The Start of Something New
As John heard the clock strike six, he hurried through the cleaning of his tawny fur. The outfit that he had selected sat perfectly laid out on his queen bed, pressed and sparkling. He glanced over at it briefly before resuming the combing of his fur, his initial pass almost complete. He continued to stare at his figure in the mirror, a stunning, nude image of an ideal german shepherd. He exhaled, slumping over, his tummy protruding slightly, and he frowned at himself. He quickly comforted himself with the thought that the clothing would cover up his self-identified imperfections, hardly things that people would even bother to notice on a first date. However, John could not be comforted at this hour.
As he finished up his grooming routine, John checked the clock again. 6:10. He could hardly contain himself as he rushed over to the bed, delicately but hurriedly putting on his outfit. Underwear, check. Carefully pressed light-blue shirt, check. Khaki chinos, check. Socks, check. Shoes, check. Sweater vest, check. As he slipped the garment over his head and onto his frame, he flicked his ears nervously. 6:20. He was almost ready. He grabbed his keys and ran out the door, making sure that it was locked on the way out, and hopped into his SUV, driving away.
As he pulled up in the parking lot, he looked around him for his date. He didn't see the cheetah, but then again, he didn't really know what he looked like. Was he tall, short, skinny, built, chubby? He didn't really know. Such was the nature of online dating where one only need receive a face picture in order to decide whether to make a connection or not. He locked his car and checked his watch. 6:50. He felt his heart pounding as he walked up to the restaurant, a gaudy Italian joint which promised better conversation and décor than food.
His tail wagged nervously as he reached the door, unsure if his date was inside or simply hadn't yet arrived. "John, you're a shepherd. Act stately, composed. Breathe," he told himself as he stood there. He grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, taking a big breath before stepping inside. His eyes quickly adjusted to the lower lighting level. A quick glance around revealed that the cheetah was, in fact, not waiting inside. He removed his head and closed the door. As he turned around, his eye caught the reflection of a bit of yellow against a car window. He looked over and noticed that a cheetah was busy parking a small coupe. He instantly clammed up. Should he go into the restaurant and wait there or stand outside and wait for the cheetah to walk up?
As he stood there contemplating his choices, he became so lost in his thoughts that he almost missed the cheetah who at this point was almost at John's side. He snapped out of it just in time to see a golden, feline paw extended in his direction. "Hi. Mark. Pleasure to meet you."
John gripped the cheetah's paw and instantly found himself pulled into a hug. He chuckled nervously a bit before responding with, "Hi. I'm John."
The cheetah released the hug and looked up at the shepherd, "Well, John, shall we go in?"
John could hardly contain his tail at this point, a nervous but excited twitch that perfectly reflected his emotions. A quick glance at Mark revealed that he was a few inches shorter than John and had about the same, average build. This realization relieved the shepherd greatly and he found his paw gripping the door handle and pulling it open for the cheetah as though he were an automaton controlled by his own emotional substance. He gestured for Mark to go inside and followed after.
John walked up to the podium and said, "Horner for two."
The attendant, a short female corgi, nodded and said, "Yes, Mr. Horner. Right this way, please."
John didn't know what to do at this point. Was he supposed to take his date's paw and lead him to the table or would the cheetah just follow on his own? He decided against such formalities and, not feeling a paw grabbing for his own, figured that the cheetah was just fine on his own. As he arrived at the booth, he effortlessly slid in and noticed that the cheetah did the same, matching him as he did so.
"So, did you have a nice drive over?" Mark questioned. He twitched his ear subtly, adjusting it so that he could hear the response.
"It was nice, thanks. How was yours?" John responded. He like Mark's smile and noticed that it brought about a sense of calm. He came to the realization that the cheetah was probably just as nervous as he was and decided to just run with it, trying to calm himself and remind himself that his date just wanted to know the real him and not some sort of falsified dating personality that so many seem to put out.
Mark was about to say something when the waiter came to the table with the menus. Both men smiled as they took their menus and began to browse the selections. After they had made their choices, they set down their menus and resumed their conversations.
"So, you're a film editor?" inquired the german shepherd.
"Well, yeah, I guess. I'm fresh out of school with my film degree. Emerson College and all. We're supposed to have good job placement for film and I guess that I've been lucky so far, but it's always tough trying to make it in the big city," the cheetah responded.
"Well, I guess that's the fun. Emerson's supposed to be really good for film, right? I've heard a lot about it!"
"Yeah, it's alright. I had some good times. Met some good friends. Made and broke a relationship." The cheetah's voice trailed off and he looked down and blushed, saying, "I guess we're not supposed to talk about that on the first date."
John, normally nervous, felt himself taking the leadership role here. He chuckled, trying to hide his bashful feelings, "I guess there aren't really any rules to this. I wouldn't worry about it."
"That's good, at least. I'm trying to get out and see more people since I moved out here."
After an awkward silence, Mark asked, "So, what brings you out here?"
"Well, I started out in agriculture over at Cal Poly, but I decided that it really wasn't for me, so I transferred to UC San Diego and got my degree in electronic music. I guess it's a big switch. I've been working in IT, though, so I guess I can't really say that I'm using what I learned, but I'm trying to find a different job. I guess we'll see where I go."
"What do you want to do in life?" asked the cheetah.
"Well, I could see myself as a teacher of some sort. High school, maybe. Maybe a band director. I played trumpet for three years before becoming drum major in my senior year."
Mark's smile widened, "Wow! I always wanted to be in marching band. We didn't have it, though. I wanted to play clarinet so much as a kid."
John shrugged and replied, "It's never too late to start, you know."
Mark replied, "I've found a clarinet teacher in town and I'm going to start lessons, soon. I just hope I can pay for them."
Their waiter returned with water and took their orders. All the while, John couldn't help but notice Mark's warm smile and noticed that it helped his inhibitions fade away. John felt a sense of calm wash over him.
Mark started again, "Do you play anything, John?"
John chuckled, "Well, the standards. Guitar, some piano. Trumpet, as I said before. I've dabbled with some creations of my own. Mostly different types of voltage controllers, but hey, it was all in good fun."
Mark chuckled nervously and said, "Sorry, you lost me there."
John said, "I'm sorry. Basically, just some electronic music stuff I did. Nothing major."
"It sounds like you had a great time in college."
"Yeah, I did, but I was busy all the time. Never really had a chance to get out much. San Luis Obispo and La Jolla were both really nice, but I didn't get to explore them much."
"Well, I'm completely new to the west coast, so it's all an experience for me," replied Mark.
At this point, the waiter had returned with their food. Mark looked down at his eggplant parmesan and smiled, saying, "I haven't had anything that looks this good in quite a while."
John smiled at the cheetah and dug his fork into his fettuccine alfredo, taking a bite and slowly savoring the flavors. Mark tenderly cut a piece of the eggplant and ate it.
"I didn't think that this place would be this good, honestly," mused the german shepherd. "I usually expect Italian places like this to be really heavy, but this surprised me."
The cheetah shrugged and said, "They honestly didn't have many of these in Virginia, or at least my parents never took me to them. I guess this sort of thing is popular in Los Angeles?"
John shrugged, "There are a few places around, but not too many. I honestly prefer to go to more exotic places myself, but that's just me."
"You'll have to take me to some of those places, then. I haven't really had many different types of food."
John smiled, realizing that the cheetah was implying that he'd like to go on more dates. This made him happy, as he had a really good feeling about Mark. He felt as though, for all the bad dates he'd been on recently, this one seemed to be one for the better.
After they finished up their meals, the waiter came by and took their plates for them, replacing it with a check. John instinctively put his paw on the tray and pulled it away, placing his credit card on it and handing it back to the waiter.
"Hey, wait!" Mark protested, but it was too late.
"Mark, you're new around here. Let me get it this time. I've had a really nice dinner with you and I guess this is just my way of saying thanks."
Mark blushed deeply and said, "Thank you so much, John."
John couldn't help but wonder what would happen after this. Would Mark want to go back with him? Would Mark invite him over? Should he even invite Mark over? What would happen at that point? What was proper?
Luckily, he wouldn't have to, as Mark said, "Well, I should get going. I get into work around 7 AM and need to get some sleep tonight."
John was relieved but at the same time he was overcome with a feeling of disappointment. He was enjoying himself so much that he didn't want to let the night end, but he supposed it was for the best. He had work the next day as well and didn't want to seem tired. He stood up and smiled. Mark stood up as well.
"Hey, thank you so much for taking me out, John. I really enjoyed myself."
"I really did, too. I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to do this again?"
The cheetah's smile widened and he said, "Yes, of course! That would be really nice."
He shifted nervously and continued, "You seem like a great guy, John, and I'd really like to see you again."
John smiled and walked over to the cheetah, giving him a hug. He didn't want to let go, but he didn't want to cause a scene in the restaurant. The electricity he felt was definitely something that he hadn't experienced often before, but it was definitely a nice feeling. He started walking out and could feel the cheetah's presence close behind him. He pushed the door open and motioned for Mark to go first. Then, he followed.
Outside, Mark turned around to face him and they hugged again, this time for longer. John noticed that Mark was just a hair shorter than he was and that if he wore a bit taller shoes, he could almost rest his muzzle on top of the cheetah. This thought comforted the german shepherd and he looked forward to possibly doing that someday.
Mark surprised John with a kiss on the neck and this made John smile. "I really should get going now, though," said the cheetah. "Gimme a call when you want to see me again and I'll be right there."
John nodded and smiled, "I'll call you up soon, don't worry! Have a nice night and thank you for coming out."
Mark waved and said, "Goodnight, shep," and hurried to his car.
John stood there and watched Mark drive off, just thinking to himself. After a minute, he pulled out his phone and looked at the messages. He spied a text from his friend Karl and opened it up.
"Whatchu up to?"
He quickly texted, "Namuch. Heading home. You?"
He put the phone back into his pocket and walked to his car, starting it up. As he was ready to pull out, he felt his pocket vibrating and pulled out the phone. He had a reply from Karl, "Wanna hang tonight?"
He replied, "Sure, but just for a bit. Gotta work tomorrow. My place?"
He started pulling out and driving home. As he did, he noticed the phone buzz again, but didn't check it. As he pulled into the driveway of his apartment complex and parked, he checked his phone again.
"Cool, heading over."
He grabbed his phone and walked up to his door, unlocking it. As he got into his apartment, it seemed to him like he barely had time to straighten a few things up before he heard a knock on the door and knew that Karl had arrived. He swung the door open and saw the familiar frame of the tiger standing there.
Karl was fairly tall and built, obviously a gym rat, but also had a pension for eating and had earned himself a bit of a gut. He had moved into the Los Angeles area from San Diego a year before John had, so he was one of the first people that John had contacted after he decided to move. Their connection was carnal but was kept simply as a "friends only" arrangement.
Karl smiled and opened his arms, "Hey there! Looking sharp tonight!"
John smiled and gave the tiger a hug, "How's it going, buddy? Good day?"
Karl chuckled and said, "Yeah, met this hottie at the gym. Nice guy. Probably straight, though."
John laughed, "Ain't it the truth, though! Come in! Can I get you anything?"
Karl replied, "Naw, I'm good! Busy night? It took you thirty minutes to respond!"
"Hey, it's texting! It's not like I'm glued to my phone 24/7. But since you ask, yes, I went on a date."
Karl's eyes widened, "Wow, doggy got himself a date! Did you take him home? Got any juice left?"
John continued to laugh, "For the record, no. Not everyone works like you do, Karl. Some of us appreciate the value in taking things slowly." He stuck out his tongue at the tiger.
Karl shrugged and said, "Hey, I enjoy having a good time. Speaking of which, you up for some fun tonight?"
John just smiled and said, "Yeah, I figured that's why you texted me so late. I'm game!"
As soon as he said that, though, he felt a pang of... what? Feelings, perhaps, for Mark, and a small part of him regretted saying yes to the tiger. However, he reasoned, maybe it was too soon to start having serious feelings for someone with whom he had only been out on one date, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel what he felt. He quickly tried to push thoughts of the cheetah out of his mind.
Karl pulled off his shoes, socks, and gym shorts, leaving him wearing only his white tank and grey jockstrap. "So, where'll it be tonight?"
John said, "You good with the bed?"
Karl laughed, "Hey, you know me! Anywhere is good!"
John nodded and walked into the bedroom, making sure the tiger was following him. He started unbuttoning and removing his shirt and was getting to his pants when he felt big paws hugging him from behind and a familiar, "You're such a sexy dog, you know that?"
John just chuckled and replied, "You flatterer."
He felt the paws gently tug at his pants and pull them off of his frame. His tail started wagging in anticipation of the fun ahead and the rest of his clothes were quickly dispensed of, leaving him in just his briefs. He felt the tiger gently tug his underwear off, freeing his hard, dripping dog cock. He barked and smiled, feeling Karl's paws sliding down his sides and felt the tiger's wet nose move his tail out of the way. The german shepherd shuddered and the tiger started to lick under his tail, his tongue brushing up against the dog's puckered tailhole. He whined loudly, leaning over the bed and bracing himself with his paws, feeling the tiger's tongue slide repeatedly over his tailhole, pressing into his tight orifice. He shivered and gripped the sheets with his paws, spreading his legs as the tiger teased his tailhole.
After a while, Karl pulled his muzzle out of the dog's rump crack and said, "Got supplies?"
John nodded and walked over to his nightstand, pulling out a box of condoms and lube. He squirted some lube onto his paw before handing both the condoms and the bottle off to the tiger. He smeared the lube all over his tailhole, already slick from the tiger's saliva. He bent over the bed and looked over his shoulder.
Karl pulled his cock out of the jockstrap, sliding the material to the side to allow him adequate access to his member. He took the box of condoms and pulled one out, ripping open the package and sliding it onto his thick tiger cock. He squirted some lube onto his wrapped cock and rubbed it all over, lubing him up. He walked up behind John and slid his cock into the dog's crack, rubbing his curved member up and down. "You ready, sexy dog?"
John grunted and replied, "Yep." Honestly, the dog wasn't really into the sex right now. He couldn't stop thinking about the cheetah, but he figured that maybe after Karl had stuck his tiger cock up his ass, he wouldn't be so distracted from the quick romp.
Karl positioned his hard on John's tailhole, eliciting a moan out of the german shepherd. He put his paws on John's back and started to press into him. John started to whine loudly, his body shuddering with the pleasure of his tailhole being invaded by the tiger's thick, throbbing cock. As soon as Karl hilted his cock, he started to pull out, beginning his rhythm. His well-lubed cock slid easily in and out of the german shepherd. The dog barked each time the tiger hilted, his cock dripping pre onto the bedsheets. The tiger's muscles rippled under his wife beater, the thin cotton straining against the tiger's body.
After a few thrusts, Karl could tell that something was up. "You doing okay there, buddy? You're not getting into this as much as you normally do."
John shrugged and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Can I get on my back?"
Karl nodded and pulled out of the german shepherd. John flopped onto his back on the bed, letting his tail droop over the side of the bed. The tiger positioned his cock against the dog's tailhole and pushed in. John whined loudly, his tailhole squeezing tightly over the tiger's thick cock. Karl moaned at the added pressure against his cock, shuddering as he slid in and out of the dog. Karl leaned over and placed his paws on John's chest as he started to pump faster and faster. He could tell that John just wasn't into it, though.
"Hey, you okay, doggy?"
"Eh... I guess I'm just not into it tonight."
"You're thinking about your date?" The tiger pulled his cock out of the dog and sat down on the bed, putting his paw on John's stomach and rubbing it gently.
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Well, you mind if I get myself off quickly?"
John replied, "Go for it!"
The tiger leaned back on the bed and pulled the condom off of his cock, tossing it to the side. He started to stroke his hard cock. John reached over and rubbed the tiger's nipples through his wife beater, causing the tiger to gasp in pleasure. It wasn't long before the tiger started to shudder, feeling his orgasm building inside of him. He gripped the sheets with his free paw, roaring loudly as he shot his load onto the wife beater. John smiled as he watched the tiger get off, his own hard cock dripping pre.
As Karl's orgasm ebbed, he relaxed into the softness of the bedsheets, the remainder of his load dribbling down his cock. He looked over at the german shepherd and smiled, sighing as he relaxed. "So, tell me about your guy!"
John chuckled and replied, "Hey, hey! He's not my guy yet. He's a really nice guy. Just out of college like you and me. He's a cheetah."
Karl smiled, "Aha! Us big cats are the best! I knew you'd make a good choice."
Karl sat up and pulled the wife beater over his head and off of his body, taking up most of the mess he had made with his cum.
John replied, "Sure thing, buddy, sure thing."
Karl laughed, "Just saying, haha. Well, you'll have to let me know how it goes!"
John smiled at his friend, "Do you need a shower?"
"Naw, I'll just take one when I get home. No use in running up your water bill."
"Hey, it's okay. I'm sorry that I couldn't follow through."
Karl smiled and patted the german shepherd on the back, saying, "Hey, don't worry about it. I know what it's like to find someone you're really into, so no worries at all. Just keep me posted and let me meet the guy!"
John smiled and said, "I'll give you at least one more night of debauchery before I commit."
"Haha, no worries about that."
"Hey, Karl, thanks for being a great friend."
"No prob, John. Thanks for playing with this tiger. I should get going tonight, though. You should probably call your guy and set up your next date."
"I told you, you silly tiger, he's not my guy yet. But yeah, I'll give him a call before it gets too late."
Both men stood up and gave each other a tight hug. John led Karl to the door and opened it. "Hey, you know you're welcome to come over whenever, tiger. Just give me a call!"
"Take care, John, and thanks for tonight."
With that, Karl walked out the door. John watched him get into his car and drive off before going back inside and locking the door. He grabbed his phone and looked for Mark in his phonebook. He sent him a text, "Hey, are you up?"
It took barely a second to receive Mark's reply, "Yeah, I can't go to sleep."
John couldn't hit the dial button quickly enough. The phone barely got through one ring before Mark picked up on the other side, "Hi there."
"Hi, Mark. Having a good night?"
"I guess. I can't sleep. I really should, but my mind keeps wandering, I guess."
John smiled and replied, "I know what you mean. My mind's pretty busy, too."
"Honestly, I've just been thinking about our date earlier. I really enjoyed it a lot."
"Hey, Mark, I know. I've been feeling the same thing. I did some thinking and I was wondering if you'd like to go out again tomorrow."
Mark's voice lit up, "I'd love that!"
"Can I call you when I get off of work and we can set something up?"
"Sure thing, that sounds like a good idea. I'll be home by the time you call, so it should work out well. I'm really looking forward to this, John."
"Me too, Mark. I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Goodnight, sweet dog."
John smiled and his body felt warm. "Goodnight, kitty."
John didn't want to hang up the phone, so he stayed on the line. A little chuckle confirmed that the cheetah had done the same. "I'm sorry, John. I'm going to really go now. Have a nice night!"
"Goodnight, Mark."
With that, he forced himself to hang up. He felt giddy with excitement and knew that he probably wouldn't sleep much, but that didn't matter to him. The only thing that mattered now was seeing the cheetah. He didn't know where this would take him. He didn't even know if it would turn into anything, but the signs were all there. He knew that, no matter what was in store for him, he would be able to look forward to the start of something new.