Untouchable: Chapter 21: Jealous remorse
Xander's retriever pulled up to Purrfection. he thanked the driver and walked around to the front entry. He didn't see Paul and they seemed pretty busy. When he got to the host he asked, "Is Paul still here, we're going to have dinner?"The hostess, a vixen, smirked, "yeah he's back near the kitchen, I thought he was spying on me like I was doing something wrong all evening, he should have told me he had a date."Xander spotted Paul peeking around a corner to the kitchen, spying on him. When they made eye contact, Paul disappeared into the kitchen.Xander rolled his eyes and said, to the hostess, "cats are weird like that, always thinking they are stealthy when their really obvious.""Well at least it wasn't me that he was prowling around," she said, "you can go on back."Xander weaved his way through the restaurant, Paul was peeking out at him again, when he waved Paul disappeared into the kitchen.Annoyed Xander barged through the doors after Paul. Who was again no where to be seen."He's in the back," a cook said with a nod of his head deeper into the kitchen."Thanks," Xander said then stalked forward to catch Paul.He rounded the walk in refrigerator and found Paul with a set table like those found in the dining room tucked into the corner. Paul stood proudly by the table."So, why were you avoiding me, and what's all this?" Xander asked."It's the chefs table, and I was making you hunt," Paul said."I'm a sheepdog not a hunting dog, I like things staying were they are," Xander said."If you didn't like it why was your tail wagging," Paul asked, then pulled out a chair, "come sit."Xander took the seat and went to his. Xander asked, "Not going to scoot me in?""You can do it yourself fat ass," Paul said.Xander was about to correct Paul the way Sean would for his politically incorrect comment but instead he asked, "So how do we order?""We don't, it's the chefs medley, a little of everything," Paul said placing the cloth napkin on his lap."I see what your doing, trying to fatten me up, so only you could want me," Xander teased."Oh please I am not a feeder... my mom maybe, but making others eats in her culture," Paul said, a server swung by with the first plates. "So I assume you don't eat at work like this everyday, if your mom made you eat so much, why are you so thin," Xander asked."Why do you have such a big cock, it's one of those mysteries of genetics," Paul said. Which made a line cook near the fridge chuckle."Well, it seems we have an audience," Xander said softly."Of course we do, my inner exhibitionist is totally loving it," Paul said."I don't think I come equipped with one of those," Xander said then took his last bite of the very small glazed pear salad."Oh
that's fine, I'm more than enough of an exhibitionist for the two of us," Paul said after his last bite. The clanks and flames of the kitchen were oddly exotic to Xander."So do you bring all your dates back here," Xander asked.There next course arrived. Paul said, "no you're my one and only, the restaurant doesn't do this often."Xander took a bite to hide his sudden loss for words.Paul asked, "so you mentioned in your text earlier that today was frustrating what happened?""I had part of my project stolen and a no show for a meeting, but I don't want to talk about it, I just wish to enjoy this amazing meal you set up here," Xander said then sampled the shrimp ceviche. Xander couldn't tell if that made Paul purr or if it was just the refrigerator vibrating."So Xander I know we have only been going out just a little while, but...""What's up?" Xander asked."Oh, never mind," Paul said as he absentmindedly shredded his cloth napkin."It's ok you can tell me, I won't bite," Xander said."Tell that to my shoulder," Paul said visibly calmer."You told me to bite you, and the first one was to soft and the second was too hard, so I won't bite," Xander said."No blacky locks tonight you can aim for the middle and it'll be just right," Paul said."I'm not a retriever, Goldie locks was a retriever and a girl," Xander said."What do you have against girls?" Paul asked then glanced around the kitchen when he noticed he had shredded the napkin."Nothing other than they aren't my type," Xander said."So would you want a daughter or a son?" Paul asked."Both, probably but not as many pups as my parents had," Xander said, "so what were you going to ask?""Oh, I ah, wanted to know if you wanted kids," Paul asked."You ripped up your napkin over that?" Xander asked then finished his Ceviche.Paul smelt afraid, he stammered, "Its, I... I wanted to talk to you about something but it puts some guys off, I really like you and I want to tell you but after the dessert.""Sure but I'll probably be obsessing about it till then," Xander said as the plates were cleared and replaced. Xander's mouth watered at the smell but his stomach turned in anxiety. "Paul is this beef?" Xander asked in shock."It's a beef substitute, it's all furmane foods," Paul said."It smells just like it," Xander said.Paul's mouth dropped, "where did you smell beef, I mean real beef, that's murder," Paul said."I visited family and my great grandpa had frozen beef from before prey rights were passed," Xander said, "It's a meal I regret ever having.""Wow, I was hoping to shock you but... wow," Paul said, "I almost don't want to know how it tastes to you know.""I don't know if I should eat it," Xander
said."I thought all the meat from back then was collected and destroyed," Paul said meal forgotten."My family, well my great grandparents were in the BBB," Xander said, "over in north Idaho.""Wow so your parents left the Breed?" Paul asked."My grandpa and grandma did and moved west, they wanted grandpa to devorce grandma when they found out she was a quarter hybrid." Xander said, "Its why I'm big for a Collie, everyone in the families bigger.""So what is your hybrid mix, if I can ask?" Paul said."I'm a sixteenth lion, otherwise pure border collie," Xander said."That explains downstairs, it is big for your height, and why you smell so good," Paul said, "So did you see Sean at work?""No I think he's avoiding me," Xander said. "So what is this made of?""It's made of Tofu, Clams, whey, and a mix of some fats, well he was probably busy with everything, weren't you worried about him at all?" Paul asked."Why would I worry about him ignoring me?" Xander asked."Because he's been going through some tough shit this week," Paul said."Can we just drop it," Xander said, playing with the mini carrots on the plate."Ok we can..." Paul said then shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "So are you going to try it?" Paul asked."Sure I think I will," Xander said."Good cause I love this dish," Paul said then started eating happily.Xander stirred the sauce and mashed potatoes onto faux tartare then cut a bite. It tasted like something trying to be beef, it was still great but to Xander it tasted like guilt and shame."What do you think?" Paul asked his portion half gone."It tastes good, but not the same, the textures spot on though," Xander said.Paul pushed his plate away, "I assumed the flavor would be the similar part, I won't be able to finish that without thinking of eating a classmate from school.""So what's next?" Xander asked."Ah well the soup, you came early," Paul said."But never prematurely," Xander said."No you have excellent stamina," Paul said."So this is a five course meal? I think they are generally three or five, right?" Xander asked."They are, but this ones a tad out of order," Paul said."What should it have been?" Xander asked."Well the soup shouldn't come out after the entree, it supposed to be after the amuse," Paul said.Their plates both only partly eaten were collected and replaced with a French onion soup."Well I would never have known," Xander said, "this was all really sweet." He rose and leaned forward, Paul mirror him and accepted his kiss. There was a flash and the kitchen erupted in cat calls. "Get back to work, you eavesdroppers," Paul growled at his staff. But that only earned him laughs while they went back to work
chattering away."They seem to really like you, and I thought you were an exhibitionist?" Xander teased."I guess when it's funny or playful, I get shy with romance and you... you're becoming very special to me I enjoy being with you," Paul said while he played with his tattered napkin again."I enjoy being with you too, you're different from Sean but in a good way and the same as him in others," Xander said."I'm like Sean how, he seemed so serious, well or shocked to see me," Paul said then sipped at his soup."I wonder why he was like that?" Xander asked, then said, "You're both playful teases, I really like that even when it's driving me crazy.""He didn't seem like that at all, I smelled fear and something I couldn't identify on him when I brought over the cake," Paul said.Xander stirred his half finished soup, then said, "well, I'm trying to figure out if I should forgive him or leave him to his fate, he keeps hurting me over and over again.""I think forgiveness is deserved, if there isn't malice in the harm, and there is remorse," Paul said."But if they hurt you again, right after?" Xander asked.Paul spoke his words slowly with reservation, "Is the love you have for each other and your history worth throwing away over this pain?""I don't know, I really don't... so want did you want to tell me?" Xander asked."Oh... well, I guess I forgot," Paul said unconvincingly.The rest of the meal was stilted till they both forgot the conflicts and talked of other things.