Isolation Play (Dev and Lee) (56 page)

“
Yes, sir.” I clear my throat.

“
Mister Farrel, please have a seat,” the rat says. He gestures to the other chair in front of Morty’s desk.

My mouth is dry. I can’t even think of anything jokey to say. I sit down, focusing most of my effort on keeping my tail and ears from flicking nervously.

Morty clears his throat. “Wiley, we have—”

“
I’ll handle this, Mort.” Campbell turns in his chair to face me. “Mister Farrel, the front office has become aware that there may exist a long-standing relationship between you and a player in the league by the name of Devlin Miski.”

Sunday night, we all go out and get a little tipsy, knowing we won’t have to practice Monday. I call Lee from the bar Gerrard takes us out to. All I can think about is how awesome it felt to win, and how much I want to win next week, too. I want him to be there with me so I can share this feeling with him. He doesn’t wanna commit, even when I tell him how lonely I’ll be. He says I’ll have Charm and Gerrard, and even when I say that they won’t do those things he does, he just laughs softly.

I’m not sure why the guys seem itchy to get back to the hotel, but Gerrard breaks up the bar get-together after only a couple rounds. By the time I get off the phone with Lee, a bunch of them are already gone. “What gives?” I ask Carson, the only one not gone or preparing to leave.

He gives me a look, and then shrugs. “Couple guys went to a club,” he says. “Guess there’s not much else to do in New Kestle.”

“
It’s barely nine-thirty.” The last time we were on the road, in Crystal City, we were all keyed up for the season opener and everyone went to bed early. The Dragons always went their own way on road trips, but they did at home, too. I guess with this group of guys, I hadn’t expected them to split up so fast after a win.

Carson’s still here, at least, and just starting a beer, so I order one too. We chat, sparingly, about football, while the rest of the team clears out. I keep the talk away from family, determined not to let myself lose the rush of winning just yet. An hour or so later, we share a town car back to the hotel.

The driver, a bat-eared fox, keeps flicking those huge ears back to us. “Say, boss,” he says, to neither of us in particular, “you want a good time, boss?”

“
Just the hotel,” I say.

“
Sure thing, boss. If you want, I took some of your friends to this club, nice club, good club, plenty girls there, boss.” His dark, beady eyes glance at me in the rear view mirror.

Carson sits impassive, staring out the window. “No, thanks,” I say.

“
Okay, boss, okay, but look, you change your mind, I give you my card. You call me, I take you right there, boss. Okay? I take you no charge.”

“
Fine.” Carson looks at me as I say that. We share a raised eyebrow. I grin, and I actually get a faint grin in return.

At the hotel, the fox thrusts business cards at both of us. We take ’em basically to shut him up. He waves cheerfully as he drives away. “Hell of a character,” I say. Carson drops the business card on the ground.

The picketing guys are gone. Even Kagu the wolf isn’t outside anymore. We stroll unmolested into the hotel lobby. It’s brighter than during the day, all the red glass lights lit, the chandeliers sparkling. I inhale the scent of floor cleaner and follow Carson toward the elevator.

As we pass the lounge, four people stand and approach us. All female, I see a moment before their scent hits me. There’s two coyotes, a desert rat, and a bobcat. All four of them are wearing tight clothes, their fur glossy and shaped around the shoulders, then short below that to make their arms look more slender. The bobcat struts out in front; the others hang back with hopeful jealous looks.

“
Hi,” the bobcat says. “If you boys are lonely tonight...”

Carson doesn’t even stop. I hesitate, so she turns her attention on me. “What about you?” Her paw rests lightly on my arm.

“
No, it’s okay.” I try to keep going.

She starts to protest, but one of the coyotes says, “Forget it, Jasmine. He’s not into girls.”

Her eyes narrow, her lip curls. She steps back, rolling her eyes theatrically before turning with the others. I have to resist the urge to call after them,
And I wouldn’t be interested in you anyway.

Carson’s already at the elevators. I notice Kagu hurrying toward me across the lobby, so I stop and wait for him.

“
It’s okay,” I say, gesturing to the girls. “They’re not bothering me any more.”

He comes to a halt, panting. “No, it’s not that, Mister Miski,” he says. “There’s a fox in the bar. He says he’s a friend of yours. He left a message with your room, but since I saw you, I thought I could save you a trip up.”

“
Thanks.” I smile at him. My heart skips a beat. It would be just like Lee to surprise me by flying down here, then acting all coy and stuff when I try to get him to come visit me next weekend. I get a tingling in my sheath. I’d love to have my arms around him, my cock under his tail. “I’ll go see him now.”

He beams. I wave, and walk quickly to the bar, adjusting my pants.

Beneath the 1970s-lime green logo, I scan the place. It’s clean and functional, blue carpet, wood-paneled walls; nothing really stands out about it. Two coyotes sit at the bar watching the evening game. I recognize the Yerba Whalers’ uniforms, and a moment later I see Highbourne’s russet and navy. The score’s 13-10 Yerba right now. A few other people are watching from tables: two rats and a porcupine, all chatting together, and a lion sitting alone at another table. Behind him, a fennec fox types on a smartphone, ignoring the game and the other people.

There’s no other foxes in the room. I stare at the fennec, willing him to look up in case he’s the one Kagu meant. I don’t know him, but maybe he knows me from somewhere and I’ve just forgotten.

He doesn’t look up. I take a step inside, my tail lashing with a little anxiety. Maybe Lee went up to the room. If anyone could’ve cajoled the hotel into giving him the room number...or maybe he got hold of Charm, and Charm gave him a key.

“
Looking for me, handsome?”

I turn. In one of the booths behind me, a young fox in a light green neck-scarf raises a paw. He’s smiling. I’m so set on seeing Lee that my first thought is, I didn’t know Lee had a blue polo shirt like that. But the voice is too high, the muzzle too short, the eyes brown rather than blue. I fight off the disappointment, the wish that Lee actually were here with me, and walk over to the table.

Faint recognition tickles at my memory as the fox looks up. He tilts his muzzle. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already.”

I point at the neck scarf. “Moose ascot.”

“
Close enough.” He snickers. “Argonne.”

“
Argonne ascot, then.” I stay standing. “What do you want?”

“
My
name’s
Argonne,” he says, fingering his ascot. “This is sea foam. We met outside your stadium a few weeks ago?”

“
Right, I remember. So what...?”

He raises his martini glass. “I like to follow the team around, sometimes. The guys are much more...friendly, away from home. But I wanted to see you specifically.”

I shrug, and start to walk away. “Not interested.”

“
I read the tabloids,” he calls.

I freeze. My tail lashes behind me. He goes on. “To hell with your family,” he says. He takes a drink of the martini in front of him, and sets it down. “My folks threw me out into the street when I was fourteen.”

“
I’m sorry,” I say.

“
I turned out okay.” He dips his muzzle, laps at the martini.

I can’t think of a polite way to argue with him. “Well, uh, thanks.”

He looks up and gives me a sly smile. “Is your boyfriend here?”

I start to shake my head. Then I stop. “I’m sorry about your family,” I say. “I gotta get to bed.”

The martini glass rises, tips, empties into his muzzle. He stands up. “Need company? I still have plenty of energy left.” His eyes linger on me.

I narrow my eyes. “I’m good.” I turn and stalk out of the bar.

I’m at the elevator when he catches me. “You absolutely sure?” he purrs, standing on tiptoe so his slender muzzle reaches my ear. He smells like a flower I can’t quite place.

“
Absolutely.” I step back and wave to Kagu, getting his attention. He starts over.

“
Oh, don’t be like that.” Argonne pouts, or mock-pouts, I don’t much care which. “You don’t need him to protect you from li’l ol’ me.”

“
It’s not to protect me.” I look over his shoulder at the guard. “It’s to protect you.”

He gives me that cocky smile, stepping closer. His scent infuses the air. Just as I’m about to push him back, he leans up to kiss me, right on the lips. His paw gropes me between the legs, finding me half-hard. “Had to be done,” he whispers.

Before I can stop myself, I’ve shoved him, sending him staggering back. Kagu arrives, looking warily from the shock on my muzzle to the innocent-looking fox recovering his balance. I’m pretty sure the fox’s body hid his grope from the guard. Pretty sure. “Everything okay, Mister Miski?”

“
No,” I say. “I mean. I’m fine.” My pulse hammers. Argonne watches, smug in the knowledge that I won’t deck him while Kagu’s standing right here. “This fox is harassing me. Get him out of here. Don’t let him back in while we’re here.”

His eyes dark, the wolf puts a large paw on the slender fox’s shoulder. “Come on,” he says. “We’re gonna take a visit to the security office. I don’t want to see you bothering Mister Miski again. Or anyone else.”

“
Oh, I already bothered someone else,” Argonne says. He licks his lips as Kagu pushes him away, and winks at me. “Wouldn’t you like to know who?”

I watch Kagu propel him along the lobby, past another fox sitting there, who looks up with flattened ears as Argonne swishes past him. I turn my attention to him as the other two exit out the lobby doors, my heart skipping a quick beat. But as he turns to stare at me, I recognize Colin.

Lion Christ. Did he see the other fox grope me? I wait, but he doesn’t get up, so I step into the elevator and slam the button for my floor.

I’m shaking a little bit as the doors close, only because Argonne was so close and fuck, he really reminded me of Lee. My sheath still tingles from his touch. I lean back and close my eyes. It’s okay. I don’t have to worry about it any more. I don’t have to worry about him any more.

As I calm down, his other comments come back to me, about ‘friendly’ players and having visited someone else. Now I’m wondering. If Lee were here, we could maybe walk along the hall and see whose room the fox’s scent was in, but I doubt I can track it that easily. Besides, what the hell would I do if I knew, anyway? I of all people should be considerate enough not to pry into secrets.

It’s quiet as I leave the elevator and walk down the hall—most of the guys are out at clubs, I guess, or maybe asleep already. I know we didn’t get all the rooms on our floor, but the hotel cleared out the other ones for us. The lights are dim in the hallway, my feet silent on the plush carpet.

I stop after passing a door, not sure why. I perk my ears to the silence, and then hear a murmur underneath it. A familiar voice. I strain to listen without putting my ear to the door. Everything goes silent, and then I hear it again.

It’s only Gerrard. Probably talking to Carson about something. I take a step forward, and then realize something: I don’t think this is their room. A moment later, I hear an answering voice, louder. High-pitched. Female.

Oh. I walk on, to Charm’s and my room. It’s empty, no surprise. I strip, grab my iPod, and lie back on the bed. I try to look at game film, but I can’t concentrate. After a few minutes, I put it aside.

In bed, I lie back and stare at the ceiling, wondering if someone on the team might be gay. Or maybe he’s just gay enough to not care who’s sucking his dick. The second idea seems more likely. But I hold on to the first. It makes me feel good, more relaxed, the way I used to around my family. Like someone else on the team might understand what I’m going through, and maybe will eventually have the balls to come out to me.

What if it was Colin? Did he look guilty when he saw Argonne? His ears were flat, for sure, but they always kind of are, these days. But then, why would he have been sitting in the lobby? Unless...he had to go somewhere else to get blown, and was waiting to go back to his room?

Not worth thinking about, though outing Colin as gay is a delightful fantasy. I call Lee, to share that fantasy, tell him about Argonne, and maybe to jerk off with him over the phone, because I feel like getting off and I don’t want to do it myself right after seeing the other fox. He doesn’t pick up, so I just tell him I’ll call him tomorrow. I let him know I love him, and maybe that’s all I really needed to do. It makes me feel better about everything.

The longer I lie there, thinking about guys being gay and getting blown by foxes, the harder I get. So I have to tell myself that I’m not jerking off because I’m thinking of Argonne. He’s gone, and I’ve got Lee’s voice in my ears. ‘Hi, it’s Wiley, leave a message’ is not the sexiest thing he’s ever said to me, but it works. It doesn’t take me long to leave him a nice, warm, sticky message on my stomach. Pleasantly exhausted, I clean up and fall asleep before Charm comes back.