Noots

by she-dies-at-the-end

Following his discovery that he may be in love with Judy, Nick gets talked into visiting her family during a fall festival. He struggles with exposing his feelings to her while adjusting to her crazy family and meeting the locals. Will he confess and potentially destroy his friendship or does Judy feel the same way about him?

7. Chapter 7: The Confession

Chapter Seven "The Confession"

Gideon was right. I did need a shower.

Standing the Hopps J section bathroom, I was practically melting under the steady stream of boiling water. Nothing all day had felt so good as washing all the grime and dirt from the faire out of my fur. I leaned back and let the water hit my chest, which was still stained by the blueberry pie. It made me look like Iron Mammal from those Maulvel movies.

It was the first time I had actually been inside the the shower, which was built more like a locker room. Judy had described it as one of the smaller bathrooms, though that was hard to believe. The main bathing area was an open shower with six separate shower heads, though there were only four bedrooms. Outside of the bathing area, there were three toilet stalls and four sinks, each equipped with hygienic tools for the four J siblings. I was just thankful that the bath, while on the short side, was still more than accommodating enough for me.

As I stewed in my own musk, Judy was tapping her foot outside.

"Come on, Nick. Hurry it up. I gotta shower too before the outing."

"You know," I called out in a sing-song voice. "You could just jump in with me, Carrots. Save some time."

I heard her slam her head against the door and I chuckled. She was probably blushing from that comment, red trailing down from her ears to her face.

While I had been off getting interrogated by Bonnie, Stu had approached Judy with plans for the evening.

Apparently, he wanted to try and smooth things over with me, unaware that I had already spoken to his wife.

The plan was to eat and have drinks at the local tavern. Something to make me comfortable.

It would be most of the older Hopps joining us. Stu had also mentioned asking Gideon to come along, perhaps with the intent to 'introduce' me to him. I had a feeling Jeanette would also join her brother. Ending the day with a nice beer and some greasy food sounded perfect.

And I could think of only one thing to make it better.

Between Jenny smelling me out and almost letting my crush slip to Bonnie, I was starting to suspect everyone in Judy's entire family was going to know I had a thing for Judy before Judy herself.

With a moment of silence in the long, busy day, I was trying to contemplate how I could even begin to approach Judy with the subject. Especially now that I was on an even ground with her parents.

Judy had always been a work centric rabbit and thus approached most situations logically, even coldly sometimes. And what I was most afraid of was Judy thinking about a relationship with me from a logical standpoint.

Nothing about this made sense.

Foxes and rabbits were day and night, which was probably why I had been so slow on the uptake. Sure, Judy was progressive. Or, at least, when she was trying to be. But there were plenty of factors to consider with us dating if she said yes.

For starters, work would become a mammal resource nightmare.

The ZPD did not tolerate public displays of affection, if all those sexual harassment courses had taught me anything. We were Bogo's favorite pair for high profile targets. I could only imagine the lecture we would get if we started a relationship together. Some would say they probably saw it coming. But I honestly couldn't tell what Bogo's ultimate decision to do with us would be. If we kept the relationship as quiet and private as possible, he might keep us together out of respect for our service. At worst, we'd probably be separated and get different partners.

What Judy's family would think about the relationship I was less concerned about. But if I knew Judy—and I did—it would be at the frontline of her worries. I got the sense that her family would treat our theoretical relationship mostly the same as they did Jenny's engagement to a raccoon. Quiet with a subtle air of disapproval. Unless I could convince them all I was just a very red, very short-earred rabbit, like I had Pop-Pop.

But I realized I was getting ahead of myself with all these kinds of thoughts.

I didn't even know if Judy felt the same way about me yet.

Sure, we always went to lunch and dinner together. We spent almost all our time together in and out of work. She'd laugh at my dumb jokes…

Okay...Maybe there was something there.

But if that was true, I could see Judy in denial about it. Much like I was. It could all just be wishful thinking anyway.

I sighed as I turned off the water.

On my soggy cream-furred chest was still the blue branding of the pie, even after all the shampooing I did. It would wash off naturally in a few days with my fur's oils, but I would have to hide it in the meantime. Thankfully, the weather was becoming cool enough to wear heavier clothing.

As I stepped out of the shower, towel wrapped around my waist, I shook my fur to let it breath more. The act of showering was great, but it was the drying off afterwards that always made it a pain. That was why I usually opted for a swipe of Musk-Away instead.

I passed Judy on the way out, still tapping her foot disapprovingly. She huffed and slammed the door behind her. She was a cute bunny when impatient. But I was distracting myself.

Judy was right, we had to get moving.

I listened to Judy slip on my shampoo and fumble in the shower as I returned to my bedroom.

I focused on what to wear. The black undershirt needed a wash and I wanted to keep it casual, no longer trying to impress the Hopps. The usual green shirt and slacks it was, though I neglected the tie. I had enough suffocation for one day.

Judy finished her shower faster than I could button my shirt.

When I was completely changed, she was at my door tapping her foot again. Somehow, she was dry and dressed already.

"You're wearing that?" she asked, arms crossed. "I guess seeing you change up your fashion sense was too much to hope for."

"Beg pardon, Carrots, but blueberry pie doesn't go well with my wardrobe."

"Neither does ties, apparently. Come on, Nick. You can, at least, wear one."

I wasn't able to stop her as she slipped past me into my room. "What's the big deal?"

"You want to leave a good impression on mom, right?"

I flinched. There was a consequence to not telling Judy I had already smoothed things over with her mother as best I could. Not that I wanted that information public. There were things I said during our talk that were best kept between the two of us for now. Well, three of us if you counted Jeanette too.

I hung my head, resigned to my fate as a dress-up-fox for a much-too-determined bunny.

Judy dug around in my suitcase before settling on my ugly tie.

"You can't be serious…" I groaned.

I had always brought my ugly tie with me as a joke or a replacement if all my other ties had spontaneously caught fire. It was an unseemly thing, made of wool instead of silk. The handmade stitchings were frayed in a few corners and the moss green color had begun to fade. But it was probably the last piece of clothing my mom had knitted for me and hard to get rid of for that reason alone.

"Quiet," Judy ordered as she tightened the noose around my neck.

Before I could even blink, she had tied a perfect Pratt knot. She pulled down the smaller end and took my breath away. I wasn't used to such a snug fit and I pulled at my collar.

"Better," she said, inspecting me over. "Passing, anyway. I would still hang around dad tonight, just to be safe."

Her paw lingered to the touch of my tie for longer than you normally would to feel the material. She looked pensive and I had to clear my throat to grab her attention.

"...Sorry. Lost in thought. Let's go."

Well, that was odd.

I couldn't help but wonder what Judy was so nervous about as she guided me to the front lawn. It wasn't her butt on the line with her folks. I suppose she had done a lot of thinking about her plans for me that evening.

Outside, it was a cool fall evening with the sun being a dying orange ball hanging low in the sky. It made everything, not just the leaves on the trees, glow with its vibrant last-lights.

The kits were playing again, football this time. One of them scored a touchdown as we hopped into the pickup truck parked at the driveway.

Judy waved good bye to her siblings and Pop-Pop as we took off for the town square.

Farmlands once again gave way to signs of civilization, with telephone poles festively decorated by pumpkins and carrots. A bit early for Halloween, but it was charming to see the spirit on display with such heartfelt honesty.

I guess it was what they meant by "small town values."

As we approached the burrow's proper, I saw buildings more than two stories tall for a change. The sight was far from what I expected when I thought of a rabbit burrow townsquare. There were no hills or picket fences, but brick buildings that looked a hundred years old. Each one we drove by looked well cared for, but I could tell their age by the peeling paint and the scent of old stone.

It was a simple town with maybe a dozen stores, a museum, a town hall, and a handful of restaurants catering to the older generation, judging by the signs. The theme was carrots, with buildings painted orange and green tiled roofs. Even the street signs were molded in the shape of the iconic vegetable. I had to admit that the look worked with the autumn foliage.

Judy slowed the truck on the main street.

We neared what looked like an old wood mill by its large windows and dominating space along a stream that skirted the side of the town square. It was probably the largest building around for miles.

At the foot of the mill was a black sign painted in gold with the words "Miss Lead" in the shape of a pin up bunny silhouette. Stairs off the sidewalk led down into the basement of the building.

Judy answered the question in my eyes.

"The pub was made downstairs during the days the mine was open. It's below the old wood mill. Dad used to know the owner's son before he moved back to Clawnanda."

"Talk about old fashioned," I commented aloud as I ducked to follow Judy into the tavern.

The tranquil silence I had grown accustomed to in the farmlands was offset instantly by the roar of a rowdy crowd. It didn't take long for me to realize most of the patrons were rabbits, with features similar to Judy's. A few cheered at the sight of her as we entered the pub.

"Juuuude!"

"Hey Judy!"

"Who's the fox?"

"Your boyfriend?"

Judy huffed, though I still caught the blush on her ears.

It dawned on me that, while I had become chummy with Jenny, there were still almost three hundred more siblings I wasn't familiar with.

Judy's confident swagger devolved into a protective slump as we slunk into the pub.

It was a typical setup, with the actual bar at the center in a circular counter so that the tender could reach all sides of the room. Booths lined the outer walls, each filled with more of Judy's older siblings. The tapster was an old squirrel with bushy eyebrows that blocked his eyes. He was cleaning a glass and chatting with Stu and Bonnie, who were situated at the very center of their family gathering. Next to them, I spied the red fur of two foxes.

Gideon had cleaned up nicely, combing the mess of fur at the top of his head and donning a white shirt with suspenders. He was outshined by Jeanette, though. The vixen was wearing a lovely black dress with matching dark lipstick and eyeshadow that made her look almost goth were it not for her vibrant fur underneath it all. She caught a glimpse of me and averted her eyes with a blush.

Gideon was the first to call us over. "Hey there, Judy. Mr. Wilde."

Judy raised an eyebrow to me as we took our seats next to Gideon. "You two know each other?"

"How do you think I got the blueberry pie on me, Fluff?"

"Throwing me under the tractor there, Mr. Wilde," Gideon chuckled.

I realized how bad I made that sound for Gideon, but rolled with it.

"He would have thrown a mean right hook too if I hadn't subdued him with my police training."

"Hah. I haven't been in a fight since…"

Gideon stopped and glanced to Judy sullenly.

"Well, that's water under the bridge, I hope," he said, giving Judy an awkward smile.

She smiled back and shrugged. "That all depends on you, Gideon Grey. My folks said you've turn over a new leaf and it certainly looks like it. Just don't go clawing any of my siblings or you'll hear from me."

"I think you'd have to get in line after Bonnie is through with me..."

Judy laughed and we settled in.

Gideon relaxed a bit more as we ordered our first round of drinks. A blueberry daiquiri for me and carrots and gin for Judy.

It was rare for me to even see her drinking. She insisted she'd just be having the one for a pleasant buzz to take the edge off the evening.

As Judy sipped at her glass, she looked past Gideon and noticed Jeanette.

"Hi there, have we met before?"

Jeanette yelped and burrowed away in her own glass, almost trying to hide from Judy's gaze. "I-I've seen you around."

"This here is Jeanette," said Gideon. "My little sister."

"Huh. I didn't even know you had a sister, Gideon."

"Yeah, she's a little quiet but she's an amazing baker. Better than me, even."

I waited to see if Judy would make the connection of who was responsible for the bunny butt cake from the day before. Thankfully, it appeared she had blocked out that particular memory from her brain.

Seeing Gideon had a sister warmed Judy up to him and he grew more open to conversation.

After Gideon had told me the whole story with Judy's clawing that afternoon, I could only imagine that it would be rough for him to be sitting next to her. He still looked a little tense, given their history.

"So," Jeanette braved a look at Judy. "You and Mr. Wilde are...partners?"

"Police partners, yup. The first rabbit and first fox of the ZPD. Just here on a mini break before we get back to it. It's nice to be home for a little while. Though it feels like things have changed a lot since I've been gone."

"...Things always feel the same here to me," the vixen spoke softly, but didn't stutter. "Staying in one place and days going by without ever really changing."

"I guess it's a matter of perspective then, right? If you're around something every day, you never really notice it until you step away for awhile."

"I guess you're right…"

Talk about a downer. Even Judy sensed that there was a heavier undertone to Jeanette's words and her ears drooped slightly.

Thankfully, Bonnie came to her rescue.

"Judy," said her mother. "Jeanette. I could use your girls' help with something."

Bonnie gestured to Jenny, who was sitting in the corner of the tavern in her own booth. The chubby rabbit was looking miserable and texting at phone, to her fiancé if I had to guess.

Judy sighed, knowing what would probably be coming.

"Alright," she said. "Let's get this over with so I can enjoy the rest of my evening."

Gideon gave me a concerned look as the women left the counter. "What was that all about?"

I shrugged. "If I had to guess? An intervention."

"Well, why did she need to bring Jeanette with her?"

It was probably to look less biased when they confronted Jenny about marrying a raccoon. It was hard to bring up the species card when sitting next to a bunny's natural predator. And that was just the sort of conniving tactic I would expect from Bonnie.

"Dunno," I lied with a smile. "She'll be fine though. Bonnie's sweet on your sister."

"Hello, boys."

Stu took Judy's vacant seat.

I should have guessed if Bonnie was on the move then her husband wouldn't sit still. He looked nervous, sitting between two large foxes. I had to commend him for his bravery...Until he made it awkward.

"So, you're probably the first foxes to visit this bar."

Gideon and I shared a look of bemusement. The both of us were used to comments like that and Stu was just trying to make conversation. I decided to throw him a carrot by changing the subject.

"That reminds me. The sign at the train station, the one with the population count. Is that accurate? Are there really eighty million rabbits in Bunnyburrow?"

Both Stu and Gideon laughed. That still didn't answer my question.

"No offense, Mr. Wilde," said Stu. "But you stick out like a sore thumb in the country."

"None taken, Stu. I can't imagine you'd fare much better in Zootopia."

A little friendly ribbing was a sign of a budding relationship between two males. Stu seemed to sense this and chuckled.

"We've been meaning to visit Judy. It's just hard to find a break during the harvest season. But maybe in winter we'll make that trip. We'd like to keep in touch with her as much as we can. She's the first in the family to settle outside the burrow."

"What about her sister?" I dug around my memory for her name. "Jacklyn?"

"Jacky made it quite clear on leaving that she didn't want to be followed or contacted. She was more restless here than Judy was and frustrated by the lifestyle. I'm not worried about her so much though. She's around good company."

"She moved to Clawnanda, right? That's a bit far for a bunny to travel."

"I know a good buddy from there who's keeping an eye on her. It drives Bonnie noots, but I know that you can't have three hundred kits without having a few who want to do their own thing. As outlandish as that can be with the J's..."

There was that word again. Noots. I remembered Jenny saying it earlier and her suggestion to ask her father about its meaning.

"Noots, huh? I heard that mentioned around the burrow, but what's it from?"

"Actually, it's a funny story…" Stu started and then stared at his empty drink. "But I don't want to bore you boys."

"We'd love to hear it," I shot Gideon a wink. "Right, Chief?"

"Uh, sure. Let's hear it, Mr. H."

"Alright, I need another drink then."

The bartender poured Stu a shot of carrot vodka, which the rabbit downed in one sip. I could recognize a tipsy mammal anywhere.

Stu glanced over to the booth, where Bonnie, Judy and Jenny were arguing with each other.

I had done my best to ignore their conversation over the din of the bar, but they were starting to make a scene. Jeanette looked the most uncomfortable in the group and just stared down at her drink. Jenny and her mother were a little heated. I caught a few words of "ridiculous" or phrases like "he doesn't even have a ring."

Stu lingered his gaze on Bonnie and smiled.

"I don't know what Judy told you boys," he began. "But Bonnie came from the high life. Her father ran the local mine and was the richest bunny in the burrows. They were a small family though, given Pop-Pop was so focused in his work. But there was a time when they owned a majority of the town. Everyone knew who they were and we all knew not to get on her father's bad side. So, Bonnie and her siblings were all given a wide berth and started their own crowds of followers. You might call them the rich, popular kits."

"And then there's me. A dirt poor Hopp. My family owned only one acre of land, where we grew a small patch of carrots that was expected to feed a hundred rabbits for a season. My momma was lame in the legs, so we had to handle most of the farming. And my daddy had passed away working in the mines from black lung. So, we had the rough life. Only friend I had to my name was a squirrel from Clawnanda named Bartholomew, but that was a mouthful and we just called him Bart. Thickest Clawnandian accent on that fellow, I'll tell you what."

The alcohol was starting to affect Stu and I noticed a red hue on his cheeks.

"I didn't meet Bonnie until the Carrot Day festival one season. This was about thirty years ago, mind you and I'm a handsome buck. I'm fit from working the fields, but covered in dirt with calloused paws. Funny thing is, I don't think Bonnie was supposed to even be there. She had snuck away from her father, who would never let her enjoy the faire like that. It was thanks to Bart that we met, actually. We were messing around with water balloons and he threw one out of my reach, only for it to land on Bonnie. I went over to apologize and...Well...Fell in love."

"Of course, Bon rejected my advances. I knew she found me attractive. But there was the inbred distaste towards poor folks, like me, instilled by her father. She thought I was only after her money. But I was persistent. I made it less about what was convenient for me and more what was for her. Kept her company during school. Talked about her life during lunch. Showed her around the farm. Something must have worked somewhere in there, because a year later we were dating."

I recognized something of Judy and myself in the story so far. Especially with the theme about overcoming inbred distaste. Maybe there was some hope for us after all.

"So, that's the background. Now, where 'noots' comes from. Naturally, we kept our relationship a secret from her father. But, in a small town, word gets out fast. So, of course, he figured it out and wasn't too happy with his daughter lowering herself to date a rabbit who barely had an acre to his name. But I had my own big plans with Bart, after giving up a few dreams of grandeur like being a firefighter. I settled on the career of a practical carrot farmer. An honest profession. See, originally, Bart and I had the idea to go into business together after school. I'd grow the crops and Bart would transport them to the cities. We just needed a loan, something to get us started and pay for good land and a vehicle for Bart. I told Bonnie all about this, right, and she probably let it slip to her father at some point."

"Now, I have to ask you boys. You've seen the golden carrot at the Hopps Harvest? The one on display in the middle?"

We both nodded in agreement.

"Well, her father offered that to me in exchange for leaving Bonnie alone. It was worth more than enough money to get us started on our plans for building a farm."

"You took his offer?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Course I didn't. But believe me, the temptation was strong to do it. I don't think I've ever had a more difficult decision. With Bonnie though, there never really was a real choice. She won out every time. So, in front of both her and her father, I flat out refused his offer."

Stu let out a deep breath through his front teeth as he smirked.

"If you could only hear Bart afterwards when I told him I declined our best chance for a loan. He went full on Clawnandian with me, accent going off the wall. I didn't even know there were that many curse words in the dictionary. But there was one phrase he kept repeating, over and over."

Stu cleared his throat and put on his best Clawnandian accent, helped with a thin layer of drunkenness.

"You're freakin' noots, Hopps! You're freakin' noots!"

I snorted. The impression was exactly of what was stereotypical in the great white north. Next to Stu, Gideon was struggling to keep his drink from shooting out his nose.

"I told Bon all about it, of course. She cracked up. I think we were both just relieved the matter with her father had been settled at that point. Bart eventually cooled down. But the saying stuck ever since. Now it's carried over to the next generation of Hopps."

"How did you end up getting the golden carrot then?" I asked.

"Well, after all that happened, it wasn't long before Bon and I were engaged. Bart and I managed to start the business up on our own, through a lot of sacrifice and toil. But, eventually, we had a ten acre farm going and a means of earning our livelihood. Bonnie even took work as a baker for awhile so we wouldn't have to rely on her father at all. The golden carrot was a wedding gift, given to us as a peace offering. Pop-Pop admitted that he was wrong about me and I was welcomed as his son-in-law."

"That's a great story, Mr. Hopps," said Gideon, wiping his drink from his nose.

"Well, thanks for hearing it, boys. You're official nooters, now."

"What happened to Bart?" I asked. I hadn't heard Judy ever mention the squirrel before.

"Oh, he went back to Clawnanda around twenty years ago for a better opportunity and to be closer with his family still up there. But I give him monthly calls and some of the older kits know him as Uncle Bart. He's the one who's keeping an eye on Jacky for me. I'd trust that mammal with my life."

"I'll bet," I said, though my thoughts trailed to Stu's story. And then to Judy.

In my mind, Judy fit her mother's role in the story perfectly. The rabbit with a disapproving family that didn't care too much for foxes.

Stu faced nearly the same obstacles I was seeing pursuing Judy. Yet he somehow prevailed, despite being a bumbling bunny.

Even though I was thirty-two years old, and had been in a dozen relationships myself, I had never encountered this kind of situation before. In all my experiences, the attraction had been mutual through foxes.

Any mammal could tell you that we had our own ways of displaying affection that were unique to the species. It wasn't that inter-species relationships were unheard of. They were just more challenging.

As Jenny pointed out, scent often played a huge part in romance.

I could tell you whenever a male fox was being territorial or whenever a vixen was in heat. Or even who had been marked. But if you asked me to do the same for a rabbit, I'd be hard pressed. It'd be like the equivalent of dating blindfolded. I was losing valuable senses that could determine subtle cues I was missing. Not to mention there were anatomy and size differences. Judy came up to my chest without her ears. I could only imagine would that would be like in bed. And speaking of sex, reproduction was out the window. Science hadn't evolved enough to crack cross-species breeding.

My mouth moved on its own. "How did you approach Bonnie about your feelings for her, Stu?"

Both Gideon and Stu raised an eyebrow. It was an odd question to just blurt out and I felt the tips of my ears burn slightly.

"Well...I just trusted my gut and told her I liked her, I suppose. We had been hanging out as friends for a while after meeting at the faire. I knew how I felt and just came clean."

"That probably made things awkward between you."

"Oh, certainly. Especially since she rejected me at first. But I respected her decision and opted to remain friends. Those were a tough few months, but eventually she came around and asked me out."

"She asked you out?"

"Bon is a tough bunny, Mr. Wilde. She was never the type to be wooed by bravado. Same goes for most of her daughters. The way to a doe-like-that's heart is to let her make up her own mind about you. Bonnie came around on her own after learning more about me and my life. I just needed to be there for her and be patient with her. After letting her know I was interested in her, of course."

"I get it…Good advice"

"You're in need of advice, Mr. Wilde?"

"Huh?" I asked, realizing I might have let my intentions slip. "Oh, maybe. I'm always on the lookout for advice, being single."

"Huh," said Gideon. "I pegged you more as a player, Mr. Wilde, being a slick city fox."

I chuckled. "At one point, maybe. Now I'm more interested in settling down, I think."

Across the bar, the argument between Judy, Jenny, Bonnie, and Jeanette was winding down.

Jenny rose from the table with salt in her eyes. Bonnie was looking exasperated as she followed her older daughter out of the tavern, where their shouting match was likely to continue.

Judy and Jeanette remained sitting, with Judy looking pensive and apologetic to the vixen. I could only guess that the conversation did not go well.

I sighed and rattled the ice of my empty daiquiri. "Be right back. I need to visit the little fox's room."

The bathrooms of the tavern amounted to little more than a few stalls with absolutely no sitting room for someone my size.

But that was fine. I wasn't there to relieve myself.

I hunched over one of the sinks, staring deep at myself in the mirror. The booze was waking me up a little, but I still had tired eyes.

"You look rough, Nick," I said to myself as I turned on the water and patted my face. "What are these rabbits doing to you?"

When I finished cleaning myself, I hung my head and gripped the sides of the sink. Tightly.

There was a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, worming its way up to my chest.

Maybe it was the booze in my system, coupled with a lack of food, but I was having thoughts. The kind of thoughts I might regret later. The corny love story I had just heard didn't help matters either. In fact, it was probably entirely to blame.

Stu's words of advice had inspired something in me.

The week had been a lesson in self control for me. Keeping the pleasant Nick mask on all the time. It was like wearing a muzzle around Judy.

Now that I was alone, I wanted to rip the sink from the wall and scream.

I was getting tired of being tired. I hated sleeping alone with a wall between me and Judy. I hated pretending that I was fine around her while being a mess inside.

Stu, the bumbling rabbit, had managed to confess to Bonnie against similar odds. Heck, he even managed to marry the rabbit of his dreams.

What was I afraid of? What excuse did I have anymore?

"I gotta tell her," I whispered. "Tonight. The first chance I get. If she says no then…"

My mouth dried.

If Judy said no, it was going to sting.

But I was old enough to know that heartbreak wasn't going to kill me. I could expect a long train ride back home followed by many awkward patrol rides around the city. But it would be out there.

She would know.

"...Then I'll deal with it."

I smoothed back the fur on my head, pointed guns at myself in the mirror for a little humor, and turned to face the music.

I didn't expect to run into Judy right out the door.

"Oh, there you are, Nick."

I was taken aback for a moment. Judy was looking for me? Did something happen?

"Do you, uh, have a minute to talk alone?" she asked, voice dropped to a whisper.

"Uh, sure, Carrots."

I was thrown off my game.

It had been my plan to seize control of the situation and speak to Judy in private, not the other way around. Confusion prevented me from putting on my critical thinking cap.

I found myself being guided to the back of the bar, which dumped into one of the side streets.

It was dark out after a couple of hours in the pub. A single street light shined in the alleyway, illuminating the two of us as we stepped out into the night.

We were alone. There wasn't even the sound of cars passing by.

Under the dim spotlight, Judy was beautiful. Even just being in jeans and a sweater with a shawl, she looked gorgeous. Her purple eyes were brighter than even the stars above us.

She shivered, letting out a puff of steam.

"Chilly…"

I would have offered her my coat if I had one.

"So, what's up, Fluff?"

"This is gonna sound weird, but…"

She sighed and faced me.

"Nick. I've never asked you about your relationship status before."

In a rare moment of weakness, I stammered. "M-My relationship status?"

"I...I mean, I know you're single. But I never asked about your preferences. Your types. And...I'm making this awkward, aren't I?"

Judy looked flustered, but it was me who was a wreck inside.

I had been caught completely off-guard.

My heart was going so fast that I thought I was going to have cardiac arrest and I unconsciously clutched at my chest.

Was Judy trying to ask me out? Was I so blind that I didn't even notice she had been struggling with her own feelings for me?

Judy looked away and tugged at her ears. "Ugh, how do I ask this right?"

"It's...It's fine, Carrots. Take your time."

She sighed and glanced back to me, blush eating up most of her face. But there was determination in her eyes.

This was going to be it.

This is what Stu was talking about. Judy was going to be the one to ask me out. All that heartache over the week was for nothing.

For once, a fox was going to have a happy ending.

"Look, Nick," she began. "Jeanette told me that she had her eye on you. And I said that I'd help her out. So...So is she someone you'd be interested in dating?"

Oh.