11:30 A.M Feline District Checkpoint, Feline District, New Haven/Purgatory
"Everything seems to be in order sir, have a great visit to the feline district!"
The male honey badger guard passed the yellow feline pass card back to Jake, as the fox quickly placed it back into the side pocket of his wallet with the rest of his I.D's.
"Thanks again, have a great day."
"You too sir! Just be wary, the feline district is rife for pickpockets, so be cognizant of your surroundings."
The fox gave a thankful thumbs up, and passed through the turnstile gate, walking through the various streets and sidewalks that caked the district.
Like him, there were a few visitors of different species and anthro kingdoms, but for the most part? Felines...felines everywhere...
"It's a good thing Nicole's fur tone is easily recognizable, otherwise I don't think I would be able to differentiate her between the other females in the district!"
Jake contemplated, as he continued walking, his thick furry tail remained close and coiled to his frame, indicating that he was on edge and alert.
He wasn't used to being in such a homogenous majority in New Haven, unlike his sister, who frequently visited the district with her boyfriend Eddie.
Emotions of all varying degrees would be projected his way, along with glares, stares, and expressions of awe.
"A fox in the feline district? Don't see that every day..."
"Pretty handsome for one that comes from a crowd known for being devious..."
"I wonder why he's here? Seems like visitors don't necessarily come to our district unless they have a reason to be here...it's not exactly a tourist hotspot for other anthros..."
That last remark caught Jake's attention...because it was true. Many anthro citizens of New Haven did avoid the feline district due to it being more protective of maintaining homogeny. Tensions were especially high between canine citizens and felines for obvious reasons. Luke once told his best buddy, that he never dared to go back to this district again after an awful run in with a feline gang...
That was a few years ago now, and more protection had been set up under the orders of Death for high risk districts that had a frequency for interspecies violence. The most that occurs now, is the odd mugging or pickpocket, but even those are seldom these days thankfully.
Jake himself really was considered "neutral" in the eyes of felines in the feline district, since he technically was neither canine nor feline, but in his own family or order that straddled the line between canine and feline.
Despite all of that though, he was still an outsider in a district that was not too welcoming to them...
"Yarnball Avenue..."
Jake continued to walk, and soon came to an intersection within the district.
Various L.E.D signs were scattered for pedestrians and vehicles alike, providing directions for those who could be lost, or just need extra guidance when navigating the district.
Jake surveyed the sign, hoping Yarn Ball Avenue would appear. In a few moments, the street's directions were posted on the sign, flashing in large bold electronic font.
"YARN BALL AVENUE: CONTINUE WALKING STRAIGHT FOR TWO BLOCKS"
Jake smiled to himself, realizing just how close he was to the street for his and Nicole's date, but also quite jittery with butterflies in his stomach. This was his first date ever, and he wanted to ensure that it went smoothly.
Jake stood beside pedestrians on either side of him, awaiting for the street light to allow them to cross the intersection to reach the other side.
Waiting for what seemed like an Eternity, the pedestrian light finally shifted to a white anthro, indicating that it was safe to cross.
The male fox continued at a brisk pace to walk, his beige jacket and baggy jeans wrinkling in the wind of the city. His paws underneath should have been a little chilly, considering today was a rather chilly day, but he was surprisingly warm.
Then it hit him...it was the date with Nicole that was helping him stay warm, and his heart at a rapid pace. He never really admitted it to her, but when she hugged him back at the library...it was the most genuine feeling of affection he had received from anyone other than his sister. It was always nice when Jen wanted a hug, or got scared during a thunderstorm when they were kids...but this was different...something completely foreign to who he was and what he had ever known about existing...was it-
No...he wouldn't let his thoughts wander any farther, as he continued towards the coffee shop on Yarn Ball avenue, still retaining the feeling of warmth on his paw pads underneath the cool sidewalk. If anything, the opposite temperature on the concrete counteracting his elevated body temperature was keeping him from sweating from nerves...profusely.
Soon, for what seemed like he was walking forever, but actually took mere minutes, was Yarn Ball Avenue.
The male fox stood at the street sign, and soon directed his attention to the quiet coffee shop that Nicole was referring to. He inhaled and attempted to temper his rapid breaths into the cool air, but there was no denying it...he was nervous, VERY nervous.
He walked over to the main entrance, and slowly opened the door, the electronic bell chime let out a loud "Ding Dong" as he entered, and located a seat at the back of the shop close to a window with a view of the bustling streets outside.
It was a rather quaint booth, leather accented seats, clean tables which were a custom for Purgatory businesses, the olfactory pleasure and aroma of freshly baked goods and coffee; enough to cause anyone to salivate and feel content with their surroundings.
A female tigress, acting as a waiter for the shop, soon approached Jake's table.
"Good day sir, and welcome! Is there anything I can get you?"
Jake soon smiled, as he looked towards the tigress.
"Uh, yes please, I will have a nice cup of hot chocolate if you don't mind, thank you."
Sounding as if his response was automated and inorganic from his anxiousness, the tigress chuckled softly.
"You seem rather nervous for just ordering a simple hot chocolate! Expecting someone?"
Jake fidgeted his thumbs and claws, before clearing his throat to speak. His saliva had practically dried up, making his mouth drier than the Sahara desert.
"Y-yes actually, um...it's a first for me...a date I mean..."
The tigress smiled, as she clicked her pen and began to write the order of one hot chocolate on her notepad.
"Well, the one thing I can say, if having my first date with my boyfriend not too long ago, is to be yourself and everything should be alright. There's nothing more attractive to a girl than seeing her partner be so comfortable with who he is in her company."
Jake's ears perked upwards when the Tigress said this.
"Really?"
"Of course! It shows your comfortability and trust when you leave personal inhibitions behind, and show your true nature to someone. It's a truly humbling and exhilarating experience!"
Jake glanced down at his paws that were still in a folded fashion, giving a slight smile. He had already been authentic in his interactions with Nicole, but he was still relieved to receive affirmation from someone other than his sister; that was taking the right route and direction in terms of building a possible connection.
"Thanks for that...that really means a lot to hear that."
"No problem at all! Now, will that be all for your order?"
Jake nodded, as the tigress closed her notepad.
"Now, I know it's probably none of my business, but who's the lucky gal?"
(If "I Want to Know What Love is" by Foreigner is compatible with your device, please press play now)
Just before Jake could open his mouth to respond to the tigress, the shop door quickly opened at the other end of the room; and he was greeted by probably the most beautiful sight he will probably ever bear witness to.
Everything surrounding him lost focus and blurred in his vision...except for her...except for Nicole.
Nicole's curled fur on her head swayed, as she surveyed the shop, obviously keeping an eye out for where Jake was situated.
As she kept looking, Jake was flabbergasted sitting in his booth. Nicole was wearing a gorgeous pink braid on her head to accentuate and compliment her fur style, along with a jean jacket and white shirt underneath, a beautiful indigo skirt, flat top black shoes. To put it simply...if Jake wasn't lovestruck when they met at the library...he was head over heels now.
"Ma'am...I think the lucky one on this date...is me."
Jake's eyes were dilated, two large pupils were now almost as large as the blue bordered iris that was just outside it.
Nicole soon spotted the booth Jake was situated at, as she smiled with glee and joy, before slinging her bag over her shoulder, and making her way over to him.
"Well, I must say...I think I have to agree with that assessment sir, if she's your date..."
The tigress softly smiled and stated, as Jake had a slight smile now forming on his face.
"She most certainly is..."
Nicole soon reached the other side of the coffee shop in brisk pace, as she plopped herself on the opposite side of the table, adjacent to Jake.
"Hey Jake! I'm so glad you found the place! It seems like you came here early! You're definitely punctual!"
The blue female feline had an optimism and enthusiasm in her voice that was more prominent than yesterday. Almost as if planning and having this date on her agenda made her forget all the unfortunate circumstances leading up to it.
"Well, uh...I'm actually pretty tardy as a person most days...I just wanted to make sure that today was not one of those..."
Jake rubbed the back of his neck, as Nicole chuckled adorably at his visible awkwardness and adorable anxiousness. Even to her, it was clear that the young man sitting in front of her had never been on a date in his life.
The tigress waitress standing beside the table, soon opened her notebook.
"Well, since you're here now ma'am, would you like to order anything?"
Nicole smiled as she placed her bag beside her.
"Yes please, I would like a coffee with two milk and one sugar added."
The tigress smiled, as she wrote down the order.
"That's what my boyfriend gets as well when we hang out together as well!"
The tigress stated with a toothy grin that displayed her large fangs.
"Well, I wish you the best of luck on your date today! I'll be back in a few minutes with your hot chocolate and coffee!"
The tigress then walked away towards the coffee brewer at the front desk, as Nicole turned towards Jake to smile.
"She knows we're on a date?"
"Well...I guess my unease and nerves gave it away..."
Jake was blushing profusely, as Nicole giggled.
"Well, you do seem rather anxious...but I just want you to know that you can always be comfortable and open with me. Think of this as just meeting a friend, you chat and converse, laugh, and just generally have a wonderful and pleasant time!"
Jake felt his nerves die down a little after hearing the blue feline say this. As if he was given the green light to not be so tense and uptight.
"Same here Nicole, and thank you for that..."
"No problem, Jake. Of course..."
Nicole adjusted her bag beside her further, before zipping shut a few compartments.
"So, what did you order?"
Jake's ears perked up as he smiled.
"Hot chocolate, I thought it would compliment the brisk weather we're having."
"Interesting...you're not much of a coffee fan?"
Nicole's eyes began to glimmer once more, leaving Jake to just stare at their beauty once more. They were like burning sapphires to him...perhaps even more alluring than a sapphire...
"Well, coffee does smell great and all...but I never really acquired a taste for it...ironic I know, given how coffee and chocolate are derived from similar ingredients like caffeine and cocoa...but it just never struck my fancy. My sister loves it though! I think you would get along super well with her!"
Jake smiled, as Nicole softly chuckled.
"Well, judging by my brief introduction and interaction with her, I'd say I would too. She reminded me of myself not too long ago in my teen years...is she a little on the rebellious side?"
Jake chuckled and rolled his eyes at the question posed. To him, it was pretty much rhetorical.
"If you only knew the half of it Nicky, it's practically what you would expect in a sibling and then some!
Nicole let out a joyous laugh, much to the surprise of the male fox. He was surprised that this date, although only having just started, was actually going alright.
"Well, I'd imagine that's how it would be with siblings, huh?"
"Despite all of that though...Jennifer is the best sis I could ever have. I don't know what I would do without her...we've been together ever since we were kids and kits!"
Nicole had a warm smile, as she glanced towards the window outside. Cars and pedestrians were still bustling, but despite the juxtaposition and contrast...there was an odd aura of peace to this bustling metropolis. Unlike Elmore, where every day was uncertain, and any moment of peace and tranquility; could be interrupted by something out of your control...
"I never had any siblings, despite always wanting a sister. My parents...were kinda too busy trying to model me into their "perfect child" rather than trying to really connect as a family...I don't know if they viewed me as their daughter...or just some trophy to show off to others..."
Nicole looked back towards the table in front of her, before finally glancing up towards Jake with a slight smile, then quickly fading to a reminiscent frown.
Jake was saddened to see this from her, and quickly wanted to distract her mind from such thoughts...she didn't need to resurrect bad memories on a date that was meant to be uplifting and about building a connection that was meaningful to the both of them.
"Say...Jen always wanted a sister figure to look up to, and be able to converse with...perhaps if things go well between you and I on this date...would you want me to take you to visit her and Eddie? They're still in the feline district, and I don't expect Jen to be returning back to the apartment for at least another day or two."
Nicole smiled as she heard this, adjusting a strand of fur near her eye and in the direction of her ear.
"I'd love that Jake...thank you."
"Don't mention it Nicole, they'd be delighted to see you! I know Jennifer would love to hang out with you and Alyssa if she could!"
Nicole giggled, as she nodded.
"I think I would really enjoy hanging out with her too, and besides, it would definitely liven up my apartment with Alyssa and I if she visited more often and we all got to know each other."
Jake smiled, as the tigress waitress soon returned with a server tray of Hot chocolate and coffee.
"Here you are, lady and gentleman!"
The tigress gently placed the cup of coffee in front of Nicole.
"Two milk, one sugar!"
Then placing the hot chocolate in front of Jake.
"And a hot chocolate for you, sir! Enjoy you two!"
"Thanks!"
Both feline and fox exclaimed, as the tigress walked away to tend to another table.
Nicole gently blew against her mug to help cool the simmering liquid, as she gently sipped from it.
"Mmmmmmmm...Wow! This has to be the best coffee I have ever had! H-how do they make it so much better in the afterlife, than they do on Earth?!"
Jake chuckled, as she took a gentle sip of his hot chocolate as well.
"Really?! I didn't know our ingredients and coffee were that much better than what you all had on Earth...that's something new! Then again, I never really have met someone who came from Earth with as much experience as you had living there...so this is a first for sure."
Nicole nodded.
"I can honestly say, and it's been a few years for me drinking coffee...ever since high school, that THIS is the best coffee I have ever tasted!"
Jake chuckled at the jubilation and happiness in Nicole's voice.
"Well, I'll say that all of us here in Purgatory are deeply flattered by your comments Miss Senicourt, to have such notoriety in our coffee is of the utmost importance in our standards in keeping this place in tip top shape for you mere mortals."
Jake had put on a hilariously posh English accent for that last statement, causing the blue feline to let out a chuckle.
"Well, kudos to all of you! You certainly know how to operate things around here a lot better than when I was on Earth. I would be lucky to get such great coffee in Elmore, especially when it was rush hour...gosh, I swear they watered it down on purpose just to save on buying supply shipments..."
Nicole took another sip, before looking at Jake sip his. Now she was curious as to how the rest of the food and beverages in this realm tasted, knowing how rich the coffee tasted.
Just as she was in her thoughts, she was immediately snapped out of them by a voice.
"Nicole?"
Nicole's ears perked up and her eyes darted up to meet Jake's eyes who were considerately gazing into her own.
"Oh! Sorry, I was just in my thoughts there for a moment...what did you say again?"
Jake chuckled, as he shifted forward his mug to the center of the table.
"It's perfectly alright, I was just wondering if you wanted to try a sample of my hot chocolate! It seems like you were curious when you were staring at it."
Nicole blushed, as she realized that Jake had read her mind pretty much, and had given away her thoughts and intentions pretty much by staring at his cocoa mug.
"Oh J-Jake...I don't know, it's your hot chocolate that you paid for out of-"
"Nicole...it's quite alright, I want you to feel comfortable, and I have no qualms if you asked or wanted some. Heck, I'll even order one for you if you want!"
Jake stated with a genuinely kind tone and soothing voice, causing the blue feline to blush and adjust her fur from her eye.
"Well...thank you Jake...do you mind if I-"
Nicole then gestured toward Jake's mug, as he waved his paw in a gesture that conveyed "No worries! Of course!"
"Not at all Nicole, be my guest!"
Nicole then shifted the mug towards her, as she raised it towards her face, taking a sip of the warm liquid.
Her eyes widened, before she gulped it down her esophagus.
"WOW! Jake! If I had known the cocoa was THIS good, I would have skipped out on my coffee!"
Jake smiled as he heard this, just hearing her voice full of enthusiasm, almost had him feeling as though he had reciprocated the taste of that cocoa all over again...her joy, was also his joy.
The male fox soon chuckled, as he saw her with a "chocolate-stache" on her whiskers and lips.
He soon sprung into action, as the blue feline was still chuckling and had assumed the fox was still chuckling along with her.
Jake swiftly picked up a napkin, gently rubbing Nicole's lips, much to the surprise of Nicole.
As the fox had realized what he had done, he quickly blushed, as Nicole let out another series of chuckles.
"W-wha- ha,ha,ha! What was that about?"
Jake's eyes soon shot up with nervousness, as he scratched the back of his neck, not sure how the feline would react to what he did.
"Oh! Uhhhhhhh...there was a little chocolate-stache on you, and I wasn't sure if you wanted it on there or not, so I just..."
Jake was attempting to finish his sentence, but kept his embarrassed expression present.
But before he knew it, Jake felt another paw on his.
As he glanced up to face the female feline, her eyes were filled with a genuine appreciation of his action, not of offense.
"That was very sweet of you, Jake...thank you for that. I wasn't really keen on greeting everyone I met with chocolate stains covering my mouth, I can assure you."
Jake eased off of his inhibitions, as Nicole began to laugh at her own joke, with the male fox soon becoming more comfortable to join in.
This continued for a few moments, as the two young anthro adults recomposed themselves.
"So...uhhh...I don't mean to pry or anything, and please, notify me if this is too personal!"
"Oh sure, go ahead!"
Nicole readjusted herself in her booth seat, as she placed her paws in a cupped fashion against the table, in an almost inquiry-like fashion.
"When you and your sister...ran away, was there anything you did in terms of hobbies growing up? To keep your mind off of what had happened the previous 8 years with Nate?"
Jake gave a contemplative thought, before giving a deep chuckled sigh.
"Oh boy...that's a loaded question, huh?"
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to! I just thought that...maybe I could find out more about the guy sitting across from me."
Jake gave a warm smile back to the blue feline, her consideration and kindness was just oozing from every word that she formed.
"It's perfectly fine Nicole, I'd love to answer!"
Jake soon glanced out the window, trying to formulate what interest he would say first to Nicole, as the blue feline never broke her gaze with the fox. Her curiosity was etching against her brain, one part of her excited to understand exactly what made this young man tick, the other, afraid that him and her wouldn't have anything remotely in common.
"Well...I actually tried a few things. I started to read a mini guide and self taught myself to play piano. It's way less callus inducing than a guitar or drum kit, that much I can say from experience, hehe."
Nicole's eyes lit up.
"You're kidding! I actually played a little bit of the violin when I was in a music group that my parents put me in! You enjoy classical?"
Jake smiled, as he nodded to the blue feline's question.
"Absolutely! It's pretty soothing actually, although I enjoy pretty much all genres of music...well except some vulgar rap. There is some great rap out there, but...the modern stuff is kinda..."
"Yeah...I see what you mean...funny you should mention that, I used to rap a little when I was in school to make my friends laugh."
Jake chuckled.
"Really?! You? A rapper? I never knew you were one to "drop a beat" Ms. Senicourt!"
Nicole soon chuckled, as she nodded a few times in succession.
"Yep, believe it or not, yours truly was able to do a bit of rhyming on the fly...and maybe still can."
Jake raised his cocoa mug, as he smiled.
"I'll have to see and hear it for myself one day! That sounds like it would be quite a bit of fun!"
"It probably would be!"
Both anthros laughed again, as Jake and Nicole took another sip of their beverages at the same time.
"Did you do any sports?"
Jake nodded once more.
"There's only one that really appealed to me, and it's actually how I met my best friend and he actually works at the same library you and I were at yesterday!"
"Oh? Who is he? I think I might have seen someone talking to you the other day just before I entered...was he a German Shepherd?"
"Yeah! That was Luke alright!"
Nicole noticed the happiness in Jake's voice, as his tail was soon wagging...and unannounced to him, was hitting hers...but since he was clearly happy talking about his best friend, she didn't want to spoil the moment by telling him and making him uncomfortable.
"I'm so glad you have a great friendship with him, and although I haven't introduced myself to him, he must be a great guy if he is friends with you, Jake."
Jake's eyes widened, as his tail stood still.
"Me? A...great guy?"
Jake then snapped from his inner monologue, as he began blushing.
"Th-thank you Nicole..."
Nicole giggled, seeing Jake get flustered at her compliments was quickly becoming one of her favorite things to try out in their brief time together.
"You're welcome Jake...so, what sport appealed to you the most?"
Jake remembered the initial point of discussion.
"Oh right! It was, believe it or not...hockey."
Nicole smiled.
"Oooooooo! A hockey guy! What are you, Canadian?"
Nicole chuckled, as Jake followed suit.
"Say what you want, but they created a pretty cool sport down there on Earth, it was super fun when Luke and I, along with the rest of the guys, would get together, grab a few sticks and two nets and just play until the sun went down in our neighborhood. Even Jennifer would stop by with Eddie sometimes to spectate and cheer us on!"
Nicole took another sip of her coffee, before smiling.
"It sounds like you had fun times back then!"
"Oh boy...post Nate Drexler? Was some of the best times of our lives for my sister and I...peace, fun, and adventure...and it's still going somewhat."
Jake stared out the window once more in happy contemplation of the good memories he had found in Purgatory. It allowed him to drown out the bad ones he sustained alongside his sister at the hands of Nate.
"My parents got me into soccer, not really my cup of tea, but I did have fun with a few of the girls that were my teammates. We actually won a state championship together!"
Jake smiled.
"That sounds awesome! Did you score any goals?"
Nicole scoffed and put on a smug grin.
"Score any goals? You're looking at the top female scorer for junior high soccer in California my dear fox friend!"
Jake put his paws up in playful jest.
"Oh my! I didn't know I was sitting across from California's own Ronaldo!"
Nicole giggled at Jake's joke, as both anthro's shared another hearty laugh together.
"Nah, it was mostly for fun...and it did provide some memories for teenage me..."
Jake smiled warmly, before conjuring another idea to make the blue female feline laugh.
"Well...it's a good thing there were no Europeans around just now..."
"How so?"
"You said the forbidden word..."
"That being?"
Jake playfully pulled his jacket up to his face and did a Dracula impression.
"You called Football... SOCCERRRRRRRR! OOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Nicole rolled her eyes and laughed.
"Oh goodness, really? You're going to be one of those people, huh? The sports analyst and expert?"
Jake then decided to carry the joke further, by playfully conjuring some nerdy glasses that had some hilariously large lenses.
"Uh, well, you see Ms. Senicourt, uh, it's called football because you use your foot, even through technically you can call it soccer too, since you wear socks while playing football. If we REALLY wanted to get technical about it, it should be called Bootball, since we don't play in bare feet; because that would cause a lot of sprained feet and broken toes!"
Jake then did a hilarious snort and adjust the bifocal frame against his nose, before he couldn't hold the act together any longer, and began bursting out into a fit of laughter with Nicole doing the same.
"Oh my goodness, Jake! That was- ahahahahahaha! That was so funny!"
Jake had tears of laughter in his eyes, as he began to wipe them away. He felt great...he felt a hell of a lot more comfortable and calm than he did stepping into the coffee shop about an hour ago.
"Well...I used to pull stuff like that to make my sister laugh when we were kids with our magic, so I figured I could try it out here with you as well.
Nicole giggled, before catching her breath from laughing so hard.
"Well...Jake...it worked...thank you so much for that."
Jake smiled.
"You're welcome Nicole. Happy to be here to make you laugh, as well as myself at these goofy shenanigans."
Jake then thought of one last activity he could mention to her, the one hobby and probably only activity that he enjoyed that still carried over from his past life "training" with his cruel paternal figure, Nate Drexler.
"There was one more hobby I did keep and pursued further from those years as a kid in that bunker with my sister, something that taught me to keep us both safe from whatever came our way in New Haven."
Nicole raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"What would that be?"
"Martial arts...specifically Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I was able to practice more classes outside of what I learned from Nate...it came in handy on a few occasions when I would be an almost victim of bullying in school, and protecting my sister when she would face her own bullies."
Nicole's eyes shot up with passion and excitement in her eyes.
"You were into martial arts too?!"
Jake smiled.
"Yeah! Why? Were you-"
"I was a karate girl...red belt...the highest you could obtain...you?"
"Same here..."
Nicole smirked.
"So...you practiced a defense grapple based art...and mine was strike based."
Jake put on a smile, mixed with a confused expression.
"Are you trying to say something, Ms. Senicourt?"
"Oh nothing...just that Karate is a much more proficient and efficient art than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...you wouldn't last long in a match against me with defense grapples."
Jake crossed his arms with a playful smile.
"Is that so?"
"Well, the facts are the facts...fox. I don't think you would last long in a mock match against me...I'll be generous though and say two rounds before you tap."
Jake chuckled.
"Perhaps...I guess I'll hold you to that point."
Nicole couldn't keep her façade going any longer, before gently rubbing and tapping on Jake's arm, along with laughing.
"Ha ha! I'm just kidding Jake! You should have seen your face though! You looked so concerned with my sudden shift in tone!"
Nicole continued to laugh softly, as Jake joined in.
"Well played Nicole, well played!"
"Jiu-Jitsu is a very respectable and hard to master martial art! I'd love to try to learn some moves from you! And perhaps...I could teach you a few karate moves sometime? If things go well between us, I would love to challenge you to a friendly match!"
Jake's smile grew, as his eyes shot up with happiness once more, along with his tail wagging with extreme oscillation.
"I'd love that! Learning from each other's fighting styles would be a great way to bond together and hang out! It sounds like we could derive some laughs from it too, judging how this date has gone so far!"
Before saying another word, Jake conjured his holographic watch to check the time.
The watch read: "5:00P.M"
Jake then closed his watch, as he looked back up towards Nicole, who was still smiling warmly at him.
"Say, would you like to visit some people who would REALLY make you laugh just from being around them? That is, if you want to!"
Nicole's ears shot up to attention, as she was curious as to who these people who Jake mentioned would be.
"Oh sure! Absolutely! This date really has been going well so far, and I'd love for it to continue! Who do you want me to see?"
"Jennifer and Eddie!"
Nicole smirked, and began to chuckle.
"Ohhhhhh yeahhhhh, your sister and her boyfriend seem to have great chemistry. I can't miss out on visiting them! Of course, Jake!"
Jake smiled, as he quickly got up to his feet from the table, as Nicole began adjusting her purse to get prepared to walk out of the shop with him.
"Oh! Which size do you usually take beverages?"
"Medium, why?"
Jake placed his index claw in the air.
"I'll be riiiiight back!"
Nicole stopped adjusting and fixing her purse, as she watched with a slight giggle as the fox jogged to the front counter of the shop, inaudibly talking to the cashier from Nicole's point of view and hearing.
Soon though, Jake was carrying a small paper bag, with a tray of hot chocolate.
He soon walked over to Nicole's and his booth once more, before kneeling down slightly with the tray of hot chocolate cups.
"One medium hot chocolate for the fair lady Senicourt!"
"Awww, Jake...you didn't have to do that! Thank you! What's in the bag?"
"Donuts for when we reach Ed's and Jen's place! They told me how great they are, and why not try them for the first time with you and them?!"
Nicole smiled.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea! Come on, let's go!"
Soon, the blue feline and fox were heading out the door, before Nicole stopped Jake in his tracks, before whispering something in his ear.
At the adjacent end of the shop, the Tigress waitress from before was just cleaning a coffee mug, before she saw Nicole approach the front desk.
"From Jake and I, for your wonderful service and hospitality!"
Soon, the Tigress noticed the magic currency display in front of her eyes, displaying two tips from Jake and Nicole.
The tigress soon smiled.
"Thank you so much ma'am, and make sure to thank your date as well for his kindness! Have a great rest of your day!"
"I will, thanks again for your service!"
As the blue feline walked out the front door with the taller fox, the tigress continued watching them with a warm bubbly smile, as Jake and Nicole walked out of view down the sidewalk from he coffee shop.
"Something tells me that I have a good feeling about those two..."
*END OF CHAPTER*