An Autumn Fox

Chapter 10 - Drunken Escapades

Josiah

As much as I would have loved being here, I was not happy at all today. Being dragged into a company celebration was the worst thing to happen.

It wasn't even the company's idea but my father's. I don't know why he thought bringing us to a club of all places was the best choice. Also, why would he even choose to go to a club?

He already has a wife and I don't think a club is a good place for a man like him.

It sure as hell wasn't lifting up my spirits at all. Every time I try to move around, some girl tries to grind on me and whenever I go to the bar, some asshole is trying to give me shit for hitting on 'their girl'. I could care less about flirting right now. At the current moment, I was trying to tune out the insanely loud music of the club.

It was giving me a damn headache. It was one of those pop songs you listen to on the radio every morning but just louder. That's the only reason why I'm sitting at a table alone in the furthest corner possible.

It helps to drown out the music and crowd. Further away from me were the workers.

My colleagues were at the bar, having some drinks and chatting away merrily. If only I could tolerate this place like they could. It would be a blessing.

A bit further was my father. Drinking alone at the corner. I notice he holds a conversation with the bartender on duty. They seem to be hitting it off pretty well from the likes of if.

The guy seems to enjoy my father's company. Making time to talk even though the bar is filled with patrons.

Lastly, further away from everyone else were the newbies. They seem to have formed an unlikely group. Four of them were sitting together, drinking and laughing while another sits alone.

Cradling what looks to be an almost finished drink. A panther who could easily blend in without anyone's notice. Yet, he was the center of attention to the four.

I watched carefully as they invited him to their group. Something about that seems off. They were doing just fine without him so why would they invite him? 

The two males were getting touchy with him. The lion putting an arm around the panther's neck while the stallion placed a hand on the panther's back. The two females were talking to him. From the looks of it, the panther is getting quite embarrassed.

Before long, they got the bartender's attention and ordered a round of drinks. And then another. And another. And another.

Each new round, the panther was getting drunker and drunker while the group was more aggressive with their handling. As a supervisor, I knew I had to step in before it got too far.

Heading over there was easier said than done since, you know. Once I made it, poor Avery was out of commission. He definitely could not come to work the next day.

"What's going on here?", I ask. Of course, I know what's going on here.

"Oh, boss. It's, uh, nothing really. Just treating ourselves to some rounds", the stallion said.

Trying to save face, huh? "A bit too many drinks, don't you think?", I point out.

"Aww, it's nothing. Poor guy really wanted to try but couldn't hold it in well", the raven spoke up.

"Well, then. I'll be bringing him back home. Enough drinking for him. Be careful, don't want to end up like him now, do we?", I say before hauling him up.

Once I was out, I realised a gigantic problem. I don't know where he lives.

I mean, his files probably says that but it's in the office and I'm not going to the office just to know where he lives.

It's either I bring him back to my house or rent a room at a hotel.

I don't think bringing him back to mine would be good. My colleagues would probably overwhelm him once he wakes up, not to mention the hangover he's getting.

It didn't take long to find a hotel as one was conveniently in front of the club. I wonder how much profit it gets during the night. Checking in was easy enough but the staff gave me strange looks as I went up to the room.

As I entered the room with Avery in my arms, I realised many more problems that I never realised until now.

First of all, his clothes are dirty and stained with beer. Second, he reeks of alcohol. Third, he had decided to wake up at that specific time just to puke right on my shirt.

Not only does he need a bath, I need one too along with a deep cleaning for my shirt.

Good thing there was a plastic bag nearby to throw my clothes in along with his. It seems more problems love to arise as I just realise we both don't have spare clothes.

I guess it can wait until after the bath. The bathroom design was rather strange. A bath tub and a shower. I guess that eliminates any awkward situations that would have happened. Once I filled up the bath, I laid him slowly into the water, making sure his head rest above it.

If only everything was so much more easier, I would've done so many things earlier. But it was never the right time and never the right place.

I hopped into the shower, cleaning my body of any lingering odour of alcohol and puke. It took a while as I really needed to scrub deep into my fur and scales. The downsides of having scales is apparently, sometimes things can get stuck in between them and you have to spend quite a bit of time to get it out.

I won't lie, it feels really nice when I managed to clean the grime from my scales.

Though, I would have much rather have stayed a normal fox but in the end, a hybrid is a hybrid no matter how normal they appear to be.

I occasionally glanced over at the sleeping panther in the tub. The last thing I need to end this night with is the death of Avery via drowning. Once I was done with my shower, I decided to start properly bathing Avery.

Can't exactly just leave him to sleep in this tub filled with water. Especially since he still smells of alcohol and vomit. The former of which was just slightly stronger compared to the latter. I decided to just quickly bathe him, ignoring anything that could possibly make this awkward or embarrassing.

I made sure to thoroughly clean his fur of any vomit and made sure he didn't reek of booze by using the shampoo that was provided. Once done, I pulled the drain plug before going to grab a towel for him and myself.

There was a reason I didn't want to dry myself first and that's because I was gonna get wet again anyway when I decided to clean Avery. I did the same as before and completely ignore the sheer awkwardness  this is bringing my quickly wiping at his fur where it looked to be wet.

Once done with the clean up, I carried him in my arms and carefully made my way back to the bedroom where I lay him down on the bed. Just as I do so, I hear my phone going off, indicating to me that someone had messaged me. I head over to my phone and picked it up, only to see that it was my father who texted me.

Dad: Where are you?

Josiah: The hotel near the club.

Dad: Why are you there?

Josiah: Newbie got too drunk and I don't know where he lives.

Dad: Okay. Need me to get you anything?

Josiah: Some clothes. He puked on me and got some on himself.

Dad: Sure. What size is he?

I look over to the sleeping panther, gauging his size. It would've been easier for me to just look at his shirt to get the size but I didn't want to dirty my hands right after cleaning myself.

Josiah: He looks like a small but get a medium, just in case.

Josiah: I'll send the room number later.

He ends the text with a thumbs up and soon, he went offline. I turn my phone off and let it rest on the nightstand as I look back onto the bed.

The question now is the sleeping arrangement. How awkward would he feel if he woke up and saw that I decided to sleep with him naked?