25. Emoji Fluent
Chapter twenty-five
Emoji Fluent
Sawyer
Neil was so sweet to suggest that Bubblegum could wear a muzzle around me next time. I wished I could do more than surprise him with a hot dog from a place with a dog pun name. At least they were excellent hot dogs.
After leaving the shelter, I drove home to get some work done, but I couldn’t concentrate. My mind kept circling back to that kiss Neil had given me this afternoon. Just thinking about it made me half-hard. I wanted to get him in bed. Properly this time.
Saturday, I had seen the want in his eyes, but instead, he’d gone home. Something had caused him to draw back. I wished I knew what, but I knew better than to press him on this. He’d tell me when he was ready.
Since I wasn’t getting client work done, I switched off the computer, grabbed my sketchbook and a beach chair, and hoofed it across the street to the sand. I hadn’t drawn on the beach in a year, ever since the attack. But I was feeling confident enough now to give it a try again.
I settled on the sand, kicked back, and flipped open my sketchbook. The last thing I’d been working on were thumbnails of a comic about the attack. I flipped past it to a blank page. I’d been doing it as a real-life story, but Neil’s joke the other night had made me want to go a different direction, like the heroic monster killer from Faerly Hunter fighting off an entire pack of demon Chihuahuas. This was the first time I’d ever drawn a story for Faerly Hunter without one of Hector’s scripts to guide me, but I was sure he wouldn’t mind me doing a side story.
I sketched out a few versions of a devil crossed with a Chihuahua, each one more ridiculous than the last. The Chihuahuas in my memory started to look silly and insignificant compared to these horrors. Once I was happy with the demon Chihuahua designs, I started sketching up a story progression.
I started the story on the beach because everyone loves a swimsuit issue. Drawing the super hot hunter and his partner in speedos was no hardship. In fact, I wondered why Hector hadn’t put them on the beach yet.
Then, a kid drawing with a stick in the sand accidentally draws a real summoning circle, opening a portal to hell. The demon Chihuahuas come swarming out, overwhelming the hunter, who, of course, has no weapons on him. Nowhere to stash them in a speedo. Things are looking grim until his best friend and lover—who started out as one of the monsters the hunter had gone after—comes to the rescue, also in a pair of tight-fitting trunks.
While sketching all this out, I heard a few dogs barking nearby, but I resolutely kept my head down. If I couldn’t see them, it was just like hearing dogs barking at the shelter.
Speaking of the shelter, I should do some sketch ideas for that, too. I drew out a box in roughly the same ratio of the space. I’d do some generic animals for now to get placement ideas. Neil needed to know how many spaces he had to work with, and donors would know the relative size and position of where their pet would end up in the finished mural.
Just to be silly, in one of the sketches, I hid one of the demon Chihuahuas from my comic with the dogs and cats.
“Hey Sawyer, long time no see.” I shaded my eyes and looked up to find Diego looming over me.
“Yeah, I’ve been under the weather. How you been?” I waved to the sand next to me, and Diego plopped down.
“Great. The drag show has been booming in popularity. Which you’d know if you’d come recently.” Diego kicked some sand at me.
Technically, there had been nothing keeping me from going to the show except for the possibility of coming across a dog going in or coming out. Hell, I didn’t even leave the house for a month after. I’d had to get all my groceries delivered. I knew my fear wasn’t rational, and yet. “When’s your next show?”
“Thursday night. You should come.” Diego bopped my leg with a hand.
“As long as it’s not me on stage, I’ll be there.”
“I still maintain you’d look great in a dress.”
I shook my head, an amused smile on my face. “Not my scene.”
“Your loss. Oh, and be sure to get yourself tickets ahead of time. We’ve been selling out every show.”
Diego slid back to his feet in a single movement, with far more grace than I ever possessed, and jogged off with a final wave.
I fished my phone out of my pocket and texted Neil, asking if he wanted to go with me to the drag show on Thursday. While I did that, it occurred to me I ought to invite Hector. Then I felt bad that my first thought was to invite Neil, not Hector.
Neil responded shortly with an enthusiastic yes. I toyed with the idea of inviting Hector as well, but I selfishly wanted Neil all to myself. Not that I’d have him all to myself in a crowded club. Thursday was a few days away. Still time for another date before then. Before I could think too much about it, I texted Neil, asking him out to dinner on Thursday before the show.
Neil: Books and Bites?
Neil: Romantic sunset dinner on the beach. Properly this time ;)
Me: I like the sound of that
I paused, then sent another text.
Me: Mind if Leo and Hector join us for the drag show?
Neil: Mind? I’d LOVE to meet Hector!
Me: Great! I’ll pick you up after work on Thursday. Be prepared or be square.
Neil: It’s Be There or Be Square, and what are you, 70?
Me: Only in spirit. [peace sign hands emoji, sunglasses emoji]
Neil: [Laughing face emoji, heart emoji]
Nice use of emoji. I’d get him fluent yet.