Love & Lattes - Songs for a Fox Ep. 01

Welcome back, my lovely reader~

If this is your first visit to the L&L series, STOP go read the first one 'Love & Lattes: A bunny's bounty' to get the best experience. This is a direct sequel and I STRONGLY recommend reading the first one so you're not lost.

Take your time, I'll wait for you to catch up. :3

♥

And with that out of the way...

Hello, my lovely reader and I welcome you to Love & Lattes: Songs for a fox.

First and foremost, if you've not read L&L: A Bunny's bounty, STOP, go read it. This is a direct sequel, it assumes you've read the previous series. I can't make it more clear than that. You will NOT enjoy this story as much without reading the FIRST ONE! *Heavy breathing*

Did you think I was finished with this story after Karen and Isaac? Ho ho... not quite my lovely reader, there's more to tell and I'm eager to share it with you. I'll not drag things out, let's jump right in!

—♥—

Episode 1

I'm no bunny.

"I've got that black and the double whipped latte ready to go," The young fox called out from the serving counter.

"Cool, you got the matcha going?" The blonde called out from the register while counting out some change thinking to herself, 'Who pays with real money in this day and age? Neanderthals...'

"Of course I do, who do you take me for?" He huffed with a haughty tone in his voice, his red tail flicking playfully the tip black with fur to match his ears.

The catgirl cut her blue eyes back at him her brown and white ears flicking up at the boast. "Oh good, then you can handle the other three latte's... A dark chocolate, a white decaf, and a cinnamon. All with unsweetened soy milk, two extra shots of espresso and-"

"Whoa, whoa... give me a break!" The fox yelled out trying to pass the matcha off to the customer that ordered it while starting multiple latte's up and trying to juggle all the details.

"Where is that bravado now, fox?" She hummed and quickly moved from the counter to help him work since that was the last order currently.

The rush died off after another twenty minutes and the cat was thankful to slip out back to get a smoke break in.

"Fuck... that was rough..." She hissed, her multi-colored ears flicking in agitation while she took a drag from her cigarette and muttered to herself. She leaned against the wall of the coffee shop her tail flicking and snapping like a rope with a mind of its own. The apron she wore pushed out to accommodate her heavy full breasts, a little name badge pinned to it with the words 'Team Leader' with the name 'Ivory' beneath it.

Her blue eyes cast down towards the empty bench next to her and the cat let out a frustrated huff before flicking her cigarette butt into the smoking bucket, then withdrew her cell phone. She exhaled lightly blowing the last of the smoke from her lungs as she pecked out a text message on her phone that simply read, 'It's not the same without you here. What's up?'

A few seconds passed before her phone pinged with a response that read, 'Sorry, let's hang out tomorrow if you're free?'

Ivory gave a small smile before sending a response that she was down for hanging out. She slid the phone into her back pocket before reaching for another smoke. Her ears lifted up in a perk, she had smelled him coming well before the fox rounded the doorway to the smoking area.

"What's up Joe? I'm not giving you a smoke, you're still a minor," The cat cooed with a practiced tone, playfully grinning, flicking the cigarette end over end in her padded-fingertips. "Also should you be leaving the front unmanned?"

Joseph rolled his chestnut eyes at the cat before putting a handpaw on his hip. "Just came out to let you know Crystal is here, along with Suzanne." He turned to walk back in then stopped and looked back at her. "Also, I had a birthday two weeks ago."

"So you're almost in high school now? Good for you, Joe!" The cat playfully huffed the words while grinning at the young fox.

"That's not funny!" He spat out with a bit of edge in his voice, stepping out and glaring at the cat, his heavy red tail flicking about sharply. When her blue eyes snapped to his he quickly averted his gaze though, she was still his manager and boss.

"Fair..." The cat purred and walked over to the fox, looking him over, feeling his tension. "Okay Joseph, I won't tease you about your age anymore."

"Seriously?" He looked back to see the cat holding her pack of cigarettes up to his face with one of them sticking out. The fox blinked at her a few times in surprise before jerking his head away and muttering, "Gross..."

The cat gave the dog a hard glare and slid the pack of cigarettes back into her pocket. "Sorry I gross you out, Joseph... We can't all be cute bunny's," She hissed and side-stepped around him to go back inside.

"That's not what I mean! I don't-" He huffed and watched the cat walk back inside, her tail flicking about showing the signs of agitation from the encounter with him. Joseph looked back at the empty bench and let out a sigh before running his padded-fingertips through the bangs of his reddish-brown hair.

Ivory gave Crystal the shift details before handing the store off to her. Crystal was a feline like Ivory only with larger ears and a more fluffy tail, more like what you would expect from a Persian. Her hair and fur both matched, showcasing a bluish-grey color. She was taller than Ivory and had much wider hips along with a butt that deserved its own cheesy rap song.

Suzanne a small timid mouse of a girl was still in high school like Joseph but was still a few years from adulthood and still a Junior in her grade level. She had neat trimmed black hair and her ears tended to stay drooped along with her furless tail. She was especially nervous at first, taking the job and being the only non-predator on the staff, but the fox and two cats had treated her with nothing but kindness, so she had slowly grown more secure in her relationship with them.

The mouse was the newest member of their staff and had only been here for a few months since the last manager, Karen a bunny, had stepped down from her position. Crystal took over Karen's position as the store manager and Ivory took Crystal's old position as the assistant manager.

Joseph had been crushing on the rabbit pretty heavily until she brought him down to earth about their age differences and how he didn't really know her to begin with. Since then the fox had been very cautious about developing feelings for someone. It wasn't that he was jaded, so much as Karen had taught him that you can't just like someone without getting to know them first. In his fervor to like the rabbit, he was afraid to approach her and get to know her to validate his feelings.

Ivory and Joseph left the small coffee shop stepping out into the city together since their shift's ended at the same time. The spring had grown late into the season and summer was going to be starting soon. It was mid-afternoon and the air was already getting that sticky-hot feeling.

The fox let out a huff of disapproval at the heat and Ivory just shot him a glare before walking past to move down the sidewalk. Joseph flicked his ears up at the cat's body language and growled to himself, "Damn..." He thought furiously to himself, 'I should say something, if I don't she is going to be pissed and make my life hell at work.'

He quickly caught up to the cat and Ivory cut her eyes to him, quirking an ear curiously as she kept walking. "Your house is the other direction, Joe."

"I'm sorry, okay?" Joseph just spat the words out and Ivory stopped, pausing on her footpaws before cutting her sharp blue eyes to his deep brown ones. The fox swallowed a lump in his throat, worried he may have just pissed her off more with the apology.

"Why... are you apologizing to me, Joseph?" The cat snatched one of her springy coils of curly blonde hair, tugging it and twirling her padded-forefinger through it while looking up at the fox. He was young but still a dog and a male at that. He had a good foot and some change on the smaller cat.

"I don't think you're gross, okay? I just don't like cigarettes. I wasn't trying to piss you off," He spoke while looking down at her, his chestnut eyes weren't leaving hers as he pleaded his case, but she could see he was nervous and wanted to pull them from hers.

The cat gave a grin as if toying with him now. "Why do you care what I think about you? I'm no bunny..."

He jerked his ears up and turned away letting out a frustrated growl, stomping several paces before moving back to her. Ivory was still just standing there a handpaw on her hip, amused by the display. "For fuck sake, that was almost a year ago!" He barked the words in frustration at her, she could hear his voice crack a little.

"Yes because everyone finds such profound spiritual growth in a year's time, eh Joseph?" Ivory purred, keeping that same cocky little grin on her face.

The dog wasn't having any of it, he snorted through his nose, put both paws on his hips, and jerked his gaze away shoving his nose into the air. "Whatever. What, the fuck, ever... I'm just trying to apologize and you're being a dick."

'I am being pretty cruel aren't I?' Ivory mulled the words over in her head before seeing the dog turn to walk away. Her ears shot up and she spoke out in her manager voice, "Heel boy!"

The fox stopped abruptly at the words, then drooped his ears and growled at the realization he followed her commands. Ivory slipped into his field of vision and gave him a grin. "Sorry... I wasn't trying to boss you around, it just kind of slipped out."

Joseph blinked at the apology and the anger in his chest quickly slipped away, he drooped his large red ears and shook his head. "Look, I just don't want you to hate me okay?"

Ivory seemed a little surprised by the sincere stare and his words, she blinked her bright blue eyes and looked into his deep brown ones, taking a good long look at the dog from another perspective. "Why... do you care what I think?" Her mind whirled for a moment in thought, 'Is he...'

"I just don't want you hating me and us having a bad work relationship you know?" The fox grumbled the words out and Ivory blinked a few times before stepping back half a pace.

'Ah, there it is... silly me!' She thought to herself. Ivory gave Joseph a grin and flicked her tail, letting out a purr. "I understand, and I don't hate you, Joe. Even if I was sore, I wouldn't take it out on you at work..."

"You wouldn't?" The dog exclaimed in surprise.

"Nah... I totally would. I would make your life hell little doggy." Ivory spoke casually and shrugged a shoulder.

The fox swallowed a lump in his throat and shook his head, "Ah... g-glad I worked this out then. If I ever upset you... I mean, let me know, don't just make my life hell, okay?"

Ivory frowned a little at the words, 'Wow, I was joking but he's legit scared of me, he thinks I'm some horrible bitch that-' The cat shook her head to dislodge the train of thought and smiled at the fox. "Okay, you let me know if I upset you too Joe, I don't want to hurt such a cute fox," She spoke gently then quickly turned and disengaged from the conversation, trying to shut out the thoughts in her heart.

Joseph blinked at the words a few times and watched the cat walk away quickly, her hips had a natural sway to them, showing off her perky rear. It wasn't as full as the rabbit's he had liked but it still looked great on her. The fox wasn't really processing her figure though, he was just confused and a little concerned at the look in her eyes.

--♥--

Ivory kept focused as she walked in a straight line down the sidewalk trying to not think too hard. It was a short walk back to her apartment and she was there within ten minutes. Stepping inside she quickly slipped out of her work flats and laid her small bag down next to her shoes.

"That's me... just a monstrous cunt that scares guys off..." The cat spoke the words aloud to her empty apartment while moving over to her refrigerator and pulling out a beer. She cracked it open and took a swig of it before stepping over to the large glass doors leading to the balcony of her apartment overlooking the streets below.

She stood there for a few minutes just sipping her beer and watching people move about before turning to her living room and walking over to the shelf where she kept various figures and pictures. She picked up a small frame and gazed upon it. It was her in a rose-colored dress, her hair done up in a fancy bun with sticks shoved through it, a few of her curls had slipped out though. She was flanking a slightly taller rabbit in a similar hairstyle, her dress was of similar color and she was holding a large flower bouquet, her arm linked with her husband's, a very large wolf.

Ivory stared at the picture before setting it gently down upon the shelf once more, "Still can't believe you went and did that shit, Karen... You really did go crazy when he entered your life." She spoke aloud and finished off her beer before tossing the can into the recycling bin and going to the fridge for another. "You seem happy though... so that makes me happy..." The cat continued her talk to the thin air as she cracked open another beer and moved over to flop down on the sofa.

She flipped it over to a baseball game but didn't really care about which teams were playing, just wanting some noise to drown out her own thoughts. The cat sipped her beer while zoning out watching the tv for several minutes until the beer was gone and her eyes felt heavy. She started to drift, the light amount of alcohol making it all the easier, then her phone buzzed in her pocket and jarred her awake.

The cat hissed as she dug it out of her back pocket awkwardly while shifting on the sofa. Once she got it out she flopped fully onto her back on the couch, her breasts bouncing in her top before holding the phone up to check it. She quirked a brow curiously. She had expected a response from Karen about hanging out, but it wasn't her. The message simply read, 'Are you okay?'

"The fuck is this?" The cat spoke aloud to herself before responding with, 'Who is this?'

'Um... it's Joseph from work.'

Ivory's ears perked up at that. "Hmm..." The cat quickly jotted down a response, 'Didn't I give you this number for work-related reasons only?'

There was a long delay by a few minutes, the cat twitched an ear and thought to herself, 'Damn... way to keep the mega-bitch vibe going, Ivory... No wonder guys fuck you and run.' Her ears twitched as the phone vibrated and she checked it again.

'Apologies, I was just worried. You didn't seem yourself.'

'I'm fine Joe, let's keep it work only, okay?' Ivory typed the words out but didn't send them, she hesitated before deleting the message and sighing. "Stupid fox..." The cat hissed out and shook her head before typing out a new message, 'I'm fine, sorry I was a bitch earlier. I didn't mean to worry you.'

'You weren't. I was being thoughtless, I'm flattered you offered to share.' The cat read the text and snickered, her tail flicking about. "Well aren't you a little gentlefox, Joseph... flattered over a damn cig."

'It was just a smoke, no big.'

'Sure but, well is that okay? Those things are so bad for you.'

'So is climbing across the counter and strangling a bitch to death with her own intestines because I'm overstressed from not getting my smoke!'

'Yikes...'

'Yep, kitty has claws!'

'It's still not very good for you.'

'Thanks, Dad!' Ivory grinned as she sent the text, then perked her ears as another one popped up on her phone.

'Yo! Sorry about running out the other night, it was a lot of fun. You wanna meet up and have another party?' Ivory felt her cheeks flush under her fur thinking back to a few nights back. He was a leopard with a hell of a six-pack, they met at the club and went home together, but he ran as soon as they were done. It wasn't a bad fuck but not the best she's had. Still, she was pretty pissed he just ran off like that.

"Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am... story of my fucking life. Can't get any play and now he wants more time..." The cat hissed the words before responding simply with 'Pass'

'Your loss babe' Ivory rolled her eyes at the text and just deleted the contact from her phone. "Yeah... I'm sure it is..." She dropped her head back to the pillow on the sofa and closed her eyes, starting to drift again before her phone buzzed. The cat snarled a curse and looked at it again.

'Apologies, I wasn't trying to get in your business. I was just worried.'

Ivory snorted at the text before sending a response, 'Why do you care, we are just co-workers.'

'I guess that's true, sorry for stepping out of line'

Ivory looked at the text history and let out a frustrated groan, "Fuck... this... this shit here is why, Ivory!" The cat hopped off the sofa and paced about whipping her tail around. "Stupid... What is wrong with me?" The cat sighed and wiped her eyes, feeling tears starting to form. Her whole adult life had been a series of failed relationships and one-night stands. Any good guy she found, she would always run off somehow or do something stupid to lose him.

Shaking her head she moved to the fridge for another beer but paused as her phone buzzed again, she stalked back over to the coffee table she had left it on and checked it. 'I apologize for upsetting you, Ivory. I will keep it work only in the future, have a good night.'

The cat's ears perked up and she shook her head a few times as her brain screamed at her, 'No... stop doing this... He's a nice guy and he is worried about you, stop being a bitch.' The cat huffed out and quickly responded.

'No, it's fine. You can talk to me.'

'Are you sure? I just seem to be upsetting you.'

'I said I'm fine you dumb dog!'

'Oh... okay, I'm glad.'

'So... what's up? Why the urge to text me?'

'Again, you seemed off today, your eyes looked like you were hurting'

'Are you in school to be a shrink, Joe? I'm fine, peachy, never been better!'

'Just checking. I was concerned.'

'You sure it's not that you're smitten with me now that the rabbit is gone?' Ivory gave a toothy grin feeling the urge to tease the dog resurface even over text messages. A few moments passed, then a few minutes, and the cat wondered if she had struck a nerve. The following text message affirmed the thought.

'Can you please stop? I know you think it's just a big joke but I really did have feelings for her. Yes it was just a crush and I've let it go, and I know she is married now, but I still have some feelings for her and I don't want you constantly throwing salt into the wound, okay?'

"Damn it... You really are a fuck up Ivory..." The cat drooped her ears and huffed, looking the message over multiple times before finally responding.

'I'm sorry Joseph, I've been very cruel to you over it. I will let it rest.'

Ivory was met with silence as a response, she kept checking her phone every few minutes but it was clear the fox was done talking. The cat flopped against the cushions of the couch once again and closed her eyes. She thought about the fox, thought about his deep chestnut eyes and how they looked earlier today. Then she thought about what he must be feeling right now, was he crying? was he angry? Would he even bother talking to her again?

The cat thought about it and him for several minutes while laying there. About him, Karen, and her own life, how it had turned out, and where it was going. Sleep eventually closed in upon her while she thought about it, and her mind calmed as it took her finally, whisking the worries of it all away and embracing her in the void of thoughtless slumber.