Stairway to Heaven: Act 1, Part 1
Stairway to Heaven by A. Ortiz
ACT 1
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May Queen
And there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
PART I.
Ever since I took this job...
Richard Price walked through the revolving doors of Sunsoft Systems Intl. and stepped into the reception area. A few furs turned, rather surprised by the formal black business suit, the clean, elegant briefcase, the well-groomed mane, the generally regal-looking appearance. The lion adjusted his tie, and went up to the front desk.
...it's been nothing but meetings, expectations, paperwork, stress, ran through his mind. And I expect today to be no different from any other.
Really, some people think I'm lucky; lucky to have it all.
But how lucky am I, really?
He could still remember what his co-director, Dan, an irritable canine, had told him yesterday morning. They were in his office in New York, tired, high on coffee, and unshaven. Papers littered the desk, and cigarette butts littered Dan's ashtray.
"We close this deal tomorrow, Rich," Dan had said, "and we're talking about a total renovation for iTech Inc." He had taken a long draft from his cigarette, and continued. "This is why I'm trusting you, and only you. Sunsoft is no easy cake, and I know that you're the best of the best. That's why you have to go. I can't send any of the lower staff. It's gotta be the highest ranking office; that's you, and you are the best in the company. Trust me on this."
Richard hadn't known what to say, so he had just smoked in silence.
"I know you're worried," Dan said. "Don't be. This merger could be the best move we've ever made. We'll get all our people across the country to California, and fire anyone we have to. All the money's in California."
He had sat back in his chair and looked out the window at the busy street.
"Yep, all the dough's in California."
"What's the guy's name again?" Richard had asked.
"Quincy, I think. Todd Quincy. I'm pretty sure. I've been talking to the heads of the international, not the California district. I've never met the guy. But I hear he's a real thickhead; a viper with a stubborn streak."
Then he had turned and leaned over the desk to look at Richard.
"Only you, Rich, can land this deal. I know you have it in you to make this Quincy guy see. So c'mon. Let's make some money."
Richard had agreed, obviously. He didn't doubt his skills; new challenges just made him a bit nervous. But he knew he could do it. He didn't let his fear show one bit. He asked for the director's office at reception, and was told it was on the seventh floor. He walked down the hall and took the elevator up. It was just him in the elevator.
He came out of the elevator on the seventh floor and looked around. He stepped up to the secretary's desk, and asked politely for Mr. Quincy. She gave him a blank stare.
"The director," he said, with some faltering. Was his name Quincy? He gathered himself and said, with more security, "He's expecting me. I'm Mr. Price. The CEOs told me he agreed to meet today."
The secretary, a rather bemused and gruff-looking owl, leaned over to her intercom, held a button, and informed "Mister Q" that a "Mister Price" was here to see him. A busy voice answered, "Send him in." She indicated door on the side to Richard, and Richard went over to it confidently, opened it, and stepped inside.
He closed the door behind him and looked up to see a rather tired-looking wolf with his sleeves rolled back, looking over a sheet of numbers. The wolf looked up dimly and met Richard's gaze. A few seconds passed, and suddenly, simultaneously, they both blinked.
"Rich," the wolf uttered quietly, amazed.
"Todd... Todd Queens," Richard whispered, and then, as if suddenly switched on by remote, he suddenly plastered a smile on his face; a true, joy-induced smile, as he rushed forward to seize Todd Queens' hand. Queens was also smiling, eyes glazed with wonder.
"I don't believe it! Richard Price! Now I know why I felt so weird when the CEOs mentioned your name!" Queens laughed.
"It never occurred to you for one second that it might be me?" Richard asked, grinning.
"No! Last I heard you were on the other side of the country! Now... wait, where are my manners? Sit, sit!" Todd said, and, himself standing, went over to a small closet on the wall as Richard sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. "Now, I haven't got much here... but do you want anything to drink? Skotch? In fact... that's all I've got. How about a Cuban?"
He turned around holding both, and Richard laughed and shook his head.
"No, thank you; I just had breakfast," Richard answered with a smile.
"You sure?" Todd asked. Richard nodded. "Well... all right then," Todd answered, looking a bit put out. He put away the alcohol and cigar, and then went back to sit at his desk. He grinned wryly at Richard as he took a seat.
"You grew a goatee," Todd said with a laugh. Richard blushed.
"You noticed," he said.
"Of course I noticed. I remember you like it was yesterday." Todd paused. "You know... we promised to write. How come you never wrote?"
"You never wrote me either," Richard pointed out.
"True... true," Todd said sadly. "I guess... I was kind of upset."
"Kind of?"
"Okay... I was really upset. You left! You went all the way to New York," Todd said. He looked hurt.
"Yeah... I was kind of sad to go," Richard said. He looked down. Seeing the sadness in Todd's eyes made him uncomfortable. "But it was a good opportunity, you know?"
Suddenly he looked up at Todd.
"But you know... you were right. There were other opportunities in California, too... I mean... you have my job, but in another company."
Todd blinked as he realized this, and suddenly he began to grin. "It's kind of funny..." he said, "We separated, and ended up in the exact same position, when we weren't even in contact." They both giggled.
"What did you get started as again?" Todd asked. "Basic Programming and Design," Rich answered. "You?"
"The same," Todd answered, and they both laughed. "No, seriously?" Rich asked, incredulous. Todd nodded, and they giggled again.
"We could compare notes!" Richard suggested with a chuckle, and Todd suddenly snorted with laughter. The action was so ridiculous that Rich began to giggle hard, and Todd followed suit, trying to hold it back. Suddenly, Todd lost control, and sort of exploded, laughing hard, shaking, pounding the desk as tears came out of his eyes. It was infectious; Richard started laughing hard too. They both rocked on their chairs, wheezing like old men, laughing like idiots, and for a moment, they were Rich and Todd again, just like in the old days, laughing the day away like schoolgirls over one silly thing or another.
When they finally finished up their little go-around, and breathed hard for a while, wiping their eyes and chuckling, Todd managed to say, "Jeez, Rich... it's been a long time."
"Too long," Rich answered breathlessly.
"We should get together. Have dinner."
"That'd be cool."
"How about my place? Tonight? Tomorrow night?" Todd suggested, breathing deep.
"Tonight's good," Rich answered with a warm smile. He reached forward and patted his friend on the back.
"I missed you, Rich," Todd said suddenly, looking up. His face lacked all the mirth it had had just a second ago, and Rich's smile grew a little sadder. They looked at each other across the desk, unsure of what to say.
"How about we talk tonight at dinner?" Rich suggested quietly.
"I'd like that," Todd answered, and he managed a sad smile.
Todd lived in a house on 23rd Street. It was a little antique style, but Todd had always liked that kind of thing. Richard knocked on the door three times. He had taken a cab to get here, and it pulled away slowly into the night. He waited a little, and soon the door opened. Todd stood at the door, and smiled when he saw Rich.
"Hey!" he hailed Richard, and pulled the door wide open to welcome him in. Richard stepped through the open door; he was dressed in pants and a dress shirt, along with a coat. Todd quickly took it for him, and hung it on his coat rack. Then he embraced Richard quite suddenly. The lion was a little taken aback, but he overcame it quickly and hugged Todd back.
"We're all old friends here, aren't we?" Todd asked when they pulled apart. Richard laughed, and they made their way to the dining room.
Todd had made dinner himself; he had gone for Chinese, which he always seemed to have liked. Richard didn't mind; Todd's cooking was exceptional that night, and he couldn't complain at all.
"Chinese?" Richard had asked Todd with a grin.
"You know you like it," Todd answered, and they chuckled at their silliness.
When they had finished eating, Todd suggested they sit in the study to talk. They sat there in Todd's armchairs, listening to nothing. Todd's house was well-furnished, if it didn't look terribly expensive. Richard couldn't complain. Todd was doing very well for someone his age. Richard himself was doing quite the same.
Eventually Todd spoke up first. He seemed the most anxious to talk about the past. Richard was eager to get over it; Todd was eager to know about what exactly happened.
"Rich," he had begun, and Richard had come out of his zone out to look at him.
"Hmm?" Rich asked.
"Do you ever think of back then?" Todd asked.
"Back th--oh, you mean... our last years of college."
"Yeah."
"Sometimes... But..." Richard looked away.
"But what?"
"Well... it kind of hurt me to think about back then."
"It hurt you?"
"I missed you too, Todd. Don't get me wrong; I really missed you."
"But you never wrote, or called, or anything." It wasn't a question.
"Because you didn't want me to."
"Just because I was angry doesn't mean I didn't want to hear from you."
"I know... but it hurt me that you were angry," Rich said.
Todd didn't know how to respond, so he remained quiet, looking down. But finally, he said, "You didn't have to leave. I know it was a good job, and I was happy for you... but you knew I couldn't come with you. You left me behind."
"I thought it was the best choice."
"Was it?" Todd looked up at him.
Richard shrugged. "I never found out."
"I could either go home or stay in Cali. My parents wouldn't let me go anywhere else. And if I followed you... well, that was no excuse."
"You said all the money was in Cali."
"Well, I thought it was."
"No, I mean, you were right," Richard said, looking back at him with a smile.
"I was?"
"That's why we're doing this merger. What did you expect?"
"I wasn't sure. I just knew the facts and the demands."
"Do you think they're reasonable demands?"
"No. Not really."
They laughed. The tension loosened, and they got comfortable again.
"So... how has your love life been since... well... since us?" Rich asked. Todd looked into his eyes shyly and smiled. "Nobody."
"No-one?" Richard asked incredulously. Todd shook his head. "I guess I was too busy working to find myself someone to settle down with."
"Jeez... and I thought the Missus was just out or something," Rich laughed.
"You know I'd never go for that. You would, though. How has your life treated you so far?" Todd asked.
"Well, there's someone."
"Someone?" Todd asked, arching an eyebrow. The coy look on his face made Richard smile.
"Scarlet Hedgerow. My... err... fiancée."
"Ooooh, there'll be a Missus soon."
"So it seems," Richard said, but he wasn't smiling.
"What's wrong?"
"Well... Scarlet has been a bit temperamental lately. Not sure what's wrong; I guess she's just angry that I work so much."
"You can't let her alone like that. She'll go ballistic on you."
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
"Do you?" Todd grinned, and Richard looked back at him. They looked at each other for a long time, until they weren't smiling anymore. There wasn't any tension, but there was an overwhelming sense of sadness.
"I really missed you, Rich."
"I missed you too."
"--But you have no idea," Todd said, jumping in. Rich remained quiet; it seemed that Todd wanted to say something he had been feeling for a long time.
"I cried every night for months after you left. I didn't know what to do, where to go. I stayed in our old apartment for a long time, because I didn't want to let go of your memory." Todd's eyes glimmered in the lights, and Rich knew he was doing his best not to let his voice break.
"I got a job in Cali a month after we graduated, yeah, but it just wasn't what I wanted. I mean, the job was great, and I was doing something I loved... but I loved you, Rich. That's all I wanted," he said, and his voice began to break halfway through. By the end he was almost whispering, and Richard wasn't sure of what to say. On the sight of the first tear running down Todd's cheek, however, Richard stood up and went straight to his friend. He put his arms around him as Todd buried his face into Rich's shoulder. "Shhh," Richard whispered, holding Todd close. The wolf sobbed relentlessly, unable to control himself.
After a few minutes of rocking, Todd managed to get a grip on himself, and sat back in his chair, wiping his eyes hurriedly. Richard stood and simply waited, watching.
"I'm sorry," Todd whispered, and stood. They looked into each other's eyes, wondering what was behind each other's gaze; what lay in each other's mind, obscured by a secretive face.
"Maybe you should go," Todd whispered slowly.
"Yeah, that might be a good idea," Rich answered with a pause.
Todd led Richard back to the door. He gave the lion his coat and let him out. They waved to each other as Richard went down the steps and towards the road, looking for a cab. Todd closed the door and pressed his back against the wall. He slid down to the floor, and sat there, holding his head in his hands, late into the night.
Richard received a phone call in his hotel room later that night. It was Dan.
"Did you close the deal?" he asked hoarsely over the phone. He was yelling a bit. He sounded drunk, or just sick.
"No, not yet," Richard replied quietly.
"Aw, come on, Rich!" Dan complained. "I thought we had talked about this!"
"Hey, don't bug out, okay?!" Richard snapped. "I'm not behind. I can do this. Just give me a few more days. I found out the director's a former college roommate of mine; we're catching up a bit."
"Oh," Dan answered. "Wait, he's you're ex-roommate? This is great! Wait... did you get along well?"
"Yes."
"Then this is cake!" Dan yelled excitedly over the phone. Richard held the receiver a few inches from his ear. "You hurry up, Richard! You can do this!!"
"Yeah, Dan. Don't worry," Richard told him, and hung up.
He sat in the chair beside his phone for a little while. Then he made a decision and picked up the receiver. He dialed Scarlet Hedgerow's number.
"Hello?" answered Scarlet's voice.
"Scarlet!" Richard replied with a smile.
"Oh, honey! Are you coming back to town tomorrow?"
"Uh... no, honey, I'm afraid I'm not."
"What? But Richard, you promised this wouldn't take long!"
"I know. I know I did. But--"
"No, no buts. You finish this tomorrow so you can come to dinner at my house on Friday."
"I can't, dear; this situation's not that easy to resolve..."
"You're always working, Richard! It's really starting to get impossible--You're going to end up forgetting I exist of you keep wasting your hours night after night."
"I'm not wasting my hours--"
"See? That's what I mean! You don't even act like you care! Just finish this so you can come home! No more work. That's all I ask; please!"
"Listen," Richard growled. He was irritated now. "I don't pull ninety grand a year just sitting at home twiddling my thumbs--"
"I don't care if you make ninety grand or nine hundred grand! If I don't ever see you, why should I even care what you do at all?"
"Look," Richard protested, trying to interrupt, but Scarlet carried on.
"We're getting married in three months, Richard, and I want you to think long and hard if you're ready to make that commitment, because it really feels like you're not."
"Scarlet," Richard managed. "Look. If you miss me that much, why don't you come to San Francisco?"
Scarlet paused. "What?"
"It might look good if I show up to dinner with my fiancée or something. And we get to spend time together. Please. I have to make this deal."
She didn't say something for a long time, and Richard thought for a moment that she had hung up or just didn't like the idea, but suddenly she said, "I'll be there in the afternoon. Let me just call and make reservations at your hotel."
Todd's agenda was busy all morning, so they decided (by phone, of course) on a meeting at some restaurant at three o' clock. Scarlet arrived sometime around one thirty, so Richard picked her up at the airport and took her back to the hotel, where she took some time to get something appropriate for a late lunch. Then they took a cab and showed up at the restaurant, and asked for Todd's reservation. They were led to the table, where Todd was waiting, absentmindedly reading the menu.
"Todd!" Richard called, and the wolf looked up from his reading. He saw Richard, which brought an immediate smile to his face, and then noticed with some surprise that there was a pretty young lioness on his arm. Todd was a bit surprised. He had never expected Richard to go after a girl of the same species. He stood to greet them and shake hands, and when he took the lioness's, he kissed the back and asked, "Miss Hedgerow, I presume?" She blushed and chuckled. "I see Richard has mentioned me," Scarlet said, smiling up at her fiancée. Richard beamed at her, and they took a seat.
They ordered, and while they were waiting, they began serious discussion on the merger. Richard had brought along his briefcase, and was showing Todd estimates for department raises.
"Look at this, here," he said, pointing at one column. "These figures represent current values, and this column here," he pointed at one by it, "these represent future values. They're estimates, of course, but--"
"I see what you mean," Todd interrupted. "But these aren't what are bothering my superiors. What is on their mind is the kind of cooperation by departments your people are suggesting."
"What's wrong with it?" Richard asked with a concerned frown.
"It sucks," Todd said with emphasis, and they both laughed.
Scarlet, meanwhile, had been observing the two quietly, watching gestures, listening to words, and registering how they reacted to one another. Richard had told her they went to the same college, and had been good friends before Richard had moved to New York. She began to see that as she analyzed, but there was still something else... something she could not put her finger on...
"It's rubbish," Todd was saying, looking over Richard's department plans. "The whole thing is garbage. This? This won't work. I mean, this is--"
"Bullshit," Richard put in, and they both laughed again, this time Todd executing his trademark laugh, slapping his knees, as Richard choked through mirth, "C-Colin Powell!" and they laughed even harder, tears leaking out of their eyes.
SLAP.
Suddenly Scarlet stood, towering over them. Her eyes flashed, and their mirth quickly died away.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Richard asked.
"The two of you used to be together," Scarlet hissed. Under their fur, both Todd and Richard turned pale. They looked at each other, and then back at her. "Now, what makes you say that?" Richard asked, trying to grin skeptically. It didn't work. She turned her gaze on him.
"You shouldn't have hidden that from me. That's why you want to spend more time here in California, isn't it?!" she demanded.
"But--no! Dearest--"
"Don't 'Dearest' me!" she snapped, and suddenly spun and left them sitting there.
"W-where is she going?" Todd asked, and Richard watched as she left.
"To the hotel, probably."
"Wow... I'm really sorry," Todd began, but Richard cut him off.
"It's not your fault. It's mine. I didn't tell her."
"But I--"
"No. Just forget it. Let's continue this and eat fast, so I can get back to her soon."
Todd nodded.
"All right," he said with some reluctance.
"You know," Richard began, and he paused. He continued without looking at Todd. "We're getting married in June. I'd really like it if you'd come."
Todd swallowed.
Just then, their food arrived.
Richard exited his cab and walked over to the doors of the hotel. He pushed one open and walked into the lobby, where he encountered--to his surprise--Scarlet, carrying her briefcase and looking huffy as she tramped towards the entrance.
"Scarlet--honey, where are you going?" Richard asked, confused.
"Home," she answered with a snap. She glared at Richard. "I'll be waiting for you there."
"But... I thought you were going to stay here with me," Richard said, with some visible alarm.
"No. And I want you to finish this up fast, Richard. I don't want you spending any more time with that... that wolf," she cried, spitting the word.
"Now, wait, you're just overreacting," Richard protested, but she lashed at him so ferociously, he lost his momentum.
"He's not coming to the wedding, either," she growled. Richard's eyes widened in shock.
"What?" he spluttered. "But Scarlet, I've already invited--"
"Then you'd better un-invite him," she hissed. "I refuse to let some ex-boyfriend of yours show up at our wedding and make things harder for you than they already are!"
"Harder for me? What on earth are you talking abo--"
"Listen, bucko," she snarled as she pulled up close to him and hissed right in his face, "I had no idea you were bisexual; and now that I do, I realize I have to keep watch on you all the time. Who knows who you'll be looking at next!"
"That's ridiculous!" Richard bellowed. "Just because once upon a time I was friendly with a guy, you think--"
"Well you slept with him, didn't you!?" she demanded. The way she phrased the question, Richard knew she already knew the answer. He blinked and flinched, mouth closing with a snap as he realized his defeat. With a rather sick twist in his stomach, he nodded dumbly.
"Then I rest my case," Scarlet finished. Without another word, she stalked by him and left the hotel.
Bystanders in the lobby quickly looked back to their respective books or magazines, realizing that they were staring with some embarrassment. Richard placed his paw against the wall to steady himself, and put his other over his eyes.
Richard wasn't answering his phone, so Todd supposed he must have gone out that night to please Scarlet. He was a little disappointed; he really wanted to let Richard know he was sorry for the whole scene at the restaurant... but eventually he gave up on the unanswered rings and hung up, walking back to his kitchen to make himself a sandwich.
The next day, Richard walked into Todd's office to find two furs sitting across Todd's desk chatting animatedly with him. He introduced them to Rich as his friends, Donna Parker--a skinny, rather attractive young Dalmatian--and Benjamin Hayes--a tough but friendly-looking otter. They bid their farewells to Todd and left the office, leaving Richard and Todd alone. Todd immediately offered Richard a seat, which he took gratefully.
Richard's eyes were slightly bloodshot, Todd noticed, but he didn't say anything about it. It wasn't until halfway through their business talk that Todd finally asked, upon watching Richard rub his temples thoroughly, as he looked for something in his desk, "Hangover, Rich?"
Richard looked up in surprise, looking slightly abashed, embarrassed, and a hint of shamed. He recovered and looked away with a grunt. "It's nothing. I've had worse."
"I take it you and the Missus had a night then," Todd added offhand, and took out the report he was looking for.
"She's not 'the Missus', Todd, and actually, she wasn't there," Richard grumbled.
"Wait... you went out drinking and partying without your fiancée? What did you leave her doing? Watching sitcoms?"
"She went back to New York," Richard answered, irritability growing.
"I thought she was staying here with you," Todd said, surprised.
"So did I."
Todd looked bemused.
"And I thought I was beginning to understand women," Todd muttered.
"Don't try," Richard groaned with a laugh.
"This isn't about yesterday, is it?" Todd asked. "Listen, about that... I've been meaning to tell you; I'm really sorry, Richard. I had no idea she would react--"
"It's not your fault," Richard interrupted him, putting up a paw. "Don't apologize. It was mine." He sighed. "I asked her to come to California. I didn't think--I just wanted her to stop bickering. I should have known she would have figured out about us."
"Oh dear," Todd said with some distress. "She's really on your case, then? I thought she was rather sweet... until that... explosion."
"She's wonderful when she's happy," Richard said, spreading his hands. "But she's got a short fuse--and a temper to match it! It's like World War One whenever I do something she disapproves of, and then it's the re-enactment of the Holocaust on my hide if she even thinks I looked at someone else."
"Thinks?"
"Don't start," Richard grumbled, leaning back in his chair.
Todd laughed, and then showed Richard his empty paws. "I have no advice, I'm afraid," the wolf said with a sad smile. "You know I never even looked at another woman after Jessica."
"That wasn't even your fault. But everything that's happening now is my fault, and I have no idea how to fix it."
"Hey, it's not your fault you're marrying a psycho Darth Vader bitch," Todd laughed. "If someone like that wants to marry you, you usually don't have a choice."
Richard snorted with laughter.
"I'm not even married and already I'm making fun of her," he said with a smile, and then he sighed and let his smile fade as he closed his eyes. "I think I love her. I really do. But sometimes... it's like she's going to drive me insane. There's something about her I love, but..."
"What is it?" Todd asked, leaning forward across his desk.
"I don't know. Every time I think about it, it escapes me." His brow furrowed. "But there's one thing I remember: this one time, we were walking down by the park. It was cold, because it's winter in New York, right?" He narrated slowly, eyes closed, looking up, as if he were in a psychiatrist's session. "We're walking hand in hand under the trees, and suddenly this big patch of snow falls out of the trees and lands on my head." He made a face, twisting his grin to show his embarrassment. "And then she just starts laughing at me, but laughing hard... it's such a beautiful laugh--so deep, so rich. I'd buy that laugh if I could...and it just makes me smile through all the snow stuck in my mane and fur, and then I'm laughing too--we just keep laughing like idiots, trying to get the snow out of my fur."
He opened his eyes. "It's not exactly that laugh that I love... but it's the feeling it makes. And I'm not sure I can say exactly what it is--"
Suddenly he saw Todd leaning over his desk, smiling attentively and enjoying Richard's story and voice. Todd looked back at him and blinked, slightly confused. Richard's eyes were wide with shock.
"What is it, Rich?"
Richard breathed deeply, afraid. He sat there, still, trying to get the words out. Todd watched him, alarmed, waiting for some sort of reaction, for a full minute, until Richard finally stirred with a look of sickness.
"She reminds me of you," he finally replied.
Richard lay on his bed in the hotel, letting the past few days' events sift through his head. He wasn't afraid anymore, but very anxious about the situation. Scarlet's words had finally broken over him: Well you slept with him, didn't you?!
Todd and he had had sex. That was what had been bothering him all this time when he was with the wolf; that little nagging that was in the far corner of his mind. That kind of personal intimacy with someone is not easily forgotten, and clearly he had never really gotten over moving away from California.
He looked back to his memories fondly now; memories that dampened his eyes now that he realized to a full extent how dearly he missed them: weekend nights spent watching horror movies late into the wee hours of the morning, until he and Todd were no longer able to sleep without each other's presence and warmth nearby; hot afternoons in which they'd go to a Dairy Queen in town and, since they didn't have too much spare change at the moment, they'd share a cone while sitting on the sidewalk--to the shock of passerby. Life had been sweet and refreshing in those days, and their laughter shared was that that could stir life in the oldest bones.
...but it was gone now. It was a memory; something that could not be reached in actuality anymore. He was engaged, and it was time to forget about Todd.
Still, Todd lingered before him. He haunted the sound of the shower as Richard bathed, and lurked in every shadow as he lay in the gloom of the hotel room, praying for some sort of purging of his mind. That purging never came. He didn't want to forget Todd, deep inside. He knew he had to--of that he was sure, with his wedding day just around the bend--but that made it no easier, and at the rate he was going at, it was all but impossible.
There was only one thing for it: Richard would have to finish the deal immediately, and go back to New York without looking back.
The business meetings became professional and impersonal, and they no longer dined together, or joked together. All of this happened to Todd's dismay, but Richard would have it no other way, and Todd was too meek to try to convince Richard to show a soft side. Richard worked all day, and phoned home at night. It only took three more days of negotiating to finish the deal.
And then, without so much as a heartfelt goodbye, after the last meeting, Richard bid Todd farewell, informed him he was returning to New York, and left.
Todd was bewildered at this point, and when Richard left his office, he sat down hard as if someone had punched him. He was returning? Just like that? No goodbye? No dinner? No last hug, for old times' sake?
Todd's mind raced as he sat, oblivious to the world, turning the possibilities over in his head. Richard just wanted to end everything? How could he pretend that they never had been friends, that they had never shared all those memories, that they had never, at one point, considered themselves a couple, and had shared each other's bed on countless occasions, finding comfort only when the other was around? How? Was this the Richard he had known all those years ago? Where had he gone?
There was a knock on his door, and Donna opened it and peeked her head through. "Hello, Todd," she began, "Time for lunch! How is eve--" but then she stopped, seeing how her friend sat in a daze.
"Todd? Todd! What's the matter?" Donna asked. When he just looked up at her, at a loss for words, she stepped inside. "Todd, are you all right?!" she cried. She turned around and called out for help.
"No," Todd croaked out. "No. Wait, I'm fine. I don't need help." Donna quickly corrected herself and then closed the door. She sat at a chair across from the wolf.
"You certainly don't look fine," she said. "You gave me a fright back there. I almost thought you were having a heart attack."
"For a moment there, I might have been," Todd said mournfully. Donna looked at him with confusion. He shook his head. "Not that kind."
"What happened?" Donna asked, her voice softening.
"He just... left," Todd said, and his voice sounded so desolate and shocked that Donna didn't know what to ask next.
"...well, who?" she finally decided to question. She felt bad interrogating him like this, but she wouldn't be able to help if she didn't know what was going on.
"Richard Price," he said, and his voice choked up in the middle and he began to sob.
Donna took a second to make the connection and suddenly ohhhhhed. Then she gave out another "Ohhhhhh," a more understanding one, and she stood up and walked around the desk to hug Todd.
"Shhhh... there, there," she whispered, kneeling and taking the wolf into her arms. He sobbed into her shoulder with abandon, hugging her close.
"He's been so distant for the last few days," he finally managed to choke out. "I don't know what's wrong--why he's been acting so stiff. And then today he just says he's going back to New York and walks out. Just like that; he gives me a work handshake and walks away."
"Well, hun, some people are idiots," she said with an irritable snatch to her voice. Not irritation for Todd; irritation for that fool lion that would break his heart like this.
"He's not an idiot," Todd suddenly said. He pulled back from her a little defensively, and tried to regain posture. He knew he was being pathetically feminine again, and he had to sort himself out. "He's not an idiot. He's one of the smartest, kindest, most excellent furs I've ever known. But I don't know why he suddenly changed. He was fine a few days ago... he was just like I remembered. For a while it seemed like we were just like we used to be..."
Then his eyes showed recognition.
"...which is what he couldn't accept..."
He looked down at the floor and wiped his eyes as Donna stood. She looked at him inquisitively, and when he noticed, he set himself to explain.
"He's getting married in three months. He can't get close to me again... he has a woman to think about. Someone's taken my place in his life, and I have to get over it." He trembled visibly as he said it. "We can't go back to the way we were. It's stupid to think life could work like that. Besides," he added, sniffing and cleaning the last bit of wetness from his fur, "it would be selfish of me to try and get him back. She loves him too, and he loves her."
His eyes grew sad as he looked out the window at the passing clouds.
"I have no place in his life anymore."
All characters © A. Ortiz AKA VahnFox
Stairway to Heaven was inspired by a song by Led Zeppelin called "Stairway to Heaven". The quote at the beginning of the story is from that song, © Led Zeppelin. Thank you tremendously for the inspiration.
Questions? Comments for the author? Please email me at [email protected]
If you'd like to read more of the works of the many-aliased A. Ortiz, please send an email and request, as I have yet to put together a firm archive of my works. With enough requests, I'll be pushed to start a FurNation page or such to start uploading my stories. Thank you for reading!
Keep a look out for Act 1, Part 2!