deserved the kind of life and career that William had.

As the day dragged on, Derrick found himself watching William more closely, noticing little mistakes and oversights in his work. Nothing big, but enough to plant seeds of doubt. Enough to show William wasn't as perfect as everyone thought. Even without realizing he started to make a list, discretely typing it into his phone and saving it as a draft. He stopped after a bit wondering what had driven him to spy on his boss. With a shrug, he closed the message and didn't think much more of it.

On his lunch break, Derrick sat staring at the business card Spencer had given him, turning it over and over in his paws. He knew he shouldn't call. He knew getting involved with Spencer's scheme could only lead to trouble. But another part of him - a resentful, ambitious part - wondered if Spencer was right. Maybe he did need to stop playing by the rules. Maybe he needed to take what he wanted. He mentally chastised himself each and every time. Normally Derrick just felt lucky that he got to share conversations with William more than any of the other interns. But now, all he could think about was the Doberman's words.

Derrick was convinced William was a shoo-in for the promotion no matter what the Doberman said. Though he was concerned how he'd be working under a new boss before his internship ended, how Spencer could end up becoming his next boss, and how at this rate he might not even get that reference at the end of all this! Their morning conversation had been far more one-sided than usual with Derrick doing his best not to focus on the bad thoughts. He realized he was zoned out when the golden lab grabbed his attention with a little heart-to-heart about how Derrick was like a son to him at this point.

He loved William, he reminded himself. William's happiness was paramount to him. But why did that leave his own heart aching? Wasn't that enough? Derrick left William's office like he normally did when the conversation died out and got to work.

Nothing seemed to flow anymore; everything he was doing was for someone else's benefit now, in his mind. None of this benefited him at all! Maybe Spencer was right, at least about taking what he wanted. Derrick even found himself idly scanning across job websites, getting a feel for the job market he'd be diving into in a couple years. It wasn't promising. In fact, from a cursory glance he realized that if he was looking for a job right now, he'd have to land one of three companies or else he'd have to move across the country just to get a job to keep a roof over his head. Or he could be bold, start his own company like William suggested. Derrick shook his head clean of those thoughts again and refocused on his work. It was way too early to be worrying about such things. And the rest of the day went on, a little less bright than the last.

Derrick drove home after not getting as much work as he would have liked before arriving at his small apartment. He bumped the visit to the garage up a day or two since his car now was starting to make a funny noise, ate his leftovers from last night which he forgot to eat in the morning, and went to bed after watching another DVD. The rest of the week that followed much the same way. Spencer was true to his word though: there were no more e-mails from the Doberman waiting for him in his inbox each morning.

Somehow the feeling that he was missing out only grew from the Doberman's silence. It became his end of day ritual to brain dump the little mistakes he noticed into the tiny file on his phone. Eventually the text felt more like an investigative report than a little list of peeves that irked him when work got monotonous.

A month passed and winter blew in strong with record snowfall. Derrick grumbled softly to himself as he busily worked at his cubicle. The past few days had been very hectic with the holidays coming. Staff members were taking their vacations, more work was coming with fewer people to handle it, and that meant a lot of overtime for Derrick. Not that the company wanted to pay him overtime, not with his current contract as an intern. Getting up, he stood there, staring out the office window. The sun had set a good couple hours ago and he wasn't going to get home for another few of them. The shepherd sighed. At least he could get himself something nice for dinner, come back, finish up, and then head home. What was he missing out on anyway except his car finally breaking down in the middle of the road or another DVD re-run?

He'd taken his car into the shop last month, and it wasn't good. They told him he was better off trading in for a slightly newer model if he can't afford the repairs. Now he was picking the paper every day to keep an eye on any tantalizing ads for a used car. It would have been nice to get paid for all this extra work people were entrusting to him but he couldn't exactly say "no" to the golden lab who patted him on the back, put him in a headlock, and jovially chuckled about how he also had to pay his dues early on in his life. He joked about how the bigwigs would surely notice all his gumption and reward him appropriately, in time.

Once everyone but Derrick and perhaps the cleaning staff piled out of the office, he couldn't stop himself from wondering how true that was. Sure. William was great; he was going to make a great partner and reward all of those under him fairly. However, Derrick wouldn't be under William anymore. Technically, Derrick would be working for whoever got William's old position. He had been keeping an eye on the people gunning for the position and it didn't look great, if only because it sounded like upper management was actually considering downsizing the responsibilities of William's old department onto Spencer's department once he was promoted. Derrick doubted the Doberman would be thrilled to treat him with the same respect William had, given the circumstances.

The Doberman's words were something he mulled over for hours. Every. Day. It's not like he could afford many distractions except maybe when he was busy with his school work.

Derrick left the office, wrapping his scarf tightly around his neck and throwing on his old jacket. The shepherd made his way down the street to where there was a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant a few blocks from his office building. It was decent, but he wasn't risking his car's last life on anything he could walk to these days. Derrick always liked the orange glow of the streetlights on the freshly fallen, undisturbed surface of the snow in the street before the traffic melted it into brown slush. It was a quick order: a small, cheap meal which he decided to take back to the office. He could get the work done sooner if he ate and worked at the same time. When he got back to the office, he was alone. The cleaning staff had left for the night and the only lights on were the ones he himself had left on. An eerie hush in the office that he had become used to had washed over everything as he settled into his cubicle silently and began to pick away at his chicken fried rice while the rest of his co-workers sat at home in warm, well-lit houses surrounded by their loving families.

Derrick couldn't get Spencer out of his head. He realized he hadn't even thrown away the asshole's business card this whole time. It felt like the crushing weight of the world would flatten him should he give up any opportunity given to him without fully considering it, no matter how much he despised it initially. Derrick took a long look in the faded reflection of himself in the window looking out on the city beside his cubicle. Sure, some people, like William, were one of the lucky few. Either getting noticed by upper management or someone in a position of power rewarding their hard work and overtime. However, the reality of the situation was that his chances of being noticed were a lot lower than William's were back in the day when William worked his kind of job. If he wanted this career, he was going to need to take it.

He didn't need to like Spencer. He didn't need to agree with everything Spencer did or said. But he could not deny the truth in his advice. William was blessed with good fortune and led a naïve life because of it, full of fantasies of a world where hard, diligent workers were appropriately rewarded. It hurt Derrick to think of William as anything less than perfect, but his livelihood was on the line! Bills were past due; his only form of transportation was busted. He needed to take this seriously and stop looking at this through the rose-colored glasses that William could afford to wear! Based on how things were shaping up, he'd be lucky if William sent him an annual e-mail on time in a few years.

After closing the lid on his dinner, he got up and put it in the staff room refrigerator, saving it for breakfast tomorrow and sitting back down in his cubicle. The shepherd pulled out his phone before reaching into his back pocket and plucking the Doberman's business card free. Derrick exhaled slowly; all he needed to do was listen to the sick fuck and if he didn't like what he was hearing he could look elsewhere.

That's all it was.

Nodding his head to himself, he dialed up the Doberman's number and waited for the answering machine to pick up. It was dinner time afte-- "Hello?" A slightly irritated voice met the shepherd's ears.

"Oh! Hello Mr. Davis! I don't know if you remember me. It's Derrick Bailey. I was calling because-" He was cut off again.

"Oh! Right. How're you doing, boy? Still think that singular glowing reference is going to get you a six-figure salary once you've gotten that degree?"

The Doberman's tone was full of amusement, only making it harder for Derrick to find his voice. "Well! Uh... Actually-" Derrick took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady. "Actually, that's why I'm calling. I wanted to take you up on your offer to talk more about my caree--."

Again, the older male didn't let him finish. "Ah, you've come around then! Good boy! Figured you'd be calling me up sooner! No worries though. We'll discuss this more on Monday when I'm in the office. Meet me Monday an hour before opening in the break room on the 5th floor. Don't be late. Enjoy your weekend, pup!" Then the call ended as if that was that, leaving Derrick staring at his phone. He knew meeting Spencer was a risk, but he was desperate. His mind reeled but he grimaced tightly and nodded once, turning off his monitor despite not finishing his work that evening. With a sigh, he gathered his things and headed home through the cold night. It was time to go to his barely heated, drafty apartment and try to get some sleep.

Monday came faster than Derrick thought. His weekend was largely spent on his studies now that midterms had passed and he could actually focus on it. The fit shepherd made his way into work early to get started on the work he didn't finish on Friday. Little pangs of regret were nipping at his conscience and he hoped Spencer had forgotten all about their phone call-- Nope! In fact, the grinning Doberman stood leaning against the shepherd's cubicle as if pleased to see that Derrick was on time, "Glad you made it! Thought you might have gotten cold feet on me!" The older man chuckled, motioning to the blowing flakes of falling snow outside that the shepherd was all too aware of as he plucked off his wet scarf and tried to place his coat on the rack in his small cubicle.

"I didn't know-" He was cut off again, although at this point, he was getting used to it.

"Now now. I'm sure you have plenty of questions. We can talk more over a cup of joe."

"Mr. Davis, sir" Derrick cut in. Spencer's ear perked up, and he cocked an eyebrow. "There's something I'd like to show you. You see I've made a list of things like you'd wanted when we last talked." He handed his phone over to the Doberman, who scanned it quickly. A smile lit up on his face as he read. With a few clicks the older canine sent himself the list of fuckups that William had been slowly accruing.

"I was hoping we'd get more time to talk about this, honestly. But that's alright, we still have lots of time to work out the details of my plan."

A "plan" now? Derrick thought to himself, brow perking and advertising his thoughts as transparently as the ice on the roads outside. "You didn't think I was going to rely on only you to in this endeavor, did you?" The Doberman chuckled derisively, such that Derrick's ears flicked back momentarily. The taller, muscular male wrapped a warm arm around his shoulders and walked him towards the break room as he began to explain everything to Derrick.

Over the next hour, Spencer laid out his proposal.

The Doberman explained that he really did like Will! He was a good guy that Spencer could count on when the company needed to band together and get things done! He was charismatic and he deserved that promotion; however, life-- as Derrick also knew --wasn't about getting what you deserved. William lived a privileged life that allowed him to succeed where others just like him failed. One of the lucky ones, blind to his own fortune as he spouted off about how everything would come together eventually as long as Derrick kept his chin up and his shoulders straight. The shepherd couldn't help but agree with Spencer. It was the painful truth after all. While Will's worst-case scenario was a six-figure salary that ensured him a comfortable retirement, Derrick was going to be lucky if a company hired him at all without spending even more time and money, which he did not have, in furthering his education first. His worst-case scenario was flipping burgers in six months with William's "glowing reference" that was supposed to set him for life!

"How many times did you stand there and smile at the guy while he joked to your face about how he didn't even go to college to start in a place like this?" Spencer asked. Derrick cringed visibly. It was true. Every word. The shepherd watched Spencer pop a bagel in the toaster and grab some cream cheese out of the fridge along with a plastic disposable butter knife. His stomach growled as he smelled the herbs in the bready snack toasting. "Don't let Willy pull you into his fantasy, boy. Make no mistake, reality won't hesitate to kick your ass any more than it's going to hesitate in kicking his." The Doberman chuckled, smearing a heaping helping of the thick white spread across the hard, crunchy ring of bread before offering one half to Derrick, "Go on. You've given up enough meals for this company. It's time you took what was yours, boy. When I make senior partner, I'm going to need people I can depend on in the department. People that can get shit done. I'm going to want you. In return, Willy gets to keep his job and you get what you've been wanting since you first met him in that job interview-- and we all saw you pitch a tent in those slacks when he shook your paw, boy." The Doberman chuckled deeply, lips pulling back to reveal those sharp, white teeth as his hungry gaze traveled over Derrick's body in a way that made the shepherd shiver.

Derrick wanted to deny the truth in Spencer's words, he wanted to challenge them or even argue their point, but even as he ate the Doberman's offering, he couldn't refuse them. It made sense to him. Soon enough the Doberman was making use of their alone time at the office, while the sun-- not that anyone could see it behind the dark grey clouds-- was just starting to rise, to tell the shepherd his plan.

How William needed a dose of reality, how it wasn't just 'hard work paying off' for him, that luck was a factor with people in the right places noticing him. How his relationship with his wife was suffering under the strain of his workaholic attitude and the needs of his growing family. How Spencer had spoken with her about this during the last company Christmas dinner function. His sharp, white teeth gleam in the dim light of the office as he speaks with determination. His eyes hold a calculating glint as he looks directly at Derrick, a small smirk playing on his lips. How the Doberman had spent almost an entire year being someone she could talk to and rely on for those needs when William was too busy traveling for yet another conference. Spencer planned on using her to pressure and force William out of the running for partner.

Derrick's ears flicked back in surprise. He wasn't expecting Spencer to reveal he had been talking with William's wife. A part of him wanted to defend William, but another part couldn't deny the truth in Spencer's words.

"I don't know..." Derrick started hesitantly. "This seems extreme. I know William isn't perfect, but he's always been good to me."

Spencer scoffed. "Good to you? He's been stringing you along with empty promises. The only person Willy cares about is himself." The Doberman moved closer, his voice lowering. "You deserve better Derrick. With me as your mentor, you'll go far in this company. All I need is a little help convincing the partners that Willy isn't upper crust management material."

The young college student listened intently, even as he felt his conscience grating on him. The Doberman wanted more than one angle, if possible, of course. What better than footage of the golden lab fucking with his male interns? No wonder he had never gotten in trouble for touching the female college students they'd send him. No wonder his marriage was struggling. While being gay wasn't reason enough for Will to drop out of the running for partner in these modern times, the unprofessional nature of his actions as well as the devastation of losing his wife if it were to get out would certainly make his life a lot more 'realistic' and finally pull his head out of those clouds. Derrick's ears folded back in distress as he considered Spencer's proposition. While a part of him hungered for the success the Doberman promised, his conscience rebelled at the thought of betraying Will's trust, even if the golden retriever wasn't perfect.

"I just don't know if I can do that to him," Derrick said quietly, staring down at his paws. "He's given me a chance here when no one else would. I owe him for that."

Spencer snorted derisively. "Oh please, he didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart. He just wanted someone he could take advantage of, someone too naïve to see through his polished exterior." The Doberman crowded closer, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "But I see your potential Derrick. With me, you'll get the respect and rewards you deserve. All I ask is that you return the favor."

Derrick trembled, desire and doubt warring within him. Spencer's muscular body radiated heat, his scent washing over the younger canine. The shepherd's lungs filled with the heady musk of the Doberman's arousal, awakening his own need. "I..." But Spencer had already turned around.

With that, the Doberman left the shepherd to think about it further, to think about if he was really ready to jump on board. If he was willing to hurt the one he loved to show him the reality of the situation that everybody else had to survive through every day, or if he'd prefer to let Will go on living a fantasy only to inevitably fall even harder later when someone less invested in him wanted to destroy him.

The shepherd spent the rest of the day attempting to catch up with work as it piled on from co-workers that needed his help with this or co-workers that couldn't be bothered with that. His mind reeled with the Doberman's words. He knew that Spencer was trying to manipulate him, play to his desperation. That job offer was a verbal agreement made in secret, even if he demanded a contract there was no way Spencer could legally provide a job for him that he couldn't give yet. Why should he trust Spencer of all people? The Doberman was a cutthroat businessman who had manipulated Will's wife into cheating on the golden lab for fuck's sake!

But... What if the things Spencer said about William's marriage was true? Derrick had to admit, he didn't pry very far into the golden lab's personal life. He was far too focused on the way the canine's golden fur shined with such luster with the morning sun shining on it while he spoke about his family with such affection.

Then again, he couldn't remember a time when the golden lab talked about the "bad times," and while he could definitely understand the golden lab wanting to keep his personal and formal lives separate, that did lend credence to Spencer's claim. Why lie about it after all? It was the main part of his plan. Derrick was just the final nail he wanted to secure in the coffin. When he got the call that William wouldn't be in that day because he was concerned the commute to work would be unsafe with the icy roads, that he would finish his work from home and resolve any issues over the phone if absolutely necessary, Derrick couldn't help but think about the Doberman's words again. Louder in his head, undeniably right.

Here he was, driving to work in his beat-up second-hand car more than a decade old on those icy roads without winter tires while William stayed in his large, warm home with his family that he loved "working" away on a laptop he barely understood how to get to function properly.

Derrick found his hands balling up into fists. He simply could not bring himself to focus and get back to work. Gritting his teeth, he took out his cellphone and made his way to the office stairway and called Spencer.

Derrick could feel his heart pumping a mile a minute in his chest, only realizing after he had arrived at the stairway that there weren't enough people around the office to warrant looking for a private place like this. The well-built canine's arm trembling ever so slightly as he listened to his phone ring, silently praying Spencer would not pick up. That something would intervene against this terrible idea he was doing.

Click!

"Hello?" He heard the familiar voice ask him, he paused. He could hear the Doberman repeat the greeting before he finally found his voice.

"... I'm in," he uttered, ears pinned back with his whole body shaking. He felt dizzy as Spencer's voice warmly praised him, began giving instructions.

It all became a blur to the shepherd who gripped the railing of the stairs tightly. The Doberman explained his carefully detailed plan while Derrick stared out over the edge of the railing down at the floor several sets of staircases down. The old canine told him how he had been preparing this for quite some time, how all the pieces seemed to be fitting into place so conveniently as if the universe was rooting for him. Derrick needed Spencer to repeat himself a couple of times, and the Doberman even asked the shepherd if he could handle this before Derrick shook his head, steeled himself, balled up his hands and re-affirmed that he was good to go. Another thirty minutes passed before Derrick confidently strode from the stairway, shoulders rolled back and tail wagging with his stride. Sitting down back in his cubicle, he looked at the screen. He had fallen so far behind in his work. With the familiar smile he usually wore he got back to work.