Chapter 17: An Awkward Run in the Park

Jake has a problem during his morning jog and Marie finds out that things at work are not as they seem.

They just held hands that evening after they left the old church and he walked her home. The nighttime chill permeated the evening air while they strolled down towards her apartment and neither raccoon spoke much but just walked, both seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Marie was surprised when he only kissed her at the apartment door and didn't try to come inside. We've both had a hard and trying evening, she realized as he left. After closing the door, she saw the skeptical look her roommate was giving her. "What?" she asked.

"So have you finally realized that you're in love with this guy?" the skunk asked.

The raccoon didn't reply but just nodded.

"Good, little miss dreamy eyes, it took you long enough."

"What do you mean?" she asked with her head cocked in the cute canid way, a habit that she had picked up as a kit while playing with all those coyote pups when she grew up on her family's farm.

"Marie you're the happiest when you are around him," the skunk replied with a shrug of her shoulders and a swish of her black and white furred tail.

The next morning, she was surprised to find Jake in the park and sitting wrapped up in a blanket under the same tree where they first met. He was bundled in a grey sweatshirt and sweatpants. Marie knew that he didn't like jogging that much, so he must have been waiting for her. His eyes were closed as if in meditation, but his ears flicked giving away the fact that he was faking. Lamb above, he is a stud! she thought. She wanted to jump on him and cover him with kisses, but there were too many other runners on the trail.

"Should I should call the cops about y'all loitering in the park?" she giggled when she greeted him. "I personally know a cop or two."

His eyes remained closed when he replied, "Call Judy, she takes some perverse pleasure in arresting me. I think it's some kind of kinky dominatrix thing, but that's Nick's problem and not mine."

"Maybe I should borrow her cuffs one night?" she suggested with a knowing grin.

His eyes popped open and he looked up at her in surprise, before grinning back at her. "And here I thought you were a wholesome good little country girl?' he laughed. His eyes swept over her body, the female raccoon was dressed in a pink sweatshirt with her college sorority name in Greek letters on it and a pair of grey sweatpants. She was cute and even covered up like she was in her baggy clothes, she was sexy.

"Why Mister Runnel, there are things about lil' old me that you have yet to learn. Now, are you going to join me in a jog?"

"Nope!"

"Why not?"

"I can't stand yet without embarrassing myself and It's entirely your entire fault too."

"Well I guess I'll just go and leave y'all to your thoughts," she dramatically sighed and turned, while flirtatiously swishing her tail.

"You're not helping matters," he growled.

"Bye, coon," she giggled before she slowly jogged away. A few moments later, she heard him awkwardly running behind her and turned to see he was trying to nonchalantly hold the blanket to hide the way his sweatpants were bulging. It wasn't working, a she-wolf ran past them and the other jogger giggled when she saw it, but then Marie realized that the wolf wasn't just looking at Jake, but sniffing her scent too and she blushed.

"Huff...huff...this isn't really working," he complained when he caught up to her.

"No, it doesn't seem to be helping," she replied after she looked down. "Think of water, running water, pure COLD water…very cold water."

After a few moments more he finally responded, "Shit! Now I've got to pee!"

She giggled as they continued to run through the park. After a while longer he called out to her, "Hey Marie, are you training for a marathon or something?"

She looked back and he was trailing some while he huffed and puffed after her. "Just a little further, Sugar," she replied through her own huffing and puffing. Then she realized that they had missed the loop which went back toward her apartment.

"Taxi!" he gasped before stopping and leaning over panting.

She stopped and after a few moments of rest, looked at her watch with a scowl. "I still have to get back to my place to shower and dress," she grumbled. "At this rate, I'm going to be too late to catch the subway to work on time, so I need to hurry."

She gave him a peck on his cheek and hurried off leaving him standing confused in the middle of the trail. It took too long for her to get back to the apartment where she took a quick shower and while still with her fur mostly damp, she dressed and yanked on her winter jacket as she ran down the stairs towards the front door. She knew it would be a miracle if she caught the subway train.

"Excuse me, miss," a voice called out to her from the street. She looked up and saw a fashionably dressed black jaguar with a scar over his right eye holding open the door to a luxury sedan. "Mister Runnel was concerned that you would be late for work and asked that I drive you there this morning. "

"I can't," she started to protest.

"Of course, you can," the driver replied with a smile. "There is coffee and danish for you in the back."

"How did you get here so fast?" she asked while she took his offered paw and climbed into the sedan.

He closed the door and walked around to the driver's side of the vehicle, answering her question while he pulled the car out into the busy morning traffic. "I was supposed to drive Mister Runnel to a meeting this morning," he said. "He asked that I drive you to work instead and he took a taxi."

"He shouldn't have done that!" she sighed. "Say, you drove us to the restaurant for dinner on our first date. Your name is Mister Manchas, right?"

She could see him smile at her in the rearview mirror. "Please call me Renato," he replied. "It may not be my place miss, but I have driven Mister Runnel around for a while and I have never known him to be happier than when he talks about you."

She blushed when she heard that and reached over to help herself to a cup of coffee from the silver vacuum flask and smiled when she sipped it with relish. It tasted much better than the brand she and Kathy purchased. "Really great coffee," she called to Renato.

"Thank you! I'm a tad obsessive when it comes to coffee and fine wine."

"Does Jake like this blend?"

"I do not believe he has a preference. I've seen him drink what I would scarcely call coffee from a gasoline station. "

"I would believe that, he's still a street coon dressed in fine clothing," she giggled. "I guess y'all can't take the city from him any more than the country out of me?"

The driver chuckled and announced, "We are here."

As they pulled up in front of her office, Marie fought the urge to open the door and waited for the jaguar to cross around the sedan and open the door for her. He offered his paw to assist her in exiting the car.

"Thank you, Renato," she said to the driver. "It was nice meeting you again."

"My pleasure," he replied as he tipped his chauffeur's cap to her.

"Marie?" a voice called to her from the building's doorway and she looked over and saw the firm's senior partner standing in the doorway.

"Good morning, Mister Woodster," she greeted the stocky woodchuck in the grey tweed overcoat.

"You have a driver?" he asked while he held the door open for her.

"Thank you, sir," she said. "I don't have a driver, my boyfriend arranged the car for me this morning because I was running late."

"Ah, a boyfriend," the elderly woodchuck sighed. "He must be a nice guy, do I know him?"

"I'm not sure, his name is Jake Runnel."

"You mean you're dating the raccoon that got the medal from the mayor for stopping the feline distemper outbreak?"

She nodded as they entered the elevator together. She pressed the button for the sixth floor and he pressed the button for the top floor.

"He seems to be an impressive guy," Mr. Woodster observed. "Several of our clients use his firm."

"I think he is very impressive sir," she giggled.

"Oh to be young and in love!" he chuckled before the elevator door opened. "Well, have a good day Marie and please give my greetings to Mister Runnel."

Before the door closed behind her, she heard him make a call on his phone, "Sarah, tell me what accounts Marie is handling. I think I want to reassign her to a couple of our more important clients."

She turned and stared back at the now-closed doors in surprise. Am I going to get a promotion just because I'm dating Jake?" That thought really bothered her because she had worked really hard to get to where she is now. Sitting at her desk she called over to her friend Elouise in the neighboring cubicle.

"Do y'all think it's wrong that I might be getting a promotion because the boss just found out I'm dating Jake? she asked.

"Look, Marie, that's the nature of the business world," the ewe chuckled. "Sometimes you just need to know the right crowd in order to get ahead. So are you getting a promo?"

"I don't know, but the boss seemed to be impressed I'm dating Jake. It still seems wrong."

"Ah, Marie, did you ever consider that you might have got your job here only because you're a raccoon? It's just there are over sixty employees and only six are predators, all Class C level."

"I don't…wait!" she snapped. "Are y'all saying that I'm a token minority?"

"Just think about it," the ewe continued. "Six predators and only two are accountants, the others are maintenance. Every time we get a new client that is a predator, they have you and Saketha in the room."

Marie grumbled and looked down at the carpet.

"They may have hired you as a token, but they kept you because of your talent," Elouise continued. "So if they offer you a promotion because of Jake, take it!"

"Well I guess I shouldn't count my chickens until they are in the coop," she sighed.

"Girl, some of the things that come out of that lil' old mouth of yours," the ewe laughed.

"Not as good as something that I want to put between these lil' old legs of mine," she giggled softly to herself while she logged onto the network.

The ewe overheard her friend's muttering, but did not say anything but shook her head as she smiled.