The Simple Things. Chapter Four.
#4 of The Simple Things
The Simple Things
Chapter Four
By Roofles
I got little sleep last night. The sheets were warm as if heated, smooth like silk and as fluffy as a cloud. And I still hadn't managed to slip into the coma that I had been going for. I kept being plagued by random thoughts, concerns and dumb chocolate Labradors. But in the end that was a minor crumb in the giant pile of crap on my plate. And with it I had an uneasy, restless, twitching sleep with dreams of being buried alive in business folders covered in chocolate. It was a dream, yet it felt so real. And in a way, so good.
I came in early, only a few hours of sleep under my belt, and went to the break room before anything else. I wasn't stunned to see said chocolate Labrador rooting through the donuts as I came in. He seemed to be in tip top shape and for that, I felt rather vindictive against him despite his gluttony. The coffee pot was half empty already and I didn't want to take the risk, even if I had to deal with him, so I headed over quickly enough and grunted a greeting to him. Wishing for no more further conversations between us than that.
"Morning." Richard said. I didn't return the favor so he just grunted back at me in reply as I poured a glass for myself. He grunted a few more times like a gorilla in a zoo and nudge me during it. I did my best to ignore him and focus on the morning brew before me.
There were cardboard paper lids next to the cups, making them look like sippy cups when used. There wasn't a single straw in sight. And with it some thoughts from before plagued me, and as I took a long drink of coffee, from the corner of my eye, I saw the chocolate lab watching me. So I moved a few steps to the side as if giving him room for the creamer.
"Pleasant night?" Richard asked though he chuckled while he spoke and offered a hand as if to give me a reassuring pat on the back. The whole, clingy, touchie, feelie crap? Still wasn't for me. And though I knew he meant well, I still refused his comfort in the form of a hug. "Rough night?" He offered again and I still didn't accept, I hoped my off-putting stance would say enough. "Did you die last night?" He asked a bit worried now. His lower lip quivered, eyes went wide before he barked another laugh.
"Long night." I just said with a scowl on my face. His up beat attitude was going to get old, fast.
"We got lunch in a couple of hours," Richard went on not even taking my sour tone to dampen his own. And when I looked at him he smiled, wagged a tail and lifted his ears up.
"And you want me..." I said slowly. And his look alone was enough of an answer. I gave him a roll of the eyes and headed out. In retro spec the lack of an actual "no" just gave him hope. And I wanted to toss him out a window as he bounded around with energy I was sure would make the energizer bunny feel ashamed.
Even still I found myself walking with him back to our office, talking over the work I'd like to get done. My mood far more cheerier than it had been moments before. When Mr. Gold cut us off.
"Ah, if it isn't my favorite human!" He said in that deep, dominating voice as his arms opened up. I found myself backing up directly into Richard as he went for another hug. The lion grimaced at the dog who got in the way, if only to help me correct my posture, before turning back towards me. "We have things to discuss, work to be done, files to process!" He went on in the friendly tone. I waited for the catch.
It was easy to see the difference between the fake Mr. Gold's smile and the easy Richard smile. Mr. Gold was the friendly kind of boss. The one that tried to be your best friend but in the end still just wanted the work to get done. By any means necessary. He'd shake your hand as soon as give you extra work on your birthday.
"Some of the heads are having a lunch this afternoon. It would be a welcoming change to have a new face." Mr. Gold offered generously enough. It doesn't take a psychiatrist to see the underlining meaning behind it.
Bring me to one of these meetings, show me off like some kind of commodity, or worse yet. Like a trophy wife in front of the other executives. Or business associates. Or whomever. The reason? There might be suspicion around him, people questioning his authority because central had taken notice and sent someone in. Mr. Gold wanted to make it seems like he was working with them or that, better yet, it was all a misunderstanding. And even better than that? His own idea. So many possibilities and all more likely than the next.
"Thank you," I said giving him the most sincere smile I could manage with only three hours of sleep. "I'm having lunch with Mr. Richpaw, though." I gave Richard a look and his eyes widen as if I had just elected him as a sacrifice. Or tossed him under a bus. It was practically the same look of shocked horror and fear. He made it, in his own sympathetic way, look cute. Large puppy eyes expanding three times their normal size and both whiskers and ears drooped, folding back on his head as he gave the most pleading of looks.
"Is that so," Mr. Gold's eyes lazily drifted over to the dog and Richard noticeably shrunk lower than the lion, nearly whimpering like a puppy about to be scolded. I could see the lion's lip quivering into a threatening growl.
"Yup." I shrugged. "He wasn't familiar with how we handle the new reports; Central just implemented them the past month. I'm going to go over it with him and catch him up to speed on the matter." I waved it off seeing Mr. Gold's look and stopping him before he could say I could do it another time. "I will only be here for a few weeks, tops." That seemed to ease the tension building inside him like a boiling pot and a more calculative look crossed his face. "I just want to make sure I can part as much of the stuff central likes to reinforce on it's employees before I go."
Mr. Gold seemed to chew this over for a bit. Swallow and then wanted to regurgitate it up and all over me. Yeah. Pleasant imagery I know. So I acted before it could happen.
"Policies and code updates, new regulation and safety protocols." I droned on in a very bored voice that was putting myself to sleep. Urgh, I just had to think of sleep. The drowsiness to my voice wasn't lost on the large lion who adjusted his tie, I was sure it was a new suit altogether, and slapped a hand on my shoulder nearly buckling my knees.
"Ah, yes. Get our representative up to date," he eyed the dog whose ears dropped like cement blocks and gave a very weak smile in return. "That was my idea the whole time!" Mr. Gold exclaimed and this time there was no dog in the way to block the hug. "Ah, you are very smart. Yes. Very smart. Richardson will be a perfect employee," I think he meant patsy, "for this job." Tools had more respect. "I will be looking forward to next time though," he teased a very serious warning and shook a finger in my face. The end of which had a very small point of a claw sticking out. "Until then."
"Yes, sir." I added the honorific for more Richard's sake than my own.
And with another painful slap on the shoulder the lion headed back towards one of the main offices, nearly four times the size of our own, in the back with a booming chuckle. Everyone scattered in front of him like startled birds as a rather large, rather hungry predator walked through the Savannah.
"So." Richard watched him go, chewing on his lower lip a bit. "Lunch?" He turned back towards me practically radiated positivity, which I was allergic too. With a roll of the eyes I headed into the office and nearly shut the door on him. Once more. The fact I hadn't said the word 'no' only fueled the dog's already endless supply of joy. Care bears had nothing on him...
Paper pusher was a good word for my job, as sad as that is. Files are given to me; I edited, file them out and give a one two stamp and push them out of the way for the next one. It was a lot like an assembly line with one person. Several different stations, checks and one things to do for each one before going onto the next. I liked it. It allowed me not to worry about anyone but my own hard work. Even if my job was basically fixing other peoples mistakes.
Most of the work was months old. Things that had stacked up, pushed aside or "fallen behind desks" kind of stuff. Little things that when you add them all up? Clog the drain and leave you with a messy flood worth of problems.
The computer was a piece of work. It could be put into a museum and studied by future generations as a fossil of science. My laptop? Was not. It was new, sleek and had so many GB and ram..bites? And other lots of bites that I was sure was good for it like vitamins for computers. Or that was what the person who sold it to me said. I only really needed a simple one but, a small part of me really liked it when I turned it on and went to the homepage and it only took seconds flat! The fan was silent to the ears and the keyboard soothing on the fingers. A simple thing like this goes a long ways. Not having to fight with your equipment is a blessing all in its own.
Richard was helpful enough and knew far more than I had given him credit for. He just happened to have the attention span of well, a puppy. People kept walking by and he returned their greeting with gusto, heading out to chat with them for a couple of minutes before returning and sulking at his desk, working on the same form. It was clear he really didn't enjoy the job or even respect the work he was doing. And after doing it for the past several years? He was bound to just go into a catatonic state. A dog going into a catatonic state would be ironically funny though.
"This guy has filed the same report, for the past three yeas, about the same thing that has, for the past three years, been fixed." Richard head nearly thunk against the top of the desk as he groaned loudly holding up the form.
"Older guy?" I asked trying not to laugh at him. Him sulking made my day.
"Yup?" He said sitting up and looking at me with a pleading beg to his eyes as if he wanted me to rip it out of his hands and burn it in front of him.
"Sixties? Mid seventies?" I asked and he gave a nod. "We get a lot like that in central." I chuckled finishing the file in front of me and moving it over. Richard got up happily to add his own to the growing pile and said he'd take 'em out. "Just older generation that feels like it's doing something in this day and age. And probably lonely, single man who either lost his wife in recent years or never had one."
"Right." Richard said and gave me a look.
"What?" I gave him the same look he gave me.
The chocolate lab wasn't in a suit, or not fully. His coat had been taken off and draped over the back of his chair and he, at some point, took off his sockless shoes. The white undershirt was opened and his bare chest was exposed again. The shirt didn't even have sleeves. Richard was flexing, holding up the large pile of folders and standing there as if he didn't have twenty plus pounds of paper in his hands. His biceps were clearly outline through the short yet thick dark brown fur on his arms and without a coat on I could make out his strong shoulders.
Most suits have shoulder pads in them in order to make you look more manly. Richard did needn't no stinkin' shoulder pads. And he got a smile in return for it.
"You are actually enjoying this." Richard said eyeing the paper work as if it were some grotesque object as if I were dissecting a frog or something. An here I was admiring him.
I just gave a shrug and the answer I had for his question was the same every other time someone asked me. "I'm just good at it."
"And you enjoy things you're good at?" Richard said his chest rising and falling evenly, not even winded. I wonder if dog's could sweat? I wasn't overweight but I didn't have much muscle either. Us paper pushers aren't known for it and my footballs days were far behind me.
"Like sex." I gave him a toothy grin and I got one in return. It was too easy and I knew he had been setting me up. Richard enjoyed it though and that was enough for me.
He barked a laugh, shook his head and headed out to go put the files wherever files go. I'm sure he pawned them off on someone else as he returned seconds later. He took a seat, waved his arms about and in a girly voice said. "Tell me all about it, all the juicy details."
"Oh you know all those juices get awfully messy." And I didn't get the bark laugh I expected just a crude grin. Some double meaning behind it I think, I wasn't sure.
"I can only imagine." He chuckled and gave me a push with one of his bare feet from under the desk. I gave him a push back trying to fight for the little leg space my two legs had for themselves. Richard gladly took up the challenge.
"Last guy I was with," Richard said and I was sure he only told me about it to know he was not only single but also interested. Most people don't brag about being single from where I come from or about past sexual fun. You'd get a bad name, fast. Hell I'd be one of the people spreading it, hah. If only to distract away from my own lackluster sex life... "Big ol' lion dude." Richard rolled his arm and his eyes with it. "Had this thing for dressing up in woman cloths. Then getting them all messy."
"Oh, really?" And I got another playful shove at that. "Tell me more, tell me more. Like. Did he have a car?" I laughed though the reference seemed to be lost on him.
Those soft brownie eyes looked at me for little while longer before my own widened. "No, you don't mean." I nearly gasped though my face was pulled up in a large grin. I hated and loved gossip if that wasn't clear by now.
And he shrugged pulling back a bit and shook his head.
"You whore." I laughed and nearly face palmed. Apparently I wasn't the only one to nail a boss in the line of duty. "What happened, I mean after." I chuckled not wanting that picture in my head.
"Dumped his fat ass." He barked a laugh then. "Had this whole issue with public displays," I could relate, "and it was only physical. Like once. If you know what I mean." I wasn't sure and the look on my face seemed to tell him that alone. "He could only do it," he moved forward a bit, cupping a hand around the side of his muzzle and eyes darting towards the door. "When he was in said ladies garments."
And I laughed. Laughed harder than I had in several months. And I blame that on the way Richard told it. And I got a large smile in reward and a tail that wouldn't stop wagging.
The time passed quickly as we went back to our work. Though Richard kept "pawing" at my leg with a foot and wouldn't stop until I acknowledged his needy boredom. I'd just remind him we only had another two hours. Then one hour. Then thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight minutes... Until we took an early lunch.
Richard found the whole thing amusing. I didn't. He wasn't so amused when I told him lunch was on him.
"That isn't fair," Richard tried to whine but his friendly good nature got the best of him and his tail wagged lazily behind him like a clock pendulum ticking-tocking back and forth.
The office was in the busy side of town. The side of town where all the buildings rose up high as if competing with each others like a forest of metal and steel; trees competed for sunlight, humans for vanity. Go figure. The streets were crowded and was a sight in itself. I really did feel like a tourist as the crowd walked by.
Animalians of all sizes, shapes and literally colors walked by. No two cats looked alike, no two dogs barked alike and it was the first time I've seen half of the things in person. I didn't even know they came in chinchilla size. I tried to be as open as possible about it but, once more, it's a different thing from hearing about it or seeing it slightly on TV than seeing it up close and personal. I was both glad and lucky it was with Richard, rather than anyone else. Anyone else most likely would've taken offense to it at some point. Richard? Did not. He just found it amusing.
His tail continued to tick and tock with the seconds as he rested against the white metal table out front of the Italian bistro. Italian soda's were served with pasta dishes and some type of native music to Italy from inside drifted out towards us as if we were drifting down the Canal of Venice. All of which was a little more romantic than I had previously had in mind. But hey, I wasn't paying for anything so whatever. I'd treat myself.
"So what kind of music they have in central?" Richard asked fishing for my own taste on the matter.
"Most." I said kind of flatly as I took another drink. The lab waited and I rolled my eyes. "Well I mean I like most stuff." My explanation was weak at best and even as I tried to spice it up I failed. Horribly. "You know like stuff on the radio. Sometimes. And I got a few cds in the car that I haven't thrown away or anything."
His ears remained perked, tail lazily drifting back and forth, and looking at me as if I was actually somewhat kind of interesting. And not fumbling it all up.
"I'm not a music kind of guy." I chuckled. "Everyone these days seem to be music obsessed. I just," and shrugged. "It's nice. It's not my life though." I wasn't a hipster college douche anymore. I actually cut my hair, took showers and wore business suits. Like I'd give a crap about what bands were indie and thus cool. "You?" I asked hoping he'd say something on the matter and thus I had to shut up about.
"Country." Richard said flatly, truthfully and unforced as I had been. He made things come off easy. And one single word put my ramblings to shame.
"Cool." I nodded once, then again tapping at the table looking one way to another. This was why I didn't go out on dates.
"Movies?" He offered in friendly banter, small talk.
"Stuff." I shrugged. I wasn't about to say I owned the original star wars, star trek series and anything with star in it. Or the complete full Monty Python, and not just the funny stuff either. "I'm more of an outdoors men." I said truthfully. "Fishing, drinking, camping, drinking." I said a bit too macho and laughed it off weakly, tapping on the table several more times.
"Oh nice, ever been up to Takhlakh Lake?" He offered friendly enough, not picking at anything or making fun of what I liked, even in good jest. It was different, a pleasant unexpected change for sure. I had to swallow my sarcastic reply though, trying to keep this light and thus friendly as Richard made it.
"First time I've been on the west coast." I shrugged keeping the acerbic reply to myself, as best I could anyways. I had a rather bad habit of mocking stupid.
"Oh cool," he said in a far more authentic tone than I had before. He sat up a bit. "There's a lot over here. Fish market, massive forest range and great hiking trails," and thus went on for several more minutes telling me about the greatness the West had to offer. Just as an old friend would about the East, he had moved there and thus talked endlessly about it. Those back home never held such pride for where they lived and so I humored him and listened along. Giving polite nods or inquires as were needed.
And I didn't think much of it as our hour began to draw to a close. I was holding the coffee cup I had ordered, appreciating the warmth in the contrast to February's cold afternoon. Richard had placed his hand on the back of mine, leaning over the table and making it look very natural as he talked with me. Those fingers rubbed sensually on the back of my fuzzy arms, amplified by those warm soft paw pads that glided with skilled practice down over my knuckle and back up again. To say the least, goosebumps crawled up my arm. And it had me more captivated than what he was talking about. The dull claws dragged effortlessly over it, his fur was smooth as silk and yet warm as it brushed carelessly against me as he turned his arm and just lightly rubbed it against my own.
Nothing was forced and it seemed he just wanted the touching closeness than anything else. It was hard to meet someone so genuinely friendly these days. Who wasn't after anything and just...enjoyed your company, asking for nothing more than an ear to talk with and not to.
A foot had slid further under the table at one point and was lightly petting against my own. And I could see why he took off his shoes as a few of those toes snaked into the opening of my pants leg; they had semi coarse paw pads that rubbed and scratched at my leg in a casual sexy manner that made my face flush as it lifted high to rub at my lower thigh. Richard was either far better at this than I thought or this was far more natural with canine-sapiens than I was aware of; he played it off so casually not even seeming to notice he was doing it.
"Do you like the place?" He offered looking over his shoulder and back inside before looking back at me. He enjoyed watching my reaction to things and I noticed, more than once, he would just watch my own reactions than the thing I was reacting too.
"It's superb." I chuckled and watched those fingers slide free of my wrist as I took a drink of coffee. Richard had a peaceful look on his face and a smile that matched as he looked off to the other side of the street and just people watched in the few seconds I had taken a drink of coffee. His head moved lightly as he followed them with his nose before finding someone else.
That brown nose twitched and he looked back at me, his face still in that soft almost somber smile. "I'm glad you like it." It was as casual as he was and Richard effortlessly carried the conversation on after.
We talked about every-to-nothing. From politics to religion, to the fish market and how the smell was "worse than a dog whistle," even to how Richard even came to get the job in the first place. And all in the matter of the ten minutes before we had to head back, walking back and heading into the office. And even then, as work was pull back out, we continued.
"Got the job because my brother's sisters, husband's roommate...'s friend! Told me about it." He just shrugged as I watched him outline it for me. "I got a big family."
"That's an understatement." I chuckled. It was interesting. Friends were family, neighbors were family, and family was family. Each were family and each were treated in a very different way from each other. Like a large community in and of itself. But one thing was clear. Though you had a shred of respect to begin with it was clearly something difficult to earn and could lose easily after. Felt like I was walking on a mine field as he explained it to me. "It explains why you were so curious about my own." I offered lightly as he had begun the conversation on family.
He offered a shrug but nodded as well. "Yeah. Family is kind of one of those things. Good or bad. Just part of your life, makes ya' who ya' are." He chuckled as he took a seat at his desk. He closed the door which made me lift up an eyebrow. Richard pointed at the ceiling and I heard a fan kick on seconds later and cool refreshing air pour in. "The room is circulated," the chocolate lab gave me a wink. "Sometimes I wear nothing at all. It's nice."
"I can only imagine." I laugh, rolling my eyes and trying to clear my throat seeing as how I had been doing that very thing last night.
"Two brothers." Richard said returning to the previous subject, possibly out of respect. It was hard to tell with that playful look he gave. "That's a big...family?" He gave a weak chuckle.
"Yeah. No. Not at all." I shook my head. "Both married. We don't see eye to eye and just like my dad doesn't approve of my...choices in life."
"Being a business man can be ruff." And I did all I could not to laugh at that.
Though I did.
I felt him give me a playful kick under the table. And we went back to work. I tried to ignore his bare paw rubbing at the opening on my pants leg but it...felt too good to push out of my mind.
It was odd. He had toes and a normal foot but add those paw pads in, a bit rougher skin and fur, dull claws and you had something else all together. Not to say it was bad! Just...just different. And I always did enjoy a massage. I just never got one on my leg before by a foot. It had to do with the pressure applied, those paw pads like warm leather. The fact I had some form of contact with Richard, I didn't question his reason why. It was nice enough.
The hours were beginning to tick by and I could feel sleep sneaking up on me. I had good company, the air was nice and refreshing and the warm Italian meal had a way of putting even the strongest men into slumber. I kept nodding off but would snap back awake as I nearly slipped and hit my chin on the desk, for the umpteenth time. And my eyes kept winking closed without telling me.
I blinked a few more times before looking over at the dog who was still rubbing my leg; Richard was resting on an elbow doing his work as he typed away nearly aimlessly on the computer. Just punching in numbers. His paw lifted up to graze against my lower thigh once more.
"Are you always so friendly?" I tried to make it sound as casual as Richard could. It wasn't. And I winced as if I was accusing him of something.
"Oh," Richard blinked a few times and withdrew his foot. "Didn't mean to get under your fur."
"I didn't say stop." I half-laughed, teasing and he quirked that fishhook eyebrow and tilted his head.
"So you don't mind?" And he did something I've seen him do ever since I met him. He just sniffed at the air as if someone had ordered pizza. Nose twitching he just looked at me some more.
His jowls weren't that of a normal dog, they didn't hang as low as the other chocolate labs I had seen before. The four legged kind and in the end? Richard really couldn't compare to one, it'd be insulting too. Richard still had the classic dog snout, whiskers, brown nose and even the darker gray charcoal lips to match. That didn't mean he didn't have human features or reactions to things. His brow scrunched up when he was annoyed with his work and with those eyes and ears Richard could say things without even needing to open that muzzle. Hell, he might be easier to read than I was and with that tail, I'd bet money on it.
"It was just a harmless question." I tried to shrug but still watched him for some noticeable sign of discord or offense. Richard just had that dark brown fur face tilt to the side another half inch before snapping back upright and pushing himself off the desk.
"I'm just friendly." He shrugged and walked around the desk.
I pushed the chair back a little to watch him, swiveling it towards him as a dull claw traced the edge of his own desk to mine before reaching the corner and with his whole hand gripping it. He rested on his side looking down at me, lifting that eyebrow.
"Unless you don't want me to be." And a finger ran down his chest, over his stomach and snagged his pants. And with a quick tug undid them, using a leg to push me back, further away from the desk and ripped off his shirt in the same motion. "I can be a bad dog too." And he just...saddled in my lap and I could feel the lab....
"I'm going to take a break." Richard spoke up loudly making me snap back awake.
I looked up from the desk to see the dog standing up, stretching with the door open. He had his shirt on though his pants were open as what had just happened hadn't actually happened. "If you wanna take a nap," he whispered a bit softer, covering one side of his muzzle. "I won't tell." And with a wink he shut the door.
I had half a mind to pack my stuff and leave right there before he got back.
Falling asleep at work was one thing. Having a sexy dream, while asleep at work, about a coworker, in the same damn office, was another thing. The last thing I remember was talking about family and then just nodding off before he went all saucy stripper on me, giving me a lap dance. I was being cocked teased by own damn imagination.
"I need more coffee." I yawned loudly leaning back in my chair and took a moment. Nearly fell asleep again and if the chair hadn't nearly fallen backwards I would have. "Damn," I cursed looking at the ceiling and feeling the cool breeze still cycling through. "The dog is a tricky one." I mumbled and stood to stretch.
This side office wasn't so bad. The main office was an...animal house. This was a small stable off to the side where no one bugged or went to, just passed by. The air was refreshing once it got going, if a little on the chilly side (I blame Richard for that, covered in fur as he was). It was nice though, relaxing and our little isolated space. Where the stable boy could get it on with the milk maid.
I frowned at that. If that was, indeed, the case. The well hung stable boy wouldn't be me but Richard and I'd be the whorish milk maid that just needed to fill her bucket with cream. This is why I hated being single and getting nothing. Your mind was your own worse enemy. And as tired as I was? I was losing an endless battle.
So I rested down on my elbow, closed my eyes if only for a few minutes and found myself drifting asleep once more, beckoned by a chocolate Labrador. Who maybe able to help me with my wishes.