Zootopia: Grind To Halt (WildeHopps)

Chapter 9 - Date Night

(Thought to shake this chapter up with some 30's Blues! Listen to the music if you had headphones to provide the right mood for the chapter. Song is
There's No Two Ways About It : Frankie Newton)

Nick knocked on the dinner table with unease, Judy only three feet in front of him, seated in the same mahogany chair. She stroked her ear shyly, still not fully comfortable with totally being herself with Nick. Especially with something like this, their second date, not even related to work.

The fox coughed into his fist, only grabbing Judy's attention for a quick moment. Even Nick Wilde himself, wasn't super comfortable with the very idea if a fancy dinner date, but he felt they needed to try one if those small portion, 'romantic meals by candlelight', completely empty your wallet in two hour dinners.

They definitely were not going to do this again.

"So..." Nick dragged out the 'O', suggesting the start for a conversation, but just fell dead flat like every other question he had tried asking. Judy herself knew it, but she was just to damn shy.

A waiter came by, saving the date from near silent disaster by finally placing words in their mouths. "What may I get for you to drink?" A tall crane asked, bending his long neck to their table height.

The couple hadn't even taken a look at the menu, and were both completely off guard. Now Nick, being a totally arrogant boy, had no idea what the hell fancy words for wine or liquor meant. Judy didn't drink, not even the slightest bit of alcohol, so she was entirely confused as to what to was named what. The bunny knew if she even braved to ask for a soft drink, her pride would be decimated at a fancy restaurant.

"Uhh.." Judy frantically searched for anything she could read, but in worry of looking like an idiot, pointed at a random item on the menu. The waiter gave a completely shocked and confused look, sweatdropping.

"Are you sure?" He asked in a heavy French accent, and Judy only nodded unhappily. Nick chose the only thing he could read, and that was a wine with the word "red" in it. That was literally all he chose it of if, because he could read the word "red" in it.

Maybe it would have helped if he also knew how to read. Dropping out of school at the age of eight, the not very bright fox didn't even know how to read, because fuck it, everything might as well be French to him.

The waiter took the drink menu, handed back the food options, and gave Judy one more strange look, before walking off with a preppy walk.

Nick snickered, "It looks like he's walking with a ten foot pole up his ass," The fox held in a laugh from his own muzzle with his paw, Judy giving him a sarcastic, cynical eye.

"Be nice Nick," Judy joked, giggling a little at his rashness. She found that one of the many funny, attractive things to him. The fox stared back with a little more happiness glued to his lips. Rather, the tendons that moved the fake lips attached to the swatch of fur he had buttoned to his snout. The fox was always self conscious about it with Judy, worrying he might not have combed the fur so that it blended in, so it looked ugly. It always came back to nip him in the tail.

Nick shook the thoughts out of his head, returning to the happiness the conversation had finally brought. "Seriously Judy, all the people here look like they've got all their pride and money shoved up their butt," He chuckled back to her, so that she only laughed a little harder.

Judy cleared her throat, and replied to his earlier joke. "I do know what you mean though, I mean, who names their wine 'The Royal Queen' and expects to look humble right?" The bunny attempted a joke, but it only fell flat. Best let the fox handle the humor, Judy grumbled to herself, knowing she did not have a particular golden tongue with humor.