Chapter 9: A Date with Dixie
Well, today was the day. The day that I hang out with Dixie and get to know her some more after having just met her two days ago. We agreed to meet at the park some time after lunch and the Triple D of course were happy enough to spruce me up for the hang out. But no matter how many times I told them otherwise, they always insisted it was a date. I had only just met that Dalmatian girl, it's not like it meant anything. Not yet at least. Since the hang out was during the day and since the Triple D were coming with to chaperone me, the Dimitris figured I'd be safe and didn't tag along. After applying god knows how many brands of deodorant and aftershave on me and putting me in my best suit, we were on our way to the park. The smell from the different aerosols used on me stuck out like a sore thumb as I'd often see other anthro dogs pick up the scent and give me confused glances. Thankfully, the scent's intensity wore off as soon as I arrived where me and Dixie were to meet.
The aforementioned grey-spotted Dalmatian was waiting for me outside of a small cafe in the park that had just recently opened not too long ago. She was also in a new set of clothes, having gone with a graphic black shirt with white sleeves and navy blue joggers. Oh no, I'm starting to blush again and I'm literally doing nothing but looking at her.
"Good luck." Destiny suddenly whispered before she and the rest of the Triple D rushed behind a nearby tree before I could protest. That was when Dixie glanced in my direction and grinned upon registering who she was seeing. "Cody, there you are!" She beamed as I approached her, I could briefly notice her tail wagging. "Hey there, Dixie. Ready to hang out?" I asked as obviously as possible, trying to to sound as normal as possible which made her chuckle a little. "Always! I heard this place makes some good coffee." She replied as me and her went inside the cafe.
The interior was designed just like an American 80's diner with the black and white chequerboard floor and a flurry of vibrant colours mainly being red and white with the walls being plastered with posters that advertised almost every mainstream product known to man during the time they were printed and neon light signs. Box sofas aligned next to the windows which faced each other in rows with a table each between them. Dixie and I opted to take one of the window tables, sitting opposite of each other as the menus were already provided for us, me using it to cover my face so Dixie wouldn't notice my lingering blush. It was maybe a few seconds later when Dixie piped up with a question.
"Soooo, are you gonna explain the dinner suit and the cocktail of deodorants I smell?" She asked with a playful snicker as I scratched the back of my head in slight embarrassment. "A-Ah, well, that was my sisters' idea. Wanted me to look fresh for our hang out together." I explained as her smirk didn't fade. "Guessing it was the Triple D that over-prepared you for that, huh?" She guessed with a cheeky grin. "Honestly, I wouldn't care if you went in the simplest of clothes. You're still you at the end of the day." She added as I couldn't help but smile in response. "Now come oooon, tell me about yourself!" She playfully urged me as I started to feel comfortable talking about her even with the blush on my face.
"Well… The Triple D aren't my only sisters. My adoptive family is composed of my mum, dad and all my ninety-nine brothers and sisters." That answer definitely caught her off guard as she was silent for a moment before replying. "So you have a family of one hundred and one Dalmatians? That's pretty crazy yet awesome at the same time! More family members means more hugs!" She complimented as one of the waiters arrived at our table. "Hey, you guys ready to order?" I redirected my attention to the waiter and my eyes widened up realising who it was. Their most defining feature? A wheelchair.
"Delgado?!"
"Oh, Cody? What's up, bro!" The Dalmatian in the wheelchair, clad in a white shirt and red striped apron held a fist out to me which I bumped after getting over my initial shock upon seeing him here. "Long story short, I wanted to show more people than just my siblings how fast I can go. So when I heard that this place was hiring, I figured I'd show these guys what I've got! Safe to say the boss is already impressed with how fast I can take orders!" Delgado explained with a smug grin on his face. Not even the fact that he was born with congenital amputation stopped him from aiming to be the fastest one in his family, part of me even wished he would one day be recognised as a motivational speaker among the likes of Nick Vujicic since his awareness of being crippled never did once deter him from being the best. "Now what can I get you two lovebirds then?" He asked. Damn it, now I'm blushing even more now. Did Dolly just go and blab it on to everyone else in the family or something? Dixie just giggled at Delgado's question before answering. "I think I'll take the vanilla latte with a bit of extra cream." Delgado took out a notepad and a pencil that he had tucked between one of his ears, proceeding to write down Dixie's order. "And you, Cody?" I took another quick look through before putting the menu down. "I'll go with the Arabica." I had read somewhere that Arabica was like a premium type of coffee, being considered the most popular. Dixie gave out a small impressed whistle at my choice as Delgado scribbled on his notepad somewhere. "Alright, done and about to be delivered!" He exclaimed confidently, wheeling away to the kitchen, already gone in less than a second.
"Wow, it was like we were talking to the dog version of the Flash!" Dixie snickered before continuing. "Is he another one of your siblings?" I nodded in response. "Oh yeah, many of my brothers and sisters are unique. My eldest brother, Dylan whilst house proud is into stars and anything to do with space. Dolly, my eldest sister is into having as much fun as possible. Da Vinci loves nothing more than to paint and Dawkins is a real tech genius and even made me this for my birthday!" I told her about some of my family before showing her my custom made smartphone as her eyes lit up in amazement. "Woah, for real? Bill Gates better be shaking in his boots then!" She joked as she analysed my D101-G Flip before adding another question.
"What about you? What are you unique for?"
"Well sometimes I like to draw and sketch stuff and even sing. Sometimes DJ and I perform song covers at this very park." Dixie's eyebrows raised at the last sentence. "Wait… You're the one who sings with that Dalmatian with the headphones?!" She asked with a stunned grin, I gave her a simple nod. "Wow! I've been like in several of your performances, your singing is amazing!" She praised me, making me blush even more in turn making me instinctively say this.
"I-I think you're amazing too, Dixie."
OH MY GOD, WHY DID I JUST SAY THAT? Now Dixie was blushing as she rubbed one of her own cheeks with a hand.
"...Really?" She asked, the smile on her face not fading. Feeling like I had just made things awkward however, I tried to say something to save face but all that came out was flustered stammers.
"U-Uh, I mean… You know… It… I… You… Uh..." My stammering was cut short went Dixie placed a finger on my lips. "Cody… I know what the problem is here." She began. "When you have feelings for someone, your heart ends up dislocating itself, making you feel tight and hot inside. When that happens, you just gotta kick your heart back into gear." She paused for a moment before moving her hand away from my face. "To tell you the truth, I like doing a bit of singing every now and then. And it was you and DJ's performances that motivated me to do that." She said as she stood up from the table and looked to her left. I followed her gaze to find the Triple D peeking over from a distant table, Deja Vu let out a squeak upon realising they had been spotted as Dixie walked over to a jukebox and set it going before looking back at the Triple D.
"You girls thinking what I'm thinking?" She asked the trio whom looked at each other before springing out of their hiding spot and grinning eagerly. Dixie looked at me once more.
"Remember, Cody. When your heart gets lost in feelings for someone..."
Jennifer Paige – Kick It Into Gear
[Lyrical Codes]
Italics – Dixie
Bold – Triple D
Sometimes you just got to kick it into gear!
When your grip keeps slippin' and your clutch is gone
You're tired of spinning your wheels on your brain's front lawn
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Well keep your asphalt under, sunny side up!
A gas credit card and a giant coffee cup
The rest of your life is gonna find you here
Get up on the highway and kick it into gear
Kick it into gear, kick it into gear!
That's the only way you're gonna get on outta here!
Kick it into gear, kick it into gear!
Sometimes, you just got to kick it into gear
Had some money for a turbo drive
Well it ain't the destination, it's the ride, ride, ride
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Well keep the heavy to the metal and grab onto the road
I hear your motor runnin', it's about to explode
Still be waitin' this time next year
Head on down the highway and kick it into gear
Kick it into gear, kick it into gear!
That's the only way you're gonna get on outta here!
Kick it into gear, kick it into gear!
Sometimes, you just got to kick it into gear
[Instrumental break]
Kick it into gear, kick it into gear!
That's the only way you're gonna get on outta here!
Kick it into gear, kick it into gear!
So, if you want to, yeah!
Kick it into gear, kick it into gear!
That's the only way you're gonna get on outta here!
Kick it into gear, kick it into gear!
Sometimes, you just got to kick it into gear
As the music from the jukebox died down, the whole diner's atmosphere was filled with applause and cheers from all of the patrons and even the staff as I joined in the applauding, Dixie blushing with a bashful smile whilst the Triple D relished in the cheering, doing some poses for the onlookers, even attracting a few of the patrons whom wanted their autograph which they gladly gave out to. Just then, right on cue, Delgado returned with our orders, Dixie taking a seat as the applause soon started to dissipate.
"That… That was really good, Dixie." She blushed again as I said this before taking a sip of her latte. I could just sense her face getting warmer as it flowed down her throat whilst I went ahead and took a small gulp of my Arabica, more often than not we'd glance at each other with a smile.
After we finished and I paid for the beverages, Dixie and I headed outside and found the nearest tree to stand under as Dixie pulled off one of her chain armlets. "Wanna see something cool?" She asked before slowly scraping one end of one of the chain links against the bark, etching something into the wood. I watched her for several minutes until she was done and noticed she had carved a heart on the tree with the letters 'C + D' in the middle.
"C and D?" I wondered, making Dixie laugh at my naivety. "You and me, silly." She retorted before walking over to me.
"Cody… I had a really great time with you today. When I first met you, I thought you'd be nothing more than a close friend of mine..." She started before continuing with this. "But after today, I can see that I feel just more than that about you… Even if it really has only been an hour or so since we met." She completed her explanation before acknowledging the blush on my own face.
"...And I can see you feel the same way."
What happened next completely caught my by surprised. Right after she said those words, she leaned over and I felt her lips press against mine. This wasn't a simple friendly kiss on the cheek my sisters, especially the Triple D sometimes gave me. This was a bona fide loving kiss on the lips. At this point, my face was hotter than the Sahara desert, even when we parted lips. "Wanna exchange numbers?" She asked as all I could do was nod, still blown away by the kiss as we tapped each other's numbers in our phones and then, she departed with one last thing to say.
"See you around, Cody~"
I sighed in total euphoria as everything that happened today flowed in my mind like a gentle gust of wind. All this time, the Triple D and everyone else were right. I really did have feelings for Dixie after all, and she seemed to return those feelings as well. I felt something else too, it was like I was being released from my twelve year long clutch of heartbreak. You ever get that feeling when you do something that appears really challenging but when you complete that challenge, you feel nothing but relief and a sense of achievement upon doing so. That's exactly what I felt when Dixie filled a hole in my heart I never realised I had before. The hole that was caused when Amy laughed at me, like an element from my heart that had been erased and broken for years.
The element of love.
As I slowly brought myself back to reality, I blinked to see the Triple D all standing in front of me with probably the smuggest looks on their faces I'd ever seen and what their expressions told me was very evident in what they had to say to me.
"We told you so!"
Author's Note:
Brody R.E. Hall asks: "Where do you find the time to write this?"
Well Brody, considering I don't have a job (not yet at least), I'm able to devote most of my time to writing these stories of mine.
Though, I should be doing more stuff for my YouTube channel since I haven't made any videos for 2 weeks.