FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Something Borrowed, Something Blue copyright 2015 comidacomida

Monday morning passed all too quickly for Paul as he got ready for work. He and Tanner shared a quick breakfast and the Dog headed out a little while before him. The Human knew that they would both be especially busy at the office and that Eizenzahn doubtlessly had something planned. It was also the day when Tanner would either confirm or deny his willingness to be in the Mein Hund ad. Paul personally expected that Eizenzahn would request the answer before that morning's project meeting... which would start approximately a half hour after Paul's schedule would have him clocking in. It didn't feel like it would be enough time to prepare.

The drive into work was, for once, relatively relaxing. Paul had no idea why but the traffic was lighter than usual so he had very little trouble crossing town. There was a distinct lack of road rage and blaring horns; it was a nice way to start a work week after having such an eventful weekend. The young man knew that the sooner he made it into the office the more time he would have to prepare his part of the presentation for the upcoming Mein Hund advertisement campaign; as the project lead he would be expected to present at least a part of the plan.

It only made sense, of course, considering he was the one who came up with the idea. Ever since the first ad involving chess, there had been a developing theme among all of the Mein Hund ad campaigns focusing around past times, games, and social gatherings-- the newest ad would be no different. Paul had suggested the 'Dogs Playing Poker' theme based off of the C.M. Coolidge series of paintings commissioned at the start of the 1900s by a publishing company for the purpose of selling cigars; he'd done a report on the series back when he was in college and it seemed a suitable comparison for Mein Hund and their products.

Back in 1906 it still wasn't legal for Dogs to gamble so playing organized card games like poker was not a common past time. The 'Dogs Playing Poker' series was seen as outrageous, not only because the first several paintings were of four legged dogs, but because, it challenged commonly accepted social conventions. It had since been burned into the collective psyche of American society. Whether intentional or not, the simple piece of Americana had forever changed the way that people viewed societal practices and went a long way toward bringing equal rights to the forefront of the public mind.

Paul honestly had no expectations that the upcoming Mein Hund ad would have that much of an impact, but he chose it mainly because it was a recognizable theme, Mein Hund (like the original series) stood for something that was bold and progressive, and, mostly, because he considered it a great homage to what he knew of early advertising... not to mention it had been the first thing to pop into his head when he was put on the spot in a sales meeting. Either way, the longer he spent thinking about the project the more it grew on him and, as he parked his car outside the AHB office he was able to honestly tell himself that he had a good feeling about the Mein Hund "Dogs Playing Poker" plan.

He came to a complete stop when he entered the office and Candy wasn't there; it took him a moment to realize that she was gone all week for her honeymoon. "Duh."

Ray's voice spoke up from the side door leading to the cubicles. "You know, a 'duh' doesn't count unless you hit yourself in the forehead when you say it."

Paul glanced over to the Retriever; Ray had a folder in one paw and a mug of coffee in the other. Although he was tempted to respond in kind to the Dog's quip he instead decided to keep it professional to save time. "Morning, Ray."

Stepping into line with the Human, Ray handed him the folder. "Now I'm curious... what was so 'duh' that it hit you first thing when you walked inside?"

The young man glanced at the tab on the folder to confirm it was what he thought it was: the campaign outline. He walked with Ray over to the reception desk so he could open it up and give the paperwork inside a once-over to confirm that what he needed was there. "I forgot Candy was out... I guess she'll find out when she gets back."

One of Ray's ears raised. "Find out what?"

Paul cleared his throat as he closed the folder. "Well... uh... Eizenzahn has already given his go-ahead of the project but he said he really liked the idea of having Candy as one of the models for the shoot."

Ray's second ear went up to join the first. "Candy? Well I guess it--"

Michelle walking through the front doors interrupted the discussion. "Hey boys."

Paul waited patiently as she and Ray shared an embrace and a kiss. The Retriever's tail swayed from side to side. "Mornin', babe."

Although Michelle had been to AHB once before (when helping to save Paul from the paparazzi) he couldn't remember seeing her there during business hours. That, and the public display of affection really did indicate that Ray was sticking to his guns about being more in-the-open. Paul accepted an embrace from the visitor. "Hi, Michelle."

As she disengaged from Paul she focused once more on Ray. "So... did you invite him?"

Paul glanced back and forth between the Dog and the woman. "Invite me? To what?"

Ray rolled his eyes. "The poor kid just got into the office, Shelly... give the guy a break. I was gonna bring it up after our meeting this morning."

Paul's inquiry still hadn't been answered. "Bring what up?"

Michelle started-- "We wanted to know if--"

--but was interrupted by Ray. "Dinner Friday."

She gave the Retriever a light swat on the arm. "You lost your chance, Goldie."

He smacked her rump with his tail. "You didn't give me a chance, Paul-Hog."

Michelle gave him another mirthful slap to the shoulder. "So you're calling your girlfriend a hog now, is that it?"

Ray turned and grabbed her by the shoulder and hip, leaning close. "No... I'm saying my FIANCE is a selfish, egocentric, Paul-hoarder."

The woman opened her mouth as if to say something but Ray forestalled her by leaning her back and planting a kiss on her lips. Paul cleared his throat, making a point of looking every-which-way at the (for him) uncomfortable silence. He didn't speak until they'd both straightened up and the kiss ended. "So... presentation prep time..."

The Retriever glanced back toward Paul, a self-satisfied smirk on his muzzle. "Anyway... dinner Friday after work? You and Tanner? Seven? Como Abuela's? Our treat."

The young man nodded. "Yea... sure. I'll check with Tanner but I'm pretty sure we don't have anything planned."

Michelle held both of Ray's paws in her hands but she was looking toward Paul. "We were thinking movie night back at our place afterwards."

Paul shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Sounds fun."

Ray deadpanned his good-humored response. "Wow... you sound so excited."

Sputtering, Paul tried again. "That's not what-- I didn't... I mean--"

Michelle gave Ray a pat on the chest. "It's because he's thinking about work, dear... like you should be doing."

The Retriever let out a playful growl and leaned over to touch his nose to hers. "Well sure, HE can... HE doesn't have a hot woman hanging off him."

It was a side of Ray that Paul really hadn't seen in the office before; the Dog seemed not only happy, playful, and rambunctious, but at least a dozen years younger to boot. It was odd, but that didn't make it a bad thing. Paul found himself smiling as Ray and Michelle parted with one more kiss, and didn't mind when the Retriever folded an arm across his shoulder as they made their way back toward the cubicles-- the added noogie however was not appreciated quite as much.

Once back at his station Paul was able to sit down at his computer and review the folder Ray had handed to him. The basic outline of the project was spelled out per the notes but the Human had a lot more work to do in order to make it ready for presenting at the meeting in-- he checked his watch: eighteen minutes. Letting out a sigh, Paul redoubled his efforts to prepare his portion of what he'd be going over regarding the project.

He hadn't yet figured out who else would be speaking at the meeting or what it was specifically they were going to discuss but he resolved that he would be able to clearly cover the overview, which, in his point of view would be his contribution that morning. All in all, Paul felt unprepared if for no other reason than the fact that he was the project lead and yet it was Eizenzahn who had called the meeting.

He really didn't mind taking direction, or even orders, but the fact was that he was technically a part of management and he spent most of his time feeling like he didn't know what was going on. He managed a not-so-forced smile when he realized that he was probably qualified for a middle management position for PRECISELY that reason.

Putting his remaining prep time to good use, Paul quickly wrote up a presentation of computer generated slides that would help him provide visuals for his audience (and notes to keep him on track). He downloaded all of those onto his thumb drive, which he reminded himself he'd have to thank Tanner for showing him how to use. The Human had no doubt that he'd have trouble getting everything to show up on the projector but he'd already confirmed that tech support (again, another thanks to Tanner) would be on hand for assistance-- he only had to focus on his presentation and be able to convey the specifics about the upcoming ad campaign.

The time went all-too-fast, but Paul was able to get what he needed. Although he wouldn't have been able to say he was confident when Ray came to get him, at least he knew he was was ready enough that he wasn't going to have one of those dream-like presentation-in-underwear moments. The Retriever waited for him to grab his thumb drive. "You set?"

"More or less."

The conference room was, as Paul had expected, filled with his creative team. Although he had figured the leaders of the group would be there he was surprised to find the entire group, and a few others beside. Ben was already seated near the front and was talking casually with Sam and Ollie, who were situated on either side of the big black man. Even Tanner was there, which was a relief because it was the Shepherd who was going to help Paul with the projector.

Eizenzahn was at the front of the room, and waiting patiently as everyone got situated. Pascal was standing right beside the Doberman sharing a conversation but Paul saw the Poodle's ears perk up slightly and, despite their feathery fur and floppy nature, the Human could tell one slowly swiveled toward him. Despite everyone present, the one empty seat Paul saw belonged to the project supervisor; no one had been assigned to replace Miranda.

Paul was greeted by several of the people in his team, to which he offered nods, waves, and/or responses as he made his way across the room toward Eizenzahn. The Human stopped by Tanner only long enough to drop off his thumb drive and state quietly "It's the third file."

The Shepherd nodded and turned into a flurry of activity as he worked to fulfill Paul's request. Knowing that he left the visual portion of his presentation in good paws, the Human proceeded onward to the front of the room where he took a seat in a front chair facing Eizenzahn. The Doberman smiled patiently at him. "Come up and join me here, Paul. I believe everyone is getting settled and then we can begin."

Obediently standing, Paul moved next to the Doberman and turned to face the assembled workers. Casey was the last individual to enter the room and the Dalmatian took a seat toward the back. It was hard for Paul to read the Dog's expression but, as their gazes met Casey smiled and his tail wagged. That much, at least, was reaffirming. Paul didn't realize his eyes had lingered until the Dalmatian made a lewd gesture; blushing, the Human's focus returned to Eizenzahn, who had just cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

The executive clasped both of his paws in front of himself in a welcoming gesture. "It is so good to see everyone again. Mein Hund has been exceedingly happy with the work AHB has done thus far and we are looking forward even more to the upcoming advertisement campaign proposed by Mr. Miller here. I will let him go over the details."

It certainly wasn't the introduction Paul had expected, and he certainly hadn't anticipated leading the presentation that morning but he also didn't feel comfortable standing there mutedly while everyone stared at him (and probably made fun of him in their minds). Taking a deep breath, the young man counted to five in order to steady himself, and launched right into things.

He had no idea of how he managed to get through the whole thing but before he knew it the presentation was over-- he had no idea if he'd done it justice... but, as his adrenaline finally started to settle he saw a lot of nodding faces. In suitable corporate fashion he concluded with "Are there any questions?"

Ben was the first to speak up and his question was a doozie. "Do you think there could be an issue with the original publishing company? I remember hearing something about the 'Dogs Playing Poker' series being commissioned for selling cigars."

Although there was a time when a question like that would have given him a moment's pause, Paul had actually checked into that very same issue. "Since it's such a big part of pop culture it fits into a realm of free use are we are parodying it rather than making use of actual images. I checked, and the concept of imitating the picture with models in an actual photo shoot is fine... and the legal department is backing us up."

For a moment Paul thought that Ben was going to ask another question or request clarification on his point but the answer seemed to satisfy him. Before he could ask for more questions one came from Ray. "So... I know we had an 'at play' theme going for Mein Hund with the different ads, but does poker really stick with the Mein Hund theme? Do we think people are going to 'get it'?"

Rather than let Paul field the question, Eizenzahn stood up. "It is perfect, Fifteen-Until-Nine, yes. Paul's conceptual framework captures playful, progressive social interaction and celebrates Dog and Burb Dog culture."

Ben shifted in his seat and looked to the Doberman. "How does a half dozen Dogs sitting at a poker table celebrate Burb Dog culture? I assume they'll be wearing collars, but--"

Eizenzahn interrupted him. "Mr. Miller did an excellent job going over the outline of the project but he has not yet moved on to the specifics. I believe now would be a good time, Paul."

The Doberman was not incorrect; Paul had kept his presentation straight-forward but semi-vague in the event that Eizenzahn had wanted to make changes. Apparently that wasn't the case, so the Human cleared his throat and nodded to Tanner, who turned on the projector. A moment later Paul regretted standing in front of it as he got a face full of light and had to squint as he backed out of the way of the machine's illumination. A few chuckles arose in the crowd.

Quickly composing himself, Paul began by reading down the list of topics he and Eizenzahn had hashed out. "In this ad we're going to be featuring eight subjects in the shot: seven Dogs and one Human. The Human will be the dealer, hence the Mein Hund 'Burb Dog' tie in, and--"

Ben raised his hand, interrupting. "Eight total? That'll run the bill up pretty high, won't it? I mean, that's a lot of models to--"

Eizenzahn returned the favor by interrupting Ben. "We have already secured the approval for a majority of our talent, Mr. Franklin."

Casey glanced across the way at Ben. "Franklin? Your last name is Franklin? Like, Benjamin Fr--"

The big black man silenced the Dalmatian with a glare and Paul decided it was a good time to get everyone back on track. "So... Casey is going to be the center focus point of the shot. We have Jason Campbell situated on the--"

It was Ray's turn to interrupt. "Jason Campbell? As in, the Jason from--"

Eizenzahn once again cut the interruption short. "Yes, Fifteen-Until-Nine, that Jason Campbell. He has agreed to show in this specific advertisement. Paul? Perhaps you should go over our chosen talent first."

Paul backed-up mentally, taking the Doberman's suggestion to heart. "Oh. Right. Everyone knows Casey is going to be in the starring role as the maverick card playing hero. We also have Jason Campbell, who will be the dealer and his... uh... Burb Dog, Jack Daniels, who is going to be a saloon patron, and Nie Erobert will--"

This time it was Eizenzahn who interrupted him. "Nie Erobert has been removed from the list... it was not a good fit and he will have to focus on his studies."

Paul paused at that and quickly finished with a general. "There are also several offers on the board for others."

The Human glanced to Eizenzahn, not yet having received confirmation of anyone else saying yes. Once again the executive spoke up. "I have already asked Sweeter-Than-Candy if she would be a saloon girl watching the game and she confirmed with a 'yes'. Tan Paw, our resident projection specialist has also accepted my offer this morning and he will be another card player. Aside from that we are including Pascal as a second saloon girl, and I have not yet had a chance to ask Fifteen-Until-Nine if he would mind playing a-- how is it said? A...äh... 'gun slinger' at the card table."

Ray's ears went up. "Me?"

Eizenzahn nodded. "Yes. Consumer reports suggest that a Golden Retriever is a well received breed that represents much of the middle class."

The Retriever shook his head. "I do the work BEHIND the camera."

The Doberman didn't relent. "You are technically minded and will be of use on the set as well as off of it. We also have your measurements so that will make wardrobe much easier than finding an alternate model."

Ray didn't seem convinced. "It's not really what I'm here for, and I don't think AHB'd be too keen on--"

Eizenzahn smiled. "I have already cleared it with Walter, is that not correct, Mr. Howe?"

Everyone followed the Doberman's gaze toward the old Airedale Terrier who was seated in the corner of the meeting room. Paul had no idea when Walter had joined them but he had done so without creating a disturbance. Rather than interject on the meeting the Terrier simply continued looking at his newspaper and extended an arm, paw curled into a fist with only his thumb extended upward.

Ray's final 'objection' was more the form of a question. "So... am I gonna get paid for doing modeling or working as normal? Because if I have to take a pay cut then--"

Eizenzahn easily glossed over the specifics. "You will be suitably compensated. So, it appears we have all but one position filled, which I am working on remedying over the next few days."

Paul nodded as the Doberman glanced his way and the Human took over from there. "We're waiting to get a confirmation on an appearance from Mr. Campbell, but as soon as we find out we will begin blocking out a shooting schedule--"

Walter finally spoke up. "That was taken care of earlier today, Paul. I called the studio and they'll have him on a plane Tuesday morning."

The young man's professionalism came very close to cracking at that point but, rather than make a fool of himself with an explanation of surprise he simply asked for clarification. "Wednesday, as in, the day after tomorrow?"

The Terrier nodded, setting down his newspaper so he could look at Paul directly. "Correct. The studio is letting us borrow him until an interview he has scheduled next Monday."

The Human coughed involuntarily when he realized just what that interview involved-- it was HIS interview. "Oh."

Walter stood up and folded the newspaper then stuck it under the crook of his arm. "I'd like you to find accommodations for Mr. Campbell and his guest for the week, Paul; they'll be flying out next Tuesday.

"Me?"

The Terrier paused at the doorway. "Yes. You're the project manager. There's a company card waiting on your desk. If you have any questions about the budget please let me know."

Paul remained silent long enough that people started to whisper quietly to one another. Fortunately Eizenzahn came to his rescue with a very casual comment of "We will conclude the meeting here. Thank you for your time, everyone."

* * * * * *

By the time lunch rolled around it already felt as though Paul had been through a full day even though, in truth, he had barely made it through half. The original plan was to head down the street to Charlie's Café with Tanner but unfortunately the Shepherd was stuck at the office tending to a broken printer network connection or something-- Paul never could quite grasp the specifics.

His backup plan was to consider asking Ray out to lunch but, according to Ben the Retriever had already left with Michelle. Paul had just started to consider heading across the street to just grab a danish or something from the coffee shop when he saw Casey seated in one of the lobby chairs staring down at the cell he held in his paws. There was an empty chair next to the Dalmatian so the Human figured he'd fix that. Filling the seat, Paul waited until his friend looked up before he smiled in greeting. "So... Angry Birds doesn't look like a very filling lunch."

Casey made a half-hearted attempt at mimicking Paul's smile. "It's not Angry Birds-- I was just texting my mom."

Paul knew if he had ears they probably would have raised-- most likely an inkling comparison from having lived with Tanner so long. "Oh... cool. How's she doing?"

The Dalmatian shrugged. "Okay, I guess. She's been a little down since the last of her pups moved out; Dani moved in with her boyfriend over the weekend."

The Human thought back to what little he'd heard about Casey's family. "Your sister moved out, huh? So... empty nest syndrome?"

Casey put his cell away, letting out a sigh as he focused on the far wall. "Yea... something like that."

Paul reached out and rested his hand on the top of the Dog's paw. It had always been the Human's policy to beat around the bush and ignoring the white elephant in the room but something was eating at Casey and he knew he wasn't doing what a friend should do by avoiding it. "Okay-- something's wrong, and I have a feeling it's been that way for over a week now. Are we gonna talk about it?"

The Dalmatian slowly looked up toward him then glanced away, chuckling humorlessly. "Here? At the office? You think it's the best place for a psychologist appointment?"

Paul got to his feet, still holding into Casey's paw. "Okay: up. We're heading to Charlie's-- my treat."

Casey put up only a token objection and they both headed out of the office, walking down the street toward the café. They were a number of yards away from the AHB parking lot before the Dalmatian spoke again. "You're still worried about why I moved out, aren't you?"

Paul held the door to the café open for the Dalmatian and followed him in. "I'm more worried about the fact that you aren't wagging, Casey. Ever since you came back from LA you seem different... more... I dunno... more... well... 'less'."

The Dalmatian waited until they were seated before he responded, nodding courteously to the waiter who brought them their water. "Yea... that's because I kinda had an epiphany while I was there."

The Human sat up a little straighter as he looked across the table at his friend. "Oh? An answer to a problem you'd had for awhile, or more like a self actualization moment."

Casey shrugged, taking a sip of his water. "Both, I guess."

"About?"

The Dog shrugged again. "Life... wants... goals... happiness... a little of everything."

Paul smiled. "And you once told me you were worried that you were too superficial."

Casey once again mimicked his smile but there was little emotion behind it. "I've been leaning on you and Tanner as a crutch. You two are really good together and I've kinda been latching onto that as a substitute for my own happiness."

The Human was taken aback at how smoothly the words were spoken. It took him a moment before he could figure out what to say. "So... you left because...."

The Dalmatian looked down into his water glass. "A lot of reasons, I guess. I didn't want to impose; I didn't want to be a third wheel; I didn't want to enjoy a quality relationship by watching more than feeling..."

Paul found himself looking down at his own water. "Wow... I guess you DID grow a lot while you were in LA... it must have been some trip."

The first hint of a genuine smile creased Casey's muzzle. "Yea... I ended up staying with a coworker and his boyfriend for a few days and I learned that I was getting into the habit of settling for being content instead of finding a way to be happy."

Sitting back in his seat, Paul looked up once again at the Dalmatian, who was running a single paw pad around the rim of his glass. He waited patiently for Casey to continue, and the Dog ultimately did. "There's gotta be more to life...."

It was a strange, out of the blue thought, but Paul ran with it. "Than...?"

Casey's smile was a little more genuine, but also mixed with a hint of sourness. "Than chasin' down every temporary high to satisfy me."

There was a certain tempo to the words as the Dog spoke them, and it gave Paul another moment's pause. "Is that a song?"

The faintest hint of humor seemed to replace the angst in the Dalmatian's expression. "Cause the more that I am trippin' up thinkin' there must be more to life; well there's life, but I'm sure there's gotta be more."

The Human took a sip of his water. "Okay... so it IS a song."

Casey let out a deep breath. "Yea... I put it on my play list because it 'gets me'... it's how I've been feeling ever since my last night in LA. I mean--"

Paul could tell that the Dalmatian was faltering in an attempt to find the right words. He reached across the table and took hold of one of Casey's paws. "Say a few more lines from it then."

The Dog locked gazes with him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm always waiting on something better than this; why am I feeling like there's something I missed?"

The Human continued holding the Dog's paw. "What happened in Los Angeles exactly?"

Casey sighed, finally withdrawing from Paul's touch. "Black Angus was a friend from work... he did security. His Human, Tyler is a Leasher and they had me stay with them a few days. On the last night there things got pretty hot and steamy and I joined in kinda like I did with you and Tanner."

Paul nodded thoughtfully. "Okay..."

The Dalmatian took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Well... afterwards they went off to snuggle and sleep and do their thing and that just left me there feeling... well... nothing."

The Human honestly didn't know what to say. "Oh."

Casey let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Yea... 'oh'. Anyway, that's when I realized that taking a leftover position in a relationship isn't any healthier for me than when I was partying all the time, or getting high, or getting drunk. I have to stop doing all of this shitty, messed-up, self destructive stuff... I need something... well... like the song said-- more."

Paul was still having trouble finding the right words to respond; Casey was right, of course, and everything he said rang true in the surest of ways, but nothing that came to the young man's mind seemed to be the 'right' thing to say. In the end his response was stalled further by his cell. He glanced to where it was laying on the table, and reached up to turn it off. The Dalmatian across from him took a moment to clear his throat. "Nah-- you can get it if you want."

"No... it's okay, we're at lunch."

Casey insisted, running the napkin across his eyes. "Go ahead... I, uh, need a minute anyway."

Not willing to argue the point, Paul picked up his phone, hit the talk button, and brought it to his ear. "This is Paul."

The Human almost dropped it when the speaker blared out a response. "Hey, Paul-- it's Brian."

Mumbling angry nothings to himself, Paul set the cell back on the table. "Brian? Hi. I'm on lunch break in a cafe with a coworker-- what's up?"

It was an old code the two had used countless times, letting the other know that they weren't alone so nothing unseemly would be said. Brian apparently caught the reference because he laughed on the other end at nothing that seemed otherwise funny. "Okay-- I get it. Just wanted to let you know that the interview got pushed up. I'm gonna be in town tomorrow."

With so much going on that day Paul lost track of the significance. "Interview?"

Brian seemed to have no trouble reminding him. "The Weidtman-Honey Institute-- I'm applying for an opening in their pediatric wing. Remember?"

Casey set his napkin back down. "Weidtman-Honey Institute? That's that integrated hospital up in Sacramento, isn't it?"

Brian had no trouble reacting to the question. "Hey, Paul's co-worker. Yes it is. Paul, I didn't know you liked speaker phone so much."

Paul felt his face blush almost as much as he saw Casey's ears redden. He quickly did the only think he could think of to redirect the embarrassment. "Yea... Casey, this is Brian. Brian, Casey-- he's the 'hot little number' you mentioned seeing in that Mein Hund ad."

Little did he know just how much chaos that innocent comment would bring into his life.