Chapter 5: The Beach Bum
I originally wrote this story to celebrate the third Saturday in June which is International Surfing Day. It's back to the beach because the surf's up, dudes! Zootopia's favorite small board surfer returns and the fennec fox has screwed up this time. He has a date with his girlfriend Karen but he has no cash! It looks like he is about to do a pit dive off the wave of love and wipeout in the romance department.
May I suggest the song "Wide Open Sky" by The Well Pennies
It was a perfect afternoon on the part of the city's beach which the locals had dubbed The Strand, the sun was shining and the surf was crashing onto the shoreline. There were the joyful sounds of children playing on the beach, intermingled with voices of tourists on the nearby Boardwalk and music coming from the Carnival. For the small fennec fox, it had been just another carefree day of surfing and hanging out with his surfer friends. Stone Kole gave a toothy yawn while he leaned back into a large and somewhat worn, but very comfortable, aluminum lounge-style lawn chair.
The small fox had proclaimed to his friends that the chair was "vintage" after he found it in the trash and he did spend a few hours replacing the damaged and broken plastic webbing with some newer pieces which he had scrounged off of other unrepairable chairs. The end result was very colorful looking, with the original white and blue striped webbing having been supplemented by yellow and even orange salvaged pieces and of course the splotchy rust on parts of the silvery aluminum. "It is an eyesore," is what Reggie called it, but what did that meerkat know about fashion? The surfer wore a bright orange pair of boardies with a lime green rash shirt most of the time. Reaching for his sunglasses, Stone snapped them open and settled them on his muzzle even while he closed his eyes and enjoyed the briny breeze blowing from the sea. With another satisfied yawn, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
The fennec fox gave out one of those embarrassing and unique half-yips and half-yowling sounds that his species does when startled, for he was awoken by someone sitting in his lap. Actually, it was someone straddling his waist and his brown eyes quickly opened to see a blue lacy halter top right in front of him. "Eyes up here, fox!" a familiar voice commanded and he looked up to see a pair of green eyes staring down at him.
"Oh, hey babe…" he began to answer but hesitated when he saw that the pretty sand cat was rather miffed.
"Don't, hey babe, me!" Karen answered before she pulled off his sunglasses and leaned over until their noses almost touched. "What time is it, Stoney?"
"Daytime?" the fox answered with a grin and then bit his lower lip when he realized that his attempt at humor was not the answer his girlfriend wanted at that very moment.
"And what time of the day is it specifically?"
"I don't know?"
"If you had a watch then you'd know!"
"I have my phone somewhere around here and it shows the time," Stone defensively replied even while he glanced around for the rather old outdated cell phone he owned. It had fallen from the chair into the nearby sand.
"It is almost seven," the cat huffed out. "We had a date at six-thirty."
"Oh, yeah!" he replied. He winced at the look she gave him and his ears drooped flat. "Sorry, I must have fallen asleep."
"If you would have slept some last night, instead of running around from bar to bar partying, you wouldn't be so tired."
"I was working...well, kind of working!"
"You were partying the night away while I had to work the night shift at the hotel and you didn't even stop in to say hello."
"I was with a couple of sponsors. You know Chip and Dale, they own the brewery which makes Honey Brown Acorn Ale, and we were negotiating for me to be in another series of advertisements this year. A pro-surfer has to keep the sponsors happy. It is difficult for us smaller surfers to find quality companies to pay us to endorse their products since we don't get the same sports coverage that the bigger surfers receive."
"Sure, keep the sponsors happy. Those two are just overaged frat boy wannabes and isn't Dale married?"
"Divorced…again…I think?" the tan-furred fox mused.
"Well after what you three were doing last night, he should be divorced."
"Wait, who do you have spying on me? I know it isn't Cooper, he's my best friend. Is it Reggie, has he been running his mouth again?"
"You forget that I have lived and worked here for over three years, I have plenty of friends along the Boardwalk."
"I grew up here and so most of those friends of yours have also known me since I was just a pup."
"Yes, I know and they told me that outside of dancing and flirting with a few fans, you somewhat behaved yourself."
"So I was thinking of going over to the campground for a quick dinner," Stone began, trying to change the subject.
"A cheap dinner is what you mean," Karen sighed. "Are you almost out of money again?"
"Sort of…"
"Yes or no?"
"Yes."
"You told me you were going to get a part-time job over at Big Sammy's Surfside Restaurant."
"I did, but all he had was a dishwasher's job."
"So?"
"Big plates and little foxes are not a good combination."
"What happened?"
"I lost my balance and fell off the tall stool right into a huge sink of soapy water, I almost drowned!"
"Stoney!"
"I was paddling around in the soap suds and every time I'd grab at the sink's side it was too slippery to get a hold on the rim. I would have drowned if Jose hadn't grabbed me by the nape of my neck and yank me out of there. Can you imagine what they would have said if I had drowned in a kitchen sink?
"Stoney!"
"Here lies Stone Kole, the surfing dude was like totally all washed up at the end," the small fox dramatically sighed out even as he grasped his paws together as if praying.
"Stoney!" the sand cat couldn't help but giggle at the fox's antics.
"Anyways, Sammy was unhappy because he had to drain the sink, scrub it out, and start over," Stone continued while he leaned back again in the chair and put his paws on Karen's hips. "All while he was cussing about how the Health Department does not like animals taking baths in the restaurant sink and then he fired me."
"Oh, no!"
"So then I went over to the Crab Shack and got a job opening oysters."
"The Crab Shack is famous for its oysters."
"Oysters are pretty big and my paws are fairly small, so I couldn't keep up with the demand. Working with two raccoons didn't help either, they are naturals when it comes to shucking oysters. I was embarrassingly slow compared to them."
"So you got fired from there too?"
"Yep."
"Stoney!"
"But I at least got paid some cash for those jobs after I got sacked."
"So you do have some money for our date?"
The fennec fox's ears went flat again and he looked away from the cat still straddling him.
"What happened to the money you earned?"
"Dale borrowed most of it to bet on the hermit crab races. All he had was a credit card, they certainly wouldn't let him use that to place a bet since crab racing is actually illegal."
"Stoney!"
"Yeah, he lost and still hasn't paid me back."
"So you really are flat broke."
"I am now."
"What does that mean?"
"Well, I did have to use my last few bucks to buy some wax for my surfboard."
"Surfers, you are always putting your surfboards before your girlfriends. You are such a rogue."
"That is one of the many charming reasons you love me!" he snickered even as he grinned up at her frown.
"You are such a beach bum!" she giggled before she leaned forward and into his embrace, laying her head onto his thin-looking, but muscular chest.
He held her while she shifted to lay entwined against his body and they both just contently laid there together on the old chair. She began purring while in his embrace.
"So no dinner tonight?" she finally asked when she heard his tummy give a growl. "My fox sounds hungry."
"I guess I can scrounge something up back at the campsite?" he softly answered. "Cooper and I went shopping just last week."
"If this is some lame attempt to lure me into that ratty old tent of yours, the answer is no!"
"You shouldn't call our tent ratty, you might hurt Coop's feelings. After all, it is our summer home during the surfing season. I promise that I won't use my outstandingly foxy cunning to lure you into my love den!" the fox softly chuckled. "That is unless you want me to?"
"They say that you should never trust a fox, can I trust you?" she teased.
"You can always trust me," he replied before he kissed her.
It took them just a couple of minutes to pack up his few belongings and his surfboard, then Karen walked alongside Stone while they lugged everything down the beach toward the nearby campground.
"I wonder where Cooper wandered off to?" Stone said while they walked through the sand. "He just disappeared with his gear, his board, and the cooler."
"He probably got bored watching you napping your life away," Karen giggled. She followed him up a slight ramp and onto a trail that wove through the sand dunes. The afternoon sun was beginning to set and she could see the festive lights of the Carnival and those on the Boardwalk begin to turn on. After a few minutes, the trail ended on a small gravel road, and in front of her was an enormous campground full of recreational vehicles, popup campers, and tents of all sizes, shapes, and makes. The campers were a mix of tourist and seasonal residents, who like Cooper and Stone, stayed during the summer months while they worked at nearby businesses. There were several large trees around, tall multibranched live oak trees which provided welcome shade to those camping. A number of the trees were dotted with small tents clinging to their branches where squirrels and other small tree-climbing animals nested.
They lugged stone's gear toward a familiar-looking green wall tent with a sturdy silver tarp stretched over it. In front of the tent, there was a picnic table that was covered with surfing gear, and nearby was a makeshift rack holding up several makes and models of surfboards or what surfers call their "Quiver". A clothesline that was laden with drying towels, swimsuits, wetsuits, and other clothing was stretched between a tent pole and the tree. The campsite definitely looked like surfers lived there, except that there was one thing that certainly was out of place and it was a handsome young wallaby dressed in a black tuxedo jacket with tails, a white dress shirt, and a red bowtie. His outfit could almost be considered formal, except for the fact that he also wore a pair of dark blue cargo shorts.
"That is not Cooper!" Karen whispered to the fox next to her.
"Karen, I would like you to meet Billy. He is a friend of Cooper's," Stone announced. "But I have no idea why he is dressed that way."
"After five dates, I consider myself as being more than just Cooper's friend," Billy corrected the fox before he gave the sand cat a slight bow. "The word Stone is looking for is boyfriend, I am Cooper's boyfriend."
"You work at the carnival!" Karen exclaimed with a smile. "I've seen you around there."
"I may be a carney by day, but tonight, my dear lady, I am your maitre d'!" the wallaby grandly proclaimed while he stepped back and spread his arms. "Welcome to the Starlight Café, where dining under the glorious heavens is a masterful culinary experience that you will never forget!"
"Oh, my!" the cat giggled.
"I know that you do not have a reservation, but since you are the prettiest cat in town, I think that we can find you and your mangy friend a table. Please follow me." He gave her a wink before he led them behind the tent where there was a makeshift table set up using part of a large longboard propped up on sawhorses and covered with a stark white tablecloth, probably borrowed from a neighbor, and a single white candle was set in a clear glass mason jar full of pretty seashells. Two rather sun-bleached and faded red plastic chairs completed the table's arrangement. Overhead, the oak tree's lower branches were decorated with twinkling white holiday string lights.
"Wow, this is almost magical!" Karen sighed before she sat down in the seat which Billy had pulled out for her. "Stone did you know that they were going to do this?"
"No, I had no idea," the fox answered before he too took a seat.
"Stone told Cooper that you two had a dinner date tonight and he knew that the big spender over there had blown his wad of cash last night, so he decided to do something special for your date," Billy answered.
"Speaking of Cooper, where is he?" Stone asked. He was looking around for his best friend but the other wallaby was nowhere in sight.
"Chef Cooper is over at the Henderson's RV, where they are preparing your dinner," the tuxedo-clad wallaby replied. He had a can in his paws and it gave a hiss when he popped the tab before he began to pour it into a set of long-stemmed plastic glasses. "A little bubbly to start the evening off, it is a very good vintage. I believe it was canned last month."
"Orange soda?" Stone laughed.
"It was either the orange soda or a bottle of that Honey Brown Acorn Ale from the case that your two friends left here last night," the wallaby answered.
"I'll take the soda!" Karen quickly interjected. "I can't stand that ale." Her muzzle was slightly scrunched up in disgust at the thought of drinking the beer.
"Hey, it helps pay the bills!" the fox objected.
"Would you like a can of it?" Billy asked.
"No. No. The soda is just fine!" Stone quickly answered.
"Good, then I will be right back with tonight's hors d'oeuvre!" The wallaby turned and began hopping across the road toward a nearby RV. A few moments later, he returned with two plastic plates in his paws. "Tonight we have delectable spicy baked scallops in the half shell. The scallops were freshly harvested earlier this afternoon by Larry."
"Larry the lifeguard?" Karen asked while she looked down at the delicious-looking morsel on the plate which was set in front of her. It was brown and bubbly, served within the distinctive shell. "I didn't know he was a fishermammal?"
"He isn't, but I called in a favor and he went diving for these," Billy replied with a smile. "Enjoy!"
The scallops tasted even better than they looked, causing the fox to lick his muzzle in satisfaction. Even while Billy was removing the plates with the empty shells and refilling their glasses with more soda, the door of the RV across the street opened and the sight of the wallaby walking towards them made both the cat and fox laugh. It was Cooper and he was wearing a tall white chef's hat on his head and a white apron which said 'Kiss the Cook".
"Ah, it is Chef Cooper with tonight's pièce de résistance!" Billy called out.
"More like a bloomin' piece of resistance, mate!" the other wallaby laughed. "Mrs. Henderson showed me how to doctor up those cheap packages of ramen noodles you keep buying."
"Kiss the cook?" Stone chuckled as he called over to Cooper. "Brah, where did you get the apron?"
"I bought it for him and I plan to do what is printed on it later on tonight," Billy answered while he gave them a grin.
"Ta-da! Feast your bloody eyes on Noodles à la Surfer!" Cooper proclaimed as he set the plates down in front of the two lovers. "Stir fry noodles with sautéed dandelion and sea rocket greens, along with a creamy sauce made from scrambled gull eggs. I hope it tastes better than it looks, as a herbivore I would never touch the stuff."
"Itsmuffigood!" the fox tried to say as he chewed a mouthful of the noodles.
"I think he likes the dish," Billy laughed.
"How many times have I bloody well told you not to talk with your mouthful?" the other wallaby playfully admonished the fox. "You want me to tell your mum?"
"It tastes really good, Cooper," Karen added before she daintily ate another forkful of the noodles.
"Why thank you!" the wallaby answered with a grin. "Now finish your dinner and I will bring dessert."
"Dessert?" Stone excitedly asked. "What did you make?"
"It is a surprise," Cooper answered even as he turned and hopped back across the road.
"I wonder what the surprise is going to be?" Karen asked, but the fox had returned to his meal and was too busy slurping down his noodles to pay attention. He finally noticed the look she was giving him and sat down his fork even as he cocked his head in confusion and his ears were standing erect.
"Whaaaaat?" he finally asked. "Did I do something wrong? Is there sauce on my nose?"
"Oh, Stoney!" she sighed out in frustration, and then she smiled, sometimes when he did things like cocking his head, he was just so damned adorably cute. "Never mind."
There was the sound of crunching gravel and a large black and white police cruiser came down the road. It came to a halt in front of the tent. Before anyone could be concerned, a very familiar uniformed red fox opened the car's door and hopped down. He was holding a large paper bag in his paws and went over to the RV across the street where he handed Billy the sack. Turning he gave Stone and Karen a grin and a short salute before returning to the car and driving off.
"That was strange?" Stone said. "I wonder what my dad's best friend Nick was doing here and why he didn't even come over to say hello?"
Karen had to smile, it hadn't been that long since Stone had discovered that Finnick was his father and already he was calling him "dad".
A few minutes later the RV door opened again and this time Cooper was followed outside by Mister Henderson and the elderly bobcat was dressed in an old chef's jacket. He was pushing a wheeled cart with a camp stove and a large skillet.
"I wonder what is going on?" Karen asked while the wallaby and the bobcat drew closer.
"You will see!" Billy chuckled. The wallaby was standing nearby grinning with his arms crossed.
Mister Henderson stopped the cart near the table and turned on the stove. "Now I ain't done this for years, not since me and the misses moved up here from the Crescent City. I used ta work in a restaurant down on Bourbon Street and did this almost every night." The bobcat had begun adding butter to the hot skillet and then using a well-worn wooden spoon the cat added brown sugar and stirred the concoction together. Finally, he added some bananas which had been sliced in half and cooked them until they were caramelized on both sides.
Satisfied with how everything was looking, he moved the pan off of the heat and reached under the cart to pull out a bottle of dark rum. "I reckon now comes the dramatic part!" the bobcat drawled out before he poured some of the rum onto the bananas and returned the pan over the stove's flames. Whoosh! The rum ignited with a blue flame that rose above the pan. Both Karen and Stone clapped in excitement while Mister Henderson continued to flambé the bananas while the flame died out.
"For dessert, I offer you, Bananas Foster!" Billy proclaimed as he took the two plates with the now-cooked bananas. He pulled out a very large tub of vanilla ice cream from under the cart and scooped out some to add to the plate. "Thank goodness Officer Wilde was in the neighborhood, we forgot the ice cream and so he picked some up for us."
About an hour later Karen was once again contently snuggled in Stone's arms while they lay together in the old lounge chair next to a campfire. She had helped everyone clean up the dishes after their dinner and had even talked Cooper and Stone into stowing away their gear from the picnic table, which was now covered with a flowery plastic tablecloth. It turned out that the ice cream which Nick had brought over was a small elephant-sized tub from Jerry Jumbeaux's Ice Cream Shop and there was no place to store it before it melted, so Mister Henderson had invited more of the neighbors and surfers over to share in the sticky dessert. With ever-growing, almost theatrical flair, he continued to flambé more bananas and when they ran out he switched over to a large crate of cherries. There were now over a dozen animals of various sizes sitting around in chairs or at the picnic table enjoying what the bobcat called Cherries Jubilee.
Karen smiled while she just laid there with her head once again lying against the fox's bare chest while she watched everyone around them talking and laughing. Reggie had shown up with a brand new surfboard and Stone, Cooper, and a few other surfers were in a deep conversation about what they called the 'art of crafting a board' and the advantages of fiberglass versus epoxy surfboards. Billy was sitting in a chair next to Cooper and the two wallabies were holding paws. Even Nick had shown back up and although at first there was concern that they were making too much noise when the police cruiser approached them, it turned out that the police officer and his partner Judy were just passing by on patrol and stopped for some of the desserts. The uniformed red fox was now sitting at the picnic table talking to Mister Henderson about whether or not you could use blueberries instead of cherries to make a jubilee.
This might not have been the type of date she had imagined earlier in the day, she had been expecting dinner at a touristy restaurant along the Boardwalk and maybe some drinks at a local bar. No, this was much better, for she had a delicious dinner lovingly made by Stone's friends and now they were surrounded by what seemed like the fox's large extended family. With a sigh, she snuggled deeper into the small fennec fox's arms and began purring for she knew in her heart that although some of the locals might call Stone Kole a poor beach bum, tonight her fox was far richer in friends and loved ones than anyone she had ever known before.