Longing: Chapter 8
#9 of Needs & Desires
Hello all! Just wanted to let everyone know, this is possibly the longest chapter so far. :) Also, yes, there's no yiff here, but hang in there, it'll be worth it. :) Trust me!
Also, just wanted to say thanks again, to Lady Shandi Dracul and Poxy for catching previous grammar and spelling errors. If anyone finds so here, then you get 10,000 internets. That could tie you with the leaders. Thanks again!
Lucas
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Lucas stayed with Ana until her sobbing had almost entirely stopped. With quiet sobs, Ana continued to apologize to Lucas. Lucas stood, dragging Ana with him, and sitting her down in a chair, Lucas poured her a hot coffee. Comforting her, Lucas said, "Relax and drink this. You need to clear up your head a bit. I'm going to go and talk to Rose. Keep your phone on, I'll call you afterwards."
With one hand, Lucas patted Ana on the head, and with the other, he pushed away her hair from her eyes. Looking into her bleary, amber eyes, Lucas forced himself to grin, and said, "Don't worry. I'm sure she'll understand." To his self, Lucas thought, "At least, I hope so."
Ana sniffled, continuing to sip at her coffee. As Lucas got ready, Ana sat and thought about what had happened. "OK, so I slapped her. And I may have called her a hussy and a bitch... I've been called those before, and it didn't bother me. So... it shouldn't bother her, right?"
Lucas headed for the door, as he checked his pockets for change. Ana noticed him looking for bus fare, and decided to intervene. "Uh, Lucas?" she quietly uttered.
Lucas paused, and looking over his shoulder, asked, "Yeah?"
"Well, I feel bad... I mean, I feel terrible. I'm really sorry, and I want to try and help," Ana said, as she stood up, walking towards Lucas.
"Ana, I told you. You were hurt, and we're both responsible," Lucas opened the door, trying to exit quickly, before Ana could mess the situation up further.
"Lucas, wait. Take my car," Ana said, reaching into her pocket, and pulled out her keys. "Here. It's the least I could do."
Lucas stood in the doorway, stunned; Ana's car was her pride, at least next to her looks and her wardrobe. He held his hand out, as Ana carefully put the keys in his palm. "Ana... I don't---"
Lucas began, but Ana stopped him, saying, "Take it. I'm not worried. Sure, you haven't driven a car in a while, but, it's like riding a bicycle. You never forget." And with that, Ana smirked slightly.
Since Ana was trying to crack a joke, Lucas feebly laughed, if only to fill the awkward silence that followed. "Thanks. I'll be sure to not get a scratch on it."
Ana nodded, and pushed Lucas out of the door. "Be sure to call me. I'll wait by my phone," Ana said, a little more confidently, while she used a sleeve to wipe her nose.
Lucas quickly headed to Ana's personal garage, and unlocked it with the keys. Ana's sports-car was parked poorly, almost like when someone casually tossed a shirt towards a clothes hamper. The car beeped, as Lucas unlocked it, and after Lucas had started the ignition, the car's proximity alert immediately buzzed. Shaking his head, Lucas readjusted the seats and mirror to fit his height. After he was settled, Lucas shakily put the shift into reverse. The engine rumbled, easily drowning out the annoying buzzer, as Lucas carefully backed out, making sure not to take off the passenger-side mirror. After he backed out, Lucas shifted into a low gear, testing the clutch and his shaky footwork. "Damn stick shifts. I should really have tried to remember my mom's lessons."
Lucas checked his phone for directions to the Embassy where Rose, Zuzana, worked. Taking a moment to memorize the basics, Lucas started to drive. The car lurched uneasily from time to time, as Lucas slowly remembered some of the lessons on driving manual transmissions. Eventually, when Lucas had thought he could time the shifts, the car shook violently. Surprised, and a little worried, Lucas luckily found he was near enough to walk the rest of the distance. Pulling into a temporary parking spot, Lucas hopped out and locked the car. Shaking out cramps, Lucas stretched and began a leisurely jog towards the hotel.
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Rose blinked away the tears that continued to well in her eyes. Despite her best efforts to ignore the stinging on her cheeks, Rose couldn't focus on anything else. She had hurried to her car, and hoping in, quickly drove to her apartment. As she drove, her thoughts raced. She thought about Lucas, and felt warmth, coupled with a feeling of security. Then she thought about Lucas' roommate, the white-furred, gorgeous female canid. Immediately, her cheek flared in pain, and her breath faltered. She choked in a few, small breaths, trying to steady herself. Her mind fixated on what Ana had said. "I'm his lover... I'm his lover..." Although she had nearly cried herself out, her tears immediately returned, soaking her cheeks and making it harder for her to see the road. Sobbing to herself, Rose wailed in the car, remembering the night they had previously and the feelings she had felt. The same feelings she was sure Lucas felt. Wondering if perhaps Lucas didn't feel the same way, Rose cried even harder, nearly swerving off the road. Grabbing the wheel, Rose pushed away all her sadness, just letting it sink in, dragging her spirits down.
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Lucas checked his phone as he jogged, while trying to watch the street signs, while making sure to not run into pedestrians. Soon, Lucas spotted the large sign; the hotel was about a block away. Reinvigorated, Lucas used the burst to sprint the last hundred feet. Running into the lobby, Lucas paused to catch his breath. Checking the time, Lucas noted it was about one and a half hours since Rose had left his apartment. Hoping she had to go to work, Lucas walked to the concierge/service desk, and breathlessly asked, "Is Rose, uh, Zuzana Banik, in?"
Unaware of the larger feline approaching from behind, Lucas waited for the smaller, spotted canid male to answer...
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Rose cleaned herself at her apartment, reapplying make-up and putting on a clean, unwrinkled dress-suit/skirt. Straightening her stance, removing her earrings and combing back her midnight-black hair, Rose put a band in; company policy wanted every employee to keep loose hair and jewelry to a minimum. Rose tip-toed the line with her permanent tongue-stud, but her manager was nice enough to ignore it. After all, it was rather hard to spot against her dark tongue, unless of course... An image of Lucas jumped to Rose's mind, and she saw her eyes start to water. "Stop that. I've got to go to work. Breathe, relax, gotta be presentable..." she thought to herself, resolving to not let her feelings get her upset.
Driving to work, Rose turned on the radio, listening to the idle chatter. Parking her car in a pay lot, Rose hurried across the street, and clocked in. Her manager, an older lapin female, approached her asking, "Zuzana, you parked in the lot today. That's certainly different... did'ya miss the bus?" Reaching out a hand, and putting it on Rose's shoulders, her manager could feel the slight female's shudder. The older woman, worried, leaned closer.
With no response forthcoming, her manager asked, "Honey, what's wrong?"
Quickly, Rose responded, in a shaky voice, "No-nothing. I just... just... had a rough morning..." Choking back a sob, Rose shook off her manager's arm. "But thanks for the concern, Tasha."
"Sweetie, tell me what happened... otherwise, I'll have to recommend you take the day off. We don't want you to have to work, if you're not feeling 100 percent," Tasha said, soothingly like a mother.
Rose, not wanting to take the day off, resignedly told Tasha. The lapin female sighed when Rose talked about Lucas, and hissed angrily about what Ana had said about him. Tasha narrowed her eyes, and asked, "What did he do about that? Nothing? Figures. Men are always like that, one minute, treating you like royalty; the next minute they're dominated by a busty-chested, bimbo---"
"Wait a minute! What's that?" Tasha scoffed, leaning closer to examine Rose's face.
"Your face is bright red. It's hard to see under the dark fur honey, but it's there... Did he hit you?" Tsking to herself, Tasha wrote something on her clipboard. "Zuzana..." she muttered, as she continued to scribble something.
Shaking her head, Rose tried to interrupt, but Tasha quickly said, "Well, I can't let you go home, not like this. Hmmm... I can have you operate the hotel's phone-lines. We'll talk later."
Before Rose could retort, Tasha walked away, disappearing around a corner. Despite her age, Tasha was still rather quick, and could really burn rubber in her high-heels.
Sighing, Rose headed to the small cubicles that held the phone-board, and putting on the headset, began her day...
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"I'm sorry sir. There's no employee here with the name of Rose... Perhaps you're at the wrong hotel?" the small canid said, in an annoyingly effeminate voice.
"Could you check Zuzana then? That's her formal name... Please, I need to talk with her," Lucas pleaded, "I wanted to clarify some things. And to make sure she's OK."
From behind, Lucas heard a muffled cough, like someone trying to politely get attention. Ignoring the coughing, Lucas leaned forward, trying to see if the canid was even trying.
"I'm sorry sir. I have to ask you to step aside, I'll gladly have a member of management come to assist you," the canid said, in a mocking tone. "Besides, other patrons are beginning to line up behind you..."
Looking around him, Lucas only saw a larger feline in a dark suit standing behind him. "What'da mean? Fine. I'll wait in the lobby until her shift ends. No need to call management." Throwing up his hands, Lucas tried to head to the complimentary seats, as the larger feline moved in front of him. Pardoning himself, Lucas attempted to move around the suit, but feline stood adamantly.
Putting a hand up, the feline reached out and grasped Lucas by the shoulders, and in a sing-song, soft voice (completely surprising Lucas), said, "Excuse me. I'm with building security. I was told of a disturbance. Can I help you, sir?"
Unlike the canid behind the desk, this feline actually sounded sincere. However, since his large hand was gripping Lucas' jacket, Lucas felt a bit irritated. "Yeah. I want to know if Rose, or Zuzana Banik, is working today... I'm Lucas. Ask her about me," Lucas said, clearly exasperated.
"Did you say your name was Lucas sir? Please wait for a moment..." The feline put his other hand up to his hidden ear-mic and whispered something. A moment later, he nodded, and asked, "Lucas Toddy?"
Scowling, because he disliked his last name, Lucas paused, and then nodded, saying, "Yes. Did you ask Rose?"
"Something like that... I've been asked to escort you to Tasha's office in the back. She's the day manager. Please, this way." The feline roughly lifted Lucas a bit, and dragged him towards a door.
Shaking himself out of his jacket, Lucas stopped, as the feline tried keep his grip on Lucas. "I can walk, if you had just asked..." Lucas said.
The feline nodded, and motioned to proceed.
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Lucas walked ahead of his "escort" to a set of oak double doors, inlaid with fancy carvings. Pausing, Lucas watched his shadow rap his knuckles on the door. A moment later, he opened the doors for Lucas and said, "Mrs. Haire would like to speak with you."
Lucas walked inside, towards a massively, ornate desk, covered with notes and papers. Sitting at the desk, a female lapin busily typed away at a computer, while simultaneously reading through a stack of papers in front of her. She was older, but she still cast an air of authority around her. Her large chest heavily lightly in her tight suit/skirt, as she worked rapidly. Keeping her hair tightly pulled into a bun, she focused on something on her computer screen, squinting from behind her glasses. Pausing for a moment, she finally sighed happily to herself, and continued to work.
Lucas sat down, and coughed once, like the feline had earlier. The motherly lapin either ignored him or didn't notice. Lucas repeated, once then twice. After sitting there for a few minutes, Lucas breathed deeply, and stood up, intent on getting somewhere. Immediately, the woman asked, "Yes?" Despite her innocuously sounding question, Lucas could feel a bit of spite hidden within it.
Lucas looked at her, and said, "Hi. I'm Lucas, and I just wanted to know if an employee of yours was in today. Instead, they directed me here. So... yeah."
"Ah. I see. Well. Normally we don't give away personal information about our employees, schedules or otherwise. So, unfortunately, I suppose you'll have to leave," the lapin responded, rather coarsely.
"Uh. OK. Well, then I'll wait in the lobby then, like I wanted to earlier," Lucas started, as he headed for the door.
Drawing in a breath through clenched teeth, Tasha said, "Our hotel chain discourages loitering in, on, or around the premises. So, in an effort to not having to alert the authorities, I suggest you head out. Also, stalking is considered a crime..." Tasha lowered her gaze, as she tapped a pen on the desk.
Lucas shook his head, confused slightly. Unfortunately, his face betrayed his anger, and he fixed his scowling glare at Tasha. Thinking to his self, â€What did I do to upset her so much? Why am I getting so upset?†He moved a hand up, to scratch an itch.
"Oh, are you upset? Would you like to hit me also?" Tasha challenged Lucas, as she stood up, and moved across the room quickly. Turning her head, she whispered, "Go ahead. But, it won't do you any good. You'll still feel like you do now, later."
Lucas backed away, his jaw having dropped. Stammering, he said, "No...no- I never hit her. I would never raise my hand to a woman..."
Tasha didn't seem impressed, and said, "You cowards are all alike. When a strong woman comes along, you back off, and run home with your tail in between your legs." Huffing to herself, Tasha continued, "Well, forget Zuzana. I'm teaching her how to be strong, like me, later today. So your bully tactics won't work anymore. Might as well go back to your trampy, dominated roommate."
Lucas yelled, "NO! You've got it wrong. I never hit her! My roommate did, because she was drunk and upset..."
"Hmpf. Go ahead, blame her. Not going to change anything. And, if I hear from any of my employees, that you are harassing them, I will call the authorities. Now, please leave," Tasha said, as she shooed him out of her office, and snapping her fingers, got the silent, wall of a feline suit to "escort" Lucas away.
Lucas, his head in shame, and frustration, let himself get led away, as he failed to notice a familiar scent from behind a cubicle.
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Rose busied herself with taking guest's calls for an hour, when she heard a click on the radio. Curious, she turned it on, catching Georgi asking "... What should I do?"
There was a pause, as Rose swore she could hear a familiar voice in the background. Another voice, unfamiliar, responded, "Mrs. Haire would like to speak with Mr. Toddy. Please escort him to her office."
Rose, paused, her thoughts spinning. However, her thoughts were jumbled, and trying to make sense of them strained her already scrambled head. Ignoring them, she stood, and decided to freshen up. She headed to the ladies room.
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After cleaning up, she sat back down, and resumed to take guest's calls, directing them to appropriate extensions or answering their questions. Taking her mind of the day's events, she barely noticed a familiar smell of leather and lavender pass by her cubicle. Sniffing delicately, Rose paused in a call with a guest, while excusing herself. Standing up, she could barely see over the cubicle, but she definitely noticed Georgi's towering figure. He was walking lightly back towards Tasha's office, with a note in his hand. Rose, decided to stop him. "Hey! Georgi! How are you today?"
"Oh. Heya, little Rose. I'm fine..." he said slowly, in that soothing sing-song voice of his. "I've was given this note. It's for Mrs. Big Boss." Georgi chuckled to himself, amused at his own joke.
Rose smiled, flashing her pretty teeth, and asked, "Who's it from?"
Immediately, Georgi clamped shut, and without looking Rose in the eye, said quietly, "I'm not supposed to say."
Rose, cocked her head sideways, confused. Normally, Georgi treated her like his own sister. He always told Rose everything. "Well, why not?" Rose asked innocently.
"Mrs. Haire would have my tail. She said not to mention him to you..." Georgi replied, signaling something was up. Georgi never called Tasha by her name, unless necessary.
"Please? Who are not supposed to mention? I won't let anyone know it was you... Please?" Rose moved close into Georgi, and she could feel him shake with uncertainty.
"Well, sometimes, I DO drop things. Even important things..." Georgi said, winking.
Rose, still slightly confused, wasn't sure what the big guy meant, until he pushed the note into her hand. "I'll have to find in on the floor later, maybe around here?" the big feline mused.
Rose nodded, and looked at the crumpled paper. "I would hurry, little Rose. He seemed really sad. You seem really sad. Maybe you'll cheer each other up..." the feline whispered, stepping to the side and motioning to the hallway that led out.
After a quick glance at the note, Rose, cupping a hand to her mouth, dropped the note as she rushed down the hallway, while tears streaked down her face. Georgi shook his head, knowing if Tasha found out what he did, he'd hear from her. And she would not be happy. Not at all...
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Lucas trudged down the sidewalk, ignoring others. He heard cries of "Hey!" and "Watch it!" and "How rude", but Lucas wasn't in the mood to be polite. The big feline escorted him out a hallway that led into the parking garage, remaining silent the whole time. Before he turned and left Lucas, Lucas managed to convince him to take a note back to his manager, that woman who so irritated him, and probably ruined his chances at patching up things with Rose. Using a crumpled paper, Lucas hastily scrawled out a note of apology, asking Tasha to let Rose know that he was sorry, and if Rose didn't want to talk to him, then he would understand.Â
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Kicking trash with his foot, Lucas tried to let out his frustration. Nearly howling in grief, Lucas instead stomped on a can that had been tossed aside. People watched him, and most ignored him, but a few pointed and whispered. Lucas, noticing them, glowered, and barked out, "What? Never seen someone upset? Sorry! I guess I shouldn't ruin Miami for you tourists!" And kicking the crushed can towards a group of florally-dressed tourists, he said, "I guess y'all never been hurt, no! Your world is perfect! Isn't it?"
At this point, most of the people who had been watching, had moved on, disgusted by Lucas' behavior. Shrugging off the cold stares, and the glares, Lucas stomped angrily back towards Ana's car. Remembering that he was supposed to call, Lucas reached into his pocket to get his phone. As he dug for it, he heard someone approach breathlessly from behind. Turning, Lucas was in no mood to deal with any jerks, Lucas raised his fists ---
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--- And noticed Rose, with her hands on her small hips, panting. Lucas' eyes grew wide, and his arm sank to his sides, his anger immediately dissipating. Stammering for something to say, Lucas only could stare. Rose was dressed in a business suit/skirt that expertly accentuated her curves. Since she had been running, it had hiked up her leg slightly, revealing a little too much. Lucas saw Rose struggling to push it back down. Her hair was pulled back in a band, although her running had mussed it somewhat. Either way, Lucas only saw a beautiful, petite nymph; perfect in every curve, her soft, sable fur looking sexy in the bright Miami sun. Lucas then snapped back to attention, and was about to say something, realizing he was here to apologize for his failure and Ana's outburst. Before he could, Rose caught her breath and moved close, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pulling him down to meet her muzzle, kissed him deeply. Lucas immediately hugged her strongly, lifting her easily, as they continued to kiss deeply, and more passionately than either had before. Neither wanted to pull away, as their tongues danced, each enjoying the other's closeness. Eventually, needing a breath, Lucas and Rose broke the kiss, despite their desires.
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Instead, they looked deeply into each other's eyes, finding solace and comfort with each other. Around them, the crowd, at least those who hadn't fled from Lucas, ahhed and ohhed, pleased. Some clapped, while others took a few snap shots, and others were saying things; Lucas and Rose didn't notice any of it. They just breathed deeply, and kissed deeply again, as Rose wrapped her legs around Lucas waists. A few hoots from the crowds this time, however, got through, and embarrassed, Lucas and Rose separated blushing. Rose hopped to the sidewalk, and put her hand around Lucas' waist, while she whispered, "Maybe, we should take this somewhere, private?"
"My thoughts exactly," Lucas whispered back, as he put an arm on Rose's shoulders, enjoying how she moved closely. Rose rested her head on his side as they walked; Lucas didn't object in any way, instead he just smiled brightly.
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Together they walked towards Ana's car, and as they passed by a homeless ursine, who was handicapped, they heard him mutter, "That's how it always is... destined lovers locking eyes for the first time." The ursine, who was a tangled mess of fur and mismatched blankets, was speaking to no one in general, but Lucas and Rose paused, curious.
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The older male continued, "Might be even written in the stars... and the lovers are like stars; their love burning bright, hot and passionately, only to burn out eventually. Might'en even be the same lovers, as always. Same souls, finding each other, trying to beat the odds, always trying. Always failing."
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Lucas looked at Rose, as she watched the crazy-sounding man, even as he continued, unconcerned that no one else was listening. "Those star gazers say that even dead stars still give us light, might'en be gone, but they still burn brightly in the darkness. Shining like diamonds, guiding us still, even after they've gone to oblivion. Watch these two stars here; they know they're bound for doom, like us all. But still, we have to watch, unable to look away, just as we do when we look at the dead stars and still admire their ageless beauty... True love, only burns brightly once in a hundred lifetimes. It's just... so perfect..." The old man paused.
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Rose sniffled once, tears coming to her eyes. Lucas also choked back some tears. Releasing Lucas, Rose clapped softly, her tears running freely down her face, even as Lucas joined in. The old ursine cocked his head towards them, with a look of confusion on his face. "Whos'it about? Huh?"
Lucas, getting his wallet, reached in and grabbed all of his loose cash, and gave it to the old man, who surprised, said, "Thank'ya. God Bless..."
Bewildered, the man wheeled himself back into the alley he came out of, laughing to himself, unsure of why Lucas handed him money. Rose, grabbed Lucas' arm and squeezed close, burying her face into Lucas sides, trying to mutter something. Lucas ran his hand through her hair, and got Rose to look him in the eye. Rose looked so happy, a smile on her face, even as the tears stopped flowing. She repeated what she had said, "That was so beautiful... What he said... Do you think?"
Lucas smiled, and kissed her lightly, and said, "Doesn't matter... I think you've cried enough for the year today... I'm going to make sure you don't cry ever again..."
Rose smiled sheepishly, and asked, "What? Not even tears of joy?"
Lucas grinned widely, and said, "Well, OK. Maybe that. But I prefer the laughter of joy... just no sad crying... I promise..."
Grasping each other tightly, they headed to Ana's car, quiet, but happier than they ever had been. The day looked promising...
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