Double Dog Dare
Double Dog Dare
copyright 2011 comidacomida
Paul reached for his alarm clock, groggy and confused, wondering why he had set it to go off on a Saturday and, moreover, why it was set to awaken him with music rather than the usual buzzer. It was only when his fingers reached the switch that he suddenly realized that it was not the alarm clock making the sound. Sitting up immediately, he gazed around his room; everything was as it should have been, though Tanner's absence was readily noticeable-- he had a Saturday morning class every week all term long. It took a moment for Paul to realize that the singing was coming from outside in the living room.
Throwing on an old shirt to accompany the sweatpants he wore to bed, Paul lumbered to his door with a yawn, wondering what the noise was about. The young man made his way down the hall, covering his mouth as another yawn escaped, and then came to a dead-stop, completely awake thanks to the spectacle that played out before him.
Casey was holding the handle of a feather duster up to his muzzle and singing into it as if it were a microphone. He was accompanied by a small CD player resting next to the sofa. Paul had heard the song, or at least parts of it, so he knew what it was even though he didn't know who sang it. That thought was not the main focus of his mind, however-- the actual thought at the forefront was: Casey wears underwear?
The dalmatian was prancing around the living room dressed in nothing but a pair of green boxer-briefs with a discernible "MH" logo repeating itself all the way around the waistband. He was moving in time with the song and alternating between swiping at a table-here or a shelf-there with the duster and rocking out to the music with his 'microphone'. Paul's hand found its way to his cellphone which had been resting in a decorative bowl on a small table at the end of the hallway. Raising it up, still stunned, he took a moment to remember what to press to get the camera to record... and he left the rest up to Casey.
"Me and my green short shorts and I can't seek a lot, any canine will do. I'm figurin' that's why they call me faithful 'cause I'm the Dog of the land. When they see me they daho-ooooooo." ahd Casey turned the last word into an honest-to-goodness howl. Paul, somehow, managed to avoid laughing... and the dalmatian continued the show.
"Who let the dogs out? *Bark*-- *BARK BARK BARK!* Who let the dogs out? *Bark*-- *BARK BARK BARK!*" Although the song usually called for a very emphatic "WHO" after the question, Paul had to admit to himself that he liked Casey's version more. It was during the final repetition of the question-then-barks however that the dalmatian spun around, "Who let the--" and his eyes encountered Paul... and then focused quickly on the cell phone. "Is... is that recording?" Casey questioned. Paul nodded, then benevolently pressed the button to make it stop.
"Sooo... uh..." Casey stumbled over his words, quickly setting the feather duster aside, "Why aren't you at work?" he asked, "I... uh... thought you left for work by 7:30." the Dalmatian then pressed the STOP button on the CD player, which silenced immediately.
"It's Saturday." Paul noted in a straight-forward tone, "I don't usually work on Saturdays."
"Oh..." Casey's ears blushed and he cleared his throat, "I think... uh... I'm gonna go find a pair of pants." and the Dalmatian quickly trotted off down the hall after passing Paul, his tail tucked just a little. Paul managed to avoid smiling like a fool until the Dog was out of the room.
"So THIS is what it feels like being on the opposite end of the embarrassment for a change." he whispered to himself, his grin widening.
Paul stood there for several moments trying to remember how to save the recording on his phone. He was still trying to figure it out when Casey came back with jeans on, though he remained shirtless. The Dog took a seat on the couch next to the CD player and looked up at Paul, "So... saving that for blackmail, or just wanna be able to watch me shake it whenever you feel like it?"
Paul sat down beside the Dalmatian. Casey was wearing a cocky grin, but there was an element of uncertainty in it with which Paul could empathize-- he'd worn that smile on more than one occasion, "It was just one of the funniest things I'd ever seen..." Paul admitted. Casey's ears drooped and their insides reddened, "In a good way!" the human quickly added.
"Yea... well..." Casey fidgeted, "I don't usually don't dance like that in front of others..." he glanced up at Paul, "or sing." a portion of the Dalmatian's cockiness swept aside with the admission.
"Why not?" Paul asked, "I mean about the singing." he added quickly when the Dog's ears went up. Paul cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head, "What I mean is, you have a nice voice."
Casey's ears went up further, then quickly dropped back down in embarrassment, but the Dog's tail started beating a tempo on the sofa, "Believe it or not, I have a bit of stage fright."
"You?" Paul asked incredulously, "They guy who'll go up in front of cameras and pose practically naked?"
"Pfft..." Casey waved the comment away with one paw, "Following directions... it's not like I actually have to do much, and I like being given orders." he offered a friendly wink, "or so I'm sure you've been told."
"Heh... not that Ray'd agree with that statement." Paul smirked, setting his cell of to the side, having given up with figuring out the video clip file options.
"Well, that's cuz Ray's not a human." Casey grinned, and gave Paul a light jab in the ribs with his index finger.
"Obviously." Paul responded, shying away from further pokings, "Though something tells me you probably have an occasional disobedient moment or two in you even when you're dealing with Humans."
Casey grinned, showing all his teeth, "Maaaayyyyybe." he crooned.
Paul paused at that, the gears turning in his brain to find a slightly more comfortable topic for discussion, "So what else do you sing?"
"Oh..." the Dalmatian drew back, tail slowing, "Well... like I said, I don't usually sing in front of others."
Paul nodded, "I asked what you sing, not what you sing around others." he smiled casually, "What kind of music do you like?"
"Oh..." Casey's tail started picking up speed again, "Pretty much all kinds but usually it's top 40... electronica... club... pop... folk and country... a bit of classical--"
"You? COUNTRY?" Paul asked incredulously, "Really?"
"Well... yea." Casey nodded, "I grew up on it. Plus, considering the fact that country music and top 40 stuff is kinda blending together these days, it's practically the same. I guess I pretty much like all kinds of music." he shrugged, "I used to think I'd never really like R&B or hip-hop, but since moving out here to Cali it's kinda grown on me..." the Dalmatian nodded to himself, apparently further considering the implications of the question, his answers, or both.
"So you're not from here originally?" Paul asked, "You're not from California?"
Casey shook his head, "Nope."
"Wow... and I kinda had you pegged as the fundamental native crazy Californian." Paul smirked.
The Dalmatian laughed in response, "A carefully built image. I DO kinda fit in pretty well, don't I?" Casey smirked, tail wagging.
"Based on what I've seen?" Paul nodded, "Yea."
"Well... believe it or not," Casey explained, "I grew up in Tennessee."
"Really?" Paul asked.
"Yep." Casey nodded, "Moved out here with my family when I was nine."
"Wow... pretty big move for a kid." Paul put his chin in his palm, resting his elbow on his knee while looking at Casey.
"For a pup, yea." the Dog nodded, "My dad trained horses for a living and I guess there was a lot of work out here for someone with his skills."
"In a city?" Paul asked incredulously.
Casey laughed, "No, Paul... not in a city. Believe it or not, but Northern California is full of farm land and agriculture... plus, further south there's tons of horse ranches." The Dog leaned back, putting his feet up on the coffee table in front of the couch, "So we moved to Sacramento and my dad commuted as far up as Roseburg and as far south as San Diego... really busy time for my family."
"Musta been a big change." Paul assessed.
"Yea... you can say that again." Casey chuckled, "I took to it pretty quick, and so did one of my brothers... Pa and Ma never really did, and my sisters hated it."
Paul blinked, "It's taken awhile for me to get used to it." he smirked, "Not sure I ever will."
Casey nodded, "Yea... well they stayed about 10 years and then moved back pretty quick after that."
"And you stayed?" Paul inquired.
"Yep." Casey nodded, "Joined the army so I could support myself and serve my country and all of the other great patriotic stuff that they say comes with it."
"And that didn't go very well, if I remember what you mentioned before." Paul offered diplomatically.
Casey smirked, "Yea... that's putting it lightly."
The two shared a comfortable silence for many long seconds before Paul spoke up, "I still can't believe you're from Tennessee."
"Why's that so hard to believe?" Casey questioned.
"Well..." Paul paused, searching for a suitable answer, "For one, you don't have an accent."
Casey laughed, "Well DUH! I lived most of my life in California. The only time I get an accent is after I've been talking to my Ma and Pa on the phone, or when I'm drunk."
"Hm..." Paul paused, catching something in the comment he'd all-but-overlooked before.
"What 'hm'?" Casey questioned.
"You said 'ma and pa'." the human pointed out.
"Yea? So?" the Dog challenged.
"I just don't hear that very often." Paul smirked, and chuckled.
"You are one weird human, Paul Miller." Casey responded, poking him in the ribs.
"Well, it's true!" Paul countered, and slapped the Dog's paw away from him, "It's just weird to think of you being from anywhere else other than California... as long as I've known you it just seemed like this is the state you would be--" he paused as his cell went off, "Uh..." he looked at it.
"Incoming text." Casey explained.
"I know... I know... I'm not THAT tech-incompetent." Paul picked up his cell and took a moment to check the text. Beside him, Casey pulled out his own cell, but Paul paid him no more mind as he looked at the message:
-HOW ARE THINGS? IS CASEY DOING WELL?-
Paul slowly began typing a few word response to let Eizenzahn know that everything was going well. It took him two tries to find the right button to send the message, but finally it transferred. He waited for the message to confirm being sent, "Darn network... it keeps getting slower and slower." he commented to no one in particular, and put his cell back down.
"Alrighty..." Casey said into his own cell, "Lemme put him on... just a sec." and Casey held the phone out to Paul, "Here."
Paul looked questioningly at Casey, then took the phone, "Hello?" the human asked into the receiver.
"Hiya there." a pleasant female voice on the other end spoke up; Paul could hear a distinct, though slightly subdued southern drawl to it, "Casey said he wanted me to say hi and let you know that he really was born in Tennessee."
"Um..." Paul didn't know what else to say.
"My name's Daisy-- I'm Casey's ma." she introduced herself.
"Oh..." Paul answered, still at a loss for words.
"My boy said y'all didn't believe he wasn't from California, so he asked me ta tell ya that he really is from the Volunteer State."
"The Volunteer State?" Paul asked, still having trouble formulating the right words.
"Tennessee." Casey and his mother said in unison.
"Oh." Paul nodded, "Uh... okay."
"And my lil boy says that you're not from California too... Midwest, he said, right?"
"Yes ma'am." Paul confirmed, unable to offer more than a word or two, focused on Casey, who looked like he was about to break out into a fit of laughter at any moment.
"Missouri?" she asked.
"No." Paul countered, "I'm from--"
"Oh... right!" she announced, "Casey mentioned they call you 'Dakota' at the studio... so are y'all from North or South Dakota?" she questioned in a manner that Paul found uncannily similar to Casey at his most bubbly.
"I'm not." Paul answered, "Actually I'm--"
"You know, they're actually more Great Plains and not so much Midwest, right?" she interjected.
"I know." Paul confirmed, "And I'm not from either state. I'm from--"
Casey took the phone back, "Ma... you're embarrassing me." he announced, and held up a finger as he exchanged several more series of words with the phone, "I know I asked you to talk to hi--- no... no I didn't mean you had to hear his life story.... yes I am but he's not. No, I'm not going to do that..." Casey glanced over at Paul, then quickly looked away as his ears reddened, "No, I KNOW you think I should, but he's not THAT kind of human." Paul felt his face flush red, having no idea what Casey's mother just said but few things came to mind that could have made him do anything other than blush.
"Alright, Ma..." Casey nodded against the phone, "Love you too... love to Pa... yea, I'll call again soon... bye." The dog closed up his cell and looked back to Paul, "See? Tennessee."
"Okay... I believe you." Paul noted, trying in vain to get the flushed color to leave his cheeks, "So... what did you mean by 'that kind of human'?" he fidgeted.
"Well... Ma knows I like Leashers, and she wanted to know if you--" Casey fell silent as Paul's cell phone buzzed again, "You're a popular guy today, Paul."
"Sorry." the human apologized, and he quickly picked his cell back up and checked the message,
"It's from Eizenzahn." Paul noted, "I can see that. Good job, Paul." the young man read the return text. "Huh..." he rubbed the back of his head, "I wonder what that's supposed to mean."
Casey raised his ears, "That sounds like half of a conversation... what'd you text him in the first place?"
"Just that you're settling in fine." Paul answered, "He texted earlier asking if everything was okay."
"Can I see?" Casey asked, holding out a paw. Paul complied, handing the phone over to the Dalmatian. The Dog pressed several buttons then paused, "Uh... Paul?"
"Yea?" he inquired.
"You didn't exit out of the video capture before texting a response earlier, did you?" Casey asked.
"I'm not sure... why? It's not like I sent that video of you dancing, is it?" Paul laughed... right up until he saw Casey turn pale beneath his fur. Paul joined him a half-second later.
The two avoided eye contact for the rest of the morning. Paul busied himself straightening up his room while Casey helped out by finishing the dusting in the dining room-- without music. the human put his cell on the kitchen counter, mentally setting it in 'time out' for his betrayal at its electronic clutches. A faint darkness hung about him as he continued to consider the possible ramifications of his technological blunder... but the metaphorical clouds began to peel away when Tanner finally got home.
Casey, still shirtless, followed Tanner through the condo to join Paul. The Dalmatian was talking about the many plans he had made for Sunday and was not shy about inviting the German Shepherd along. Tanner gave polite nods all the way and didn't stop before he was standing next to Paul, who had just begun to unwrap the bread to make sandwiches.
"Hi." Tanner smiled, reaching a paw out to softly rub Paul's back.
Paul practically melted at the attention, being just what he needed to take a mental step away from the morning, "Hi." he responded back, setting the bread aside so he could share a hug with his boyfriend, "Class go okay?" Paul looked over Tanner's shoulder and saw Casey standing patiently by the entrance to the kitchen, tail wagging slowly.
"Yea..." Tanner responded, "It's a management-business-kinda-class... I need it to qualify for an internship next semester. It's not all that bad for a three hour class." the Dog slowly rotated, leaning back against the refrigerator, which brought Casey out of Paul's view.
"It's been quite a day here." Casey spoke from behind Paul and, before the human knew it, he was embraced from the back by the Dalmatian, who leaned over his shoulder and touched muzzles with Tanner, "Why don't you two go relax and I'll make lunch." Casey withdrew and patted them both heartily on the back, "You two lovebirds look like you need a few minutes anyway." he winked and took Paul's earlier position at the counter.
Tanner led Paul back to the living room and took a seat on the sofa, pulling Paul down to sit in his lap, "Everything okay, Paul?" he asked calmly, wrapping his arms around the human, "You have this kinda deer-in-headlights look." the German Shepherd offered an encouraging smile.
"Just a long morning, I guess." Paul offered cryptically, laying his head on his boyfriend's shoulder with a sigh. He knew he'd eventually tell Tanner about the events, but between still trying to digest them himself, and knowing that Tanner deserved a few minutes of peace and quiet before being subjected to the wonders of Paul-and-cell-phone-interaction.
Paul closed his eyes, resting his body against against Tanner as the Dog stroked his back comfortingly. He was certain that his lover would never have any idea just how much his presence meant to Paul, but he promised himself that he would try to find a way to show his appreciation. The thought brought a new element of stress into his mind when he realized that he felt Tanner's hardened member through their respective jeans. Casey had been with them for almost a week and, during that time, they hadn't had the 'quality time' that he knew they both very much wanted. Paul blamed himself.
It wasn't that Paul didn't want to... or maybe it was. The human was confused about his own thoughts-- having Casey in the house made him uncomfortable to the point that he had begun wearing sweatpants to bed when before he sometimes didn't even bother with underwear-- especially when Tanner was involved. The self-consciousness led to many failed attempts by Tanner to instigate a physical level of intimacy, which left Paul feeling bad on each occasion. Paul very much wanted to share himself with his boyfriend... but the thought of Casey being in the house with them--
"Ding! Lunch is done!" Casey announced, wandering his way into the den. He held a small plate in either paw and balanced one on his head; each held a sandwich and a half-dozen carrot sticks. He offered one plate to Tanner, and then handed the second to Paul, finally retrieving his own plate from its place between his ears, and then took a seat on the far side of the sofa, providing Paul and Tanner a little extra space. "So, Tan-- kick ass at class today?" the Dalmatian took a bite of sandwich, smiling as he chewed. Paul followed suit and started in on his own lunch.
"As much as any Dog can when sitting and listening to a teacher talk for hours on end, yea." the German Shepherd replied, shifting Paul to a more comfortable position for both of them to eat. Tanner looked around, "The place looks cleaner... you guys do some straightening up while I was gone?"
Casey's tail beat against the back of the sofa, "Yea... I did some dusting and Paul took care of the kitchen." the Dalmatian's tail picked up speed, "He also did a little photography too." Paul choked on his sandwich at that.
Tanner laughed and gave the human a half-hug, "This is the weekend, Paul; you're not supposed to mess with cameras on the weekend."
"Yea..." Paul nodded after clearing his throat, "I'll remember that in the future. I'm sure it'll cause less problems."
Lunch went well for the most part, as did the rest of the day. Tanner summarized his class that morning as a customer service training course more than anything else. It had been put on by one of the police Dogs in charge of negotiation. The class was entitled "Dealing With Difficult People"; the title made Paul laugh and Casey made a wisecrack about police negotiators being overqualified to teach it.
The three hung around the condo for the afternoon, watched a movie, and, at one point, Paul had the two Dogs groaning in pain from a rapid-fire series of puns during a discussion on the marketing and advertisement industry. It was a light-hearted day and, despite all of the frustration and unease that came from having Casey as a roommate, Paul had to admit that he enjoyed himself. The two Dogs got along well and, unlike most cases when Paul ended up feeling like a third wheel they both did a good job of helping him avoid feeling like an outsider. It seemed strange to think of being left out in his own home, but the human had to remind himself that they knew one another far longer than either had known him.
When evening approached, Paul began dinner while Tanner went off to study for some upcoming finals. Casey left to go to the gym with a promise that he'd be back before food was ready. True to his word, the Dalmatian returned right before Paul was ready to set the table dressed in jeans and a tank top. He was carrying a paper bag in either arm. Casey set them on the counter and interposed himself between them and Paul, "Back human! Back!"
"I just want to see what you have." Paul responded.
Casey glanced over his shoulder at Paul, a sly grin on his muzzle, "Oh do you now?" the eyebrow wiggle combined with a wag from the Dalmatian was too much and the human blushed fiercely.
"In the bags." Paul quickly clarified.
"After dinner." the Dalmatian insisted. Back still to Paul, Casey took several items out of the bags and, carefully hiding them from view, slipped them into the fridge. Glancing over his shoulder again to make sure Paul wasn't peeking, Casey moved the final whatever-it-was to the back of the counter, hiding it neatly with a collection of bread, bananas, and a cookie jar. "Hey Paul?"
The human glanced back at the Dog, "Yea?"
"How come you have a cookie jar? You don't even have any cookies in it."
"It was a gift from my mom." Paul explained, getting several plates out.
"Like that 'decorative bowl thing' you have near the hall?" the Dalmatian smirked.
"Yes," Paul responded, "that was from her too."
"I'm not really sure that kinda stuff belongs in a bachelor pad." Casey offered.
Paul shrugged, getting a set of oven mitts, "I don't really pay attention to stereotypes... plus the bowl is great for holding keys and change and cellphones." he pulled a roast out of the oven and got out a large carving knife.
"Fair enough..." Casey shrugged, "but between that and your cooking and your carefully manicured appearance people might start talking."
Paul rolled his eyes. Casey smirked, strolling casually over to him until they stood almost shoulder-to-shoulder. Paul paused in his cutting of a roast, "What?" he asked the Dog.
"Nothing." Casey responded, leaning even closer, as if he was about to share a secret. Paul set the knife down and turned to look at the Dalmatian, who cocked his head to the side and bumped it against the human's with a solid *thock*.
The impact didn't exactly hurt, but it was enough to surprise Paul, "Ow!" he said, more out of reflex than anything else, "What was that for?"
"For being a good human." Casey grinned, trotting away and out of the kitchen with the plates in his paw, tail wagging.
Paul paused, rubbing his head, "I'd hate to see what you do to bad humans."
"Nah..." the Dog paused before he walked out of view, "I'm sure you'd love it." he shot Paul a wink, leaving the human blushing profusely... again.
Paul took a few more minutes to cut the roast, regaining his composure. He carried the cutting board out into the dining room; Tanner and Casey were already seated, chatting casually about--
they fell silent when he came into the room. "Why do I suddenly feel like a bug under a magnifying glass?" he asked them. The two grinned like a pair of predators, but said nothing. The human set the meat tray down and moved quickly back into the kitchen feeling just a little uneasy. He knew that Tanner moments of evil inspiration and if Casey were added to the mix it could spell trouble.
He returned with a bowl of salad in one hand and roast vegetables in the other. The two Dogs were seated quietly at the table, complete models of polite behavior; the situation left Paul even more ill-at-ease. "Is everything okay here?" the human asked, setting the bowls down before going to his chair. He paused, checking for a tack or whoopee cushion or anything else that would bring a laugh at his expense. Moments later he realized he wasn't very subtle about it.
"Everything's fine here... what about with you?" Casey grinned, sitting sideways in his seat. The Dalmatian's tail alternated between striking the table leg to the right and the back of his chair to the left.
"Tan Paw?" Paul inquired, appraising his boyfriend.
"Just peachy." the German Shepherd answered, folding his paws atop his plate on the table, a veritable visage of saintly innocence.
"Alright..." Paul slumped in his seat, "You two are going to have to be a little more forthcoming before I start having a conniption."
Casey snickered.
"What?" Paul demanded.
"Nothing... I just haven't heard the word 'conniption' in a long time... and the last time I did it was from an old lady." the Dalmatian suppressed a giggle.
Paul let out a sigh and pushed his chair back, "I'm going to my room." he put his napkin on his empty plate and stood up.
"Paul... don't." Tanner requested, "Please." The German Shepherd looked at him, ears drooping, "I'm sorry. Casey is too."
"Sorry, Paul." the Dalmatian slumped in his seat, "We were just having fun."
"At my expense." Paul stated, half-standing, half-seated, "Are you done?" Once both Dogs nodded Paul took his seat once again. "Alright..." he let out a breath, closing his eyes for a moment so he could regain his composure, "I'm sorry... I just don't like not knowing why people are laughing at me."
"We weren't laughing at you, Paul." Tanner explained, "It was just going to be a surprise and when Casey gets excited it tends to spread."
"About what?" Paul inquired neutrally.
"Well..." Casey noted, dipping lower in his seat, "I remember you mentioning that there were things you had back home that you couldn't find out here..." when the Dalmatian sat back up he held a six pack of ginger ale in his paws.
"Is that--?"
"Vernors." Casey nodded. He set the cans down on the table.
"I didn't think they had Vernors out here." Paul admitted, unable to think of anything else he could say.
"It's the first time I'VE ever seen it." Casey acknowledged, pulling one out of the six pack ring and sliding it to the human, "Someone back at the apartments said they knew where to find some. I figured 'hell, why not?' and went looking after I finished at the gym, and... well... there you go." the Dalmatian's tail hesitantly started wagging again, "Sorry about being so secretive... I just wanted it to be a surprise."
"Thanks." Paul said quietly. It didn't take long for him to feel like a heel. The human sat staring at the can in his hand, unable to look up at either of the Dogs. Nobody spoke up for several moments until Casey cut the silence.
"I know it's weird having a third person in the house. It doesn't take a genius to see that everyone's still a bit unsettled about it..." Casey took the serving fork from its place next to the meat and began serving a slice to everyone, "I know you two've made some sacrifices and I really do appreciate it. Paul... Tanner... thank you."
"You're welcome, bud..." Tanner nodded, "You'd do the same for either of us."
"You HAVE been a good roommate, Casey." Paul finally spoke up, "None of us are perfect and I guess we still have a few little stumbling-blocks to overcome..." the human exchanged glances with Tanner, who wagged faintly at that... and things finally started to calm down.
After the initial altercation dinner went well enough. About five minutes into eating Casey jumped up and ran into the kitchen, coming back with one of the items he had hidden: a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Tanner doesn't like wine, you know." he winked at Paul. The human thankfully accepted a glass and let Casey pour.
"You know..." Paul commented as Casey filled up his glass, "I've heard about the wine country in California, but I don't think I've had any wine from out here yet."
"If you like wine then you've been missing out." the Dalmatian smirked and filled his own glass, "cheers." he held it up to Paul who gave it a light *clink* with his own. Dinner continued on with pleasant chat and more than a few laughs. Paul didn't realize how quickly the wine went until he asked Casey for yet another glass and the Dalmatian up-ended the bottle, resulting in only a single gulp of the drink coming out.
Paul laughed at that, "Tanner said you liked your fair share of alcohol, but I didn't think he was THAT serious."
Casey grinned, "I only had two glasses, you lush."
"Two?" Paul asked, "That must be a small bottle..." he giggled, "I only had two too." he felt a warm, giddy flush flow across his face.
"No..." Casey corrected, "you had four."
Paul paused at that, taking a moment to assess the Dog's count. He knew he had one when they toasted, and he just finished one as well. He was just about to count off on his fingers when he suddenly realized that the Dog HAD refilled him more than that. "I musta lost count." he chuckled, "Duh." he snickered.
"Paul?" Tanner asked, ears up, "Are you drunk?"
"What?" Paul laughed, "No." he scooted his chair back and stood up, pausing as the world suddenly felt like he was standing on a water bed, "Maybe." he quickly added.
"Wow..." Casey chuckled, "He's a lightweight." and the Dalmatian stood to help steady him.
"No I'm not." Paul waved the Dog away, "I just wasn't ready for it." He cleared his throat and reassessed his stance, "I'm really not drunk... just a little buzzed." the human picked up his dishes and made his way into the kitchen. He moved slowly, taking a moment to assess his gait, nodding to himself as he reaffirmed that he truly wasn't drunk.
The two Dogs chuckled behind him, working to clear the table, "I hear you two!" he spoke over his shoulder. Paul smiled to himself, rolling his eyes at his earlier frustration. Casey was his friend and Tanner was his lover-- they meant only the best for him. Casey had even found Vernors! Laughing at his own earlier uptight outburst, Paul accepted the remaining ginger ale cans from Casey and opened the refrigerator, then stopped as he came face to face with a card board six pack of beer.
"Labatt's?" he spoke up, looking at the blue-and-red label.
"Yea... found that too." Casey noted from the sink, rinsing off the dishes before putting them into the dishwasher.
"Do they sell Labatt's out west?" the human inquired, still staring disbelievingly at the beer.
"Nope." Casey answered, "I drove all the way to Canada to get some."
"REALLY!?!" Paul asked, astounded.
"No, you doofus." Casey laughed, "Same place as I got the Vernors."
"Well... aren't you resourceful." Paul laughed, taking the six pack out and setting it on the table, "Hey Tanner! Come try one of these!"
"No need to yell." the German Shepherd replied, standing almost right next to Paul.
Paul paused for a moment, glancing toward the dining room then to Tanner then to Casey then to Tanner again, "Wow, you're fast." he smirked and held out one of the beers to the Dog, "Here."
The three of them stood around the small kitchen table chatting about nothing-in-particular and drinking. Once they had each had one beer, and once Paul convinced Tanner to have a second, Casey took the remaining two away before Paul could have another himself. The human was going to object, but he realized that the Dalmatian was just looking out for him, "You know..." Paul commented, "I don't usually have beer and two glasses of wine all in one night.
"Four glasses." Casey corrected.
"Four glasses." Paul confirmed.
"And you're drunk." Tanner added.
"Not REALLY drunk... just a little drink." Paul agreed.
"But you're finally looking relaxed." Casey grinned.
"Yea..." Paul nodded, slowly making his way out of the kitchen, "It's a wonder what alcohol can do for you, huh?" He went to lean back against the wall but, instead, found himself leaning against Tanner.
"You alright, Paul?" Tanner asked, sliding his arms around the human. Paul smiled, leaning back against the German Shepherd's shirtless chest.
"Fine." Paul nodded, pausing, "When did you take off your shirt?"
"The same time Casey did." the Dog commented.
Paul blinked, looking back into the kitchen at Casey who was likewise shirtless. "When was that, exactly?"
"Right after you said that Tan Paw had sexier abs." Casey responded, casually strolling out of the kitchen toward the two of them.
Paul felt himself blush, "Oh... I did say that, didn't I?"
"Personally, I like YOURS." Tanner said from behind him. Paul felt his boyfriend's whiskers tickle his cheek as the German Shepherd grinned. The human closed his eyes, letting out a faint breath in excitement as Tanner's paws slipped under his shirt and began exploring his body. A second set of paws made Paul open them again.
Casey was kneeling on the ground in front of him, fingers drawing up and down his thighs, "Oh... I see what you mean." the Dalmatian said to Tanner, cold nose inching forward to touch Paul's exposed belly, causing the human to squeal in the German Shepherd's arms. Casey grinned, sitting down as his paws moved across Paul's abdomen.
"What are you doing down there?" Paul asked, having an idea what the answer would be. He felt Tanner's hardened flesh through their jeans and the German Shepherd's hot breath was coming quickly. He saw Casey's tail swiping quickly from side to side just above the carpet and the Dalmatian's paws went to Paul's zipper.
"Well... you asked earlier what I do to bad humans." Casey murmured seductively. A shiver ran through Paul and he let out a moan as Tanner nibbled his neck. He could tell that the front of his lover's pants were damp from anticipation and as the Dalmatian's paws began to work inside his own jeans he couldn't resist the thought that he wanted it just as-- the ringing of Paul's cell managed to cut through the mixture of alcohol and lust.
"I... that..." Paul paused, quickly pulling back from Casey and pressing his butt against his lover's hips. Tanner gasped at the stimulation and his grip loosened. "...phone." Paul squirmed away from the two Dogs and stumbled toward his cell, wondering what he was thinking. Half of him wondered why he didn't work to resist them right away and the other half wondering why in the HELL he wasn't going with it.
"Hello?" Paul spoke into the phone with all the intensity of a drowning man taking his first gasp of air. He winced when the phone rang right next to his ear and then he remembered he had to open the phone first. "Hello?" he repeated.
"Dakota-- it's Ray." the retriever's voice spoke up from the other end.
"Ray?" Paul inquired, "Hi." he wasn't sure what else to say.
"Get to a TV. Turn on channel 5." Ray ordered, "I'll wait."
"Why?" Paul chuckled, "Is there something--"
"Just do it." the retriever ordered, his voice gaining an authoritative tone.
"Alright... alright..." he noted and glanced back to Tanner and Casey who were each right where he left them, their four eyes gazing intently at him, "It's Ray." he spoke, covering the ear-piece with his hand.
"Are you drunk?" Ray asked. The question came out muted due to his hand.
"Oh..." Paul paused, "It's Saturday night, Ray... I... had a few drinks."
Ray sighed on the other end, "Alright... turn on the news. We're all working tomorrow."
"Tomorrow's SUNDAY!" Paul objected, "We don't WORK on Sunday." The comment had a visible effect on Tanner and Casey, who both slumped to the ground in defeat.
"Watch the news. It'll make sense." Ray said simply, "See you tomorrow." *click*
Mumbling to himself, Paul went over to the tv controller and flipped it on. He fumbled for a moment until he found the down arrow and changed the channels until he got to channel five, "It's the evening news." he announced to nobody in particular. He took a seat on the armrest of the couch and watched some sort of interview going on.
"And what did they list as your cause of termination?" the interviewer questioned.
The camera turned back to a figure covered in shadow, features hidden by the lack of light. The caption on the screen said JOHN with quotations, and he spoke with an artifically altered voice, "They listed 'unprofessional conduct', but they didn't end up firing the other guy, just me."
"And why do you think that is?" the interviewer asked.
'John' responded without missing a beat, "Because the other guy's a Dog."
"Are you suggesting that your termination from AHB Marketing was due to racial discrimination?" the interviewer inquired.
"Hell yea." 'John' replied, "The whole situation was completely screwed up... this one guy and me, we were like hermanos... and he goes and does a bunch of stuff behind my back and when I confront him for it the Dogs there jump me and I'M the one getting fired. All this wouldn't'a happened if he weren't Leasher. AHB is practically run by the Perros and Paul Miller has a road to the top just because he's good with em."
Paul was suddenly not too drunk to be free of stress.