Story and characters are (c) Lars E Hellberg

Paradise Street

Chapter 3: Date

Saturday morning saw heavy grey clouds and a steady drizzle. Leaving Tina sleeping, I went for a long, hot shower, taking good care to wash and groom my fur. Since I was on the pull, as mom had put it, I would look my very best. I grinned at the mirror, flossing my teeth, then I sat down on the edge of the bath tub to brush my hair. I had half decided to wear a headband today, since my hair would always get stuck in my face when it got wet. Finally satisfied, I wrapped a towel around my waist, and was just about to get back to my room when Tina knocked on the door. She sounded very sleepy.
"Mike? Phone for you."
"Who is it?"
"I don\x92t know, she didn\x92t tell me her name, or I forgot it. Can\x92t really remember."
I looked at the clock standing next to the hall phone. Half past seven. Who would call this early? Pulling myself together, I answered with my name.
"Hi, Mike!" It was Britanny. "Didn\x92t wake you up, I hope? Your sister sounded very sleepy."
"She\x92s a late riser, I know. No, I was up. Just out of the shower."
"Look, Mike, I just remembered we never set a time for tonight. The shows start at eight or half ten, which suits you? I\x92d prefer eight, since I work tomorrow."
"Oh, eight is fine. I\x92ll call John later, or is he in?"
"No, he left early today. He told me he\x92s baby-sitting for you. That\x92s so nice of him."
"Yeah, he\x92s great. Should we meet at seven? Have a coffee or something?"
"All right. There\x92s a great ice-cream bar not far from the cinema, let\x92s meet there. I\x92m really looking forward to this, Mike. I haven\x92t had a date for months."
"I thought you\x92d have droves of guys hanging around you."
"Heh. You sound jealous, foxy! I guess I\x92m not the party animal most guys my age\x92d go for. They see me as a friend, not as a lover."
"I know that feeling. I was pretty much the same back home. A lot of people confided in me, but not many would seek me out."
"Wow, kindred spirit. I\x92ve got shivers. Back home, you said. Is it different here?"
"Yeah, very different. I made a friend the first day, and started hitting on girls the second. I\x92ve never been this fast with either." She laughed, a warm, hearty laugh. "I\x92ll look forward to seeing you, Britanny."
"Ooh, I love it when you call me that. Everybody calls me Britty, and it sounds so nerdy. Tonight, then, Mike! I\x92m also looking forward to see you."
She hung up, and I yelled into the receiver.
"You can hang up now, Tina!"
"Damn you, Mikey!" The shout came from downstairs. "I nearly lost an ear!"
"So, now you know all about my date tonight," I said as she came back upstairs, grinning. "Sneaky little bitch."
"Sounds like she\x92s got a thing for you already, Mikey-boy," she laughed. "Play well, and you\x92ll score tonight!"
"Tina! You\x92re... you\x92re shocking me! Do you really think I\x92m that sort of boy?"
"Course you are! You can\x92t wait to..." She whispered in my ear. "Aren\x92t I right?"
"That\x92s it. Now I will spank you."
I started hunting her through the house, snarling as she was screaming. Letting her get ahead at first, I soon sprinted up to her, lifting up her lithe form. But as I was about to place her across my lap, she snatched my towel. I dropped her to cover myself up, and now she was smiling broadly.
"Well, look who\x92s got the upper hand now! Maybe I should get my camera."
"Tina, please, give it back, and I promise I won\x92t spank you."
"You wouldn\x92t do that, anyway. Not to your cute li\x92l sister."
"Tina, my towel. Please."
"Nope."
"Pretty please?"
"Not \x91til I\x92ve got a good look at that cute butt of yours. She\x92s right, you are foxy."
"Okay, so I won\x92t spank you. What do you think mom\x92ll do if she hears you talk like that?"
"Laugh her lungs out."
She had me there. Slowly, I started to edge my way along the hallway, keeping my hands crossed in front of me. Normally, my shyness would just have been an act. We had seen each other naked lots of times before, especially when we shared bathroom back home. Both of us usually sleep naked, and we often met in the hall. Besides, we\x92ve bathed together plenty of times. But after my talk with Britanny, I was slightly... agitated, and I wouldn\x92t give her that kind of show. Being much quicker right now, she passed me, locking both my door and the bathroom door.
"Tina, please."
"Just turn a full lap, tail high, and you\x92ll have it back."
"No way!"
"Then I\x92ll tickle you."
"Blackmailing, evil-hearted little bitch!"
"What do you think mom\x92ll do if she hears you talk like that?"
"Nod and agree. Give me that towel!"
The phone rang again. Looking at each other, we both reacted differently. I had a look of horror on my face, while she was grinning. Moving her fingers in a circle, she made it perfectly clear that I couldn\x92t win. Sighing, I lifted my tail half-high, but she demanded more. Stretching it almost up to my ears, I turned around quickly, to her whooping delight. She handed me the towel, giggling like crazy, and I went to pick up the phone.
"Hello."
"Hi, Mikey, what took you so long?" It was mom. "I just wanted to say that we got home well, and that we might not make it back by Monday. Apparently, things are really f... well, you know, messed up at this end. Let\x92s aim for Wednesday afternoon. Are you guys all right?"
"That trollish little fiend you try to convince me I\x92m somehow related to, is acting up again. She taps phone calls, makes me rent her horror films, and forces me to strip naked in the hall. In other words, she\x92s behaving better than usual."
"Hi, mom! I\x92m on the other phone. Don\x92t believe that horrible man! He\x92s threatened to spank me, and he chased me through the house, and tonight he\x92s going out girl-hunting, leaving poor little me all alone."
"Actually, Tina, I already know John\x92s taking care of you, and you\x92ve also proved you tap phone calls. I believe you, Mikey. I\x92ll hang her upside-down when we get back."
"You do that. I hope everything works out."
"Me too!"
"Now, be nice, you two. Mike, good luck with you date, and Tina, be good to John! Bye now!"
"Bye, mom, and thanks!"
"Bye, mom!"

With the rain, there wasn\x92t very much for us to do, so we spent the morning on the couch, looking through some of our own videos. By lunchtime, the rain let up, and we took our bikes to return the movies I rented. The guy in the video store eyed me carefully, nodding to Tina.
"You haven\x92t let her watch those, have you? We could get into trouble for that."
"Of course not," I lied, expertly. "She\x92d gone to bed long before me and the rest of the guys brought out the horror vids."
"He never lets me do anything cool," Tina pouted. "Treats me like a baby!"
The video guy relaxed. What a team we were! We could con anyone, setting our minds to it. Once outside, we burst into laughter. Setting my face stern, I fixed her eyes, and she puffed up a stubborn cheek, returning my glare.
"Aren\x92t we..." I said, winking.
"...totally wicked!" she filled in, and we started laughing again.
"You realise, of course," she said, clutching her stomach, "that when I grow up into a raving mass murderer, I\x92ll blame you for letting me watch such films."
"Girl, if I thought it\x92d do any harm, I would\x92ve rented Bambi. I mean, look at me! I\x92ve watched horror films since I was a kid, and I\x92m completely normal."
"Except for the fact that you strip before your own sister."
"Thanks for reminding me," I said, ears drooping. "I\x92ll have to get back at you for that!"
"I\x92m hungry, I want a pizza."
"I thought I\x92d fry some rice to go with the left-over seafood."
"No. Pizza!"
"How about a burger?"
"Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! We can\x92t be far from the shopping centre. Let\x92s go say hi to John!"
"Oh, all right, but when you die of malnutrition, I don\x92t want you to pin the blame on me."
Trusting Tina\x92s orienteering training, I let her guide us on some backroads, and suddenly the familiar neon signs were right in front of us. I don\x92t think I\x92ve ever seen Tina get lost, even when I\x92ve told her to. It was after the lunch rush, and the restaurant was almost empty. John took our orders from behind the counter, grinning happily to see us, and we stood chatting while waiting for the pizzas. When they were done, he glanced over at the cook, getting a nod in return, and joined us at a window table.
"Enjoying the weather?" he asked, nodding to the grey skies. "Isn\x92t the sunshine lovely?"
"Fabulous. We\x92ve been returning some videos, and Tina wanted pizza, so we thought we\x92d pop over."
"How nice of you. It\x92s really boring today, look at that parking lot! Hardly anyone shops when the weather\x92s bad, meaning nobody eats here."
"We\x92ll definitely be regulars," Tina said, her mouth full of pizza. "These are great! I\x92ve hardly ever had better food. My brother, here, he can hardly cook tea water."
"I don\x92t need to. Mom does that before she goes to bed, and I just heat it up in the morning."
"Now you\x92re unfair, Tina," John said. "Mike made me lunch the other day, he\x92s great at cooking."
"Since you still live, I guess he had one of his better days."
Tina wolfed down her pizza, while I ate slowly, talking to John in the meantime. She even finished off the last quarter of mine. As we were just about done, the cook whistled for John, and he hurriedly excused himself.
"I\x92ll be over at six, is that okay? Gives me time to clean off and take a breather first."
"Fine. Thank you so much, John, I really appreciate this."
"Me too," Tina said. "It\x92ll be nice to tease someone else. Mikey\x92s just too easy to tick off."
"You\x92ll love me, then. My patience is infinite." He winked at me, then disappeared into the kitchen. Pulling Tina with me, to stop her from nicking the cutlery, I decided it was time to go home.

As six o\x92clock approached, I was beginning to dissolve. Nervous only covers the surface of it. I was petrified. I had just showered for the second time that day, yet I was thinking of doing it again, just to be sure. In my mind, I ran my checklist for the thousandth time. Clean clothes, clean me, wallet in pocket, money in wallet, hair brushed, ponytailed for a change. Was my tie straight? No, that\x92s right, I just wore a shirt. Where the hell was John? Had he backed out? Could I leave Tina alone if he did? Should I just stuff her inside a closet and lock the door? Never in my life had I been so nervous before a date. Should I walk there, of take my bike? Would the wind mess up my hair? What if there was rain? Ah, there\x92s the familiar car engine, and the ring on the doorbell. What time is it? Five past six. I\x92m going to strangle him for being late! I heard him greeting Tina, and realised I forgot to let him in. Then he came up the stairs.
"Hello, Mike, sorry I\x92m late. I didn\x92t realise I had to gas up."
"Oh, that\x92s fine, don\x92t worry. I\x92ll be gone in a few minutes, I\x92ll just get dressed."
"You are dressed, silly. Don\x92t be so nervous, it\x92s just Britty, she\x92s harmless. Actually, you dress up really well."
"You think so? Thanks. I should get my headband, though."
"You\x92re wearing a ponytail, Mike. By the way, you want to borrow the car? It looks as if it might rain again."
"Oh no, I couldn\x92t. Thanks for the offer, but I don\x92t want to feel as if I\x92m using you."
"No, really! Here\x92s the keys."
"John, are you trying to make me feel guilty? No. Thank. You. Clear? Besides, I\x92m so nervous, I\x92d probably end up in New Orleans."
"Then send me a Mardi Gras card."
"Wrong month, silly. No, I\x92ll wide, I mean ralk, I mean, I\x92ll walk my bike. Ride it. No, I\x92ll leave it, so I don\x92t forget it downtown. I\x92ll be fine. If it should rain, I\x92m going to have brought an umbrella, if it doesn\x92t, I left it back home. I mean back here. I\x92m home, aren\x92t I?"
"Can\x92t promise you that, Mike. Now, get a grip on yourself, you\x92re a bleeding wreck!"
Sitting down on my bed, I managed to take a few deep breaths, somewhat clearing away the mess in my mind. What the hell was wrong with me? I had been on dates before, hadn\x92t I? True, never with a girl so much older than myself. True, never with one I had felt even remotely as much for. A tiny voice inside my brain was telling me I would make a fool out of myself, but I decided not to listen. I stood up, clenched and unclenched my fists, then I headed downstairs, with John in tow.
"I\x92m sorry if I was being a bore about this, Mike. I wish you luck, I really do."
"Thanks, John. It means the world to me. I\x92ll see you guys later, okay? Remember, don\x92t let her boss you around!"
"Bye, Mike. Have fun!"
"Go for it, bro!"

I followed Paradise Street to its end, then turned towards the shopping centre. It took me about half an hour to reach downtown, since I deliberately kept my pace down to avoid breaking a sweat. At ten to seven, I entered the ice cream bar. Britanny was waiting in a corner booth, waving to me.
"Hi, Mike!" she said, kissing my cheek. "Sit down, I\x92ve already ordered. They\x92ll bring it on as soon as they see you\x92re here."
"What are we having?"
"You\x92re in for a treat, boy! Choc-banana shake, extra thick. It leaves you drooling!"
"I believe you. Mmm, I can smell it, they just mashed the bananas."
"You can feel that? I can\x92t smell it all the way out here. A fox thing, right?"
"Actually, fox noses are just marginally better than cats\x92. You should see a guy I knew back in Kansas, a wolf, he could tell the difference between smoked ham and bacon from a two kilometres\x92 distance."
"Heh. I believe you. I know some wolves from school, and some dogs as well. They\x92d start drooling during chemistry class, smelling the cafeteria lunch when I got nothing more than sulphuric acid up my nostrils."
We were still laughing as the shake arrived; a huge glass cup filled with a dark brown, deliciously smelling fluid. The waiter stuck two straws down it, and I had to suppress a whoop of joy. Of all my favourite ideas of romance, shake-sharing scored at least a top five. It\x92s the closeness, touching hands as we held the cup or grabbed the straws, almost rubbing our muzzles together. The chance to look the other in the eyes without staring. We enjoyed all that, and I could tell from the warmth of her brown eyes that she liked it at least as much as I did. I was just thinking whether or not I should \x91accidentally\x92 happen to rub my nose against hers, when she beat me to it.
"Oh, sorry," she said, backing away a tiny bit. I moved a little closer.
"Don\x92t be."
We touched noses again, this time it was definitely no accident. Finishing the shake, we had a mock fight for the last few drops. I glanced at my watch, nearly half eight. Had more than half an hour passed? I could hardly believe it. We sat talking for a while, she told me about her university studies and how she was going to graduate at electronics systems. She was studying on a scholarship, writing a paper on how to reduce the power usage within a closed macro-system. I nodded, not really convincing her I understood. I told her a little about my plans on doing astro-physics. Suddenly, it was high time to head for the cinema. The film had been running for a while, so the theatre wasn\x92t sold out, and we managed to get good seats. We kept on chatting during the commercials, then she leaned over to me, placing her head on my shoulder. I put my arm around her, and she purred contentedly as the movie got started. If I were to say I could remember the film, I would be lying. We sat there, cuddled together and holding hands, looking more at each other than at the screen. As things got romantic, so did we, and our first kiss nearly sent me bouncing around the theatre. I couldn\x92t believe my luck! Here I was, with the most stunningly beautiful girl I had ever known, not even halfway through our first date, and we were kissing like old lovers. I could feel eyes on me from further back in the theatre, but I paid them no heed. The credits started to roll, and she grabbed my head, locking eyes.
"Mom\x92s out tonight."
My head went spinning. Did she mean...? I merely nodded, unable to get my throat working. Arm in arm, we left the theatre, and she pulled me in an unfamiliar direction. Luckily, it wasn\x92t raining, but the air felt heavy, almost charged, as if there was thunder on the horizon. Then again, it might have been me, imagining things.
"C\x92mon, it\x92s not far."
"Wait," I said, pulling at her arm. "I-I don\x92t have any... shouldn\x92t we..."
"Silly." She kissed my nose. "It isn\x92t my... time. Don\x92t you think you\x92d notice?"
Swallowing, I felt myself blush, but she laughed it away. How I loved that clear, joyful laughter. So fresh, natural and unforced! I don\x92t think my feet even touched the ground as we walked over to her place. To John\x92s place. The thought made my spirit sink a bit. He had said he was okay with us dating, but what if we went all the way? I didn\x92t want to hurt him. Somehow, she sensed this.
"Don\x92t worry about Johnny, he gave us his blessings. I don\x92t think he\x92s ever raised so little voice against me seeing a guy."
"It\x92s just that... I don\x92t know, he seemed so hurt when I told him we were seeing each other. He\x92s had a lot of trouble with false friends."
"I know, but you convinced him. He thinks the world of you. I hope he\x92s good to your sister."
"That should be no problem. Right now, she\x92s probably tied him down to a chair, and is lighting the torches."
"Heh! Sounds like a sporty kid."
"Yeah, she\x92s always been more \x91outwards\x92 than me. Always made a lot of friends. No, seriously, she\x92s sweet. I\x92m sure they get along well."
"Like we are?"
"I hope not! In that case, I might have to kill him."
"No, you dummy!" she laughed, beating at my chest. "I didn\x92t mean that! Just that they make friends. You\x92re so silly!"
"People keep telling me. I\x92ve tried to change, but it didn\x92t work."
"Good. Don\x92t you ever lose that crazy side of yours. Normally, guys are so stiff around me. Wipe that grin off your face! I mean, they\x92re boring, always trying to say the lines and hit home. You\x92re so natural, I love it."
"Well, you should have seen me before I left home. I was so nervous I could hardly walk and breathe at the same time."
"Me too."
"Seriously?" I could hardly believe it. "You nervous? It\x92s kind of hard to picture."
"Maybe you don\x92t believe it, but I\x92m really quite shy. I don\x92t know why I came on to you so heavily the day we met."
"Because you looked the other way."
"Now you\x92re silly again! There\x92s something about you, Mike. Something... I\x92m not quite sure. I think pure is the right word. You give a feeling that you could never hurt anybody. I feel so safe with you."
"Pure..." I tasted the word. "Now that\x92s something nobody\x92s ever called me before. That\x92s sweet of you."
"You don\x92t think I sound silly?"
"No, not at all. I feel the same about you. Normally, colliding like that with such a cute girl would make me blush, apologise and back away. But I felt as if it couldn\x92t go wrong."
"It didn\x92t. Here we are, now. Coming in?"
I nodded, and she searched her pockets to find the key. The house wasn\x92t luxury, if I should be honest, but it wasn\x92t run-down either. The sort of normal block of flats that normal people tend to live in; but I knew that it housed some very unusual, fine specimen. I could understand why John hadn\x92t wanted me to see it, though, while he thought I was a rich snob. They lived on the third floor, and we kissed again in the lift. More rustling with keys, and she let me in. The flat was airy, quite spacious and excellently decorated. The colour-sense I had inherited from dad told me that every spot of paint went well with the others. Furniture, paintings and posters all fit together. She must have noted my silence, because there was concern in her voice.
"So, what do you think?" She locked the door behind her, I noticed.
"It\x92s beautiful," I said. "Perfect. Whoever decorated this place is a genius!"
"Thanks, Mike. You\x92ve no idea how that warms me." She was blushing, now. "Johnny and me, we chose the colours, to fit with the furniture. We\x92ve selected the paintings as well. I\x92m so glad you liked it."
"I should bring my dad over here, some day. He\x92s great with colour matchings, but I\x92m telling you, he wouldn\x92t change a thing. You and John, huh? What a team!"
"Mike, thank you so much!" She hugged me fiercely, and we kissed. I could see a tear in her eye. "It means so much to me, that you said this. You\x92re a wonder."
I stroked her hair, as she kept me locked in a tight hug, our muzzles just millimetres apart. That genuine, happy smile again, and I felt my heart skip a beat. She pulled me over to the couch, and we sat down, still holding each other close. Running a hand up my spine, she entwined her fingers in my hair, pulling me closer for another kiss. Parting our lips, I leaned back, sighing, my eyes still closed. I heard her licking her lips.
"That was good. Really good. You\x92re one of the best kissers I\x92ve met."
"Damn, who beat me? You\x92re right, though, it was good."
"Would you like a cup of coffee? Tea?" I shook my head. "Well, what do you want, then?"
"Can\x92t you guess?" I kissed her again, then held my mouth to her ear. "You."
Smiling, she got up, unbuttoning her shirt slowly. I felt a shiver of excitement run down my spine. She had small, firm breasts, just barely covered with thin, yellow-brown lion fur. I pulled off my own shirt, tugging at my jeans buttons as she pulled me to my feet. Her body felt so warm and cozy against mine! We kissed as we dropped the last of our clothing, finally stepping back to look at each other. She was really stunningly beautiful, not really slender, but well-built and shaped in a way that made my knees weaken. Her lower stomach fur darkened to a trail, leading in between her legs. Her tail, finally free, was wagging happily behind her, in a way I felt as inviting. Feeling her eyes on my body, I felt the tingling excitement grow even stronger. Returning to meet my eyes again, she smiled.
"That\x92s the last time I think of foxes as small."
I laughed, pulling her closer to me, to the couch. She shook her head, indicating a door at the far end of the room. Holding my hand, she opened it, leading me into what had to be her room. A soft green carpet, white walls and various wall decoratings, from art pieces to schematic drawings. Tugging at my wrist, she yanked me back from my thoughts. We laid down on her bed, without removing the cover, all the while caressing and kissing each other. I kissed her neck, my hand seeking out her breast, the touch making her hold her breath for a second. She stroked my stomach fur, her hand soon finding my eager erection. The careful, gentle touch made me gasp with excitement. We made love there, slowly and gently. She was so soft and warm, the feeling nearly brought tears to my eyes. I was whimpering with joy as we began moving faster, bringing us to a peak within moments of each other. Sighing, I withdrew, laying my head down on her chest. She was purring contentedly, enjoying the afterglow. Words suddenly seemed redundant, so we just laid there, not speaking, listening to each other\x92s ragged breathing and rapid heartbeats. All too soon, she began to stir.
"Mike, mom might be home any time, now. We really should get dressed."
"Too bad."
"I know. Listen, thanks for tonight. I loved it." She kissed my cheek, giving me that smile I had come to love. "You\x92re a great guy."
"Britanny..."
"Mm?" She tilted her head.
"It was my first. Thank you so much."
"Really?" She leaned closer to me, a wicked grin on her face. "How did you like it?"
"Great. Just great. Are we seeing each other again?"
"Definitely! I\x92m not gonna drop you, relax." She stroked my shoulder. "Next weekend?"
"Sure."
"How\x92s that coffee sounding now?"
"I can\x92t hear it."
"Heh. You really are very, very silly." We kissed again. "Such a silly fox."
Still waiting a while before getting dressed, she showed me a photo album, full of pictures from holidays. One thing struck me. Wherever she went, she was alone, or with other girls, or with her family. Not a boyfriend in sight. As if she was sensing my thoughts, she turned the page, pointing to a large, black wolf.
"That\x92s Heart. My best friend at the university. We tried going out for a while, but decided that we\x92re much better off just being friends. Actually, I\x92ve not had that many steady boyfriends. Most of them were such jerks. Another reason why I\x92m so happy to have met you, Mikey."
"Please, not that. Sounds horrible."
"I think it\x92s cute. All right, Mike. You want to see what Johnny looked like when he was little?"
"All tricks, I guess."
"Actually, he was as cute then as he is now. The best brother I could wish for. Our big brother\x92s a bit of a boss, constantly looking down on me and Johnny. I guess the two of us have always been very close."
She showed me pictures from Greece. Britanny, in her early teens, standing just outside the Athena temple, with a grinning lion cub at her side. He must have been seven or eight at the time. She\x92s right, I thought. He was a cute kid. Another one showed him on a surfboard, looking petrified.
"He fell off a few seconds later. Bet they heard him yelling all the way to Turkey."
I laughed at the thought. We kept looking at photos for a while, then we started getting dressed. Watching her as she buttoned her shirt again, I congratulated myself on my good fortune. Britanny\x92s mother came home while we were having coffee. She didn\x92t look much like her offspring, but was more heavy-set. Muscular and short, and quite fierce-looking. All that was contradicted by her very soft voice.
"Hello, Britty!" she greeted, turning to take my hand. "You must be Mike. So glad to meet you. I\x92ve heard a lot about you lately. I\x92m Leara."
"Hello, Leara. Listen, they\x92ve made up half of what they say, and I deny the rest."
"Don\x92t worry, Mike," she laughed as Britanny elbowed me lightly in the ribs. "It\x92s all been positive. Now, cubs, if you\x92ll excuse me, I desperately need a shower."
"I think I left a bit of a mess in there when I showered before," Britanny said, hurrying off. "Be right back!"
"Listen, Mike," Leara said. "You\x92ve really cheered up my cubs. Thanks a lot."
She kissed my cheek, and before I had time to answer, she had left the room, and Britanny was back. Checking my watch, I decided it was time to get home. I\x92d have a hard time making it back before midnight, anyway. We finished the coffee, then kissed one more time in the hallway as I put on my jacket. The last smile I saw before she closed the door contained promises.

My head felt light and I had a spring in my step as I walked home. There weren\x92t much people out that late, so I would hardly have felt worried, even if I\x92d had room in my mind for such thoughts. I kept dwelling on those magical moments. The way she smiled... Not really sure I could find my way, I backtracked our earlier walk, reaching the main street. From there, it was a piece of cake finding my way back home. As I turned up towards our doorstep, a sinking feeling crept into my stomach. What would I find in there? Murder? Mayhem? Mischief? Nothing could have prepared me for what I did find. John was waiting in the hallway, hushing me as I got in, ready to yell for them.
"Tina\x92s asleep," he said. "She wanted to wait up, but her eyes wouldn\x92t stay open. I carried her up to her room."
"Was she horrible to you?"
"On the contrary, she\x92s been a perfect little angel. I can\x92t believe all those things you\x92ve said about her. She helped me cook dinner. There\x92s some lasagne left in the fridge, if you\x92d like. Then we\x92ve watched a little TV and a video, and when she got tired we sat here reading books \x91til she fell asleep."
"I\x92m sorry, but I think you\x92re lying. Either that, or you\x92ve got the wrong Tina."
"No, Mike, it\x92s true. She\x92s so sweet. If she\x92s mean to you, I guess that just means she likes me more." He grinned. "She told me about this morning."
"Of course she did," I groaned. "Pesky little brat!"
"Said she would keep her camera ready next time..."
"Quit it! Please?"
"All right. I won\x92t be nasty to you. How was your date?"
"Wonderful. I think I may be in love. She\x92s fantastic!"
"Yeah, she\x92s the best. C\x92mon, tell me!"
"Well, we get on so well. It\x92s like I\x92ve known her for years. The way she smiles..."
"Yeah, yeah. Now, tell me about your date!"
"I don\x92t really remember the film. I think I recall it as being quite far from the book. I hardly watched it. Then she took me home. I didn\x92t know you were such a marvellous decorator! I\x92ve never seen such a matching design."
"Thanks. Britty and I are quite pleased with it."
"John, I won\x92t lie to you. We made love."
"You did?" He smiled at me. "I\x92m glad for you. Details?"
"Shame on you, inquiring about your own sister! It was fine. Maybe not what the stories tell you, but still, fine. Are you sure you\x92re okay with it?"
"Sure, don\x92t worry. It was just a little rough at first. A bit of a shock. I\x92m over it, and I\x92m happy for you both."
"You\x92ve no idea how glad I am to hear that, John. I\x92ve been so worried I would hurt you."
"I keep telling you, silly fox, don\x92t worry!" He tilted his head. "I know you\x92re my friend, and I\x92m happy about that. It\x92s just... I was so afraid for a while that you were just another guy aiming for Britanny."
"I was!"
"Yeah, but you didn\x92t use me for a cornerstone. That\x92s what I appreciate. Hell, we\x92re closer than friends, aren\x92t we? Almost like in-laws."
"I haven\x92t married your sister, John, I\x92ve just dated her once."
"Once, yes, but you did go \x91round the bases. And don\x92t tell me this was your last date! The way Britty\x92s been talking about you the last few days, I\x92d say you\x92re a good bit of the way to bonding."
"Are you, by any chance, challenging my sister in the make-Mikey-blush game?"
"No, seriously, she thinks the world of you. She was quite worked-up when I left to go here. I think she was really shooting for you."
"Aimed, shot, hit. Spot on, dead in the centre. With that smile..."
"All right! I get the idea. Calm down, Mike! Listen, I\x92ve got to go, it\x92s almost one. I\x92m starting at ten tomorrow."
"Tina and I\x92ll be over for lunch."
"You do that."
"Thanks again, John. It was really sweet of you to take care of Tina. Really sweet."
"Well, yeah, anytime." He was actually blushing. "See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah, bye!"
Deciding that it was far too late for lasagne, I went up to my room, quickly getting out of my clothes. I still smelled of her. My hands, arms, legs, chest, hair; in fact, my entire fur smelled of Britanny, and of our love. Closing my eyes, I conjured that smile again, reaching out as if to touch her face. It wasn\x92t until she touched me back that I realised I had fallen asleep.

I heard my door creak open, and woke up just in time as Tina pounced me. Rolling with her attack, I managed to toss her over me, and she went crashing to the floor. Laughing, she got up and jumped at me again. As I opened my eyes, I was met by a wicked fox-grin.
"Good morning, sleeper. It\x92s half nine, you can\x92t dream away the entire day."
"What\x92s wrong with you? Can\x92t you just shake my shoulder?"
"Nope. So, tell me! You scored, didn\x92t you?"
"Tina!"
"Well, it\x92s true, right? You smell strongly of cat, you know. And of semen."
"Tina, stop!"
"And you\x92re blushing like crazy."
"You don\x92t go around smelling people out! It\x92s rude!"
"And I could hear you mumbling in your sleep, all the way to my room. Besides, you\x92re \x91camping\x92, boy."
"That\x92s it!" I hit her with my pillow, hastily rearranging the bed cover. "Get out of here, you horrible kid!"
She screamed as I tossed the pillow after her, and I could hear her footsteps down the stairs. I got up and locked the door. The nerves on that child! Maybe I would have to spank her, after all. Returning to bed, I began stroking myself lightly, remembering my dreams, but I decided against it. If I went down with a fresh smell, she\x92d never let me live it down. Instead, I went for a shower. Of course, Tina wasn\x92t finished with me.
"You still smell of her," she said as I entered the kitchen. "Soap didn\x92t help."
"I hadn\x92t expected it to. Is lasagne really a good breakfast?" She nodded. "Well, all right. I\x92ll have some, too."
"John was great! He was so nice, I didn\x92t have heart to tease him."
"He did say you were a good kid. I thought he\x92d spent the evening in the wrong house."
"Hey! I\x92m always good. A role model for children today. So, will you tell me about your night, or do I have to draw my own conclusions?"
"I\x92m not hiding anything. We did make love. I just won\x92t be as callous as you are."
"Oh." This seemed to stun her for a while. "Damn, and I was so looking forward to blackmail you."
"So, how was your evening?" I asked, ignoring her remark.
"We watched From Here to Eternity, and scoffed down a whole bowl of popcorn. Then we watched TV for a while. He wasn\x92t very talkative at first, but I got him going."
"What did you talk about?"
"Now who\x92s prying?" she giggled. "About bothersome siblings, mostly. I think he\x92s got a crush on you."
I nearly dropped the plate as I was making my way to the table. She can\x92t be serious! John? No way! I would have noticed. Sitting down, I smiled at her, albeit forcedly.
"Now you\x92re just speculating."
"No, really, you should\x92ve seen the way his eyes lit up when he talked about how great he thinks you are. I tried to tell him that you must be faking it, but he wouldn\x92t listen. I think you should go for him, he\x92d make a great brother-in-law."
"Tina, you\x92re being silly! I\x92m not into boys."
"Bore! Live a little. They could take shifts with you." She grinned. "Part-time job, but it\x92d be full-time for you, though."
"Where the hell did you get such a dirty mind? Not from me that\x92s for sure!"
"No, definitely not from you. Bore. Prudish bore."
"That\x92s it, get out! Let me eat alone! Go play in the tumbler-drier, or something."
She got up, walked around the table and threw herself around my neck, kissing my cheek. Grinning, she patted me on the head.
"Don\x92t you ever change, bro. You\x92re too funny!"
"So you were pulling my leg?"
"Yeah. Don\x92t sound so disappointed. I wasn\x92t kidding all the way about John, though. He really, really likes ya. Are we having pizza today, too, by the way?"
"Not by the way, but by the shopping centre." She giggled. "I\x92m having pasta, I think. You can\x92t live on pizza forever."
"I could. I\x92ll be back by then, I promised Zea I\x92d be over by nine."
"New friend?"
"Mhm. She\x92s an otter living just down the street. We\x92re going boy-hunting!"
"Tina..."
"We\x92ll play at her pool, okay? Don\x92t be such an awful bore!"
The door slammed, and I was alone in the house. Now what? Return to the morning\x92s activity? No, I decided to get on with unpacking my things, and spent most of the morning stuffing books into shelves and doing some rearrangement of furniture. In front of my books, I placed my stuffed toys, the new tiger earning a front position. I decided to bring my old desk into the back room, leaving room for a new one beneath the window in the main room, sometime in the future. On the desk, I unpacked my computer, plugging it in, and hooking the modem to the phone socket. A few minutes later, I was checking my e-mail, and answered a few letters from old friends from back home. Checking some of my favourite web sites, I found to my disappointment that nothing much was new on-line. Shouldn\x92t everything change when you move? Disconnecting, I spent some time working on the novel I\x92m writing; a sword-and-sorcery fantasy tale with a barely disguised me as the hero. I\x92m not expecting it to make big, but it\x92s fun to write. Those of my friends who\x92ve read it think there are too few babes, and too much scenery. I made a note to myself to let John read it some day. Britanny too, if she wanted to. The door slammed downstairs, and I looked at my watch. Half past twelve. I turned off the computer, hearing Tina talking to her friend downstairs. Zea turned out to be a shy-looking kid, with huge glasses and a nervous twitch to her nose. She nodded at me when Tina introduced us, blushing, but when she spoke to Tina she was suddenly more talkative. I left them to go and fetch my bike helmet, and I heard Zea leave before I got back. Tina had her helmet on, obviously ready to go.
"That\x92s your new friend, is it? She looks a bit shy."
"She is, with new people. You just wait \x91til she gets to know you. She\x92s really funny."
"Made any more buddies?"
"A few. There\x92s a lupine family on the next street, with twins my age. Keiy and Shife, boy and girl. They\x92re great. Say they\x92ll drag me into their soccer team once the training season starts. Locc lives just across the street. She\x92s younger than me, but she\x92s a great runner."
"John promised me I could try out for the school\x92s floorball team. We\x92ll be an athlete family."
"Yeah, all we have to do is get dad to take up gymnastics."
Laughing at the thought, I locked the door behind us, and we started riding towards the centre. There was not much traffic on the back roads, but the main street we had to cross was crowded. I couldn\x92t help wondering where everybody was going. Did they all really have an errand? Tina had to prod me as the lights changed to green, and we could ride on. The restaurant was quite packed today, and John had no time left for chatting, even though we managed to change a few quick words across the counter. After eating, we waved at him where he was handing out pizzas as we left the place. He grinned back at us. Tina and I took some time to check out the stores, not really shopping, but at least it was a way to spend the afternoon. On the way home we stopped at the video store, where I picked out a couple of more innocent-looking action films, to Tina\x92s dismay. She didn\x92t mind the bag of wine gum, though. We spent the evening watching the films, finishing off the lasagne for dinner. My mind was only half in it, though. I was getting a bit nervous about the new job. At half past ten, I chased Tina to bed, then had a shower, half expecting to be late the next morning. Trust my gut feeling; I woke up at five to eight, just barely having time to brush my teeth and shake life into Tina. She was quite grumpy by the time John arrived, and we left in his car.