FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Salvatore's is a nice enough establishment. The food there is of a high quality, and the prices match. Such a place is not outside of Arya's budget, but her concern tonight isn't with her pocketbook, it is with her integrity.

Her uncle's message came perfectly clear only a few hours after they had their private talk at her home. "That rat cheated us. You know what to do."

The rest of her week hadn't been any better than those harrowing moments with her uncle's fingers around her throat. She kept herself secluded in her apartment, shut off from the rest of the world, at least until the big day arrived. During that time, she would receive more updates: images of Jay hanging out with police officers, of him in the same parties as enemies of the family, and him at rival businesses. By the time she left her home, she was a nervous mess. And then, the trek downtown was fraught with danger. A police officer passing by possibly double checking her, a man in a strange coat walking just out of eyesight, and the feeling of always being watched following her everywhere she went. If Jay had told the authorities about her or sold her out in any way, now would be a perfect time to take her.

She waits fifteen minutes, and still there is no sign of Jay. A guitarist croons a melancholic song on stage, braising her in its mood as her tail twitches back and forth under the booth.

The plan is simple--find out what Jay knows by loosening him up. The wine selection here is wonderful, and if he does wish to do her harm, being inebriated will make him easier to evade. She gulps as she looks over the selection, all the while keeping an eye out at some of the staff. She knows that this gig is just a cover for a handful of the employees here. Would it be their waiter, the bartender? The busboy? She cannot say. If things go well with Jay, then the problem lies in her Uncle. Even if she is cleared of any charges, he's going to be a different story, and he'll want a piece of the rat, anyway. He worked very hard to make sure she distrusted him, after all.

The dinging of a bell pulls her away from her thoughts. There stands Jay, pulling off his hat and handing his coat over to a young rabbit at the door. She shudders as she sees him approach, and she slinks back in her seat, trying to make herself seem less threatening than she certainly feels she is being.

"Snazzy place," Jay says, sliding into the seat across from her. What could fit a whole party of bipeds proves to be the perfect seating for one rat and his snake date. "Didn't think you'd want to go so high class."

"I figure I'd do something special--for me, well, for us," Arya responds, slipping her tongue out quickly to lap up some of her water.

"Oh yeah?" He says. "Well, it's secluded enough we can talk shop, that's for sure. If that's what you'd like, that is. There's plenty to talk about, actually. Lots of pieces are moving and..." he trails off, watching her with a slightly narrowed gaze. "You alright?"

She closes her eyes and places her menu down. "I've been worrying about all of this for the past week. Maybe we should just enjoy ourselves to start?"

"Fine by me," he says. "This marks our first occasion that we can be really real with each other, you know?"

She can't help but laugh at that, which makes him flutter his whiskers in intrigue. She bites her lip and swirls her thumb over the rim of her glass, looking for a way out of explaining herself, when a well-dressed bull steps up, carrying a bottle in his hands. "Here you go, the house Red for you to try."

"You're just giving that away, buddy?" Jay, asks, leaning back in his chair with one hand draped over the back. "Sounds like you'd be out of business if you did that for just anyone."

"Ah, well, I was under the impression that this was a special occasion?" He asks this, looking over to Arya with a quick wink.

Arya slips her tongue back in and grabs the bottle. "Oh yes. Don't you recall, Jay? Today's our one month anniversary!"

"Anniversary!?" Jay asks, his eyes widening. "Oh dang, I totally forgot. I wasn't even aware we're doing that sort of thing. One month, really? Wow"

He certainly seems surprised... pleasantly. But he also forgot. Is it because he doesn't care? Because this is just a means to an end? She has to know more.

"Well, this is a new thing for me," Arya admits, opening the bottle with little trouble with her bare hands. She pours a little on each of their glasses before setting it aside. "We're still deciding what we want. You'll have to come back in a little bit, alright?"

The waiter shrugs and walks away, leaving the two to be on their own once again.

Jay lifts up his glass and brings it to his nose, giving the whine a quick sniff. "Drinking some wine before we even choose what goes with it? That's a peculiar move. I can tell this stuff is pretty sweet, too."

"Well, I am a peculiar girl, aren't I?" Arya asks, squeezing the bottle as she forces a smile.

"Hm..., in a way, but you seem much more nervous than usual. You want to tell me what's bothering you?"

"Oh, I'm going to need something stronger than this to do that!" she blurts, but then bites her mouth, rearing back a bit. "No, I didn't mean that, I meant to say I just enjoy some wine, don't you? Different drinks for different parts of the meal. Yep, this is the appetizer."

She takes the glass and sips, looking away to see the waiter talking to the bartender. Yep, those two are in cahoots. She swishes the drink in her mouth a bit, finding it to be oddly diluted.

Jay shrugs and takes his drink. "Well, you won't have to worry too much longer. After I'm through what I plan tonight, you're never going to be worried again. You can trust me on that."

Her heart thumps so loud, she fears he would hear it. Could he have been more vague? Did he actually mean that he was going through with it? Are any of the people here actually cops? Is the waiter? She licks over her fangs, wetting them in preparation for the worst.

Jay reaches into his breast pocket, and Arya lurches forward, gripping onto the table. He pauses, frowning a moment before he puts whatever was in there back away. "Maybe we need a little bit more to drink first. You're really on edge. You need to," he pauses, yawning. "relax."

She sighs a deep sigh and sits bqack. "Thank you for understanding," she says, though, as she speaks, her fangs poke through her mouth at some points, making her speak much slower than before to avoid hurting herself.