Chapter 4

"You went to Wal-Mart? What the hell kind of date is that?" the other Jessie protested, then she laughed.

"It wasn't a date date," Jessie remarked as she put her backpack on her shoulder. She'd been ambushed in the living room, where Jessie, Charlotte, and a gray vixen named Sherry were watching TV when he dropped her off. Sam and Lisa had opened the door for her. "Kit just got an apartment, and he didn't have anything at all. It was totally empty. So I helped him buy what he needed for it." She laughed. "That poor male, he had no idea what he needed. He'd bought food to cook, but didn't buy any pans to cook it in!"

Sherry and the other Jessie laughed, but Charlotte looked over at her with a curious look on her face. "So, he got an apartment, eh? I hope he had a bed," she said with a sultry look.

"Not one he was going to keep," she said primly, ignoring that bit of lewd innuendo. "The one his landlord lent him was hurting his back, so he bought a new one."

"Did you sit on it? You know, try it out?" she asked.

Jessie's cheeks ruffled slightly. "I did no such thing!"

"You shoulda," she winked. "Getting you laid before you graduate is the driving goal of this entire sorority."

Jessie's face frizzed out as the other females laughed. "We thought we had you taken care of with Burke, but he turned out to be a first class bastard. We're sorry about that," the other Jessie apologized.

"Well, it worked out. If it wasn't for him, Sandy and Sam would have never taken me to that movie, and we wouldn't have met Kit in that café."

"Well, he was good for something at least," Lisa grinned.

"Well, details, girl!" Sam pressed. "What did you do? What did you talk about?"

"Details have to wait," she told them. "I haven't done any of my homework yet!"

"Oh, no!" they all said. Sam and Lisa grabbed her by the paws and dragged her into the living room, then pushed her down on the couch between Sherry and Charlotte. They forced her to go over the whole day, from going to Kit's work to their shopping venture into Wal-Mart to going to his apartment. They kept grilling her over everything he did, most everything he said, and musing over it. They all knew who he was, that he was the disowned son of a rich family, and they kept harping on how he didn't seem like a rich person, that he seemed like a normal guy. More and more femmes came down as they were talking, until nearly the entire sorority was packed into the living room, some twelve females.

"And he never tried anything forward once?" Sandy demanded.

"No, he was the soul of courtesy," Jessie answered.

"Someone needs to smack some hormones into that male," she said, which caused some giggling. "I've never met a male that didn't at least try after the third date. I hope he's not a eunuch or something."

"He doesn't kiss like a eunuch," Jessie challenged. "He just knows I'm shy, so he's being considerate. Ever since we went ice skating and he kissed me, he's been going very slow. He told me then that he was letting me be the one to take the steps. I think he's still doing it."

"Hon, you may be shy, but you're not timid," the other Jessie noted with a grin. "I think it's about time you started inviting him to take a couple of those steps."

"Well, I've been thinking about it," she said, her cheeks ruffling a little. "He is handsome."

"God is he!" Sandy said with a lustful sigh. "I even love that half-missing ear, it makes him look like a rogue!"

"So, JD, are you gonna make that invitation?" Sam said with an uncharacteristic grin. Sam wasn't the type to be too much into gossip.

"Well," she hedged, her cheeks ruffling, which made them all laugh.

"The house virgin thinking about a male. It's about time!" Denise, a fellow cat, called raucously. "Finally, the mission will be accomplished!"

"I wouldn't mind at all," Jessie admitted with a demure glance down. "But since our first date, and now that I know who he is, I want to be careful. He's had a very bad time of it, and I, I don't want to blow it, you know? Something tells me I have to be careful with him. He's still terrified of his family, and I'm afraid if I push him too fast, too hard, his fear of his family is going to drive him away. He's not going anywhere. He has a job now, and an apartment. He likes me, he likes to be with me, and that gives me time to work him out of his fear. I'm thinking about it. God, am I thinking about it, I can't lie. But I have to make sure he's ready, or it could ruin everything."

"I've never met a male that wasn't ready," Sandy said with a dirty grin.

"His body might be ready, but his mind might not be," Jessie said immediately. "I don't want to lose him, Sandy. If that means I have to go slow and be careful, then that's exactly what I'm going to do. I've gone twenty-one years without having sex. I can wait a couple more months."

"And it'll make bagging him that much sweeter," Sherry giggled.

"Well, it sounds like you've thought about this," Sam noted.

"I've seriously thought about this," Jessie nodded. "Kit is very special, but he's also very delicate. If I don't handle this the right way, I'm going to ruin it, and what's worse, it's going to make it that much harder for him if he ever tries again. If I hurt him too much, he may never try another relationship with a female again. He'll just use his fear of his family to push females away."

"I never thought of that," Charlotte said soberly, and several females nodded.

"I guess those psychology classes actually aren't a waste of time," Lisa said with a rueful chuckle.

"So, if you think I'm not moving fast enough, or I don't want to–you know, you're wrong," she stated, feeling her cheek fur itch a little. "I'm going to reel my catch in slowly, because he's very special and needs special attention."

"Well, we're here if you need help," Sandy grinned. "It's still the greatest and most sacred mission of this sorority to get you laid."

"You femmes," Jessie said, her face frizzing.

---

That bed was going to kill him, but then again, it had had its last chance.

Kit woke up at 6:00am, unable to sleep any longer, and staggered out of the borrowed bed with his back screaming in protest. He went straight for the shower, now that he could take one, to let the hot water massage his back and soothe out the pain. Fifteen minutes under steaming hot water began to untie the knots in the muscles of his lower back, and he sighed in contented relief when he felt the pain drain away.

God, Jessie had been a gift. Thanks to her, he actually had a towel to dry off with, food to eat for breakfast, a place to sit down to eat it, a radio to listen to–at least after he changed it to a classical music station–and lunch to take to work.

He finished drying off and put on his new clothes, then remembered to pack the dirty clothes in the basket and take it out to the car. Then, with almost sadistic glee, he stripped the bed, took it down, and stacked the mattresses and rails by the wall to make room for the bed he was getting today. Then he locked up and went to work.

The second day was just as hectic as the first, but he found that he actually enjoyed it. They would bring him things, and he'd track down the details. He also got his first lesson in using Photoshop, and he got to see the team interact. They were like a bunch of teenagers, laughing, playing, joking with each other, but it was clear that they had fun working for Rick. Rick too wasn't above joking himself, old in body but young at heart, and Kit felt very at home among them. They worked hard and did good work, but they also remembered that they were all friends in addition to being co-workers.

At the end of the day, after five, he attended his first staff meeting. This was the issue-ending meeting, as Rick went over the issue that would be printed on Friday, which had been finalized a while, and asked for any last-minute input. Kit saw with some surprise that they'd put his picture on the article they were running that was taken out of his journals, and Rick announced that Through My Eyes was going to be a weekly back-page article.

He was even more surprised when Savid turned it to the second page, where all the credits were listed, and Kit's name was added… and there was a small box article beside it, with the headline Lone Star Welcomes Kit Vulpan To the Team. The picture of him in his office was under the title, with a short paragraph under it:

---

Lone Star is growing! We welcome Kit Vulpan to the crew!

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Kit has joined the team as the lead researcher and a staff writer. He'll be penning a new series of articles for us, and making sure we keep our facts straight!

Be nice to him, Austin! He may be a Yankee, but he's a great fur!

---

"I'll need a new picture to replace our group shot," Mike said. The group shot was on page two of every issue, over the listed credits, a picture of the crew sitting around the big table. Then he grinned. "I think she can take it for us."

They all looked to the hallway. Jessie was standing there, her backpack over her shoulder, a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Mister Marty wasn't at the front desk, I thought Kit was just working late."

"Oh, honey, don't call me Mister!" Marty said morosely. "If anything, call me Miss Marty!"

Jessie giggled.

"No problem, my dear," Rick smiled. "Since you're here, mind taking a picture for us?"

"I can do that," she nodded. Lilly got a camera and showed her how it worked, and she backed up to the hallway. "Alright, gather in everyone!" she called.

Lilly draped herself into Kit's lap and threw her arms out, grinning at the camera. Everyone gathered in around them, making funny gestures or pointing to each other. Kit grabbed Lilly's bushy tail and reached over and stuck it under Savid's chin just as the flash went off. Savid sneezed, and Mike collapsed in helpless laughter.

"That was great!" Barry laughed. "Tell me you got a good picture!"

"I think so," Jessie said, advancing into the office. Mike looked at the image on the screen, then grinned broadly.

"Fantastic! This is our new group shot, no doubt!" He uploaded it to the network, then replaced the old group shot with the new one, and everyone laughed when they saw it. Savid had a surprised look on his face in the picture, but he just laughed when he saw how silly he looked.

"It is good! It shows how much fun we have making the magazine!"

"Alright, folks, it looks like it's a wrap," Rick said. "Any objections?"

There was silence.

"Alright, it's off to the printer. Kit, for us, Friday is a late day. I don't expect you to be in until one, and we tend to work until about eight or nine, but if you want to come in earlier, you're welcome to."

"He always says that," Barry grinned at him.

"So, that's it, people. Good work."

Kit got up and came over to Jessie. Rick went around them, then stopped and turned around.

"You know, if you want to hang around here, you're welcome to, Jessie," Rick told her with a smile as Kit came over to her. "We're not stuffy or picky, and you wouldn't be the first girlfriend to come hang out with us."

"Or boyfriend!" Marty called.

Rick chuckled. "So for the record, you never have to knock around here. You're always welcome in the office."

"Thank you, Rick, that's kind of you."

"Hey, you're a very attractive young cat, and at least you don't have fifty earrings in your ears like Lilly," he winked.

"Watch it, you old dingo!" Lilly called with a grin.

Kit was blinded by a camera flash. Lilly had the camera in her paws, taking pictures of the three of them. Jessie leaned over and kissed Kit on the cheek, and Lilly caught it on her camera. She looked at the picture on the screen, and laughed. "Oh, that's a good one!"

"Let us see!" Marty called. They gathered around her, and Kit saw him smiling, Rick smiling, and Jessie kissing him on the cheek with one foot raised behind her, her eyes closed but her expression mischievous.

"That's a keeper!" Mike announced. "Website fodder!" He snatched the camera from Lilly and rushed for his office.

"Checks are on my desk, people," Rick called. "Good work, you earned it!"

"Next week will be better!" everyone shouted in unison, which startled Kit and Jessie, and that made them all laugh.

"They're a pretty funny group," Jessie noted as she waited in his office as he packed his portfolio.

"I feel at home here, even after only two days," he told her honestly. "They're all great. I feel blessed that Rick gave me this job. Do you want to go out tonight? You know, we haven't had a real date yet."

She giggled. "No, I'm afraid I can't tonight. I have a test tomorrow in English Lit. You've been killing my grades, Kit, I have to study!"

He chuckled. "Don't blame me for that," he said with a wink.

"It is your fault," she accused, crossing her arms beneath her breasts and giving him a cool, yet amused, look.

"Careful there, hon, or he might prove you right," Rick said as he came up to the door. "You've got a check on my desk, Kit."

"I've only been here two days!"

"You're on salary, silly fox," he said. "You get the same pay every week, even if you did only work for two days. Besides, I get the feeling that you might need the money."

"Well, I can't deny that," he admitted.

"I think you're gonna work out here, Kit. The crew really likes you, and you're a damn good worker."

"Thanks, Rick. I really like it here. This place is awesome."

"Have you opened a bank account yet?"

He shook his head. "I was going to go get a Texas license tomorrow, so I can just swing by a bank and open an account when that's done."

"Sounds like you have a plan. How goes the apartment?"

"Well, I'm set on the niceties, and I should have a bed being delivered in, oh, about half an hour," he noted. "The rest of it'll fall into place. The bed's the important part."

"Good for your back?"

He nodded.

"I know that feeling," he chuckled. "But mine's from age, not an accident."

"You don't look that old, Rick," Jessie protested.

"I'm forty-three, my dear," he grinned.

"No way!"

"I know, I aged well," he chuckled. "I'm heading out, so you need to clear outta here, Kit. Unless you want to be locked in. My wife takes a dark opinion of it when I'm late getting home on Thursdays."

"I'm getting ready to go right now."

"Don't forget your check."

"I won't."

Kit retrieved his check and he and Jessie were herded out of the office by Mike and Barry. "So, you wanna go grab a drink with us, Kit?" Barry asked. "We always go down to The Pit on paydays. It's a local bar."

"I'll have to pass," he answered. "I have to get home, they're delivering my new bed."

"Ah, well, maybe later."

"See you tomorrow then, Kit. Have a good one!"

"You too," he said as they pushed past him and started down the stairs.

"Did you bring your laundry, Kit?" she asked.

"Yah, but I'll tell you again, Jess, you don't have to."

"Hey, I'm helping you out. Besides, if I have your clothes, you have to come see me," she winked.

He laughed. "I'd do that without holding my clothes hostage. May I drive you home?"

"Sure."

He drove her back to her house, and got out with her. The laundry basket was in the trunk, and he opened it up.

"This is it?" she asked.

"You said my work clothes," he said in confusion.

"I said dirty clothes," she responded. "You have to have more than this!"

"Well, yeah, but I don't want you turning into my maid, Jessie. It's just not proper."

She laughed. "Kit, stop being silly! Let's go back to your place and pick up your laundry."

"Well, alright, but I'll have to find some way to pay you back for your help."

"Well, do you have Sunday off?"

"Yeah, Sunday and Monday."

"Then let's go out on Sunday. A real date. Dinner and a movie."

"It's a deal," he said with a nod. "But dinner and a movie is just too cut and dry."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Dinner and something better than a movie," he answered.

"What?"

"Well, you'll find out on Sunday, won't you?" he said with a mysterious smile.

"Ohhh, okay, if you wanna play it that way. I'll just wait and see what you have in mind," she said with a beautiful smile.

He drove them back to his apartment, and she followed him in. "We have got to get rid of this 'no furniture' echo," she said with a look around.

"Eh, I'll get there eventually. I have the clothes piled up in my room. We only bought one laundry basket, I had nowhere to put them," he chuckled.

She came in and stood beside him. "That's it?"

"That's it. I don't have many clothes, Jess. That's all the dirty clothes I have. It's just about all the clothes I have," he chuckled ruefully.

She sighed, then she laughed. "Well, I guess you'll fix that eventually too."

There was a knock at the front door. "Go ahead, I'll gather it up," she told him.

He answered the door and found himself staring at a huge panda, almost a head taller than him, stood in the doorway, taking it up. A thin meerkat was at a large truck in the parking lot, opening the rear door. They had blue coverall uniforms with Value City embroidered on them. "Kit Vulpan?" the panda asked.

"Yeah, you have my bed?"

"A-yup. We'll bring it in for ya."

Kit stood aside as they brought in the mattresses, then the panda removed the plastic as the meerkat brought in the rails. Then they very quickly put the rails together and stacked the mattresses. Kit returned to the living room with them and took the clipboard that the meerkat handed him. "Sign right here," the meerkat said in a Texas drawl.

"Looks like you might be a repeat customer," the panda noted, looking around.

"Probably," Kit chuckled. "As you can see, I'm just getting settled in." He finished signing and handed it back. "It won't be quick, that's for sure," he grinned. "It's gonna be a 'what can I get with this paycheck' kinda deal."

"Well, you won't beat our prices, so come on back. We'll get you all decked out."

They left, and he saw Lupe coming out of the office across the way. "Lupe, I'm done with the bed!" he shouted to the next building. "Wanna come get it?"

"Tomorrow's fine!" he called back.

He went back in, and wandered back to the bedroom. He stopped in the doorway and leaned against it, crossing his arms and kicking one foot up onto his toes behind him as he watched Jessie. She'd put all the clothes in the basket, but now she was sitting on the edge of the bed, both paws down beside her, bouncing on it just slightly as she looked down and behind herself, away from him. She ran one paw along the bed, tracing her padded fingers along the new material, then she looked to him. Her cheeks ruffled a little, and she gave him a shy smile.

He didn't say anything. He'd only known her a few days, but in that very short time she'd seemed to have shed much of her shyness around him. But that, that was a shy smile. Was she thinking dirty about him?

God, he hoped so. He'd been thinking that way about her since the first time he saw her, but was always very careful never to let stray thoughts like that taint things when she was with him. He saved those kinds of thoughts for when he was alone, because she was shy, and he didn't want to scare her off. After that disaster of kissing her on their very first pseudo-date, he didn't want to give her any reason at all to feel uncomfortable with him.

"I take it it meets your expectations?" he asked with a teasing smile.

"Well, I'm not sleeping on it. I was curious how firm it was, because of your back."

"Firm, but not like a board," he answered. "You ready to go?"

"Sure."

He took her back to her house, and got out of the car and went to the trunk. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm going to take this in," he replied. "I'm sure your friends are all kinds of curious about me. May as well run that gauntlet now, rather than make you have to run it by yourself."

She laughed. "Oh, they are at that. They're like a bunch of nosy sisters."

"How did you end up in a sorority?"

"Well, my mom was in this one," she said as he picked up the basket, and she closed the trunk. "I didn't really want to join a sorority, but I really didn't like my roommate in my freshman year, so I worked up the courage and pledged. They all like to make fun of me because I'm shy and I come from a really traditional family, but that's okay," she giggled. "When they need help with their homework, or when they want something they don't make in a microwave, they always run to me or Sam." She led him up the sidewalk. "Sam's the skunk you saw that first day. She's in pre-med. She's really smart. Was valedictorian and everything."

"Do you like it?"

"I do now," she nodded as they reached the door. "The others are all nice femmes, and we get along really well. Last chance to run away," she winked. "If you go in there, they may not let you out. Oh, and they know about you," she warned. "So don't be surprised if they ask about it."

"That's good to know," he said with a nod. "Alright, lead me into hell, Charon."

She laughed and opened the door.

It wasn't as bad as Jessie let on. He wasn't allowed past the living room–house rules–and not all of the sorority members were home. Jessie took the basket from him while Sandy and a gray cat converged on him from the couch. "Kit!" Sandy called. "You're bringing laundry?"

"I kinda don't have anywhere to do it right now," he said ruefully. "Jessie agreed to help me out. She's great."

"You know, you owe her if she's gonna do your laundry," Sandy teased, poking him in the shoulder.

"I know. I really have to make it up to her," he agreed.

"Kit, this is Danielle. Dan, this is Kit."

"Hi," she said. He shook her paw cordially. "JD's gone on and on about you."

"Well, I hope she left out all the bad parts," he grinned.

"Are you kidding? The bad parts are the good parts!" Sandy protested. "So, how's the magazine?"

"I love it there," he said honestly. "The people are great, and the work is fun and challenging. If you want, come down to the office and look around after classes," he offered. "See how a magazine is put together."

"Cool, I might do that!" Sandy nodded vigorously.

"Just don't all come at once. Rick said he doesn't mind when people come to the office, but I think three or four pretty young femmes might cause too many distractions."

"That's what's fun to do," Sandy grinned.

"And you have to behave. I've only been there a few days. If you come in there and turn the place upside-down, I might get fired."

"Now it's no fun at all," she said with a toss of her hair.

Jessie returned. He stepped up and took the empty laundry basket she offered him, which had a spare laundry bag in it. "Listen, Jess, I really appreciate this," he said sincerely. "You've only known me a few days, and you're doing my laundry. That's kinda… weird."

She laughed. "I don't mind at all, Kit," she told him with an honest smile. "You're in something of a weird position here. And if I can help you get on your feet by doing laundry, and it doesn't cost me anything when I can just throw your laundry in with mine, well, why shouldn't I?"

"And we get to check out what kind of underwear you wear!" Sandy added.

Kit reached behind himself and raised up his shirt, then pulled the waist of his jeans down a little to reveal a waistband of his briefs. "Looks like Fruit of the Loom to me," he noted, which made Sandy laugh.

Jessie, however, wasn't laughing. She looked behind him, then gasped and put her hands on the tail of his shirt and pulled it up a little more, exposing his lower back. It was crisscrossed with white streaks of fur. They were scars.

"Oh, those are from the surgeries," he explained as Jessie, Sandy, and Danielle looked at his back. "They operated on me three times. First time they put in steel rods, the second time they added some screws, then the third one they took the rods out." He put his paw on his lower back, in the center of those stripes of white fur. "This is the exact height of the hood of a Ford Aerostar," he remarked, flattening his paw and chopping his thumb and finger against his back lightly. "Or so they always told me in the hospital," he chuckled, gently pulling his shirt down. "I actually don't remember anything from that entire day. The docs said that was normal. In my memory, I went to bed the night before, and next thing I know, I wake up two weeks later in the hospital, in a full body cast."

"Ouch," Danielle said compassionately, her expression riveted. "Well, I'm glad you're better, Kit."

"Thanks. The happiest day of my life was the day I got out of that cast, and I could go to the bathroom by myself. Even after months of it, I never got used to having a nurse, help," he added.

"I can imagine. It wouldn't be easy doing something like that with an audience," Sandy reasoned.

"You have no idea," he noted fervently. "Well, I hate to say it, but I'm gonna get going. I don't want Jess complaining that I'm wrecking your grades too," he winked.

"I can wreck my grades all by myself," Danielle laughed.

"Remember, Sunday," Kit told her. "Dress casual."

"I'll call you and tell you when you can come get your clothes," she promised. "Can you tell me exactly when you're picking me up?"

"I'll have to see what time it is," he grinned. "I'll let you know by tomorrow."

"Okay. Have a good night, Kit." She reached over and put her paw on his shoulder, then kissed him. It was little more than a quick peck, but on the lips nonetheless, which put a little shiver in his tail. "Talk to you tomorrow."

"I'll be waiting. Bye you two. And thanks for letting me get out of the house unscathed. Jess made it sound like I'd be tied up and interrogated," he grinned.

"Oh, that's coming," Sandy teased. "There's just not enough of us here to hold you down."

Kit laughed. "Then I'll run away now," he said, then he literally ran to the door, which made all three femmes laugh.

---

Friday was busy, because it was the first day of the new cycle, and it was like starting over. Though Rick and Savid already had this week's issue planned out, there was a lot of work to do to put it all together, and Friday was a huge day for Lilly, because it was the start of the weekend and Lilly was the one that kept up on the current hotspots and trends in U.T. student society. Lilly spent Fridays out of the office, roaming the campus during the day, and hitting the clubs at night to review bands and keep track of the "in" things.

Kit could knock out any research they threw at him relatively quickly, so he spent a lot of time working with everyone else, doing anything he could both to learn the tricks of the magazine trade, and to make sure Rick felt he didn't make a mistake when he hired someone like him. He and Jeffrey talked about trying to make up a comic strip to run in the magazine, debating if it should be comedy or melo-comedy-drama, stand-alones or serialized with an ongoing plot. Jeffrey sketched out a few ideas for characters for the strip, and they worked out something of an idea that they'd pitch to Rick after Jeffrey whipped up a few episodes of it.

And he got to see the magazine in printed form. Rick brought him a copy around four, while he and Jeffrey were talking things over, and Kit paged through it. It looked just as it did in the editor program, but it did feel kinda nice to actually hold onto it, to be able to read it without having to click on a mouse. He had to laugh when he saw the group picture, and Jeffrey turned to the page holding his first journal story, showing a huge closeup of his face, only his eyes, right beside the title of the article, Through My Eyes. Beneath the title was his name, and a boxed caption explaining the article to the reader.

"Oh, that's downplaying it right there," Kit said with a rueful chuckle.

"Hey, it's your most striking feature," Jeffrey laughed.

"I kinda thought this was," he said, pointing at his half-missing ear.

"Hell no, your eyes just reach out and grab someone," Jeffrey countered.

Kit read the caption under the title:

---

Kit Vulpan spent six months traveling from New England to Austin after graduating from college, working his way across America. These articles are excerpts from the journals he kept of his experience. The furs in these articles are real, though the stories they tell may not be. This is America, seen through his eyes.

---

"Not bad," Kit noted. "At least Barry picked a good piece to introduce with. If he went with one of the sob stories, it might turn readers off."

"Yeah," Jeffrey agreed. "Was that guy really like that?"

Kit nodded. "Sure was. He sat at that stool every night. It took me almost a week to get him to where he'd talk to me, then he told me that story. Trying to butter up the waiter, I guess," he chuckled.

"Musta been cool to do it."

"It had its moments. But I'm glad I'm here. For more than one reason."

Jeffrey laughed. "She's gorgeous. You're a damn lucky fox."

"Amen. Now I just have to not blow it."

"What, she's emo?"

"No, she's just a little shy," he explained. "And I really screwed up on our first date. So I'm kinda walking on eggshells around her. She was very gracious and gave me another chance, and I don't want another strike. I think after the next strike and I'm out."

"She didn't seem shy to me. She even kissed you for that picture."

"I know. That surprised me a little. But if you want to see if she's shy, try talking to her. She'll blush at the drop of a hat."

Jeffrey laughed. "I think demure is a better term," he grinned.

"I just call her perfect," Kit said honestly.

"Then don't blow it," he teased.

"I'd better not anytime soon. She has almost all my clothes," he chuckled.

"She's washing them?"

"Just this once," he affirmed. "I don't have a washer and dryer yet."

"Be careful, you may get everything back pink."

"Only if I make her mad," he laughed.

About five, Jessie called on his cell phone. "Kit, your clothes are done," she told him. "You can come pick them up after work."

"Jess, thank you. Really. You didn't have to do this for me. It was very kind of you."

"Well, I expect to be wowed on Sunday," she giggled.

"I'm buying the tickets right now," he told her… and he was. He was on the website, reserving tickets for them to an outdoor Austin Philharmonic Orchestra performance in a place called McKenzie Park, which was on the south bank of the river that ran through the city. "I'll be picking you up around two, Jess. We'll go eat dinner first, then go. I suggest that you do not wear a skirt. Actually, jeans or shorts would work best."

"What kind of date is this?" she asked, her voice both a little concerned and amused.

"The best kind," he told her. "Just trust me."

"I trust you," she assured him. "When will you get off work?"

"Around eight," he answered. "Me, Jeffrey, and Savid are the only ones in the office right now. Everyone else is out working."

"Oh, looking for stories and such?"

"Yeah. Lilly and Barry are working on stories. Marty and Mike are helping them, and Rick's over at an advertiser talking to them. I get my turn outside tomorrow."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm being sent down to the campus to gather some information from students face to face," he answered. "Sometimes research takes more than a phone and a computer."

"Hey Kit," Rick's voice called. He turned and saw him in the doorway of his tiny office.

"Rick needs me, I gotta go. See you soon."

"Okay. See you soon. Bye-bye."

"Bye hon," he said, then he closed the phone. "Yah boss?"

"I remember you saying you play the guitar, and my wife dug this out of the attic," he said, showing him a dusty guitar case. "It belonged to my son, one of a long line of interests that died as soon as he realized he'd have to work at it. If it still works, it's all yours."

"Wow, thanks, boss," Kit said in appreciation. "I haven't played in a couple of months, since my guitar got smashed at the bus station in Mobile." He put the case in his lap and opened it, and found an old acoustic guitar inside. He took it out and put the case on the floor, then pulled it up and tested it. It was out of tune, but that wasn't a problem. He tuned it up with practiced ease, then played a series of chords to test the tuning.

"I thought you said you were still learning!" Rick laughed.

"Well, I am," he said modestly. "What I just did is easy." He began to play a tune, then began to sing the lyrics almost immediately.

"Woah," Rick breathed.

"What?"

"Damn, son, you said you liked to sing, but I didn't know you could sing," he said seriously. "What song was that?"

"It's called Tears in Heaven," he replied. "It's one of my favorite songs, and one of the few I can play all the way through on a guitar, even though I'm just playing basic chords, not the real guitar melody that goes with it," he added, then closed his eyes and picked it back up, unable to just stop without finishing the song.

He finished, and opened his eyes. He saw Rick, Savid, and Jeffrey all standing in the doorway, amazed looks on their faces. "What?" he asked.

"Well, I know who we're taking to the Pit for open mic night contests," Jeffrey said, then he laughed.

"You sing very beautiful," Savid told him.

"Thank you," he said modestly, putting the guitar in his lap. "Just another legacy of my youth," he said. "I really liked music, but my bastard father refused to let me enjoy it. It was all business with him. He had no soul for art, no ear for music, and considered it a compete waste of time. To him, there was only money." He strummed the guitar absently. "I was starting to learn to play a guitar. Clancy smuggled one into the house for me," he remembered, his eyes distant. "My father found it, and he broke it right in front of me. Then he told me that a Vulpan didn't waste time on such ridiculous nonsense."

"That's raw," Jeffrey noted.

"That, was my father. May he rot in hell," Kit said with utter conviction. "After I was disowned, I was too busy trying to survive to learn how to play," he told them. "But once I got into U-Mass, after the accident and I washed out of ROTC, I bought a new guitar and took lessons from a music major friend of mine. I used to be a lot better, but I got rusty. I need to practice more."

"Well, you should have time," Rick told him. "Just not around here," he added with a grin. "I'm not running a karaoke bar here."

"Of course not," he laughed, putting the guitar away in its case, then propping it up against some boxes next to his chair.

"If you never got to do music, where did you learn to sing?" Jeffrey asked.

"Well, singing is something you can always practice, unless you're gagged," he chuckled.

"True enough."

Kit swung by the sorority house after work, and found it almost deserted. Almost all the femmes were out, with only Sam and Jessie inside. He brought his laundry basket, and Jessie went to go get the laundry while he sat on the couch and waited. Sam was sitting in a recliner across from him, a biology book sprawled in her lap, but she closed it when he sat down. "So."

"So?" he asked curiously.

"Where are you going on Sunday?"

Kit gave her a grin. "What, do you tap the phones?"

"JD is something of the house's little sister," Sam said seriously. "We all watch out for her, and that means we drag these things out of her, because she's shy, and maybe a little naïve. How someone as pretty as she is got to college like that is beyond me. Fanatical parents, I guess," she mused. "You can expect anything you tell her that's not personal to be common knowledge in this house."

Kit laughed. "She warned me that I'd face the third degree, but I didn't expect you to grill her too."

"She's the kind of femme we rarely let out of the house by herself," Sam told him. "Not because she's not an adult, but because she's a total sweetheart and we love being around her. Everyone in this house loves her. So, if you hurt her, you'll have a whole mess of angry sorority sisters breathing down your neck."

"Understood," he said immediately and honestly. "Believe me, that's the last thing I'd ever do. I already screwed up with her once. I won't do it again."

"And how did you screw it up?"

"When I kissed her. That was way out of line. I'm just glad she gave me another chance."

Sam gave him a slight smile. "That wasn't as much a mistake as you think it was," she told him. "She thought it was a good kiss." She opened the book again. "And you'd better think of kissing her again, very soon, or she'll think you're not as interested in her as she is in you."

"I'm looking forward to it, but I'm not going to rush it," he said calmly. "Jess isn't the kind of girl you let slip through your fingers. I'm willing to take things at her pace. She's worth waiting for."

"I'm glad you understand that."

"Jess said you're studying pre-med."

"I want to be a doctor," she affirmed.

"What year are you in?"

"I'm a junior. Me and JD pledged together."

"Nice. How long have you known her?"

"Since pledging. We're roommates."

He glanced towards the stairs, looking for Jessie, then leaned forward. "Are her parents as bad as she said?"

Sam chuckled. "Yes, mainly her mother. JD calls her Momzilla. Her mother calls here at least three times a week to check on her. If she's not here at night, her mother pitches a fit over the phone. And she's relentless. She knows that JD's seeing you, and had a complete meltdown last night over the phone since JD hasn't been here the last two times she called."

"Because of me?"

"Because you're male period. Her mother thinks she shouldn't so much as kiss a male unless it's at the end of a marriage ceremony."

"Well, how is she supposed to find someone like that?"

"Her mother doesn't think that way. JD is the oldest child in her family, but she's the first one to leave home. Both of her daughters are out of high school now, and both left home. JD is here, her sister is going to Ohio State. So her mother is having some separation issues with letting her children go. She said that since her sister left home, her mother's been off the deep end. The funny thing is, she isn't half as nuts about her brother Ben. She's only crazy over protecting her daughters."

"Her brother can't get pregnant," Kit noted.

"Yeah, I'm thinking along the same lines. Her mother is ultra-traditional. Marriage before sex, behaving like a lady, yadda yadda yadda. She's a relic of a forgotten time, if you ask me. She should have been raising her children in the fifties, not the new millennium."

"Stop bad-mouthing my mother, Sam," Jessie said as she came down the stairs, carrying a full laundry basket. "I know I complain about her a lot, but she does mean well."

"And this defense will cease the instant she calls," Sam noted calmly, which made Kit chuckle. He stood up and took the basket from her, then put it on the couch.

"Listen, Jess, let me thank you again. It was very good of you to help me out. I really owe you one."

"Well, I think there's something you can do to repay me," she said, tilting her cheek up towards him and tapping it.

He laughed. He leaned down and gave her a very loud kiss, which made Sam giggle.

"I'd better get a better kiss than that on Sunday," she told him with a teasing, but inviting smile.

"Sam, I might need to practice, so I can live up her expectations. You available?"

Sam's book fell out of her lap as she erupted into laughter. Kit grinned at Jessie, but got a face full of couch pillow for his trouble when she whacked him. That nearly made Sam fall out of her chair.

"I wash your clothes for you, and you try to get a date with my roomie? Out, you ingrate!" Jessie said, pointing at the door, but she couldn't suppress a grin.

"I'll pick you up at two," he said with a playful smile.

"I'll be waiting," she promised as he picked up the basket. She stepped up and gave him a real kiss, a light, inviting kiss on the lips, then she stepped away with a little smile on her face.

Sam gave him a knowing look as she went back up the stairs, and he couldn't help but watch that gorgeous cat with that amazing long-haired tail swaying back and forth behind her, almost hypnotized. Sam cleared her throat, and he realized he was staring. He blinked, then pulled the basket up to his hip. "Uh, thanks for the chat, Sam. It was fun."

"I'll see you later," she said with a nod, picking up her book. He let himself out, and Sam found her page, took a sip of her soda, and chuckled to herself.

"Oh yeah. She's got him hooked, alright. Now just comes the reeling in."

---

The last thing he expected to find on his desk on Saturday morning was a note, and a key.

Well, he guessed it was a show of trust that Rick would give him a key to the office before he'd even been there a week, and give him an assignment without any kind of supervision at all.

He wouldn't allow that trust to be misplaced.

Rick wasn't the only one that had Saturdays off. Jeffrey, Marty, Savid, and Mike were all off on Saturday. The only ones that worked were the writers, it seemed… but, they had Monday off where the others had to work. At least Rick made sure everyone had two days off… that was nice of him, given they had such a small staff, and producing a magazine was a tough business.

His assignment actually took most of the day. He researched available Saturday facilities on campus, both for school and for student recreation, using a press pass secured for him by Rick for the research. He studied the facilities, both the quality and variety, and interviewed students using them to gauge their satisfaction. Since he didn't know much about the campus, it actually gave him quite a tour of the campus, and he got to meet quite a few of the students. A couple of them recognized him from the magazine. One of them even startled him with a question. "Dude, who was that gorgeous cat that was kissing you?" the lemur asked.

"Huh?"

"On your mag's website, he said. "There's a pic of a kickass cat hottie giving you a kiss. Who is she?"

"That's my girlfriend," he said with a laugh.

"Damn," the lemur muttered. "You lucky bastard."

Girlfriend. He'd said it impulsively to defend his turf, but after sitting down and thinking about it, he realized that was exactly how he wanted to think about her. She was beautiful, she was smart, she was kind, she was gentle, she was funny, she was… she was amazing.

She was what he'd been looking for all his life, and his family be damned.

It was at that moment. For the first time, probably ever, the specter of his family began to fade. He was already overcoming that fear, wanting to go out with Jessie, be with her, but the fear had still been there, just suppressed. But for the first time, for the first time ever, he wasn't afraid.

He wasn't afraid.

He couldn't be afraid. If he was afraid, he would lose her. If he was afraid, he'd drive her away when she was finally ready to take the next step, and he wasn't prepared to meet her there. If he was afraid, the best thing that ever happened in his life would slip through his fingers, and he would spend the rest of his life in bitter regret over losing his chance at happiness.

He'd been such a coward. It wasn't courage that got him through life after he was disowned, it was his sister's kindness. It wasn't courage that got him through college, it was his sister's help. It wasn't courage that got him through nearly six months in a hospital bed, it was tons of painkillers. It wasn't courage that got him through six months of living as a drifter, it had been fear. Fear of settling down where they could find him, fear of getting too attached to people because of his family, fear, fear, fear.

If he wanted her, he had to have the guts to tell his family to go to hell, and mean it. Not just mouth it in bitter anger over how they had hurt him. Not just scream it as a front for blaming them for what happened to him. Not growl it in his throat when he found something good, something special, but something of which they'd disapprove. He had to mean it.

He had to mean it.

He stood up. "The Vulpan family can go to hell," he declared with utter sincerity, meaning it. "Well, except for Vil," he added with a sardonic chuckle.

He walked away from that spot.

And he felt like a new fox. He felt like a new life was waiting for him just over the horizon.

A new life. He had a job now, and a home. He had new friends, and he had a female who seemed interested in him, and a female he'd walk through fire for if she asked it of him. He didn't need to hang off the end of his sister's string anymore. She didn't need to mother him anymore. She would be his dear sister, his good friend, and his only family, but he didn't need her protection anymore. He could stand on his own feet. He could be his own fox, and make a new life for himself without needing her help.

And the rest of his family could go to hell.

---

If anything, Vil was usually punctual. She said she'd call him that weekend, and it was almost dead middle of the weekend when she kept that promise. His phone rang when he returned to the office, and transcribed his notes from his research he'd been writing in his laptop to his desktop.

"Hello," he hummed absently as he started transferring files.

"Hey, baby bro," Vil answered. "How you doing?"

"I'm doing great," he told her. "I'm getting settled in here at work. I'm about to leave now."

"You don't have weekends off?"

"Sunday and Monday," he answered.

"Ah, I see. Well, doesn't change what I have to tell you," she chuckled. "I'll be down next weekend. I'll be arriving on the third and be leaving on the sixth."

"Labor Day weekend?" he asked as he called up the calendar on his laptop and switched it to September.

"Yeah. I was aiming at three days with you, but I'll take two and two evenings."

"Well, one evening. I work evenings on Friday. It's a very busy time for us."

"What do you do on a Friday night for work?"

"Vil, this is a magazine aimed at college kids," he reminded her. "Friday's a big day for students, so that's when we do a lot of our work. Lilly, one of the reporters, is usually out almost all night gathering info for her pieces."

"Ah, true," Vil mused. "Well, I can just wait for you, I suppose."

"I'll give you what time I can, sis, I'd love to see you again. But I just got this job, and I can't blow it. So you're gonna take a back seat."

"I'm not used to being out of the spotlight," she teased.

"Well, welcome to the real world," he told her in a tone that made her laugh.

"So, how's it going with Jessie?"

"We have our first real date tomorrow," he answered, saving his work and then closing his laptop.

"That's nice, but it doesn't answer the question."

"It seems to be going fine," he answered. "I'm not rushing it, sis. When she's ready, we'll take the next step."

"And what step is that?"

"Whatever she wants," he answered immediately.

"Where are you going on your date?"

"Orchestra," he answered. "Austin Philharmonic's performing Beethoven."

She laughed. "I should have known," she teased. "It's not the Boston Pops. You'll have to tell me if they're any good down there in Texas."

"Here's hoping."

"Here's hoping she likes classical, or it's going to be a bad date for her," Vil laughed.

"Well, there's always opera, I suppose. Femmes are supposed to like the opera."

"Kit, she's a normal girl. She'd probably be more interested in going to see some rock band."

"True, but I think she'll like it."

"I'm rootin' for ya, bro. And I hope you're right."

"Yeah, me too."

"Remember, I want to meet her, so expect me to invite her out with us at least one day."

"I already warned her. She's okay with it. She's curious to meet you."

"Well, I'm curious to meet her," Vil mirrored. "By the way, I love this picture of you with your magazine crew."

"What? How did you get that?"

"I had a copy of your magazine Fed-Exed," she said. "And I see you took my advice about your journals. Good for you!"

"Actually, that was my boss' idea," he admitted. "He read through my journals with the other material I gave him when I applied for the job."

There was a short silence. "What is this?"

"Huh?"

"Where is the request not to let the others see the magazine?" she teased.

"Let them," he said immediately. "I don't care. Maybe it'll piss them off that I'm building a life for myself without them and their money."

Vil laughed. "It probably would. I'm looking at it right now. Ah, so that's the Lilly you mentioned. Your boss is kinda cute," she told him. "He has some wild fur, doesn't he?"

"He's a great guy."

"Maybe I can come visit your work. I'd love to meet your boss."

"We could probably manage it. He knows who I am, so it wouldn't be a big shock for him. They all do at work. And all Jessie's sorority knows."

"I'm glad you're not hiding from it, bro," she said seriously.

"No, I guess I'm not. I'm not gonna shove it in people's faces, but I won't hide from it either."

"Good for you. I'll get off of here and get some work done, bro. "I'll call you before I leave and give you some specifics."

"No prob, sis. I need to lock up the office and head home, I'm done for today."

"Good luck tomorrow," she said.

"Thanks, sis. Be good."

---

Kit was actually nervous.

This was unusual for him. He wasn't the kind to get nervous over something he understood. She liked him, and he knew it. She was looking forward to this date, and he knew it. So was he. But he was still nervous. Maybe Vil was right and she didn't like classical music. If so, this might be a very long and unpleasant date. Maybe it was a good thing they were going to go eat first.

He was there at exactly two, and he saw six of the sorority femmes sitting on the balcony over the front door, no doubt there to scope him out and spread the warning through the house that he was there. He told her jeans and tee, and he mirrored his own suggestion, wearing his new jeans and a simple white tee, with a short sleeve white linen shirt worn over it, left unbuttoned. He didn't even get a chance to ring the doorbell when he got to the porch. The door opened, and Jessie was there, with several femmes behind her.

She was stunning.

Her hair was done to perfection, looking breathtaking. She must have spent hours combing her fur, for there wasn't a hair out of place anywhere. She had the tiniest bit of eyeshadow on her eyelids, and just the tiniest touch of mascara, and she wore a simple pair of gold chain loop earrings in her ears. She wore a tan tank top and a pair of shorts, with a delicate little leather belt and a small beige purse on a thin leather strap on her shoulder. He stepped up to her, literally gawking, and he could smell a faint flowery perfume about her. Her makeup, her dress, even her perfume, it was subtle, delicate, enhancing what was already there instead of trying to hide it. God but was she a wonder!

"You like?" she asked demurely, stepping out and looking up at him with her gorgeous blue eyes, the bright sunlight making their pupils contract down to vertical slits.

"I'm afraid to take you anywhere," he told her. "I'll have to beat the other males away with a stick."

She giggled, her cheek fur ruffling slightly, and the sight of that drove him wild. He held his paw out to her, and she took it. Just the touch of her sent a shiver through his tail. "Well, I'll protect you, Kit," she smiled.

"I might need it," he said heavily, then he blinked and remembered they weren't going to spend the entire date standing on the porch. "Shall we go?"

"Where do you want to eat?" she asked as he walked her to the car Rick was letting him use.

"Anywhere you want," he told her.

"Well, there's this nice place just down the street from my parents' house in Cincinnati," she suggested with a teasing smile.

He laughed. "By the time we get up there, you might be in a little trouble with your professors."

"Well, in that case," she said with a mock sigh, "I guess I'll have to settle for Red Lobster."

"Red Lobster it is," he said as he helped her into the car, then closed the door for her.

She had to guide him to the restaurant, and they spent the driving time talking about whatever crossed their minds, as they tended to do. They had the same freedom of words they had that first night when she called him, talking about just about anything. Their issue of discussion, talking about post-Civil War literature, continued into the restaurant, and held firm all the way through ordering dinner. "I can't stand Chesnutt," Jessie said, shuddering her shoulders. "That dialect he uses is the written equivalent of nails on a blackboard."

He laughed. "Well, if you can read through it, it's kinda interesting," he protested, taking a sip of his tea.

She looked at his cup, then she laughed. "I guess you can't take a Bostonian away from his tea," she grinned.

"You can't take a Cincinnatian away from their terrible football team either," he retorted.

"Oh, now you're getting personal," she teased. "Here comes a half hour schpiel glorifying the Patriots," she complained, throwing her paws up.

He laughed. "I didn't know you were that much of a football fan."

"My parents are football freaks," she told him. "Pro, college, high school… they'd even show up at peewee games if they knew where they played them," she said, which made him chuckle. "My dad is so funny," she giggled. "He's this little slip of a cat, barely taller than me and even thinner, and come Sunday he paints himself up in Bengal stripes and screams like a maniac. He hasn't missed a Bengal home game in like twenty years."

"Season tickets?"

"He saves for them every year," she laughed. "I guess football rubbed off on me. I even played in the 12 year league."

"You played football?" he said in surprise. "How could anyone on the team concentrate?"

Her fur ruffled in a very appealing manner. "Well, I hadn't filled out quite yet then, and besides, even now, put this under football pads, and it's not very noticeable," she said, motioning at herself.

"I'd notice it," he said honestly.

"You'd be looking," she winked.

"Damn right I'd be looking," he retorted instantly.

The hyena waiter brought them their dinners. He had crab legs, she had lobster. "I haven't had lobster in months!" she said happily as the waiter put her plate down. "Burke hated seafood!"

"Anyone who takes a cat out had better expect seafood to be on the menu," Kit teased.

"Too right," she agreed pleasantly, picking up the shellcracker.

It had been years since he'd had crab legs, and he found them to be rather good. Jessie seemed quite happy with her lobster, going through it faster than he'd ever seen a femme eat. "Hungry?" he asked teasingly.

"I haven't had anything but a slice of toast all day," she answered. "The others wouldn't let me eat lunch, either."

"Why not?"

"They've been making me get ready since ten," she answered. "And I was too nervous to cook this morning. They didn't want me burning myself at the stove, and I don't trust any of them to cook."

"You were nervous?"

"A little," she admitted, looking over to him.

"I was too. I still am, a little."

She smiled gently. "Well, me too. I'm not sure where we're going."

"I'm not sure if you'll like it."

"Well, I promise to keep an open mind."

"I'm just glad I'm not the only one who's nervous," he said with a relieved sigh.

"Of course I'd be nervous, Kit. This is our first date, and I don't want to look like an idiot."

Her honesty took him off guard, and he laughed ruefully. "I was thinking the exact same thing."

"Well, since we're being totally honest here," she said, giving him an adorably sly little look, "would you think I'm a pig if I asked for one of your crab legs?"

He laughed delightedly. "Be my guest," he said, breaking one off and offering it to her.

After dinner, he drove her to the park. She was a little curious when they arrived, and was even more curious when she saw all the other cars. He got out and helped her out, then opened the trunk and pulled out a blanket and a small cooler he'd bought the night before. "And here we are," he said.

"What are we going to do?"

"We're going to a concert," he told her.

"Oh! What kind of music?"

"Classical."

"Really? I've never been to a live classical concert before. Do they always have them out at the park?"

"Sometimes they do," he said. "The Boston Pops has this huge outdoor theater where they perform quite a bit, in the summer. So, you don't hate classical music?"

"I'll admit, I don't listen to it all the time, but I don't hate it. This should be interesting."

"Well, next date, it's your turn to surprise me," Kit told her as he put the blanket over his shoulder.

After giving his tickets to a raccoon standing at a roped-off area, he proved he had no glass bottles in his cooler, received a program, and they moved in. He spread his blanket at what he felt was the optimal distance from the stage, just behind most of the others who had arrived before them, then helped her sit down. He sat down himself beside her. "What are we going to listen to?" she asked.

"Your program has it all," he said, opening it. "Three Beethoven pieces and a violin concerto," he told her. "Movements from the Third, Fifth, and Ninth symphonies, and Brahms' violin concerto in D major," he told her. "Hmm, I'm not familiar with that piece. This should be nice."

They filled the time waiting with idle chitchat, as the orchestra took the stage and began to tune and prepare. "So, what's going to happen?" she asked as those around them began to quiet down a little.

"Okay, they'll spend about fifteen minutes or so getting ready, on the average," he explained. "Then the conductor will come out, and we'll applaud. He'll get the orchestra ready to play, and then they'll play. Usually, we don't applaud until they finish the entire piece on the program, because sometime there are pauses between movements. But, if a soloist does a really fantastic job, sometimes the audience does applaud between movements, but they try to keep it brief so it doesn't interrupt the flow."

"Do they tell you what they're playing?"

"They'll follow the order in the program," he said. "If you'll notice, there aren't any microphones up there. The conductor will never say a word."

"Ahh, okay." She looked around, and saw their blanket was surrounded by other blankets. "I didn't realize this was so popular."

"Popular with some."

"Umm, did you see where the restrooms are?" she asked.

"No," he said, standing up. He looked around, then sat back down. "Over there," he said with a point.

"I'll be right back then," she told him, standing up. "Watch my purse for me?"

"Of course."

"Thanks," she said, patting him on the shoulder as she got up. He watched her walk away, watched that gorgeous black-tipped tail of hers, and he almost shuddered. She was so damn sexy!

He leaned back after she hurried off, trying to get his heart back under control. Sometimes he thought it was unfair, her being so beautiful. It was so hard to keep his attention focused, because she was so smart, and he had to keep his wits about him to keep up in conversation with her. He couldn't just stare at her and say "duh." She might not appreciate that. He had no doubt that she had males staring at her all the time, and he didn't want to be just like all the other males. He wanted to be different to her, special. But it wasn't easy. She was so pretty, he had no doubt that she could afford to be shy, because she had no end of males that tried to talk to her. She could be picky. That was one reason why he felt so honored that she seemed so interested in him, that out of all the males out there that would jump if she snapped her fingers, she chose him to go out with.

A homeless dishwasher with only half of an ear, a bad back, and a very dark and unpleasant family history.

She returned and seated herself demurely beside him, sitting on her legs. He looked over at her, and couldn't look away. She was radiant, the picture of loveliness. She glanced at him, then looked to him with her blue eyes, and she smiled.

He sighed in contentment, and that made her cheeks ruffle. "So, what are you thinking?" she asked in a low voice, leaning close to him.

"That I must have won God's lottery," he answered, gazing into her eyes.

"Oh, do tell," she said with a throaty chuckle. "I didn't realize I was a prize."

He blinked, not quite sure how to answer that. But her eyes were expectant, so he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Not a prize. A treasure."

Her eyes seemed to soften, and she bumped her shoulder up against his.

The conductor came out onto the stage, and those around him began to applaud. He blinked when he realized she'd been leaning closer and closer, until their noses were almost touching. She pulled away a little as they both clapped, then looked down at him in curiosity as he leaned back on his paws and closed his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Don't listen to the music, Jess. Feel it. That's the big difference with classical music. You listen with your heart and your soul, not your ears."

The concert began. Kit tried to lose himself in the music, like usual, but he just couldn't. She was right there beside him, and that was all he could think about. He kept opening his eyes, kept glancing over at her, both to see if she was enjoying the music, but also because he couldn't think of anything else but her.

He lost all manner of conscious thought halfway through the second movement of the Ninth symphony, when she leaned against him. He had his arm around her before he was even thinking, and she began to purr.

God, that was incredible! It filled his ears, and it seemed to vibrate through him like a thousand symphonies. All he could do was think oh God, she's purring! and he didn't even dare to move, afraid that she'd stop, that he would ruin the moment, when she was so content and happy that she would purr for him. He closed his eyes, then, and lost himself not in the power of the music, but in the power that Jessie's purr had over him.

He was honestly shocked when the concert was over. He didn't remember the end of the Ninth. He couldn't recall a single bar of Brahms' concerto. He just looked up and realized that others were getting up and folding their blankets, and the concert was over.

He'd totally zoned out!

"Uh, Jessie?" he asked softly. She was still against him, her head leaning against his, and she was still purring.

"Mmm?"

"I think the concert's over."

"Mmm," she hummed, her purring going right on.

"But you can keep right on," he said with a soft chuckle. "That's the only music I've been listening to since you started."

Her purring stopped, almost immediately, and was afraid that he'd offended her. She looked at him, then she smiled. "I'll perform that music for you whenever you like," she told him in a low, sensual whisper.

Her eyes… invited him. Subconsciously, he started leaning down towards her, slowly, hesitantly. He could see the invitation, but he remembered what happened the last time. He hesitated, but she made his mind for him by leaning up and kissing him. Again, he found himself all but paralyzed by her. The entire world melted away, and there was nothing but her.

She pulled away, looking into his eyes, and she was smiling. "That was nice," she hummed.

"When I can move my tail again, I'll let you know," he said breathlessly.

Jessie giggled like a teenager. "I guess we should go," she said with a little regret.

"We don't have to go home yet," he offered. "This is a big park. Would you like to go for a walk?"

"Yes," she nodded.

They walked along the river, holding paws, and they talked. They talked for hours, wandering the park aimlessly, but always coming back to the river. Jessie seemed to be digging for something. She kept guiding their conversation to his personal life, asking about U-Mass, asking about his sister, asking him about living alone after he was disowned. He wouldn't dare lie to her, so he told her the truth, the honest truth, telling her what it was like, and how it made him feel. She was silent a long moment, then she stopped them by a bench and sat down. "Kit, I have to ask you something. And you might not want to answer it," she told him.

"I'd answer any question you asked me, Jess."

"Do you love your family? Did you ever love your family?"

He sighed, leaning back on the bench. "I think there was a time when I did," he said. "When I was very young. They were always around, always visiting, and I had lots of cousins to play with. Uncle Zach used to carry me around on his shoulders," he said, his voice a little wistful. "But then my mother died, and everything changed. Dad became distant, and basically gave up raising us to Clancy and nannies. And as I got older, I realized that my aunts and uncles and cousins, they were being nice to me because they wanted something from me. At that time, my sister wasn't interested in business because she was raised as a debutante, and, well, everyone just assumed I was going to be the next Vulpan that ran the company. It had passed from father to first son through three generations. I guess everyone assumed it but me. After mom died, all Dad did was work. It was his entire life, and I hated it. I hated how it took him away from me, and I hated how everyone wanted to be my friend just because they thought I'd be the one running the family after Dad died," he said, looking down at his paws. "I resented it, and then I began to resent him, and them. So I started to rebel. Ever since I was twelve, me and my father had something of a family war. He was dead set on training me to be his heir, and I'd have nothing to do with it. I'd tear up the books he gave me. I ran away several times. I even set fire to his Bentley once," he chuckled humorlessly. "Then I turned sixteen, and Dad told me flat out I either start getting my act together, or I was disowned.

"He never got the chance to disown me. I walked out. I never looked back. I decided right there that I'd rather die on the streets living my own life than live trapped in the hell of that family, where money was the only thing that mattered, and marriages were based only on how rich and how pureblooded the spouse was." He sighed. "A life where all I did was obsess about money, and come home every night to a vixen I didn't love. I couldn't stand the idea of it.

"Vil explained what happened after I left. There was almost a rift in the family because my uncles kept trying to get their sons into the CEO's chair, but my dad was totally honked off. See, Dad was the oldest, and he didn't want to give up the prestige of being the one that passed the company to his own son… and all he had left was Vil. Vil does love business, so she proved to our father she could be a good CEO. She went to Harvard, then graduated from business school. After she graduated, she talked him into giving her the company, and he was desperate. By that time, he'd found out his heart was bad, and he had to start thinking of succession. So the company's board met, and they voted Vil to be the next Vulpan. That pissed off my uncles something fierce. They didn't want a female running the company and having control of all the money. As you can tell, they have some pretty Victorian views… guess it goes paw in paw with their purist mentality. So, my dad compromised by dividing up the family fortunes among all my aunts and uncles after he died, and cutting Vil out of most of the money. All she really got out of the will was her house in Chelmsford, a few cars, and her trust fund. She's rich, don't ever doubt that, but she has a lot less money than the rest of the family. Most of the family fortune is in the hands of my aunts and uncles, but they still hate the idea of Vil running the company."

"Because she's a femme?"

"That, and because she never stopped defending me," he grunted. "My family hates me now, Jess. I'm a traitor to them. I put myself above the family and I got disowned, and I didn't have the courtesy to just die in some gutter like a failed excuse for a fox. I'm a walking embarrassment to them, an eyesore. And I certainly didn't help my case at the funeral," he mused. "After they put the bastard into the ground, I flipped off the entire family right there at the gravesite. A paparazzi got a picture of it and everything," he chuckled.

"I, I saw a picture of you when you were there," she told him. "I hadn't remembered it until a couple of days ago. You were wearing this long overcoat, and you were walking away from your family. There was a short vixen behind you, looking away."

"That was my sister Vil," he told her. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you saw a picture of it. They put it in Furs. Anyway, since Vil has always been on my side, it's made her something of a pariah in the family, but she's a pariah my family has to be nice to, because she runs the company," he said with a humorless chuckle. "They have their fortunes, but Vil is the one that controls the family legacy, and all the power that comes with sitting in the big chair at Vulpan Shipyards. It makes her a global power player. When Vil snaps her fingers, the President of the United States jumps. Whichever Vulpan sits in the company's chair is the most powerful member of the family, money or no money. She has all the prestige, all the power, even though her aunts and uncles have about fifty times more money than she does."

"The first time I saw you, I had this feeling I'd seen you before. After I remembered that picture, well, that explained it." She giggled. "Too bad."

"Huh?"

"Well, you seemed familiar to me," she explained. "That was why I was so interested in you. Maybe I thought it was fate or something."

"I think it was," he said honestly.

"You think so?" she asked, looking at him.

"There can't be any other explanation why a femme like you would go out with a male like me."

"There's nothing at all wrong with you," she protested. "You're handsome, and you're very smart and charming and polite. A femme couldn't do much better than you, Kit Vulpan. And don't you forget it."

"That's very flattering," he smiled.

"It's the truth. Do you know what I see when I look at you?" He shook his head. "I see a wonderful male who's trying to find a place for himself in the world. I see a male who's shaken off some things that would have crushed weaker males and still came through it with his sense of humor and his compassion for others. I see a male who's brave and courageous, because he's willing to defy his family to go out with a cat. I see a male who's lived in the shadow of his family for so long that he'd forgotten what the sun looked like, but still keeps yearning for the light."

They were silent a long moment. "Kit," she said.

"Yes?"

"I think I know you pretty well now, even though this is only our first week together," she told him, nuzzling his cheek with her muzzle, reaching out and taking his paw in her own. "Kit, there was nothing to forgive when you kissed me in the skating rink. I was a little surprised, but I really liked it. I wanted you to kiss me. I keep wanting you to kiss me. And I keep wanting to kiss you. And I've been thinking about you the same way you think about me," she breathed huskily in his ear, which made his tail shiver. "I've been waiting because I knew your fear of your family would push you away if I tried too hard. And I'm not sure you're entirely over them yet, so I'll keep waiting. When you can look at me and not see the specter of your family hovering over me, then we both know it's time," she intoned sensually.

His tail straightened out behind him, the fur standing straight out, and the paw holding hers trembled a little bit.

"God, you know how to motivate a fox," he said nervously, which made her giggle.

"How do you think I feel? Kit, I'm a virgin," she told him. "And I mean a virgin. I don't know much at all about males, or what I'm supposed to do, or how I'm supposed to act. If my mother ever heard me say that, she'd chain me to the wall in the basement until I was thirty. I'm nervous too."

"Could you at least show it? Here I am trembling, and you're as solid as a rock."

She laughed. "It makes a femme feel good to know she can make a male tremble. I spilled my secret. Time to reciprocate," she teased.

"Well, you can't ever expect a rich kid to be a virgin," he told her. "There's just too many opportunities. But I haven't been with a femme since the accident."

"That's a long time."

"Not as long as you."

"Well, I don't know what I've been missing," she said, squeezing his paw.

"I guess I can't counter that one," he chuckled ruefully.

They sat there for a while in content silence, watching as the sun began to set over the western hills. "Jessie."

"Hmm?"

"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

She looked at him. "Not really. It's a romantic idea, but I don't think it really happens. But I do believe in love at first kiss."

He looked at her. "So…"

She just smiled, all mysterious.

"Mean kitty," he accused playfully.

"I have to keep you guessing," she winked. "You might get too complacent. Aunt Penny always says that once a male hears you say I love you, he stops trying."

"Love isn't a game that has a finish line," he protested. "If it did, then it would be finished when you got there."

"That's romantic," she said.

"So, if I promise to never stop trying, will you answer the question?" he asked.

She laughed. "Mmmmaybe," she teased, tracing her finger in circles on his shoulder.

"And you said you had no idea how to talk to males," he laughed ruefully. "You liar," he teased with a grin.

"Alright, alright," she acquiesced, scooting up against him. "I'll tell the truth. When you kissed me, I was surprised. I thought there was something there, but then you confused me when you backed off. At first I thought I did something wrong, then I realized you thought you'd done something wrong, and I thought it was so sweet. You were thinking of me before yourself."

"It's because you're so shy, and you were nervous. I, I couldn't help myself when I kissed you, and I realized I went way over the line."

"I could tell you knew I was nervous, and you were still being so kind to me, trying to make me feel comfortable," she told him. "And then, when you kissed me, I didn't feel you being forward, I just felt what you were trying to say without words.

"So, was it love at first kiss? I don't really know. My dad always says you're never really sure when it is you fall in love, you only realize it later. But, from the way I feel right now, I'm thinking that it might be a distinct possibility…" she trailed off, looking into his eyes.

He could not look into those eyes and resist the overpowering temptation. He leaned down and kissed her, kissed her with pure, unrequited passion, trying to tell her without words just how he felt about her. She pressed against him, her arms looping around him, even felt her long-haired tail wrap sensually around his. It was sheer bliss, and he was almost disappointed when it was over. She looked up at him, a little breathless, and he chuckled.

"What?"

"I see I'm going to have to start saving money."

"For what?"

"For a ring," he said earnestly.

She gave him a wild look, her cheeks ruffling out, then she laughed. "Slow down there, my fox," she told him with a smile. "You have to meet Momzilla before you decide to become part of my family."

He laughed. "I'll make sure to wear my armor."

"You'll need it," she grinned, pushing herself into his arms, tapping him playfully on the nose. Then she leaned in and kissed him again. "Mmm, well, one thing's for sure."

"What?"

"I'm going to enjoy this game you call love."

"Me too," he grinned, and he kissed her.

---

He got her home at nine. Both of them were a little out of sorts, for they'd spent over an hour on the bench, kissing and nuzzling, and being totally frank and honest with each other. Some pretty dark secrets were traded on that bench between them, acts of trust offered and taken with sincerity. Though neither of them came out and said I love you, it was there. Oh, it was there.

He helped her out of the car, and she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him lingeringly, sliding her fingers up and down the scars on his back lightly as he held her close, then dared to slide his paw down and press it against her very attractive backside. She squeaked a little, but just kissed him with a little more passion, more than happy to allow him to paw her in a place that a respectable male had no business putting his paws.

"I'll save you the torment of going in," she giggled into his neck as she nuzzled him. "Call me tomorrow?"

"I'm off tomorrow. I'm going shopping for a couch. Want to go? I like your sense of style."

"Sure, I'd love to. Pick me up at five?"

"I'll be waiting."

"Mmm. Kit, I had a wonderful time."

"So did I. I'm going to go home and take a cold shower."

She grinned. "If that's the case, then maybe you should take your paw off my butt," she teased. "It can't be helping."

He laughed, moving the offending appendage.

"But don't worry," she said, raising up and whispering to him, close to his ear, "I think you'll be ready very soon. Like you said, you have motivation now."

He slid his paws up her back, until they were resting on her shoulders. "I'll do my best."

"Don't make me wait too long. I want to know what I'm missing," she purred.

"And who's not helping now?" he protested.

She laughed, then lunged in and gave him one more kiss, a chaste kiss on the cheek. "You be good, my handsome fox," she told him. "And I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good night, my pretty kitty," he smiled in reply.

"Only if I dream of you tonight," she said throatily, then she pulled free of him and sauntered up the sidewalk.

He watched her walk up to the door, open it, look back at him, then go in. Once she was out of sight, his knees wobbled, and he blew out his breath.

Good God, what a female!

He got back in the car, started it, then leaned against the steering wheel for a minute. Cold shower. Yes. Cold shower would be good. He pulled out, heading for home, thoughts of Jessie dominating his every second.

He wasn't joking. He was definitely going go start saving for that ring.

---

Neither he, Jessie, nor the femmes watching from the sorority house saw the telephoto camera pull back into the window of a dark sedan, and then pull off in the opposite direction.

---

Inside the house, every femme was in the living room. They watched her come in, then lean against the door as she closed it and let out a long, contented sigh.

"Oh, tell me you did!" Danielle said expectantly.

"No, but we will soon," she literally purred, putting her black-furred paw to her cheek. "I think he'll be ready soon." She gave them all a huge grin. "I'm going to marry that fox," she declared with a little hum.

They all squealed and clapped, then swarmed her, demanding a second by second account of the entire date.

Chapter 5