CHAPTER 5: THE DINNER 

The apartment was completely engulfed in darkness. The sink overflowed with dirty dishes, garbage cans spilled over with empty fast food containers, and the unmade bed had sheets sprawled across the dirty floor. A lone cow girl sat in the corner of the bedroom, staring intently at her laptop. She selected the email that had been sitting in her Gmail drafts and pressed send. She sighed and hoped for the best. That was the seventh email she’d sent to Muzzle.

Once her conscience cleared, she turned on the lights and changed out of her work clothes into the Kendall dress with blue stripes that she’d bought the day before. The dress felt a little tight, but that didn’t bother her. She brushed her teeth, applied some makeup, and combed her hair. Getting ready for a date felt strange—it had been years since she’d prepared for one.

A notification sound came from her smartphone. It was Fang, already waiting outside. Milk took one last look in the mirror before leaving her messy apartment. After she left the complex, a royal blue SUV was waiting for her. The cow girl slid into the passenger seat.

Fang greeted Milk and praised her dress. Milk thanked her and complimented Fang’s visibly worn multicolor Floral Brocade Midi Dress.

“It’s so good to see you, my dear Milk,” said Fang while driving with her left hand and shifting gears with her right. “I’ve reserved a nice table at that fancy restaurant downtown. This night will be wonderful. There’s also ballroom music and a dance floor.”

“That’s great, Doctor Fang. But I wish you hadn’t spent so much money on me,” replied Milk.

“Nonsense, my beautiful Milk. You’re my patient, and that’s reason enough for me to invest in your treatment. Please don’t worry about the price—just let us enjoy ourselves tonight,” exclaimed the tiger while flashing her famous smile.

“So, how are you doing? Any progress with your relationship with Muzzle?” asked the white tiger.

“Nothing so far, Doctor Fang. She just won’t answer any of my emails,” replied Milk with a sad expression.

“Please don’t let that affect you, my dear. I can assure you that everything will work out in the end. But the most important thing right now should be your own journey and feelings. You should use this time to rest, rethink, and heal,” reassured Fang while holding Milk’s left hand.

They arrived at the restaurant. Fang parked the SUV, and they walked to the front door. A black dog waiter managed the reservations. Fang spoke to him, and he escorted them to their reserved table.

The place was huge and elegant. There were comfortable chairs, tables with gold-embroidered tablecloths, flowers, scented candles, shiny utensils, a large dance floor, and an empty platform for the band that was already running late.

They sat across from each other. A brown dog with a mustache came and delivered the menus. Fang ordered a giant ribeye steak and a bottle of vodka. Milk asked for a Caesar salad and a glass of red wine. The waiter dog wrote down their orders and left.

“Doctor Fang, I really wanted to ask you about your work and why you provide psychology services through the internet,” asked Milk.

“Sure, sweetie. I’ll tell you,” said the white tiger while placing an elegant golden napkin over her legs. “When I was much younger than you, I decided to study medicine. But in my second year, I switched to psychology because I found the study of animal behavior more interesting than examining corpses all day. I graduated and then specialized in Counseling Psychology. After that, I worked half my career at a well-known hospital. I grew bored of the hospital and started my own psychology practice. I worked there until I retired. I enjoyed retirement for a few months, but I couldn’t stand the boredom. I decided to return to work, but this time helping people online. That was a great idea because it’s given me the opportunity to meet wonderful patients like you, my dear Milk.”

“Wow, I never could have imagined you had such an impressive career. I, on the other hand, have had a very turbulent career as an accountant. Since the day I graduated, I’ve been laid off almost a hundred times. I guess it’s my fault. I let my emotions control me, and I’m also a slacker,” said Milk while looking sadly at the empty glass bottle near her.

The mustached waiter arrived with their orders on a silver tray. Once the dishes and beverages were on the table, the two girls began devouring their food and drinks without a care in the world. The waiter left quietly.

“My dear Milk, your emotional instability seems to be your main issue, and we must work on it in our next sessions,” said Fang while gripping the steak by the bone and tearing the meat with her sharp teeth. “I really want to thank you for sharing so much about yourself!”

“Don’t mention it, Doctor Fang. Your therapy methods are helping me tremendously,” said Milk while taking another sip of wine.

They both finished their meals, and immediately after, the band finally arrived. Everyone began moving to the dance floor.

“My dear Milk, would you like to dance with me?” asked Fang while standing and extending her hand to Milk.

”Yes!” exclaimed Milk while grabbing Fang’s hand and pulling her to the dance floor.

They danced slowly, holding each other’s hands while moving their feet to the ballroom music. At one moment during the dance, Fang grabbed Milk and pulled her closer. They ended up embracing each other, sharing the warmth of their bodies. Milk became overwhelmed by Fang’s perfume and closeness. Fang loved feeling Milk’s arms around her waist.

When the dance ended, they returned to the table and resumed their conversation while drinking the remaining liquor. When they finished, it was clear to everyone that they were heavily intoxicated.

They paid the bill and left the place while stumbling. They went to a corner outside the restaurant and resumed their cuddling.

“Oh, Milk. You’re so cute and beautiful,” exclaimed Fang.

“You too, Doctor Fang,” replied Milk.

They smiled at each other for a moment, and then Fang kissed Milk. Milk was startled for a second but then decided to return the kiss. They kissed deeply while exploring each other’s bodies. Milk grabbed Fang’s waist while Fang held Milk close.

“My dear Milk, I’ve wanted to ask you this for some time. Would you like us to be something more?” asked Fang with a glow in her eyes.

“I don’t know, Doctor Fang. I need some time to think,” said Milk.

“Don’t worry, dear. I respect your decision. Let me take you home,” replied Fang with a disappointed expression on her face.

They got into the car and didn’t say a word to each other throughout the entire trip. They arrived at Milk’s place, said their goodbyes, and Fang returned to her duplex on the city’s outskirts.

When the SUV arrived at the duplex, teenage tiger Mousse was waiting at the front door with a disappointed expression. Fang parked the car and stumbled her way to the entrance. Once close enough to her daughter, she knelt down, hugged her around the waist, and wept for half an hour.