Chapter 23: Scent of a Lover
You can find Jake's version of this day's events in Zootopia: A Raccoon's Redemption, Chapter 12: Memories Past Laid to Rest.
After Marie's delightful time with Jake's friend Kevin, the huge bear escorted her back to the late-night reception, where she joined Elouise. It was then that the unexpected happened when a tardy arrival appeared, a new accountant who was already drunk before he entered the room. He was a pudgy tanuki, in a blue sports jacket and white polo shirt and the sight of the similar-looking female raccoon was a challenge that he could not resist. Slicking back the black fur around his eyes, he grabbed up a drink from the bar and made a beeline straight towards her.
"Ah, such a pretty one shouldn't drink alone on a night like this," he slurred out in a very heavy Amirese accent. "I am so far from home and so lonely, would you care to show this humble one some company? One who is as beautiful as you should be with someone this cold night…yes?"
"No!" Marie tried not to giggle at his very poor pickup line.
"Look buddy, she has a boyfriend!" Elouise snapped. "So take that 'I'm here, so let's screw' attitude elsewhere!"
Marie glanced up at her coworker with amusement and grabbed the fumbling tanuki's arm before he fell backward in surprise. Gently she led him to a seat where he promptly slumped down and passed out.
"Well that was fun!" she snickered when the ewe joined her. "I think I might head up to the room now before lover boy wakes up."
"He's going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning," the ewe grunted.
The raccoon's phone buzzed and she dug it out of her purse and answered with a big grin. "Hey Jake, missed me, Sugar?"
"You know it girl, we haven't spoken since this morning and your Sugar has had a rough day," Jake answered.
"Did everything go okay with Sonya and her family?" Marie asked with a concerned voice.
She smiled and sat down in a chair as he told her about his meeting with his old friend and her family. She chuckled when he described that the red panda was so pregnant that she was almost as round as she was tall. Sonya and Jake were close friends in college and her grandfather was a mentor to Jake. The raccoon was also thought he was in love with the red panda, but she didn't have the same feelings. After Jake's father was killed, and during all the stress he went through afterward, Jake abandoned their friendship. It was an act that hung heavy on his mind until today. It took Marie's prodding and Nick's support before the raccoon finally gathered up the courage to go and see her again.
"Well, the first day of the conference went fine, a lot of talk about new software programs and changes to tax laws. This evening got a little interesting when a middle-aged tanuki from Lesser Amir got drunk and kept hitting on me during cocktails. I thought Elouise was going to kick put him out of the window," she told him and giggled when she thought she heard him give a low growl.
"I'm sure you could have put him in his place," Jake replied, but his voice hinted of jealousy.
"Oh, and by the way, your friend Kevin is also here."
"He must be with Larry. Usually, Maurice drives him to those kinds of things, he likes to surf fishing in the winter on that side of the bay."
"I was glad that Kevin came, we had dinner last night and he showed me some rather unusual pictures of a certain raccoon having tea with Queen Ju Ju," she coyly said. "It was really sweet…"
She didn't finish before Jake cut in by saying, "Baby, I've got to go because for some reason Chief Bogo wants to talk to me and is reading Nick the riot act over his phone?"
"Okay, Sugar, but call me back!" She giggled.
"You know I will, even if it's the only phone call I get from jail," he teased. Then he softly added, "I love you, bye."
She looked down at the phone with a smile. "Hey Marie, did you hear that they got some missing kits up in the Green Mountains?" Elouise said as she walked over to her from the bar. "You're Jake's been all over the news, it seems that the mayor and the police commissioner are saying he's being sent to led a team of cops to help with the search."
"Jake didn't say anything about that?" Marie said while she followed the ewe over to the bar and watched snippets from an earlier press conference that was being shown on the television. "I don't get it? Jake is a city boy and doesn't know anything about the mountains. He's also on probation and can't leave the city."
"He seems to be big news tonight! They're talking about his being instrumental in unmasking the feline distemper plot and then his saving a toddler accidentally locked in a bank vault," Elouise said. "They even had the clip on the air of him taking down that rhino with a shovel. He sure looked small when compared to that brute."
Marie looked worried while she watched the news reports, they ran the clip again of the press conference inside city hall and of the police commissioner talking about the missing kits. Then the news channel's portly weatherman came on talking about how the mountains were expecting heavy snows and dropping temperatures in the area, the boar was stressing that there was a limited time frame in order to save the kits.
She jumped with a start when her phone rang again and answered. "You won't believe this honey, but I've been arrested by Judy again!" the male raccoon told her with a chuckle.
She didn't laugh back, but asked, "We were watching the news, and are you really going to the Green Mountains to search for two lost kits?"
"Yeah, about that!" the raccoon grumbled. "It seems that the mayor and the police commissioner decided I was the one who should lead the team. It would have been nice if they had asked me first before they announced it on the air."
"You're not going to do it, are you? Do you know anything about search and rescue?"
"Not a thing and I'm a city coon who has never been outside of the city either, but Nick and Judy are coming along."
"Still why did you agree?"
"Bogo said that the mayor has agreed to pardon me and release me from my probation. I'm supposed to be more of a figurehead, talk to the press and that kind of stuff."
"I don't know Sugar, what if this goes wrong and the search fails?" Marie asked as she nervously picked at her claws.
"They're scouts Marie and one's a fox pup," he answered. "Nick is determined to find him."
"Why's that? What does their being scouts have to do anything with Nick?"
"That's a question I'd prefer you ask Nick. Let's just say that he has some bad childhood memories."
Marie pondered that statement for a few moments but didn't push the raccoon any further on the subject. She knew it would not be fair to test Jake's loyalty to his best friend. "So when are you going up there?" she asked instead.
"Early in the morning," he replied. "We need to get there before the sun rises and the teams can renew their search. Wolford is up there already along with another member of the K9 Unit, he's a good guy and should be in charge."
"Why isn't he? I mean he's trained in searching, right."
"Yeah, well they won't put a wolf in charge because the press would have a field day, you know how society treats them. They think that they are all noses and no brains."
"So instead they're sending a raccoon? A raccoon, a fox, and a bunny?"
"Hey, raccoons are sneaky and foxes are sly. As for bunnies, they are…cute! Don't ask me why the mayor thinks this is a good idea?" There was silence for a few moments before he changed the subject. "So whatcha wearing?" he coyly asked.
"Why Mister Runnel, I'm lying on the bed stark naked!" she replied. "We should be using Muzzletime!"
Elouise rolled her eyes at the fully clothed female raccoon who was sitting in the bar. "You're evil coon!" she softly chuckled to the grinning raccoon.
Marie winked at her work associate. "What do you mean that you're going to call me right back?" the raccoon continued to tease Jake. "Nope, it's too late for that, besides y'all need to get some sleep."
Elouise could hear the male raccoon pleading over the phone. Then Marie added, "Why don't I text y'all a picture instead, something to keep you warm tonight? I sure will and I love you too, Sugar."
She waved for Elouise to join her by the bar and gave her phone to the ewe to take a selfie of the two of them making funny faces, which she sent to the male raccoon. She laughed when a text came back.
"What did he say?" the ewe asked.
"He said that wasn't funny and it isn't what he wanted," she giggled. Another text came back and she opened the picture. "Oh my!" she gasped.
"What did he send you?" Elouise asked.
The now heavy blushing raccoon held the camera to her chest before replying, "Ah, he sent me a photograph of what he was expecting, and let's just say the photo is very revealing!"
"Oh, it's one of those photos? Don't tell me that Jake is into sexting? " the ewe laughed.
"He's not...I mean that he has never done this before..." Marie mumbled while she sat down in a chair and looked at the selfie that Jake had taken in the bathroom mirror and he didn't have a stitch of clothes on. She felt a tingling between her thighs and sighed. Jake you're going to make me go into heat yet! she thought to herself. I think I need to find my pills!" She realized that she had seen Jake bare-chested before and she had seen him below his belt, well more than just seen, but she had never seen him totally stark naked before.
Another text came across and she opened the message. Sweet dreams my love! That was all he wrote.
"Hey, Marie, why don't you head up to bed before your buddy wakes up?" Elouise suddenly said pointing at the drunk who was stirring. "I'm staying here in the bar to talk shop with the guys and I'll be up in an hour or so."
She left the bar, hurried upstairs to their room, and turned on her phone again before lying on her bed. Her eyes devoured the picture of the naked male raccoon on her phone before she hiked her skirt and her paw slipped under her panties. Her digit found her sweet spot between her thighs and she began to pant and she rubbed. With her eyes never leaving the photo, she groaned and then moaned dropping the phone as she thrust forward with a gasp as she shook. "Oh Jake," she sighed afterward as she panted in satisfaction. "You're going to be the death of me yet, Sugar!"
She stripped and took a shower before changing into her pajamas. Taking a moment to spray some perfume into the air, in hopes of covering up her scent before she climbed into her bed and listened to the surf crashing below.
True to her word, the ewe didn't return until an hour later and found her roommate asleep. Elouise shook her head as she smelled the faint slight feminine raccoon scent even with the overwhelming perfume still lingering in the air. "Young love," she softly chuckled while she went into the bathroom to change into her pajamas.