"BASKIN!" There was a loud banging at my door. "BASKIN! GET UP!" I jumped out of bed and looked at the clock. 9:58. SHIT I'M LATE! "COMING!" I quickly slide out of last night's trunks and run to the bathroom. I brush my teeth quickly and spray on some body spray, I had no time to shower so I was praying it wouldn't mask whatever musk or sweat scent was coming off of me. I slide some deodorant on and hop into a suit and tie quickly, grab my phone, laptop bag and briefcase and head to the door. "What were you doing?!" "Sorry, I forgot to set my alarm and I couldn't sleep last night." "You're lucky I need you," Ice sneered and walked off. I gave a sigh and followed him.
"Yes Rowan, I'm on my way, I just had to check in on the kids, my husband can't cook for his life... yea... ta, ta," a fur said behind me. I turned and saw a short, skinny blue jay behind us. "You're with Rowan?" "Yes? Who are you?" "I'm Baskin, Ice's assistant." "Oh, pleasure to meet you, I'm Louise! I'm Rowan's secretary," she chirped and held her wing out. I... shook that, I guess? "Pleasure to meet you too," I said as Ice pressed the button for the elevator. We chatted the entire way down until Ice ordered me to go grab him a coffee and meet him out at the car.
"Hey Baskin," a voice said. I turned and saw Troy. "Morning Troy, how are you." "Great, slept like an angel. What're you doing?" "Making a coffee for my boss... who's pretty mad at me because I accidentally slept in." "Slept in?" "Couldn't sleep and forgot to set my alarm... though I thought I had it set," I replied pouring the coffee into a cup. "Huh, better check next time," Troy laughed as he also began to pour himself a cup. "I've got an early meeting today, I just finished the touch ups to the sketches and I feel like my mind is frying because he's also making me start on a project for New York's Grand Central and a Georgia monument park which I have to draft the papers up for and hand them in tonight, which I don't know where I'm going to be able to do that between the meetings," I laughed. "He's got you busy." "You've no idea," I laughed and placed a lid on Ice's coffee as I finished stirring it. "Here, let me walk you out," he said. "Oh, that's ok." "Nah, I insist," he said patting my back.
There was no talking him out of it so I sighed and he walked me down to the car. I was about to open the door when he said, "Maybe tomorrow we can hang out? Get to know each other more? That is if your boss isn't running you ragged," he laughed. "No, actually he gave me the day off Wednesday, if you want to hang." "Cool," Troy smiled. I nodded and climbed in. He turned around and seemed to say something, but I didn't catch it. "Your coffee sir," I said handing Ice his coffee. "Thank you," he said and took it. I took my computer out and began to work on the files. "So where are we going first?" "First, we're heading down to the marina for breakfast with the head of Rowan's team and the hired builders and after that we will be going with the builders downtown to the construction site to map it all out and discuss it," Ice replied. "Alright," I said, gauging how much time I'd have in between stops to get these things done.
The car quickly arrived at the marina, it wasn't far, considering it was two blocks up from the hotel. We slid out and Ice exchanged a few words with the Australian Shepherd behind the counter. She smiled, nodded and gestured for us to follow her. We walked through the small, cozy restaurant and onto the back patio where a few tables were already occupied. I looked over and Rowan stood up from his seat. "Blue, what a pleasure to see you again!" I took him into a hug and replied, "It's great to see you too, been a few years." "What's two to three years when we've got over six years of memories he laughed. "True." "Come sit!" We followed him over to his table and we sat down. There were five other furs already there who Ice seemed to know as well and began to chat with them. "So, what made you want to open a business in Florida?" "Well, my products would be perfect for this area, that and quick and cheap shipping makes transporting our products from the factories to here easy. What about you, what got you into being an assistant. I always thought you were more of the... I don't know, boss type." "No Mr. I'm gonna book random gigs for Blue so we can make some easy cash." He laughed. "Oh, still so immature." "You know it," I smirked. He gave a sarcastic eyeroll and the waiter came over and began to take orders.
"So, Thursday, I'm going to Miami to pick up the scale model of the building that I had already made for the meeting next Sunday. Did you do the touch ups we sent?" "Yes, there all done," I said and pulled out my suitcase and handed him the papers. "I also have the documents ready to go if you want those as well, I have my own copy so you can keep those." "Great, but, I don't like the red design for the inner panels, I want it to be relaxing, not vibrant and jumpy." "We can work with that, just mark it up and I'll have the new blueprints for you by Thursday." He nodded and held his hove out for a pen. I handed him one and he began to work as I sipped my coffee.
"So, I see you've buffed up a bit," Rowan said as he handed me back the now marked up sheet. "I needed something to get my mind off of... him and the pain that was left. So, I put the frustration and depression into working out and becoming more social." "Looks like it worked," he laughed. "Yea, a little... I still miss him... and I was honestly surprised they couldn't find the body." "What do you mean?" "I mean, you saw him get on a carriage at what, the center of the train? Only the first two cars or so got crushed, I wouldn't expect him to live, but I'd at least think they'd find his body in the car of the train that wasn't smashed." "Ok, Blue, you're thinking too much into this," Rowan said, his hove meeting my paw. I sighed. "You're right..." At that moment, the food arrived. "Come, we'll discuss more after we eat."
Later on, Ice and I are walking along a huge hole in the ground, filled with pipes and wiring. Ice was following the head of the construction team and talking and I was taking notes while also writing off to the side, my draft. "So obviously, the plumbing and stuff will be down there and behind several layers of thick walls so when hurricanes like Matthew roll in, they're protected and not much water damage can occur." "Right and when you guys get the floor put in, the Lobby will be on a corner, so one door meets the parking lot and one meets the main road and in the back, we'll have the janitorial rooms and printing offices along with delivery." "Correct." "Baskin, did you get that?" "Yes sir."
They continue chatting about it when there's a loud groan. I jump down as a huge, concrete pipe barely misses me. "What the hell!" The head of the construction team turns to the fur operating the machine. "LEWIS! GET DOWN HERE! YOU'RE DONE! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING! MY WORD I OUGHTA...," his words drifted off as he stomped over to the machine. The fur that climbed down looked at me, defeat in his eyes as he was yelled at. Though, I got a feeling it wasn't because he got in trouble. "Baskin, are you alright," Ice exclaimed. He held out his paw and I grabbed it. "Yea, but dropping like that hurt a little." "You'll be fine," he said as I gathered up the papers I had dropped. The racing of my heart slowed and the concrete pipe was lowered slowly back into the pit.
The rest of the day and the next were filled with boring meetings and a lot of writing and paw cramps, a lot of resketching and more yelling from Ice about being late. I had a few more encounters with Troy, he seemed pretty psyched about our meet up Wednesday. I never did though find out what happened to the construction worker, Lewis.
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YOU ARE READING
Run for It (Sequel to 'A Crush or a Friend')
ActionSix years into the future and Blue is moving on with his life after the death of his love, Channing. Only when he goes to Florida on a work assignment, do things from his past come back to nip at him.
