"So, let's see, beer, snacks, b-rated movies, big soft couch...aaaaaand my awesome day off can begin!" exclaimed a red fox happily leaping on the blue piece of furniture and bouncing slightly on the puffy cushions.
"AaaaHHH! God bless the mammal who invented these thing! Tonight no one will be able to tear myself away from you my dear friend" he said dramatically rubbing his cheek on his 'friend' "Now what to do first?"
But obviously Karma, with his twisted sense of humor, had something else in store for him in his supposed day off because suddenly the door burst open and a young black wolf barged in with a slight pant beaming at the sight of the relaxing fox "NICK!"
"Jason" he briefly saluted his noisy roommate turning immediately towards the screen with the remote already in one paw.
"So how's my wonderful roomie today?" Jason said placing himself strategically in front of the screen
"What do you want wolf?" Nick asked annoyed moving his head from side to side to get a glimpse of the show he was trying to watch.
"Aw come on, now a wolf can't even greet his best friend without a hidden agenda?" he said grinning.
"A friend maybe..." Nick said momentarily giving up on the idea of watching Tv "...but not YOU. Now quit the charade and tell me the hell do you want so you can get outta my face"
"So cruel" the wolf said pretending to wipe a tear from his right eye "Well since you asked so nicely...I need a favor Nick. A big one" he pleaded with a totally different tone.
"You don't say?!" the russet mammal said sarcastically "The answer is NO, now get lost. I'm busy"
"Listen Buddy I know it's asking a lot but please can you switch shift with me tonight?"
"That's not going to happen Jason"
"Nick please, it's important...see I met this girl and..."
"Wait, you asked a girl out on a work night? What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know what will happen if Don were to find out?"
"You know that he doesn't care what we do as long as he's constantly gaining money"
"Jason..."
"I will make it up to you. I swear. You...you can switch shifts with me whenever you want for five times in a row, just let me have this chance Nick."
The fox placed the remote on the armrest and looked the antsy canid straight in the eye "You told her what you do for a living?"
"No way" he exclaimed outraged "She never would have looked at me if I did."
"And how do you think it could work? If she ever does found..."
"I'll be careful Nick, and when...if that day will come I hope she care about me enough to accept me no matter what"
"I..."
"Nick I beg you, at least I had to try"
"Fine." he complied
"Thank you Nick, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU" he made a move as if to hug him but the fox was quick to shirk it
"Yes, yes whatever" he said standing up hesitantly from his beloved couch "Just give me the assignment party-pooper"
"Of course" he said still super excited pulling out from his jacket pocket a wrinkled piece of paper "Here you are"
"What have you done? I can hardly read it" Nick complained looking at the huge ink smudge all over the half of the small sheet.
"My bad, my drink got spilled all over it" he said bashfully "But I remember the majority of it, it's a dinner date, at Luigi's itailian restaurant in Savanna Central, it's classy so dress elegant but don't overdo it"
"Mmmhm, what else?" He asked looking at the form from different angles in an attempt to figure it out something.
"Errr oh yes, you are her birthday present but she think that her friend...Bernie I believe...had planned a blind date with one of his acquaintance"
"Birthday present? It's the first time I am asked for something like that"
"Yeah pretty lame isn't it? She must be a butt-ugly if her friends have to pay a male to keep her company on her birthday" he sniggered "I'm really starting to envy you pal"
"You could always take the chair back you know?
"No,no I'm good, I'm sure she's a very kind lady" he said trying, and failing, to compose himself " But I'm afraid there is a last itsy-bitsy pittance on the contract I still haven't told you Nicky" Jason added with a toothy grin.
"I bet I can guess...complete service?" he replied with just the slightest hint of annoyance.
"And the winner is... Nicholas Wilde whooo!"
The red mammal huffed by no means amused "Ok so in short I am supposed to be the gift of this..." he brought closer the piece of paper and squinted "...Judith whose friend Bernie felt compelled to rent her a male escort, without her knowing, for a nice dinner and a good fuck?"
"Basically...yes"
"And now thanks to your clumsiness I don't know her age, her species...nothing, not ever her full name how I was supposed to act? Wait, what does it say on the top here? On-only small pre..."
"Does it really matters?" Jason said suddenly very serious "Her name, her age...it won't change anything you know? And come on then...Judith, what kind of name is that? You can't really expect a beautiful young girl Nick, she's probably just a bitter lonely middle aged female like all the other times, and since Gladys assigned the cause to me it probably only requires a small pred." he said with sadness dropping his gaze.
"You've got a point" he reasoned "What time should I be there?" he asked collecting all the snack and the drinks before moving from the sitting room towards the small kitchenette to pull them away into the cupboard.
"7.30 reservation name 'Birthday date'"
"How original" Nick shook his head "Well what are you waiting for? Go get ready for your date, or you will be dumped before it can even start" he grinned.
"Yes! Get ready" he turned towards the bathroom but stopped for a moment "Nick really I can't thank you enough, you can collect the debt anytime"
"You can bet your tail I will, and just for the records I will make you date an old nympho sheep, so be prepared"
"You are the best" he honestly said closing the door behind him.
After an instant the small apartment was filled with the sound of running water and an off-key happy song.
Nick slowly headed to his own bedroom to change his green shaggy sweatpants and black tee with something more appropriate.
Opening his closet he selected a pale gray suit and a royal blue perfectly ironed shirt and placed them neatly on the bed "Not bad" he smiled "I need a tie" he decided heading back towards the drawers and looking at his impressive collection of ties tidily stored inside choosing eventually a simple gray one to match with the suit.
He quickly groomed himself a bit before changing into the elegant pants and shirt and, while fixing his tie, he took a long look at his reflection in the wide mirror over his chest grinning at the sight of the other fox dressed to the nines who grinned in return.
It could work, simple but elegant, maybe way too much to just whoring, but this job required a little etiquette even if clothes weren't supposed to stay on for a very long time.
He picked up the suit from the bed gingerly letting it dandle by a finger over his right shoulder, grabbed a couple of condoms from a coffer and went out the bedroom just as Jason, still wet from the shower and wearing only a towel around his hips, opened the bathroom's door
As son as the young mammal saw him he wolf-whistle in appreciation "Looking good fox"
"You too wolf. Do you have IT Jason?"
"Yes sure, here you are" he said giving him a little blue vial.
"The nectar of the gods" he exclaimed resigned "Well good luck with your date Jason.
"Yeah you too Nick...and thanks"
"Fuck you" he said with a lopsided grin before turning towards the door
"Wait Nick" the black furred mammal called alarmed.
"What?!"
"Did you take protection?" he asked with barely hidden mirth.
"Yes daddy" Nick replied batting his eyes and clasping his hands under his chin like he was a silly little teen-ager "I'm a safety girl" he said in falsetto "Be sure to take yours young man" and he was gone.
Head down and ears pull back in misery he walked towards the front door towards another shitty night.
The red fox felt bad for his young 'colleague', he had such high hopes in life that he couldn't refuse such a simple favour, he himself gave them up a few years after this ordeal begun, they were called Escorts but in his opinion it was only a polite way to say whore.
Nick had no friends, no life, no future and love was absolutely out of the question and whether in almost sixteen years nothing had actually changed it was highly unlike they ever will be.