Kev let Fang guide him to the safety of the VIP booth. At the rope stood the black panther woman who had worked down at the checkpoint. With her black suit and black fur, she was hard to make out, only the sliver of white undershirt and her green eyes that reflected the flickering firelight of the club were clearly visible. She stood aside wordlessly and nodded as Fang strode past. Kev made eye contact with her; she looked curious but quickly went back to looking around the filling barroom.
Rex grunted, "No fuck-ups tonight, Gretchen."
The panther woman said, "I'll be sure to keep things in order, Mr. Rex."
Rex slid into the booth next to Kev, sandwiching the human between his own muscular body and Fang's. Kev closed his eyes and frowned. It was just like sitting in the back of Talon's van.
Fang looked over, his eyes narrowing. "Rex, what are you doing?"
Rex rubbed Kev's shoulder and said, "The little guy is nice and soft. I see you leaning on him all the time."
Fang growled, "Rex, what. are. you. doing."
Rex growled and slid out of the booth to sit on the other side, his tail flicking. Fang said, "It's your day off, Rex, and you can do what you want, but if you keep acting like this to Kev, I'll have you removed."
Rex pushed back, rubbing his back on the plush bench seat and purred, "Oh, Gretchen over there would be fun to fight."
Kev, wanting to change the topic, leaned into Fang and looked up, saying, "Have you two decided on parking for the daytime staff?"
Rex said, "Those lazy asses can walk."
Fang sighed and said, "It's still under negotiation. Since the staff all show up at the same time, there will be a bottleneck at the entrance, and Gus will be overwhelmed, causing some to be late."
Kev said, "Oh, how about this? Why not get a shuttle to drive people back and forth from the club to the parking lot?"
Fang and Rex looked at each other for a minute. Rex, still rubbing his back against the booth, was now kneading his paws on the table, his sharp claws extending and retracting rhythmically into the polished wood. "That would be easier," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Only one dedicated vehicle that would be driven by one of my people."
Fang nodded and said, "If you are okay with it, Rex, then..." Fang put his arm over Kev and squeezed him. "I'll make it happen."
Dale arrived with drinks, placing the usual Bloody Mary and Cape Cod in front of Kev and Fang. With a dramatic gesture, he placed a white, milky-looking glass in front of Rex. Rex looked down at it and back up at Dale, his paws slowing their kneading. "Milk again?" he growled. "Do you want me to put you out to pasture for good?"
Dale said, "Whoa there, kitty. That's a blanco. I know what happens when I cut people off on their day off." Dale turned to Kev and winked. "I don't want to force Kev to have to talk you down. Don't think you'd stop fighting just for some weed."
Rex grabbed the glass and sniffed it. He closed his eyes and began licking at the liquid like a cat at a saucer, his rough tongue lapping at the sweet, creamy concoction with a surprising delicacy. The sound was a soft, rhythmic lapping, utterly incongruous with his menacing presence.
Fang, Kev, and Dale looked at each other, their expressions a mixture of shock and suppressed amusement.
Dale finally broke the silence. "Uh, Rex," he said, "haven't seen you in that get-up since you got hired."
Rex, his eyes still closed, the glass held up to his chin, said, "Well, this is my first chance to wear something other than a suit since then."
Dale rolled his shoulders and said, "Brings back some memories." He turned back to Fang. "Just let me know if I need to jump in tonight."
Rex loudly said, "Go back to your stable and make people drinks like a good little pony."
Dale growled, "He obviously isn't gonna be any help tonight," and walked away.
Kev watched Rex, who was now rubbing himself against the booth, his tail up and flicking around, his eyes still closed as he licked at his drink like a kitten. What was wrong with him? He wasn't like this just ten minutes ago up in Kev's room. Was this how Rex was when he wasn't working? No, he was in my room trying to get me to sleep with him, Kev thought. This is something different.
Fang cut through Kev's thoughts, saying, "I know this might upset you, but I want to ask you to join me tonight while I ask Abe some questions."
Kev looked up, surprised. "Abe is still here? Didn't he show up like two days ago?"
Rex, from beside him, said, "The boss keeps knocking him out before he can talk." A single, high-pitched giggle escaped his lips. Rex's eyes flew open in shock, his body freezing. Did he just giggle?
Fang raised an eyebrow and said, "Abe has some information, and it concerns Kev, so I want him to hear it." Fang looked down at Kev and quietly said, "My love, I know you do not appreciate some of my displays of affection, so this is my way of helping you understand what the stakes are. If it is too much, then you don't have to join."
Kev shook his head and said, "Thank you. I don't understand, but I want to." Kev grabbed Fang's hand that was on his shoulder and gave it a kiss. Fang's tail wagged.
Rex stretched his arms and said, "Oh, just fuck already." Rex rubbed the booth seat and began purring. "Can you imagine how good it would feel, oh shit, I could lift that little guy with one hand and..."
Fang barked, "Rex, what the hell is wrong with you?"
Rex pulled an ice cube out of his drink and began chewing on it. "With me?" he said, his voice a low growl. "What's wrong with you? I've been hitting on that little thing since he arrived, and even though he wants it, he's waiting for you."
Fang looked down at Kev, and Kev looked back up, their eyes locking.
Rex said, "Ask him. He won't deny it."
Fang blushed and coughed.
Kev quietly said, "He's not wrong."
Fang stood abruptly. "I need to, uh, talk with Horns about getting Kev that weed. I'll be right back."
Kev sighed as he watched Fang quickly leave. Kev knew that Fang loved him, even without the profession a few nights ago. The wolf showed it with every action and gesture, even if Kev thought the act out of proportion. Was it something about Kev being a human? Something that made Fang uncomfortable when he thought of moving their relationship to something more physical? It's not like Fang didn't want that too, but every time Kev tried to invite him subtly, and even when Kev was more overt, Fang turned him away. Kev understood business was important, but it felt almost personal at this point.
Rex growled, "Good, he's gone." Kev looked over to see Rex with another ice cube, running it over his face and neck.
Kev said, "Uh, Rex, are you okay?"
Rex said, "I'll be fine. Those dick pills you were saving are getting me real hot, though. I might need to drag you off to one of the private rooms."
Kev said, "Fuck off, Rex. Wait, dick pills? What the hell are you talking about?"
Rex leaned back in the booth seat and zipped his vest open. "Those little blue pills you had hiding in your safe. Didn't know you liked all-night sessions. I'm impressed."
Kev slowly put his drink down. "You took the pills in my safe?"
Rex giggled and said, "I put them in your coffee, but you fucked around, and I ended up with them. Oh well. You're gonna be the one paying for that."
Kev said, "You tried to drug me? What the hell?!"
Rex said, "Oh, stop crying. I just wanted you to get you horny so the boss couldn't ignore it anymore." Rex began rubbing his paws over himself. "That old wolf needs it worse than you do."
Fang needed it worse than Kev did? Really? Kev had thought the wolfman was just... disinterested, or maybe even hesitant because of their boss-employee dynamic. The idea that Fang's distance was a form of self-control, a battle against his own desires, had never even crossed Kev's mind. But before he could continue down that disorienting rabbit hole, Rex spoke again.
"But it's his loss," the tiger growled, his body shifting restlessly. "Fuck, how about we go now? I've got this urge to move."
"Rex, those weren't dick pills, you idiot," Kev said, his voice sharp with a sudden, dawning horror. "They were dancing pills Ralph gave to me."
Rex laughed loudly, the sound a low, rumbling purr. "Dancing pills, whatever you wanna call them."
"I don't know!" Kev insisted, a note of desperation in his voice. "I just thought they were ecstasy or something!"
Rex's golden eyes opened wide, his paws stilling on the table. The lazy, drugged-out haze seemed to clear for a fraction of a second, replaced by a flicker of genuine alarm. "You don't know what they are?"
Kev hissed, his patience snapping. "I don't know what anything is, remember? 'Dancing pills,' that's what Ralph said! I just threw them in my safe because I had no idea what they were!"
Rex growled, though it lacked its usual menace. "If it's just ex, then I'll be fine. Nothing I can't handle." He managed to look serious for another moment before he let out another giggle, the sound high and utterly unlike him.
Kev stared at him. "Serves you right."
Rex grabbed his drink, taking a long, noisy gulp. "Whatever," he said, waving a dismissive paw. "I'll just enjoy you more once Fang sends you upstairs all alone."
Kev looked over at Talon, who was standing stoically at the rope next to Gretchen, a silent, feathered statue amidst the barroom chaos. "I'll just spend the night at Talon's," Kev retorted coolly. "I'm sure Sabrina would love if you come visit."
Rex groaned, a genuine sound of misery. "That bitch thought I was a stripper or something. So obnoxious."
Kev leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing, a slow, triumphant smile spreading across his face. "Oh," he said softly, "you don't like it, do you? Isn't that weird?"
Rex blinked, his drugged brain struggling to keep up. "What are you talking about?"
Kev's smile widened. "Sabrina hitting on you makes you uncomfortable. Well, you hitting on me makes me uncomfortable."
Rex just laughed, a deep, arrogant sound, though the giggle was still hiding just beneath it. "But I'm hot."
Kev rolled his eyes and turned away from Rex to watch the room. The familiar Saturday night energy began to swell as the bar filled quickly, the murmur of conversations growing into a steady roar. Oddly, he caught Rebecca's eye across the room. She was leaning against the service station, her gaze fixed on him with an intensity that was... unusual. He was about to offer a small, questioning wave, but Fang returned before he got the chance.
The wolfman still seemed a bit flustered, his suit still impeccable, but there was a slight dishevelment to his fur, as if he'd run a hand through it in frustration. His cheeks were still faintly flushed. He sat down next to Kev with a sigh, the familiar motion both possessive and comforting. He pulled a long, thick brown tube from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. "For you, my assistant," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Horns said this should be more than enough for you tonight."
Kev took the proffered blunt. It was hefty, a solid, professionally rolled beast of a smoke, dense and fragrant. "He's right," Kev said, a smile touching his lips. "I don't think I'd be able to finish this."
"Horns knows more about this than I do, to be honest," Fang said, a rare note of admission in his voice. "I thought it looked a bit big for you."
Kev smiled, his gaze warm. "It is, but I'll enjoy it. Thank you."
Rex, who had been sulking silently on the other side of the booth, erupted in a loud, obnoxious laugh.
Fang turned to Rex. "Anything you want to say?"
Rex wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "No, sir," he snickered. "Just happy to know the human likes big things."
Fang shook his head, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "Rex, why don't you go check on Abe to make sure he's awake for our chat after dinner?"
Rex stood and said, "Fine. Can't believe you can just sit around all night like this." He stretched his body back, his arms reaching high in a languid, feline manner. His open leather vest fell away, exposing the full expanse of his powerful stomach and chest muscles, the black stripes a stark, mesmerizing pattern against the orange fur. He stalked past the velvet rope, deliberately shouldering past Talon without a word.
Fang watched him go and asked, his voice low, "Was he drinking upstairs before I showed up?"
Kev shook his head. "You noticed too? Yeah. He took the pills Ralph gave me from our trip to the Sewer."
Fang looked surprised. "Pills? What pills?"
"You know, the dancing pills," Kev said. "Ralph told me to slip them into your drink."
Fang looked down at his drink and then back at Kev. Kev could almost see the gears turning in the wolfman's head.
Kev leaned into Fang. "It's probably just some club drug," he said. "He said he will be fine."
Fang chuckled, a dry, almost knowing sound. "Ralph doesn't do 'club drugs'," he said, his eyes meeting Kev's. "If he said they were dancing pills, then I think they were dancing pills." He looked down at his drink again. "Don't sell him short. That duck has contacts all over the place."
Kev wanted to push back, to argue that a pill specifically designed to induce dancing was far more outlandish than a simple party drug, but Rebecca was already approaching, her arms laden with a large, gleaming silver tray.
"Mr. Fang Sir," she said quickly as she put out an assortment of breads, salads, and a plate of sizzling scallops wrapped in bacon. She then swiftly placed a cup of steaming black coffee and a fresh set of drinks on the table. Rebecca stood, rigid, her back ramrod straight. "Is there anything else I can get you at the moment, or if you're ready to order, please tell me."
Fang picked up one of the scallops and sniffed at it before popping it into his mouth. "Thank you," he said, waving a dismissive hand.
Kev smiled and said, "Thank you, Rebecca. What's the occasion?"
Rebecca said, "I just want to make sure Mr. Fang has the best possible service, Mr. Kev." Her eyes were wide, her tail rigid. She wasn't the relaxed waitress with the easy-going attitude tonight. Kev wondered what was wrong.
Fang growled, "Hmm, these weird white things are kind of good."
Rebecca quickly said, "If you like them, I can get you more, Mr. Fang sir."
Fang grabbed another and said, "No, I'll just have my steak and eggs like usual."
Rebecca nearly shouted, "Of course, sir! And for you, Mr. Kev?"
Kev looked at the table already filled with food and said, "Uhh, just a cup of the bisque tonight. Looks like my salad's already here."
Rebecca said, "I can have a fresh salad made for you that can come out with Fang's food, so it's fresh." Rebecca's eyes were wide.
Kev coughed and said, "I'm good, really. The salad here looks really, uh, fresh."
Rebecca nodded and said, "I'll put that order in right away. I'll be back soon if you forgot anything." Rebecca scurried off to the kitchen, looking like she was nearly jogging.
Kev said, "Did Rebecca seem a bit... wound up to you?"
Fang pulled the plate of bacon-wrapped scallops towards himself and raised another to his mouth. "Who's Rebecca?"
Kev chuckled to himself and grabbed some of the salad and bread.