Chapter 13 - For the Love of Pets
"But... That's a lot."
"56$ more, yes... It's because of all the renovation we had to do on the building."
"You... You didn't do any!"
"Listen, Clara. You are a good tenant, but you have no choice here. You either accept the raise, or you'll have to find a new place. I'm sorry. You have until next Thursday to give me your decision."
"..."
It was ALWAYS the same; it was my curse. Every single time something good happened in my life, something worse followed to dampen my happiness. I was already struggling to pay my rent with my miserable salary, but they still increased it by 56$ per month, pretending they had done major renovations to justify a raise above than allowed by the law. It was a dirty tactic they used in the past to push people out so they could ask even more money from a new tenant. I wasn't good at talking, but I was not stupid.
I closed the door, and one of my tears dropped on my new lease agreement. Every month I had less money to spend, and the only place I could cut at this point was my phone or my food. Simply put, this was the last blow. I would have to move out and find a cheaper apartment, which also meant that I would have to live much farther and roughly double my commute time to work.
If it were only that... The worst part was that I would have to live so far away from my new friends.
A small pair of rubber arms wrapped around me from behind.
"Asha... What am I going to do? It's not fair!"
The small snow leopard petgirl spent the night at my place. While I was answering the door, she hid in the closet and heard my conversation with the landlord. She tried to comfort me with a hug, but this time I would need much more than that. My world was burning to ashes, and I didn't have enough water left to control the damage.
I dragged my feet back to my room and let myself fall on the bed. Asha followed me and kneeled next to me to rub my back with her paw.
"I... won't be able to go to Cakes & Pets nearly as often. I won’t be able to bring you back home for the night. What am I gonna do, Asha? It's not fair!"
The petgirl probably wished she could talk right now, but her adorable mask prevented it. I could have released her, but it was unlikely that she would have found the words to make me feel better; rubbing my back was undoubtedly the best thing she could do.
It made me feel sick to think that because of a small 56$, a greedy landlord managed to destroy my entire life. My communication disorder was improving so much around my new friends; I was more comfortable around people every time Lucy forced me to experience new things. This feeling that someone cared about me was new and essential in my life. How come he had the right to take all of this away from me?
I spent the next thirty minutes cuddling and crying with Asha before we had to head out. We would drop by the café, and then another dull workday awaited me around the corner.
"A raise!? Absolutely not!"
"But... My rent... It went up."
"Ours too! Welcome to the continuously-increasing cost of living in the big city. I can't help you with that, Clara."
"If I can't pay... I'll have to move far away."
"That's a sad reality. Many of your co-workers have to commute for over an hour to get here. You'd not be the first to have to do that."
"...I... could find a new job, then."
As soon as I said that, a torrent of regrets filled up my head. Was I desperate enough to threaten my boss? I knew very well that I was expendable and had no special qualifications to do anything else. He stared at me and then shook his head in disappointment.
"Don't go there, Clara. I have a huge pile of candidates that are ready to do your job without complaining."
"S... Sorry."
"Keep in mind that you are not THAT good at what you do. And don’t make yourself believe that you can do something other than packing boxes. You might end up living in the street before you know it. Now go back to your post. Your fifteen minutes break is almost over."
"..."
I turned heels and exited his office, scared and defeated. What did I think? They didn't care about me! I knew that! Why did I even think they would even listen to me? He could have fired me on the spot. And maybe that was what would happen now that they knew I was disgruntled; it was unlikely that they would keep a problematic employee around the place.
I returned to my working spot next to the conveyor. In a minute, the robots will bring me an endless number of stupid items to pack, and it would be like that, uninterrupted, for the next two hours until the end of my shift.
Today, more than ever, I just felt like a cow standing on her anti-fatigue mat, used as a tool to make a profit.
This was not a life.
"Clara! I hoped you would come. I need your help!"
"..."
It was a pattern with Lucy. Every time I showed up at the café and wanted to discuss something specific, she went ballistic and needed me to do something for her, nullifying my intentions in the process. When it was not an out of the blue pet sitting, she wanted me to act as an emergency pet.
I had no idea what she wanted from me this time around, but I knew I would have to put my problems aside for a moment and listen to her more pressing needs.
"So, do you remember where the pethouse is?"
"Yes."
"Good! Would you do me a HUGE favor? Misti and Trixie are still recovering from their cold over there. The thing is that Misti usually is my go to girl who runs all my errands, but since she is out of commission, could you bring this box to them? Do you have time?"
"...Yes. What is it?"
"It's a surprise for them. Oh, and since you are going there, can you give this letter to the commissionaires at the front desk for me. You must NOT open that letter, though. It's very private."
Lucy looked under her small reception desk, pulled out an unmarked sealed white envelope, and handed it over to me.
Since she mentioned the mysterious pethouse, which was, in fact, a luxurious penthouse located at the top of a big building hosting an insurance company, I thought I could risk asking some questions about it; not to be intrigued was downright impossible.
"Lucy... About the pethouse..."
"Oh... I thought you said you remembered where it was. I’m sorry, I can text you the address. Let me go grab my cell phone,"
"...No... no... I know where it is... I just..."
"Oh, good then! Hurry! They need this box asap. Thanks so much for doing this. Maybe next time you come, I'll let you take three pets home!"
"...Wait! No... That's not it!"
She turned me around and pushed me toward the door as she was obviously avoiding the topic. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the Cakes & Pets café with a small box in my hands and a white envelope between my teeth, which was another technique Lucy employed to prevent me from asking questions.
The door slammed close behind my back, leaving me alone with my mission.
"But... I wanted to know about the pethouse... Aww!"
This matter would have to wait a bit longer. At least this little task would distract me from my horrible day a bit longer. Seeing Trixie again would be nice, and maybe I would get to see Misti out of costume as well; that could be fun.
I headed toward downtown, chuckling a bit to myself. Not so long ago, I would have been terrified to meet a new pet out of costume, but now I was almost looking forward to it. All the time that I spent with Trixie as a human changed my perspective. It had not broken my relationship with the pets in any way; if one thing, it had improved it.
Improved it... By how much? That was another question. During my date with Trixie, which was not exactly a date, I ended up kissing her romantically in the spa's locker room. I knew it didn't mean that we were a couple or anything like that. I think it was just something we did instinctively to defuse a situation and show that we cared for each other. But it wasn't clear whether or not Trixie would expect more out of this.
The rabbit girl was not easy to read. When she wore her bunny costume, it was undeniable that she loved being around me, but she had other clients that she loved to play with as well. When she was a human, she wanted to spend time with me and go on "dates," but was it something she did with the other pets too? I didn't have this piece of the puzzle.
Seeing her acting around Vix showed me that Trixie loved cuddling anything that had a pulse. Also, I should not forget that she had transmitted her cold virus to Misti after getting it from Vix; there was some serious fluid exchange right there directly linked to that kinky bunny, which made me chuckle a bit more. Only spending more time with Trixie would help me get to know her better.
I quickly reached the insurance building. Before going in, I tried to keep my anxiety at bay. Not only this place was intimidating, but on top of that, I would have to talk to the commissionaires. It was time to check if all that speech practice I had with the pets would yield dividends. I could do this.
That big glass door was heavy, and I was tiny; it was a bad combination. After managing to squeeze through the crack without getting stuck, I headed to the front desk, not too sure how to approach them.
"Deliveries are at the back of the building."
"But... I'm..."
"You have to exit and go around, sorry."
"..."
That didn't go well. Not very good for me, who had thought I had made progress in discussing with others. This man, wearing a white shirt, overpowered me effortlessly.
My first reflex was to lower my head and head back outside. I wasn't too sure what to do, so I called Lucy.
"Clara? Is everything alright?"
"...No... They didn't want to speak to me... They want me to go to delivery instead."
"Delivery? Why would they want you to... Oh, right, the box."
"What... What do I do?"
"Did you give them the letter?"
"N—No... They didn't want to listen to me."
"Hahaha. Okay. Listen. You go back inside... No matter what they tell you, give them the letter. Everything will be alright. Trust me."
"O—Okay... I'll... try again."
Once more, I battled the heavy door and walked back in the lobby, even more nervous than the first time. It only took two seconds before they rudely asked me to leave again.
"I said, the deliveries are at the back, are you deaf?"
"...I... I..."
"You what? You want me to throw you out?"
"Please... I have this letter... for you."
"A letter? What letter?"
"This... this one..."
While looking at the floor, I managed to raise my trembling arm high enough to hand the envelope, white as my face, to the commissionnaire. I waited in silence, while he examined it, and then...
"Holy mother of... I'm SO sorry... I'm so sorry... please. I assure you, Miss, it... it won't happen again. Please, follow me. We will take care of this right away."
"...uh?"
What now? With my arm still in the air, I lifted my chin to see what was happening. Why was he so apologetic and scared of me all of a sudden? He started walking while asking me to follow him. Follow him where? Lucy didn't say squat about any of this.
"Please, Miss... Follow me, and I will arrange everything... un... unless you prefer another agent? I... I would understand."
"..."
I couldn't talk anymore, but at least I managed to get my legs moving to push my body in his general direction, still carrying my small box between my shaky hands.
The commissioner led me to a small office not too far from the front desk. Once inside, he made me sit on a chair and continued with his strangeness.
"It will only take a minute. I apologize again."
"..."
He was still freaking out about something I knew nothing about. He pulled a sheet of paper from the envelope and started transcribing the content to his computer. Shortly after...
"Please, look at the red light."
"..."
FLASH!
"Gah!"
"I'm very sorry about that... We are almost done. Just place your hand on this plate."
"..."
The device on which I rested my little hand flashed green for a second, and then, with some unsteady fingers, he placed a white plastic card in what seemed to be a small printer. The card dropped in, the machine vibrated a bit, before spitting out the card that now had my terrified face on it.
"There... The building is yours, Miss. Let us know if you experience any issues. I'm so sorry again about the misunderstanding."
"...T... Thank you?"
There was no way for me to know what to do next. I first thought I was detained or something, but that didn't seem to be the case anymore.
I stood up slowly, but I was still not convinced if I would be allowed to leave, so I kind of stared at him, hoping to get some signal. But then, he abruptly bounced out of his seat, making me jump, and he rushed to open the door for me...
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry again... I'll get the door for you."
"..."
He freaked me out so much that I carefully exited the small room, longing the door frame to keep as much distance as I could from him. As soon as I was out, I jogged back to the lobby. I looked at the other commissionaire sitting at the front desk, and he quickly lowered his head as soon as we made eye contact.
"What is going on here!?"
On top of my box, there was my shiny new ID card, still warm from the press. I quickly grabbed my cell phone and tried to call Lucy... but she was not answering this time.
"Mmm... I wonder..."
Still trying to stay as far away from the front desk, I circled it, tried to merge with the decorative plants, and headed toward the elevators. Like the last time when I was here with Trixie, there were random people wearing business suits, which made me feel like an outsider.
The elevator bell rang, and I swiftly engulfed myself in it. After swiping my new card on the reader, I hesitantly pressed the P button, all the way at the top of the panel. The elevator moved in a way to make me gain some weight, and all I had to do was to enjoy the ride since it seemed to work. I was on my way to the pethouse.
Shortly after the elevator door split open, I faced another set separating me from my friends; it was as intimidating as before. Swiping the card in front of the reader to access the pethouse was not easy. What if they were not home? Was it okay for me to get in without their permission? Lucy had not explained anything to me as usual.
Gathering my courage, I pushed the door open, as quietly as possible, and stepped in. Trixie and Misti were my friends; they probably would be okay with me being here after all.
A quick visual scan revealed no signs of life. Nobody was in the kitchen, nobody in the living room, the window wall was as impressive as ever, and the staircase was still enormous.
But then I heard a faint noise... An erotic noise...
"Mmm... aah!"
"..."
One of the big couches had it's back facing me... and those sounds turning my face beet red were seemingly coming from it. I silently approached it, trying to look over the backrest. The saliva noises were evident at that point.
Once close enough, I looked over the backrest, and my heart skipped a beat. Two small naked girls, both blonde with short hair, were lying down naked on top of each other with their arms and legs entwined randomly. They were very focused on making out and had no idea I was even observing them.
Obviously, that was not something I had expected when entering the pethouse. My paralysis prevented me from opening my mouth or fleeing, but my brain filled my body with efficient sexual hormones.
From my angle, I couldn't tell which one was Trixie, but seeing two perfect bodies, white as snow, rubbing on each other like this, it was not something I could stop watching. The female on top was also clearly humping her friend's thigh sensually.
There was something so attractive in seeing those small girly hands sliding gently on the soft skin. It was probably the wrong thing to think, but I desired the same thing. I wanted to be one of those girls, being taken care of by an equally attractive one.
"Mmm! Aaaah!"
"M... Misti... I'm... I'm close. Kiss me deeper."
Okay... Now I knew who Trixie was... The one on top, and what she just said, made me feel even more awkward. I couldn't believe I had been more scared to enter an empty apartment than the possibility of bumping into a sex scene, which had been way more likely to happen with Trixie around.
Then another surge of sexual emotion washed over me when the girl under Trixie ran her fingers in her short blonde hair. When I saw Trixie out of her suit for the first time, I jealously wanted her hair. It was a color I loved, and I remembered how soft it was to the touch.
I could sense the overheating coming from that couch and could still not move a finger. Seeing Trixie's hips moving faster and faster while kissing more intensely was nothing short than mesmerizing. I was so envious.
And then...
“Mmm.. nngh! Aaah! Aaah AAAH! AAAHH! Misti! Misti... AAAAAH”
"MMmm!"
Misti firmly gripped Trixie's hair to keep making out with her while she was cumming.
Seeing the small body convulsing mixed with Misti's dominant attitude turned my legs into jello. What did I walk into this time? I didn't know what to do anymore.
A high pitch scream sliced the erotic scenario like a razor blade.
"EEEEEEK!"
And another...
“EEEEEEEAAAAH!”
Then mine...
“AAAAAAAAH!”
Trixie tumbled down to the carpet, Misti crunched herself up, trying to hide her chest, and I stepped back as far as I could until I hit the wall.
"Cla... CLARA!?"
"...Misti?"
"..."
What could I say? Sorry, I saw you making love by accident but kept watching? I didn't think it would fly. I shouldn't even be here.
But then, Trixie, naked like a worm, bounced over the couch like the bunny she was and leaped in my direction as if her recent orgasm overcharged her.
“CLARAAAA! What are you doing here!? How did you get in!? AWWWW! I MISSED YOU!"
Even bracing for the impact was not sufficient. I ended up on my back on the floor, losing grip of my box, and Trixie gave me a deep kiss.
"Mmm!"
"Mmm!"
It was as stupid as inappropriate, but it felt good, particularly since my body was still turned on by what I had witnessed only a moment ago.
"Alright, Trixie... We know who your favorite is, now."
"Heeey! I mean... You are my favorite, Misti... and Clara is too... Aaah! Don't ask me to choose!"
"Hehe, just teasing you, bunny. Get off Clara. You are scaring her."
"Oh... Am I?"
"Mmm..."
"No... Look! I think she liked our little show."
"Get off her, Trix... Let her breathe."
"Okay, okay... But still... Look at her face."
Trixie got off me and trotted back to the couch before wrapping her arms around Misti's naked body. I couldn't believe how much alike they looked. They were the same size, same pale skin tone, same short blond haircut, and blue eyes. I could still tell them apart, but it would probably be more challenging in a low light environment.
"You... You look alike..."
"See... I told you! We turn her on."
"Stop it, Trixie! Clara, what are you doing here? How did you get in?"
"I... I don't know. Lucy asked me to deliver this box... But when I got here, it went all crazy, and they gave me this ID card."
"Aaaah! It's our work money."
Misti got rid of Trixie's arms around her and stepped off the couch to pick up my box that had tumbled nearby.
"Thank youuu!"
She then went to the small dresser in the corner of the living room and opened the box. After pulling a bunch of small brown envelopes from it, she began distributing them. Each petgirls had a personal drawer, so Misti opened them one at a time and emptied the small envelopes' content in each of them.
"Oooh, the café is doing better, I think... That's good."
"Clara! Can you show me your access card?"
"...Yes..."
I approached Trixie, who was still bouncing on the leather couch, and handed her my weird new card. She took a peek at it, and her face distorted.
"MISTI! LOOK!"
"What?... You are too far, what's on it?"
"GOLD!"
"...No way! You serious?"
"YES! AAAAH! I'M SO EXCITED!"
"..."
Gold? What did that even mean? Trixie stared at me, waiting for some sort of reaction from my part, but I was beyond clueless.
"Trixie... What does... Gold means?"
"WHAT!? You mean, you don't know!?"
"...I don't."
"YOU ARE MOVING IN WITH US!"
"..."
"Aaaah! I bet Lucy didn't even tell you! She can be sneaky like that. This is going to be so amazing!"
Misti was as happy as Trixie because she jogged back to me, which caused her little breasts to bounce around, and gave me a huge hug! Being naked around me didn't seem to bug them the slightest.
"Welcome home, Clara! Trixie is right! It's going to be so much fun with you around! Unless you try to make us do another pet pyramid."
"..."
Trixie jumped off the couch again, skipped toward me, and grabbed my hand.
“Come upstairs! We are going to celebrate this news in a comfy bed.”
I resisted a little bit.
"Trixie... wait... I..."
This time I couldn't play the traumatized girl's card; the bunny girl knew a bit too much about me and my arousal state, and Misti too apparently because she grabbed my other hand.
"I agree with Trixie... Let's go to the bedroom! We will have a bit of fun, and then we will tell you all about it, Clara. Just enjoy our welcome gift."
"...but... eep!"
The two naked blonde girls dragged me upstairs, and before I knew it, my clothes were gone, and I was lying down in the middle of a big bed. Of course, as if my earlier thought was a prediction, I didn’t know who was who anymore; they were too similar to tell them apart in the darkness.
I knew very well what they were doing to me, though. While one of them deep kissed me and played with my breasts, the other rubbed my thighs and licked my belly.
Everything moved way too fast for me to process anything, but somehow, I wasn't unhappy. My two friends were determined to take my mind off things by offering me a steamy sex session that they knew I desired.
If they were right and Lucy had given me an option to live here... Would it be that bad?
"Aaaaah!"
When that little wet tongue hit my crotch, it was some sort of an answer.