Interview with a Husky (chapter one complete)
I looked up from the notepad in my lap to the wall clock. It was almost eleven a.m., my interview subject should be arriving at any moment. I decided to look out the window and see if he had arrived yet. I had never actually met or spoken to Xander, but I knew from Jen that Xander was a husky with grey and white fur, black accent marks and that he often wore his bright blue school blazer. Jen is my girlfriend, and much more attentive to detail. She describes Xander as a beautiful example of what Nature can do when she is left to her own devices.
Just then I saw that a fairly new Chrysler convertible pulled up to the building with the top down. I saw the husky inside close the convertible top and get out of the car. That must be Xander, I thought as I looked down from third story window. It was obvious that my girlfriend was correct, Xander was obviously a fine specimen of creation, even from two stories above. His fur was as she described, grey and white, and quite thick looking. It always made me wonder why members of his species felt the need to wear clothing since their bodies were essentially covered in fur. And he was wearing his blazer despite the fact that the autumn days were relatively warm, this time of year.
I stepped away from window and got two cold bottles of Disani from the break-room, as well as two new school cups from the back room and set them on the table. I paused for a moment, wondering if the school cups would be adequate. Should I have searched for a straw? Can a husky drink from a cup like this, or should it be a wider cup. Would a bowl be more appropriate? No, I thought, that's silly and the gesture might seem bordering on racist. Damn, maybe I should have payed better attention during the multi species relational etiquette seminar. Jen would know what to do, I felt in my pocket for my cell phone, but before I could dial I heard a knock at the door. It was too late.
I opened the door and was warmly greeted by the husky: "Good morning. My name is Alexander, and I'm here for the eleven A.M. interview, are you Joel?" and he extended his paw to shake my hand. His paw was softer than I expected, and the fur was smooth to the touch. I felt a little bit of a tingle as noticed the pads were also soft and felt quite good in my hand. I had never before shaken hands with a member of his species before and it was actually kind of exciting for that reason.
"Good morning Alexander. I am Joel and welcome the communications department," I said quite matter-of-factly and a bit stiffly.
He must have noticed the business like attitude I had be cause then he said "Joel, you know this is supposed to be an informal meet session to prepare for tomorrow, so please be yourself today. My friends call me Xander and I'd like you to if you're comfortable."
"Thanks, Xander, I will. I suppose I am still a bit in the 'work mode' since my department meeting this morning. But I'll lay off the formalities for today," I said.
Then in a surprisingly gentle and relaxing voice Xander said "Good, I've been looking forward to meeting you today and I am really looking forward to what we will be doing tomorrow." Xander was referring to tomorrow's "Campus Outreach Program" which is intended to help break down student barriers between the species. Although in truth, the students have been breaking down the barriers on their own. Tomorrow would really be more of a formal effort to help create a public message encouraging diversity.
I looked more directly at Xander and noticed that his eyes were bright and a clean shade of light blue. That was the first moment I felt an odd but strong sense of his humanity, if you could call it that. No, "humanity" is the wrong word but there is a word for it and he would probably address it later. However for a moment the gleam in his eyes and the expression on his face were strangely arousing in a way I still can't quite describe. I found myself intrigued by his presence and actually wanting to get a little closer to him as a person.
"Xander, if you would like to take a load off, I thought we could talk over here," I said pointing to the soft brown leather sofa seats that we were lucky to get in our department. They were leftovers after the Dean remodeled his office. The leather was exceptionally fine grain and buttery soft, almost to the point of being like a bed. Xander sat down on one sofa while I took the other. I judged from the look on his face that the sofas were pleasing to his touch as well.
Curiously this was the first time I was seeing a husky sit. In truth I found it interesting to see the way he swayed his fluffy tail and rear end a little to the left to make sure he could sit comfortably. It was rather cute. My first thought was "does that tail of yours get in the way often?" followed by "how do you drive a car with that thing?" But manners kept me from asking either.
Xander must have noticed the inquiry in my eyes because he broke the ice by telling me his car has a specially built seat designed to accommodate tails of various species, sizes and shapes as well as moving parts that allow him to get comfortable while driving. Right away Xander impressed me as being an intuitive person, and I knew this would be an interesting afternoon.
"Jen tells me that you are quite the 'up-and-comer' in communications as well as what a great interviewer you are. She says that you give your interviews a fair, balanced approach and that you can be counted on to represent the truth in you articles and webcasts." He was right, of course, at least I saw myself as having those qualities. Still, he was making me blush a little and I'm sure he noticed me squirm because he went on to say "so I am quite comfortable with you already. I am quite eager to talk to the student body about the diversity of our races and our common ability to learn from those differences."
Xander had stopped speaking but I was just looking at him. I was admiring him, his eyes and his form. Everything about him I saw was beautiful. He seemed to be the perfect blending of the physical traits of a human and all the cute and playful energetic things that I remembered about dogs. But this was not a dog, it was a man, a canis-sapien. And oddly enough I was feeling stimulated in a way I never had before. Well, perhaps before, but as an adolescent boy looking at a girl. What a strange feeling was coming over me - one I could not fully grasp. His expression was saying something like "Well, are we going to get on with it?" and then I blushed because the image of me stroking his fur had burst in upon me.
"So what's next?" Xander said. 'What's next indeed' I thought, I briefly shook my head in disbelief, and hoped he had no idea that my thoughts were veering far from professional and into perhaps dangerous territory.
"Um," I managed to sputter, "well, perhaps we should take a few minutes for you to give me some background, you know you could talk about your childhood, your home life, and then how you came to the university." 'Phew, good save' I thought. He started talking and I started jotting down keywords as he spoke, although truthfully, I was staring at him and taking him in, all over again. I was admiring him - looking at those beautiful blue eyes of his and wishing they were closer to me. I was wondering what it would be like to touch his muzzle, his nose, his ears. Then I thought of Jen, and what she had called me. She said she thought I was a pan-sexual because we enjoyed watching gay porn and having sex to it, but I hadn't expressed any interest in males. She said I just hadn't met the right guy. I found myself looking at Xander, wondering if she was right. I certainly felt attracted, but I doubted whether he was attracted to slightly unattractive male humans. I really doubted I would be his type.
Then i realized he had stopped talking and must have realized I was not focusing on him. "Joel, is this not what you wanted to hear?" he said in a bittersweet tone that stung a little at my heart because I had been thinking quite affectionately of him but really not listening.
"No, Xander, this is exactly what I wanted to hear, but... but I'm having... a hard time..." I said, which was true and ironic as I noticed my pants tight because of an erection, I prayed he did not notice. "I'm having a hard time because..." I could see the look on his face saying 'I'm waiting....' Finally I figured I better tell a little truthful lie to cover up. "I've never interviewed a canis-sapien before and I'm nervous that I might screw this up." Which I was. I was nervous I might screw up this chance to get to know him better - in every way possible. My God, Jen was right. I can be attracted to whatever I want, and right now, with every glance at Xander I am thinking I want him.
"Well, I noticed there's a bulge in your pants pocket," he said. 'Oh dear God no! He sees my erection. Can I run out of here?' I thought. 'Yes, I could run now, and...'
"That's your cell phone if I am not mistaken, does it have a voice recorder on it?" he said.
'Oh, you sweet sexy husky' no wonder I'm lusting after you, your thoughtful too, just like my Jen. "Yes, as a matter of fact it is," I said pulling out the phone and starting the recording mode. I set the pad and pen down and resumed listing to his story. I have to admit it was interesting, only not as interesting as his eyes and fur, and masculine body were. He told me of how he had dated a cheetah once, and the discrimination he faced. In the end they broke up not because of opposition but because they couldn't agree on children. Xander wanted to adopt, but his boyfriend - did he say boyfriend? "Excuse me," I said, "Did you say boyfriend?"
"Yes I did," Xander said.
They say that the first impression you make is the most important one. I wasn't concerned about the impression I made on Xander when he first introduced himself, but now, that he openly admitted having had a gay relationship, I had a chance to make a "new" sort of first impression. I choked - literally. In an effort to stifle the sudden quasi-excited half smile and God knows what other expression that was forming on my face I think I must have giggled and coughed at the same time. I began one of those pointless coughing fits that has no real reason and goes on excessively long only for my embarrassment. I finally stopped and could tell that I had turned beet red.
The new contorted and peculiar look on my face must have confused Xander because he looked at me for what felt like minutes trying to discern what was going on. And then sweetly and thoughtfully he opened a bottle of water and poured it in a cup for me. I was overly eager to accept the cup and bounded up just as he was handing it to me, deftly knocking the cup onto himself and spilling the contents all over his clothes. Great move dumbass!
"Xander! I'm so sorry!" I shouted, thought why I yelled I have no idea, he was less than a meter away from me. I looked around to see if there was anything I could dry him off with. My eyes and mind raced around the room, but no, there was nothing here: no towels, no fabrics of any kind, not even drapes on the windows to rip off and dry him up. (Hmm, I wish I could dry him off. Stop that!)
Xander was standing there, covered in water from head to toe, his shirt was soaked, and so were his pants, and water was dripping down to his shoes. He was looking around too trying to figure out what to use to wipe off with, and I saw his long pink tongue licking the wet fur around his muzzle, and then down to toward his chest. I watched those long languid strokes of his tongue, thinking how utterly sensual the movements were, wondering what it would feel like to have that soft pink wet mouth muscle licking against my bare skin on my neck. Oh I got shivers.
"It's a natural thing you know," Xander started "to use what you have. To use your natural abilities when they are called upon." He paused. "I don't mind you watching, but I really don't think I can completely dry myself this way." There I go again staring to the point of being awkward. I could hear Jen saying 'Sometimes Joel, you can be a bit daft!'
"Xander," I said, "Let me show you to the men's restroom. There are plenty of paper towels in there and we can get you off... dried off, all dried off!" I said this with my inner ten-year-old's cracked voice. "I'm so sorry. I promise you I really am a grown up and normally don't spill water on new friends."
"That's all right Joel, don't worry about it," he said as he turned. "It's a common reaction when I tell people I'm gay. You're not the first person to spill water on me, or cough milk out their nose out of surprise. That's why I don't tell new friends while they're chewing their food." I felt terrible as he went on "I remember seeing the bathroom on the way in. I'll go get dried off and be back shortly."
As Xander left the room I had a moment to take stock of the situation. First I had met a really sweet, thoughtful, intelligent not to mention sexy guy who in the matter of an... looking at the clock.. an hour, had managed turn me on in every single way possible! Second I had made an impression on him, but was it good or bad. I did just call him a friend and he returned the favor, but still, did my reaction make him think I was homophobic? Third I had spilled water all over him and felt like I was really screwing up this interview. Speaking of which, was the phone still recording? I looked around and saw that I must have knocked it over at the same time, it was lying in a puddle of water. Fourth I have shorted out my cell phone.
"Muffer-thucker," I said as I walked over to the window and looked down at his car. That was a child hood expression we could get out around teachers in grade school, it raised an eyebrow but wasn't quite bad enough to get in trouble over. I looked down at Xanders car which was lovely shade of silvery blue that reminded me of his eyes. I thought that if I had insulted him, he could just walk down to his car, get in and leave. But I didn't think I had really insulted him. Hopefully he knows that I just fumbled half a dozen times in his presence, which I was already looking forward to again. And then I saw Xander walking out to his car.
I realized I must have been wrong and maybe he really did feel offended. I know I felt offended, offended at the thought that I had upset this cute husky boy enough to leave on bad terms. I watched him standing at his car checking his pockets for the keys and apparently he remembered he left them in his blazer with me. I saw him look up at the window and saw me looking down on him. I could clearly see his expression brighten up with a big smile. He gestured toward me and then pointed at his trunk. I waved back and ran over to his coat. I searched the pockets and found first his wallet, an I phone, two condoms,oh my, and then finally the keys. I ran back to the window and opened it. "Do you want to me to throw them down?" I yelled out.
"No, Joel, just open the trunk for me please," he called back. I pressed the button and he opened the trunk. I saw him open a duffle bag and pull out a dry shirt. Then he pulled his shirt off to reveal more of his sexy body. Well I don't suppose that was his intent but that was the effect. I watched as he took out a kind of a comb and went through the wet fur and removed the excess water and flicked it to the ground. Then he took out a large brush and brushed and fluffed the fur on his chest and brushed down his arms as well as the fur on his head. This drying process took several minutes and I was leaning out the window watching him the whole time, wishing he had simply brought the brush up here and let me do it.
Finally he was done and took his fingers and ran them through the chest fur to make sure it was dry, but to me it was as seductive as when Jen running her fingers through her hair in the shower and teasing her breasts with her fingers. I could feel my erection returning as I thought about Xander standing in the shower recreating her performances for me. Xander put away his grooming supplies and the wet shirt and closed the trunk. He then made one final stretch of his arms, twisting toward the sun, and the light glistened on the naturally shine of his furry chest and I was enamored. Then to my 'disappointment' he put the dry shirt on and headed back toward the building.
"Ok, Joel, I am back!" Xander said as he entered the room. "I hope I didn't take too long drying myself out there, but I had a spare shirt - a rather nice one that I won't put on wet, as its mainly for going out." Xander was carrying a bundle of paper towels in his hand. This was really a thoughtful husky. If I had half I mind today I would have been drying up the rest of the spilt water off the furniture and floor, but I had been to busy musing about this sexy - dare I say - sexy mutt!
Xander handed half of the paper towels to me and he went to work drying up the sofa, and tracing the edges around to gather up all the beads of water that I had sent flying everywhere it seemed. It amazed me that a one liter bottle of water could spread so far. I was drying water off the floor and base of the furniture, and I stood up and continued drying water where I found it. I smiled at him as he continued to dry up little beads of water happy expression on his face. And then quite inadvertently I brushed my hand up against his paw. It seems we had both kneeled down and reached out to dry up the last little puddle of water under one of the coffee tables. We probably were closer than we should have been. I don't know how we didn't bump heads, instead we both looked up at the same time.
Our lips met. My soft warm human lips touch his warm soft muzzle. Neither of us moved, I couldn't, I didn't want to and I didn't want him to either. I felt the warm wispy tendrils of his sweet breath caress my mouth. I wondered if my breath was doing the same thing to him. I looked straight into his beautiful blue eyes and I felt something, something deep within my body, deep within my soul. I didn't know what to do next but I hoped he did, and I hoped it didn't involve breaking this impromptu kiss.
But it did. Xander quickly stood up, "I'm sorry." he said earnestly.
"So am I," I lied in response. A shy and quite moment passed between us both. I earnestly hoped that he might have felt something the way I did. Xander wasn't out of breath the way I felt I was, my heart was pounding, and I know my eyes must have dilated to the size of snow peas out of nervous response. But I couldn't interpret Xander's reaction. I was certain he was nervous, but was he wondering if I was offended? He probably thought I was offended by this gay giving me a kiss. But how could I be, truthfully this is exactly what I would have wanted if I could have planned it myself, but I didn't. I wanted to reassure him somehow that I wasn't offended. I really wanted to tell him to sit down on the couch and lets try this again! Instead all I managed to blurt out was "I'm fine."
My first inclination was to ease both our tensions, well his anyway. "Its a good thing you thought to bring a spare shirt" I said. "Although since were both guys, it really didn't matter, you could have just left your shirt off," nervous pause "if you didn't have a spare. What I mean to say is I don't mind of you take your shirt off... oh my gosh I sound like a girl or something," I said obviously stretching my eloquence beyond its limits.
Xander laughed "I'm not sure, I've never had a girl ask me to take my shirt off," he chuckled. "Curiously not once."
I continued "Well I don't really care, one way or the other, I mean of course you have fur, so it's not like being naked or anything. You could take your pants off if you needed to, wanted too, I mean needed to. Well what ever." Holy damn I could feel myself turning red with that utterance. I didn't even know what I was saying at that point, just babbling on like an idiot. Please Xander, I thought, please stop me from speaking before I ramble on to something about undressing me.
Thankfully he had a smile on his face, which made me feel a bit better. "Joel?" Xander asked, "did you realize your phone is wet? You need to get the battery out and put it in a bag of uncooked rice, now."
"That's right! I forgot about my phone," I said, "I'm really making a mess out of today. You're really not catching me at my best today."
"Joel, I've got an idea. If your not busy this afternoon, why don't we continue this interview over lunch. I've got my car right outside, we can try to save your phone and go anywhere you like. Besides its still early, and hopefully you've saved your best for last" said the gorgeous husky.
Of course, I gleefully agreed. I practically skipped to Xander's car if you can imagine that. I was constantly trying to restrain myself, so much so that, I forgot to lock up. But what the hell, what's the worst that could happen on campus? Mike will be in around two pm, Ill call him later and ask him to lock up for me. Besides it's a Friday, its just after Noon, and the day is literally winding up here as it always does before the weekend.
First we stopped at a small store and Xander bought some rice and a ziplock for my phone, he insisted feeling that he was partly to blame. Then we headed off into town to begin what was notably the first day of the rest of my life. At the moment I had no idea that this would be one of best days of my life and one of the best days of Xanders life too.
End of Chapter One
Unedited, unrevised, raw, comments and suggestions are welcome. Thank you for reading! :3