The Client Calls Again (finale)

His gaze wasn’t lost on the vets around the table, who didn’t hesitate to rib him with howls of “woooOOOoo! Dec got himself a little partner here!” Dec briefly flashed a guilty grin before waving the waitress over for another drink. He wasn’t sure what to make of Res, but so far, he was warming up to whatever she was all about. Didn’t hurt that she was easy on the eyes, with a perfect athletic figure, glimmering hazel eyes, and a natural look that didn’t require a pound of makeup. She seemed honest. He’d have to be extra careful dealing with her.

As Res slid into her spot, she noticed Sheepdog had finished his shot, finally, and their manager had returned from the jukebox. The ambience was just perfect, as the first song he chose to play was Pink Floyd’s “Money”, a song nobody disliked. As the intro started with the cash register loops and coins jingling, Res leaned over to her manager and said, “It’s time for round two! Sheepdog over here managed to nurse his first shot down already. You good Sheep?”

Sheepdog, maybe a little buzzed, raised his right fist in the air and hollered, “yeah baby, let’s go!” K glanced sideways at this outburst and, as if on cue, was there with another tray of shots for the group. This happened a few more times before the group decided to call it quits and head home. The manager closed his tab on the corporate card without even glancing at the receipt, simply signing off and thumbprinting the card reader.

“Hey, you dropped something,” Sheepdog said as a folded scrap of paper fell to the ground at their feet. The manager didn’t hear him as the jukebox swelled, but Res did, and swiped at the neatly folded paper.

It was origami, a fox, carefully folded from slips of receipt paper. A towering presence and a few other people passed by behind them on the way to the front door. It could have been one of them and not necessarily from K, she thought. Res stashed the fox in her jacket and followed her group out the door, her head swimming in liquor and the electric breeze of an incoming storm tussling her hair. She felt absolutely ecstatic, and didn’t want the night to end this early, but felt a tinge of loneliness in her present company. Sheepdog followed Res a short distance before stating, loudly, “Res, I hope you have a decent couch. I am ready to face plant without even taking off my shoes, three sheets baby! Three sheets to the wind, arrr.” Res backed up next to Sheepdog as he wobbled forward unsteadily, reached around and slapped him on the opposite shoulder, saying, “I got you covered, ‘sheep. Mi coucha es su coucha tonight.” Sheepdog grinned ear to ear, his eyes barely open at this point, and leaned into Res as they walked the few short blocks back to her home.

As Res entered her place, she nudged Sheepdog forward, motioned down the hall to the right, and said “bathroom is back there, for guests. If you make a mess, don’t worry, just let me know. I always use the master bath and the cleaning lady doesn’t look in there often.” Sheepdog plopped down on the couch, eyes closed, and tipped over into an uncomfortable position, totally passed out. Res brought him a little pillow and draped a thin blanket over him for good measure, before reaching in her jacket, retrieving the origami fox, and placing it carefully on the kitchen table next to Dec’s napkin. Double checking on Sheepdog, who appeared to be in a coma by now, unmoving, she pivoted on her heels, marched into her bedroom, and unceremoniously flopped down on her side, waiting to fade out. She was still restless.