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Collin went to work the next day feeling slightly more drained than usual. He found it hard to sleep when he had severe anxiety or depression. Something in his brain just wouldn't let him shut off for the night and he tossed and turned while thinking about what his manager had told him. Had people really complained behind his back? Or was his boss just prejudiced? He had never thought of Jeremy as some kind of homophobe but then again he didn't really know his own manager on a personal level.

Collin rode his bike to work in a funk. The weather seemed to match how he was feeling as the fog rolled in from the sea and left everything rather gloomy and gray. The sun would eventually come out to burn off the clouds by lunch but Collin would still be in a rather despondent mood. He tried his best not to let it impact his job but a few customers did seem to notice.

Not even a familiar face managed to bring anything more than a tired smile out of the pig.

Brock came jogging up the boardwalk at his usual time with a grin on his face. Collin knew he could expect the rhino to show up on the weekends, usually around lunch time and always to order a veggie dog with extra relish. That Saturday was no exception. That day he was wearing a pair of blue shorts and a pair of running sneakers, shades and a hat to cover his eyes and some wireless earbuds. Collin would normally be appreciating the sight of Brock's broad, muscular chest; glassy smooth and shimmering with sweat. But that day he just seemed as gray as the rest of the world.

Collin offered a little smile back but almost right away Brock seemed to sense something was wrong.

"Hey there, Collin. You doing alright?" The rhino asked, leaning against the counter.

"Yeah, can't complain." Collin turned and started to prepare a dog. "You want your usual, sir?"

"Sure do," Brock smiled. "I just had to ask since you're looking a little down today."

Collin cast a smile down at the hot dog as he topped it with Brock's ideal amount of relish. In spite of how he was feeling, Brock's concern warmed his heart back up. Like a sunbeam cutting through a gray battalion of clouds. "Yeah, I'm just tired today. Thank you, sir."

Brock gave a coy grin. "You can call me Brock, you know."

Collin blushed slightly over his freckled snout as he handed the veggie dog in its paper wrapper to the rhino.

Brock took the hot dog and glanced down at the pig's apron. His grin faded. "What happened to your pin?"

Collin glanced down and pretended to be slightly surprised that it wasn't there. "Oh uh...well, you know..." He gave an apologetic smile as a lie seemed to evade him in the moment. "My boss told me that I couldn't wear it on the job." He gave a shrug.

Brock looked stunned. He stood silently for a moment, holding his veggie dog in one hand and his money in the other. "Oh...I'm sorry, Collin...Any particular reason why?"

"Well...he told me that they didn't want to offend anybody. Apparently we got some complaints yesterday about it..."

Brock interrupted with a little scoff, looking offended and disgusted by that.

Collin continued. "Yeah...my boss told me that it was too political or something and to just leave it off while I worked."

"What a crock of shit," Brock snorted. "If you'll excuse my language. There's at least a dozen places up and down this boardwalk that have pride flags hanging up and I doubt any of them have had any problems at all. Your manager just sounds like an absolute dickhead." The rhino huffed. "Sorry...Got a little worked up."

"It's okay," Collin replied, giving him a little smile. He had never seen the man get worked up like that but it felt affirming that Brock was on his side. "That'll be two bucks even."

Brock slipped him a twenty and said, "You can slip the rest of that in your tip jar, Pink."

Collin's jaw dropped as as he stared down at the crisp twenty dollar bill on the counter. He took a second to regain his composure and gave a little laugh. "You're gonna go broke with all that generosity, mister!"

Brock grinned and said, "I'm sure I'll manage. Anything to keep a smile on that handsome face of yours." He lowered his shades and gave Collin a grin, giving him a wink.

The pig felt his blush growing warmer, going from his cheeks up to his ears. "Wow!...Thank you again, sir...I-I really appreciate it."

"Of course." Brock replied. He gazed warmly at Collin from across the counter. "Listen, if you're not busy tonight after work, would you maybe like to get a bite to eat?"

Collin's eyes widened. Flustered, he replied "Y-yeah! Sure!"

The rhino gave him another warm, cool smile. "Great! What time do you get done?"

"My shift finishes at five. I'll have to go home and get showered if that's alright."

"Fine by me. What do you say we meet around six at Bernard's Place?"

Collin tilted his head. "I'm not sure I know where that is...Is it far? I don't have a car."

"It's just down near the end of the boardwalk there." Brock said, gesturing his head down the pier.

Collin grinned. "A-Alright! I guess I'll see you at six then!"

"Looking forward to it," Brock replied with another wink.

"Ahem..."

They looked over and saw a line of rather impatient customers forming behind Brock. Brock gave a little snicker and said, "Guess I better scoot along, huh? Don't wanna hold the line up any more than I already have! I'll see you tonight! And Collin?"

"Yes, sir?"

The rhino reached out and rubbed the back of Collin's hand. "Keep your chin up."

And with that, Brock was off and Collin went back to attending the other customers, feeling significantly better than he had that morning. Of course, when his boss showed up around three, Collin couldn't bring himself to look at the bear nor speak to him more than a sentence at a time. Not that it mattered that much to him. All Collin had on his mind was his date with Brock.

Well, it wasn't technically a date. Brock had just asked him if he'd like to get a bite to eat. As far as Collin knew, it was going to be a platonic bite and nothing more. Having never been on a date in his thirty years of being alive he wasn't exactly sure what counted as a 'date'. Brock seemed like a very nice, very generous person but that didn't mean that it would be anything more than a small meal between a snack peddler and a loyal customer. He wasn't even completely sure that Brock was gay. While he felt pretty confident that he was, it didn't mean that Brock was interested in him anyway.

Five o'clock came and Collin punched out before his boss had a chance to ask him if he would mind staying longer. Benny hadn't shown up yet but that wasn't his problem. All he cared about was not being late to their 'bite to eat'.

Collin rode home quickly and got showered and changed. He ran a comb through his dirty blond hair and even took a pair of scissors to trim a few stray hairs from his beard. He normally didn't take too much care in his appearance since his only real priorities were going to and from work. And honestly, he didn't care at all about looking good for work.

He went through his wardrobe for something that was nice but casual. He had a few nice shirts though most of what he had were tee shirts and polo shirts that he wore to work. He decided not to wear a polo since even the clean ones seemed to have an essence of grease from his job embedded in the fabric. Instead he found a nice button up short sleeve with palm trees and pineapples printed on it and a clean pair of khaki shorts. He thought that it was casual and a little fun, something that reflected his laid back personality a bit.

He pedaled his way back down to the boardwalk and used his phone to figure out where Bernard's Place was. He'd never heard of it before but Brock said it was towards the end of the pier. As many times as he'd been up and down there, he'd never given much attention to the stores or restaurants he passed.

When he arrived, he stopped his bike and gawked at the front of the restaurant. It was a fancy looking place, far fancier than what he'd dressed for. He looked up at the large metal cut sign that read Bernard's Place, with gas-lit flames illuminating it against the sunset, and knew that it had to be the place.

He heard Brock call out to him and he felt his stomach twist when he saw how nicely dressed the rhino was. A clean white shirt under a casual gray blazer and sleek, ironed black slacks, and dark brown Oxfords.

He parked his bike, putting a lock on it before meeting Brock under the awning. "Wow!...I'm so sorry..."

"Aww you're all good, Pink! You're actually five minutes early! I just got here as well..."

"No, I mean, I'm severely underdressed for a place like this..." Collin said sheepishly, looking down at his pineapple shirt.

"Don't worry about it. I think you look very handsome," Brock said, putting a hand on Collin's back. "I reserved us a table on the patio."

Collin swallowed. His cheeks and ears prickled and burned with a hot blush. Oh gosh...is this a date after all? Collin thought to himself.

They went through the restaurant together and Collin felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb. There were plenty of people dining that evening and they all looked well dressed. The inside was designed almost like a tavern with a well stocked bar. The handwritten chalkboard boasted their selection of locally brewed beers and a selection of wines that Collin would have trouble just pronouncing in his head. The ambiance was modern and warm, yet chic.

Brock ushered him out to the back patio which was slightly less crowded and offered a spectacular view of the bay. Like a gentleman, Brock pulled out a seat for Collin before taking a seat for himself across from him. The tables were lit with little glass lanterns, the ones with a thick string steeped in a well of kerosene at the bottom, and each had a nice flowered plant or succulent in a little can for decoration.

"You like it?" Brock asked, giving him a grin.

"Yeah..." Collin replied, still in shock.

"Good!" The rhino chuckled.

"When you said...a quick bite to eat, I didn't know you had a place like this in mind. If I'd have known, I would have worn something less...pineappley."

"I think you look great," Brock reiterated. "Very fun. And it's very nice to see you outside of your work apron." The rhino gave him a sly little grin.

"Oh man..." Collin looked down at his lap. "This is all...I mean, honestly a little overwhelming. Is this a...date?"

Brock cocked a brow. "It can be if you want! I just thought it'd be nice to take you to my second favorite place to eat since you seemed to be feeling down today."

Collin looked up and smiled. A look of realization suddenly came over his face, "Wait wait wait! Hold on...Your second favorite place?" Collin started to giggle. "Oh gosh...please don't tell me that..."

Brock laughed, "That Jay's Shack is my first favorite? Yeah, you got me! Damn...and here I was thinking I'd be real smooth. I was about to tell you that the food wasn't all that great but there's a really lovely boar that works behind the counter. Always makes my veggie dogs just the way I like and always brightens my weekend."

Collin smiled sheepishly and looked down at the lantern on the table, watching the little flame bounce. He had no idea how to respond to such a compliment. He'd never gotten anything like that, especially from another man. It was terribly awkward but also so wonderful to him. The brief silence between them was filled with the low, polite chatter of restaurant patrons and the lulling roar of the tide below the pier.

"This is really weird..." Collin said softly, rubbing his hands together anxiously. "I'm sorry, sir. I've never been on a date before."

Brock gave him a puzzled look. "Well there's no pressure, honestly. I thought it'd be nice to take you out and get to know you better." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Is there someplace you'd feel more comfortable?"

"No no! This is fine! This is just...a lot for me to process right now."

"Hey..." Brock took Collin's hands in his and rubbed them across the table. "Just relax."

Collin looked at the handsome rhino and felt his chest flutter. He gave a shy smile and nodded in response.

A waitress came by their table and Brock ordered himself a glass of Sauvignon Blanc with a salad and a cheese board for the table. After struggling with the menu, Collin settled for a glass of water and insisted that he didn't drink.

"...And besides, I can't even pronounce half of this stuff anyway! I don't know a thing about wines or beers."

"Neither do I," Brock replied, poking his pointed tongue out playfully. "I just go for whatever sounds the most interesting. I don't know a thing about acidity, aroma, or body or what's going to pair well with my French Garden Salad. Sometimes I just like to be surprised. And when I find something I like, I'll know to get it again."

They continued to converse while they nibbled on a bread and cheese board, going off on little tangents and bouncing from subject to subject. Collin started to feel more and more at ease. The conversation flowed smoothly and while the rhino seemed to know a lot he never made him feel overwhelmed. When Collin spoke, the rhino would listen keenly and occasionally ask to know more. Before he knew it the board was empty and it was fully dark. The patio was lit with gas flame torches that gave off a warm ambiance.

Brock paid the bill and together they left the restaurant. But instead of Collin getting on his bicycle, Brock asked if he would mind going on a walk up and down the pier.

"It'll help settle our stomachs." He said, patting his stomach with a grin. "Help digest all that rich food."

Collin beamed, "That sounds great to me!" Honestly, he didn't want the night to end so soon and he was happy to spend a little more time with the rhino.

As they started their walk down the pier, Brock asked, "So this was your first date? Sorry if that's rude or anything."

Collin smiled. "It's fine! No, yeah...I've never been on a date before. I just turned thirty this year."

"Really?" Brock raised a brow. "Not a single date? I find that really hard to believe!"

Collin laughed and rubbed his arms as if they were cold. "Yeah...I've never really had what you call_confidence_...Dating always just seemed so scary to me. I dunno..."

The rhino smiled. "Well like I said, we don't have to call it a date tonight. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just having a great time with a good looking guy."

Collin blushed again. "I'm having fun too...I didn't really think that I'd be your type. Or anyone's type."

"I wish you didn't put yourself down like that," Brock said, huffing slightly.

"Sorry..."

Brock put a hand on his shoulder. "You're okay. I wish you'd give yourself more credit though. I've been coming here for a while and I always looked forward to seeing you when you work. You're handsome, friendly. And I'll bet you're a lot of fun as well."

Collin gave a little grin and leaned a little closer to the rhino. Brock happily put his arm around him.

Their walk down the pier turned into a walk along the beach. Brock stopped to take his Oxfords off and roll his pant legs up so he could walk barefoot along the sand. Collin slipped out of his shoes as well to enjoy the sand between his toes. They walked and talked for a little longer until they made their way back to the pier. Brock walked Collin back to his bike. They'd been out long enough that the last patrons were starting to leave the bar.

"Well I had a wonderful time," Brock said, beaming warmly.

"I did too," Collin replied, grinning. "Maybe we could meet up tomorrow? Sunday is my day off."

Brock gave a little apologetic smile and replied, "I was actually about to take the ferry back to Wildfox tomorrow."

"Oh..." Collin said, disappointed. Then he looked surprised. "Wait...do you like, live there or..."

Brock nodded with a smile. "Yup. I come to Monterrey every other weekend for business but my home is on the island."

"Woah!...I heard it's like...stupid expensive to actually live there! What do you do for a living?" Collin asked curiously.

The rhino gave a sly smirk. "Business," he replied vaguely. Seeing the look on Collin's face made the rhino laugh and add, "Nothing shady, I assure you! It's just...well...unique. What I do for a living."

Collin gave a nod and a little smile. "I trust you. So...I guess I'll see you next week then?"

Brock grinned. "Next Friday and Saturday. If you're up for it, I'd love to do this again."

Collin felt his chest flutter again, this time with joy. He traded numbers with the rhino before bidding him a good night. He rode home once again, this time feeling on top of the world. Halfway down the pier he remembered that he'd put his pin in his pocket. He took it out and pinned it to his shirt, wearing it the whole ride home.