A dog named Toby (9)
A dog named Toby (9) By Roofles
A month, a week and three days ago...
"An so I tell the waitress that although the check was late, her booty looked too good going that I didn't mind." Andy Rockmand, one of the two CEO co-owners, sat across the table from Toby. Like him the poodle was in a fine suit worth a small fortune. A suit Tony only ever wore during lunch outings or coperate business meetings.
Toby, as well as several of the others in management, had found a way - a loop hole really - to put most to all of the work on the lower levels. Every so often they had to make an apperance or negotiate turns with a rival company on one issue or another. This allowed great freedom twenty days out of the month with little to no work for them. Come to work, make an apperance stamp a few forms, sign a few papers, sexual harass co-workers and leave early in the same day. The rest of the month however was grueling, stressful work that consumed every hour of the days in order to finish and get done with. This was not one of those days.
Toby smiled the half smile he always did for those working on the same level or above him. Nodding and agree, nearly mimicing his own words back to the groomed, manicured poodle that he had (for the first several weeks) thought was a female. Even his voice was softer and just sounded like...a manly woman or so Toby thought. He was glad he never made a joke or said anything about it.
Playing ones cards right was better than the hand you were dealt he learned early on in life. Sniff the right butts at the right time could lead to several openings and opportunities and if Toby was one thing it was an opportunist. And that alone had led him to where he was now. Kiss the right ass and the very next day whisper the right words to the right person and was then taking the previous person's office. It was a dog sniff dog kick kind of world up above. Everyone was gunning for your job yet being the sweet, kiss asses as he had been.
The phone buzzing in his pocket finally got the best of him and so when the poodle turned to stare at the waitresses ass once more as the labrador walked by Toby pulled it out. The message was the same one he got every couple of days from the same needy dog. Mispelled and everything. Toby felt slightly guilty for the way he treated his old fuck buddy. Though the beagle had few other qualities that made one WANT to stay in contact with him. He was a good lay, Toby had to admit. Not something he could say about most the guys he'd been with. One reason why he put up with the dog for so long.
"Am I boring you, Steel?" Mr. Rockmand asked only ever using his last name when he was annoyed. The poodle was more demanding than the beagle. Toby almost envied him tho. Being as important as he was to the company Mr. Rockmand could do and say what he liked when he liked and that, to Toby, was power. Of course he was far more proffessional at work but just as snide and full of himself.
"Sorry, sir." Toby said with a grim stone like face. He even kept his ears from falling back. Such signs of weakness was always looked down by the other dogs in management. It was like admitting that you were an underdog. One might as well roll over onto their back and show their belly in a display of submission. It would nearly have the same effect.
"The misses I take it?" Mr. Rockmand laughed swirling the wine around in the glass several times and staring at the maroon liquid almost transfixed by it.
"More like the mistress, sir." Toby laughed half assed as he grumbled to himself looking down at his phone again. The other messages on the phone though did make him feel better about the situation. That he in turn did make the right choice in the matter.
"Am I stying at ur plce 2ni?" The first message read. The man had crashed at his place for some time. Toby had a feeling that the man would get lonely otherwise and the dog did enjoy the attention he got in turn. Snuggling up on the couch with belly rubs was always a damn good way to kill a night as far as he was concerned.
"I got popcorn and tht mvoie you nted." The next one read only a minute after the first.The end of Toby's tail wagged.
The next one was a half hour later. "I gt n important meeting cming up soon. Wnt have tm for it nxt week." And at that time Toby thought nothing of it as he stashed the phone away returning his attention back to the man across the table from him going on and on about mistresses and the benefits that came with having someone on the side to have sex with.
"Me and the misses are only together because I got a little something something on the side. I get all worked up because of work and when she's in one of her moods I can go on out and get 'relaxed.' Then I can take all that positive energy back to her and deal with the shit she gives me." The poodle laughed taking a long drink from his glass. "I wonder when are damn orders will be here already."
"Don't know sir." Toby replied looking out across the restaurant. His mind was elsewhere though. To a warm couch with that someone to snuggle with and get belly rubs, watching the movie he knew Cody didn't like and sharing a bowl of popcorn together...
A week and four days later...
Cody rushed through his morning routine not even believing that he had agreed to it. He could still feel the stickiness between his fingers even as he washed his hands for the third time. Toby was in the other room taking his sweet time still having an hour to go before he needed to be to work. Cody on the other hand only had ten minutes.
"So your fault." Cody said as he shot from the bathroom across the room and down the hall to the kitchen where a pot of coffee was being made. Not even waiting for the pot to be finished he pulled it off and poured himself a glass before nearly tossing it back into the coffee maker. Coffee spilled on the counter as he did so. Cream soon followed as the french vanilla was dumped into the glass overflowing the cup in the process.
Cody didn't even mix the glass as he grabbed it shouting a farewell to the dog and cursing soon after as hot coffee spilled onto his hand and coat sleeve.
"Wait, wait." Toby called hobbling out the door after him trying to slide his boxers on at the same time. His doghood still poked happily from the end of his sheath. "When will you be done today? I got us a reservation at this restaurant I went to. A bit classy and half strung but the T-bone steaks are great." He wagged his tail and smiled.
Cody frowned and looked at him. Annoyed that he was late because the dog just wanted a "quick hand job" because Toby hated "self servicing." Not too particular as Cody's first boyfriend was the same way. His features softened though as the man looked at the dog as his words sunk in.
"Hun." Cody said though the word still felt strange to him never having been one for enduring words or petnames, kind of ironic as he was talking to "his" dog he thought. "I got this meeting. And I got this big project lined up. I doubt I'll have the time or energy to even go out, heh." Cody tie was undone. The suit he wore was the same one from the day before. He was sure he was wearing two different pairs of socks and his underwear wasn't even his own. All of this he let go because the dog wanted his quickie. "This weekened. If you can move it back then I'm sure I can do it."
"Ok." Toby said returning the smile he got. And the two stood there looking at each other with enduring eyes... before Cody cursed loudly looked at his watch, nearly jumped three feet into the air spilling more coffee and bolted for his car. Toby waved him off before returning inside.
The dog stretched feel good about that morning. Waking up half dazed and confused from a night of blissful slumber all he wanted was to rub the stiffy between his legs and he got that. This morning couldn't have gone better and now he was off to take a long shower and take his sweet time getting ready for work.
That weekened...
The man apologized again over the phone. "I'm sorry I got this thing and apparently someone in my office was just fired and Susan is out because she had her kid and now I got to take care of BOTH their workloads and its just hell here. No Andy I need these xeroxed not stabled and...are these lamenated? Damnit Andy! Look hun I got to go kill someone. Save some dinner for me."
And with that the phone hung up and Toby was left holding it next to his ear looking down at the T-bone steak in front of him and the one across for the man that never showed. "It's only good when its fresh though." Toby said softly, a whine vibrating in his throat as he lowered arm. He ignored the message from the other dog he had gotten that morning, that still displayed on his phone.
Two and a half days after that...
"Cody."
"Can't." The man said in the breakroom papers laid out all in front of him. His fourth coffee was next to them and he was staring down at all the papers glassy eyed unable to make heads or tails of the conundrum in front of him.
"But." Toby whined loudly in the empty breakroom. Nearly everyone else in Cody's office, on that floor, was working on the same project that could make or break them.
"Susan isn't coming back any time soon and...I don't even know what she does!" Cody groaned falling head first against the papers. He was tired getting little to no sleep. The dog was especially clinging the past few days. Or maybe he had always been but only now, in his tired state, was he really paying it any mind.
Cody had been in and out of meetings every morning that week and he knew things were only going to get worst as talk of one of the departments were going to be let go. And Cody was terrified, and stressed, that it was going to be his. The economy dip had left a rather large sinkhole underneath them that the heads had cleverly covered up. However said sinkhole was now beginning to surface again and it was taking nearly everyones man power to keep the hole building from falling in. And "sacrofices" had to be made and Cody was sure it was going to be him...just like everyone else in the office. Except the dog next to him.
Toby was resting his chin on the table and looking up at him with large puppy dog eyes the bernese mountain dog always used when he felt neglected. It was as if Cody had forgotten to feed him today or hadn't let him outside. A hungry, slightly constipated kind of look of a very needy dog. Cody found it loveable at first but neediness got old fast.
"Don't you have to deal with this shit too?" Cody asked turning to face him. The sleep deprivation was clearly beginning to show on the mans face.
Toby lifted his head up a bit and yawned, not even bothering to cover his mouth. He scooted over more until their thighs were touching. The dog placed a paw on his thigh and bumped his cheek with his nose giving it an affectionate lick afterwards.
"Yeah but my jobs easy."
"The hell do you have to do?" Cody asked desperately hoping he could do the same thing.
"Well..." Toby pulled away, but only a little. "I had to fire Zera this morning." He mused thinking of the Swahili woman down in marketing. "I had to fire Zeb from...accounting?" He shrugged not even recalling the older mans face. He remember something or other about a family that he had to support but Toby was just the messager and had little say in the end of things. He was nicknamed the angel of death by most of the workers in the building.
"Your job is to fire people?" Cody blinked a few times in disbelief. "How do I not know this?" He laughed an exhausted laugh as he rubbed one of his eyes. He rested his head against the dogs chest though with a groan. "Urgh...I'm died." He said.
Toby rubbed his back. "I do plenty of other things. Mostly office work." Cody wondered what the hell that even meant. Whenever he asked the dog about his job it was always "office work." And Cody had seen office space. He knew what office work was and that was HIS job not the dogs. Cody was afraid to even buy a damn stapler incase he should turn into that poor bastard. Though, he at least was thankful for, he was far better looking.
"I take it dinner is canceled again tonight?" Toby asked not even expecting an answer as he already knew it by now. For the past several days the dog had been trying to do a simple dinner for the man in a way of showing his support for him. Each time though Cody came home late, nearly midnight every night, and only picked at the left overs before going to bed. Toby evened offered to give him a little reassurance, his head nearly between his legs already, but Cody turned him down claiming he was too tired. Toby had never heard a thing before. After all Charlie was always more than willing to put out. And that was the first time he thought of the dog.
A week after that...
Cody had stayed at his place for the whole week and Toby only ever saw him during work. The man was better groomed and seemed to be able to get some sleep as his apperance looked far more lively than normal. Cody had reasoned that it was best to keep some distance for the week so he could hurry the project up and finish it before the due date. The IRS were already breathing down several of the corporate heads backs by now.
Toby found the whole thing rather offputting. It was almost as if Cody was saying that they were going to fast and that they needed to slow down and take several steps back. Cody had been staying at his place practically this whole time without ever moving his stuff in. And to Toby that was how it was. For him now to stay at his own place was an almost slap in the face. It was so sudden without no warning and with no debate over the matter. Cody just told him and that was it.
Cody didn't think much of it. He needed some space from the dog so he could focus solely on work. He wanted nothing more than to toss the papers out the window and run to the dog and spend all his time with him. He'd love that. But Cody knew better. Life was life and this is one of the things you have to do. You can't sit around with all the good and just ignore the bad and pretend it doesn't exsist. Thats not how life works. And so Cody, with a grim face, told the dog that he was going to stay at his place and that was that. He would treat the dog once this whole thing was over and be more than happy to snuggle up on that couch once more getting belly rubs from Toby. Cody didn't get it but apparently it was a big deal for the dog so he would just lay back an except the treatment.
Toby spent the whole week thinking it over. They were moving to fast? Then they were really "far" in their relationship even though it had only been a couple of months. Toby wasn't sure where they stood in it. They didn't exchange house keys. But Cody had stayed over every night. They of course exchanged phone numbers but Toby also did so with dozens of others first meeting them. One of the first things they did was fuck. So that didn't leave much margin for him to gouge how well this relationship was going. He knew there were steps for this kind of things. Meetng, dating, fucking, hanging out, moving in, buying a pet together, and then what? Marriage? He wasn't sure. Did Cody just feel they were in a mild relationship with one another? Sating each other needs for companionship? Did he feel more? Did he love the dog? Did Toby...love him? One can just say the word but to truly feel and mean it. People throw the word around so casually it seemed to have lost all meaning to it. Not the burning desire and aching passion and treasure that it had been glorified to be in fairy tales and movies. No. It was reduced to "I love this cupcake."
The dog pouted the first day. He lounged around the second. He worked the third and fourth days all morning and night long before relaxing on the fifth day. Going out with a few friends and getting drinks. The sixth day he was disappointed to see he had gotten no text from Cody since and so decided to text him. He didn't get a reply until the next day.
"I love you." Toby sent more out of an aching need for a response. And in return he got a "u to." The bland text seemed meaningless to the dog who overread those two words thinking that they meant nothing. Or they meant something. That Cody was being his sarcastic self or that he was angry or sad that he had to say it. The bland empty text left him feeling even more needy and almost then did he send a text to the dog that had messaged him only an hour ago. "At least he sends me text." Toby mumbled looking it over.
The week of the incident...
Cody had come back over the past several days. Never staying for too long. Coming over more as a means to an end than anything else it seemed. Cody was making his manditory apperance that was quick and short with a slight kiss at the end. Like an astranged father for his child living at his moms house. That's how it felt to Toby.
The night before however Cody came over unexpectedly and Toby invited him in with open arms. The man nearly collapsed against him and went into great detail about his hardship for the day that the project was going to be scrapped and all his hard worked flushed down the drain so they can start over and fresh again. Cody finally knew why people jumped out of office buildings now.
"That's alright." Toby soothed him rubbing his shoulders. The dog just enjoyed the physical contact that he had been depriving himself for the past week. Toby needed some kind of physical contact most dogs did. A hug, a touch, sitting right next to someone. They always did show their affection through the physical act more so than anything else. A simple thing to Cody that he overlooked but something that was very meaningful to Toby. Even this. Rubbing his man's shoulder made the dog feel good about himself. "I'm sure you'll be able to finish this one much faster."
"I'm sure." Cody rolled his closed eyes resting back into the feel of those strong fingers kneading his shoulders. The thumbs circled around just below the back of his neck working on the kink that had formed from hunching over the paperwork all day. "Thanks, Toby. I really owe you one." Cody said meaning more than his voice gave. He truly was thankful that the dog was willing to do this for him.
Toby on the other hand didn't read it as such. It was a simple thank you between friends it seemed and the dog's ears fell back and his eyes were downcast. Signs that Cody missed. Toby felt a bit teary eyed at it his doubts finally surfacing to be truth and reality. That they were indeed just damn good friends with a weak relationship between them. Cody was never one for words and the physical expression Toby had showed him was lost on the man who over looked it for just a very needy dog.
"I say I care for you." It was a back rub, a belly rub. A touch. A feel a physical display that translated his feeling. That's how Toby talked.
"I say I need you." This was a bump with his nose. A lick on the cheek and a look in his eyes that expressed more than words ever could.
"I say I want you to move in." This was hugging and always inviting him over. Being more touchy feeling in his home. Keeping the bed warm for him. Keeping him secure with a hug as they slept side by side.
"I say I love you." And this is a kiss. A lick not on the cheek but the nose. The lips. On his neck or somewhere more sexual. It was sloppy or full tongue. Just the tip. A soft, quick lick that like all the other gestures was lost on the human who was raised with using his words not his actions to display feelings.
So as Cody laid against him, nuzzling against his chest and breathing in his scent...feeling his warmth...and falling asleep in his arms Toby doubt was still there. Lingering in the air. His actions weren't returned. Cody even laughed when he licked his nose. He was touchy feeling but it wasn't the same. The dog almost needed a constant reminder of it. That those words Cody spoke to him in his kitchen. Wanting to be together with no other meant little to nothing as the days went on without the sign or expression of the physical love that the dog had only really known.
So Toby would treat it as such. That this relationship wasn't as far along as he thought. And that the two were just beyond good friends and in the beginning, the start of a relationship. And a small part of him wondered if Cody even cared.