A Boy, a Dog Girl and a Date: Part Three

“This coat makes him look like a noble,” Hellman said, looking over Zack’s left side.

“Agreed. Too fancy for a date with the dog girl. No coat, however, is too casual,” Cortz said, looking over Zack’s right side.

“A vest, then?”

“Velvet?”

“Too fancy. Brown, white shirt underneath. Halfway refined.”

“Halfway refined. Are you talking about the clothes or the boy?”

“Ha ha. So funny,” Zack said, adjusting himself as they tore the shirt off of him for what felt like the 47th time. He sat on the bottom bunk in their room, examining the fancy clothes and refined art on the walls. “What smells like metallic fur?”

“A concoction my father made. Sandalwood, oil for auto carriages, bear musk,” Luca said, sitting in their desk chair across from Zack.

‘How did he get bear musk?” Zack asked.

“Do you want to know?”

“No, actually. Never mind. Will all this actually impress Honey? She’s been kind of quiet since I asked her out.”

“Oh brother, the fool thinks he has to impress the dog girl,” Hellman said, pulling the shirt onto Zack.

“Do you want to know why she has been quiet?” Cortz asked, adjusting the vest.

“Yes, please, enlighten me, guys whose apartment smells like a brothel,” Zack snarked.

“How do you know what a brothel smells like?” Luca asked.

“Shut up is how,” Zack grunted.

“She is afraid of waking up. You asked her out. This is her dream come true,” Hellman said

“So your job, after a week of waiting, is to prove her dreams can come true,” Cortz said.

“No pressure,” Zack said nervously, looking in the mirror. Fine clothes, hair combed, oily bear smell on.

He was physically ready.

Mentally he was about to explode.

*

They flew on the carpet over the city, early sunset coloring the sky bright orange. Honey was dressed in a light summer dress, her hair in pigtails because Vessria and Chista both insisted on cute, not sexy. Not knowing the difference between the two, Honey eagerly agreed.

“Okay, the restaurant should be near the river on the east side,” Zack said, pointing with one arm, the other unsure whether to go around her shoulders or hold her hand. Honey leaned a bit too far over the edge of the carpet, eager to see, so Zack settled for around her waist.

“Oopsie! Sorry. Don’t wanna fall,” Honey said nervously.

“No, um…no falling,” Zack said, hyper fixating on the exact pressure his arm made around Honey’s waist.

They landed near the Golden Swan, a slightly upscale place which Chistos had made reservations at. The carpet rolled itself up, bowed slightly to them and leaned against a wall.

“Thank you, carpet,” Zack said, trying not to feel idiotic.

They were led to their table by a waiter in full black tie, the restaurant filled with happy customers, many of them couples, with low lighting emanating from floating candles. As they sat, Zack mentally went through his checklist.

Dinner. Here.

Walk by the river. After.

Give Honey the necklace. Wait for dark.

His hand closed around the box Isadora had given him earlier in the day. “My mother gave it to me. At this point, I probably won’t have any kids myself. Honey is a good girl. Make her face light up, kid, or I’ll knock you silly,” she had said. Zack stared at the necklace, a golden crescent moon with a red jewel in it.

Now it rested in his pocket, waiting.

“Look at all this pasta. I didn’t know this weird ass world had Italian food. I mean, they don’t even have an Italy.”

“Have I ever had Italian food? Most of my food back home came from a can. Oh, I did like the ones with the big meaty chunks! Do they have meat here with…”

Honey paused. She struggled to get the smile off her face.

“I mean, what would you suggest, sweetheart?”

“You don’t have to pretend, Honey,” Zack said, laying the menu back down.

“Yes I do. I’m not a dog, Zack.”

“You know, we’ve never actually talked much about the whole dog thing. Like…what are your memories from before like?”

“You…you want to know?” Honey tilted her head in a confused way.

“Of course! If we’re going to do…whatever this is, I want to know all about you.”

Honey thought for a minute, gnawing on some complimentary bread. “It’s like…like everything was only senses before. You were the boy. You were good. You loved me. You stopped the man from hitting me. You held the woman when she cried. Some days you came home and cried, so I held you. But when I became this…I saw you for the first time.”

“Saw me?”

“Yeah. Like feeling around the living room at night with the lights off to get to the sink so I don’t wake up Chistos. I saw the shape of you, then someone turned the lights on, and…there you were.”

Zack sat there, looking at the girl before him, his eyes wide. He had always felt so…normal. He was simply Zack. Forgotten by one parent, often in trouble Zack. He couldn’t be…

“Your order, sir?”

The waiter was back, pen and paper in hand. The pen was even tipped with a large feather. Chistos sure knew fancy.

“Um…Honey, are you thinking light, like pasta, or…”

“Do you have meat? I like meat! Sweetheart says I don’t have to pretend not to like meat!” Honey said.

“We do have a roast loin of wild giant boar, stuffed with herbs, wild mushroom puree and goat cheese. It is large, though. Customers rarely finish the whole…”

“Two of those,” Zack said, handing the man the menu. “Unless you’re scared, Honey.”

Honey looked stern. She cracked her knuckles, then her neck. “Scared of meat? Never. Bring it, sweetheart.”

The waiter left, shaking his head as the kids laughed behind him.

*

Back home, Chistos lowered his book. “I should not have leant them my currency card…” he said softly, shuddering.