Shownotes
Mitch is having a time hanging out with his coworkers after work, up until he discovers alternate dimensions and how to take advantage of them.
Today’s story is “Taco Tuesday” by Dirt Coyote, who, when he’s not causing all sorts of trouble on twitter, is writing a novel, a series, and short furry fiction. His story featured on The Voice of Dog, “I’m Just Your Stud” was nominated for Coyotl’s Best Short Story of 2021. Find him at DirtCoyote on Twitter for future updates.
Read by Solomon Harries, a Cuddly Badger Dad.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/taco-tuesday-by-dirt-coyote
Transcripts
You’re listening to The Voice of
Speaker:Dog. This is Sol Harries, your cuddly badger dad,
Speaker:and Today’s story is
Speaker:“Taco Tuesday” by Dirt Coyote,
Speaker:who, when he’s not causing all sorts of trouble online, is writing a novel,
Speaker:a series, and short furry fiction.
Speaker:His story featured on The Voice of Dog, “I’m Just Your Stud”
Speaker:was nominated for Coyotl’s Best Short Story
Speaker:of 2021.
Speaker:Find him at DirtCoyote
Speaker:on Blue Sky for future updates.
Speaker:Read by Solomon Harries, Cuddly Badger Dad
Speaker:Please enjoy “Taco Tuesday”
Speaker:By Dirt Coyote Mitch grumbled to himself outside of Juanita's Bar and Grill.
Speaker:When his coworker, Desmond, had asked him to go out for Taco Tuesday, he'd thought it was a date.
Speaker:He had crushed on the wolf for so long, he didn't realize that his invitation was a part of a work outing.
Speaker:The raccoon didn't really want to be tagging along with the rest of the office.
Speaker:Moreso though, he didn't know that the wolf already had someone with him.
Speaker:Wrapped around Desmond's arm was a platinum fox,
Speaker:chatting away giddily with all of his coworkers. RICHIE
Speaker:"Yeah, I go up around 7pm,"
Speaker:he heard Richie say to a mink standing with the group.
Speaker:Mitch kept an uncomfortable awkward foot away from the circle.
Speaker:He did his best not to look like a sour raisin, but it strained his muscles trying to fake a smile in front of everyone.
Speaker:His eyes kept moving to the vulpine, and a pang of jealousy would overcome him every time.
Speaker:Richie was beautiful, charmy, funny, and apparently a talented musician as well.
Speaker:He had everything going for him. ANDREA
Speaker:"That's so cool," the mink, Andrea, said,
Speaker:leaning into the couple.
Speaker:"How long have you two been seeing each other?"
Speaker:Desmond's ears turned a slight shade of pink, and he bashfully turned to the fox.
Speaker:DESMOND "Oh, I dunno. Almost a month now, right?"
Speaker:The raccoon's ears flicked to the conversation, a small hope that this wasn't anything serious.
Speaker:Richie snuffed that thought out as he leaned in and gave a peck to the wolf's cheek. RICHIE
Speaker:"It feels like longer.
Speaker:We've been hanging out almost every night. He's very supportive.
Speaker:supportive." They shared a giggle and the wolf returned the kiss before saying, DESMOND
Speaker:"It's hard not to be. You're very good.
Speaker:I just like getting into the venues for free.
Speaker:free." The group laughed at that and Mitch rolled his eyes.
Speaker:Never once did the wolf seem interested that he could play music.
Speaker:He was actually pretty good at playing the guitar himself.
Speaker:Mitch could play any of the silly love songs that he would want to hear.
Speaker:In truth, he wanted to play them all for him. Bzzzz
Speaker:Mitch looked down at the humming pager in his paw. MITCH "Um, I think our table is ready," he said to the group.
Speaker:Everyone cheered,
Speaker:"Taco Tuesday!" and began folding into the restaurant.
Speaker:Mitch was last to walk in, bringing the pager back to the hostess.
Speaker:"Mitch, party of seven?"
Speaker:she asked and he gave an affirmative nod.
Speaker:They were led to a table, the raccoon taking a seat first.
Speaker:Around them were pictures of desert landscapes and sombreros hanging off of the walls.
Speaker:Ribbons of green, white, and red were strung around the ceiling.
Speaker:All the staff were wearing ridiculous looking ponchos that bordered on offensive.
Speaker:There was even a flag in the center of each table, in case anyone forgot what cuisine this was.
Speaker:And just his luck, Desmond and Richie had picked the spot directly across from him.
Speaker:Beside Mitch sat his other coworker, Josh, a hefty ringtail. He was the loudest in the office, and of course he'd be sitting closest to him.
Speaker:This night couldn't get any worse.
Speaker:A twinkish hare approached the table with a tablet in hand,
Speaker:"What can I get started for you?"
Speaker:JOSH "How bout a round of shots for everyone?" the ringtail bursted out.
Speaker:It made Mitch's ears duck, and he gave a small scowl his direction.
Speaker:Before he could say anything,
Speaker:Andrea laughed and said first,
Speaker:"It's a weeknight.
Speaker:I'm not doing shots when I got cubs to go home to.
Speaker:Just a water for me, please."
Speaker:Richie raised his paw and said,
Speaker:"Same. I'm going to be performing and I don't wanna be sloppy on-stage.
Speaker:-stage." The hare looked at Mitch with a small smile,
Speaker:"Shots for you?" Flustered,
Speaker:the raccoon grabbed the small drink menu from the center of the table and looked it over.
Speaker:Not wanting to hold up the group, he pointed to the top and said,
Speaker:"Just a Mai Tai for me. Thanks.
Speaker:Thanks." Only Desmond had taken up the offer of shots, but Josh just laughed it off. "More for us, amiright?"
Speaker:Then he ribbed at Mitch's side.
Speaker:He inched his seat away from the bigger man, annoyed that he was in this situation.
Speaker:The table turned to light conversations with Mitch mostly leaving himself out of it.
Speaker:When he was asked for his input on something, the raccoon just gave small answers.
Speaker:His attention was mostly watching the fox and wolf playful nudge and hold each other across from him.
Speaker:"And your Mai Tai,"
Speaker:the hare said, smile wide.
Speaker:"Oh, ugh, sure," Mitch said dismissively as he accepted his drink.
Speaker:Before the hare left, he leaned in and said,
Speaker:"I made sure this one was made extra special for you.
Speaker:you." Then he spun around quickly, a small giggle following him.
Speaker:Andrea, holding her glass to her lips, repeated with a smile,
Speaker:"Extra special, eh?" Mitch, having hardly registered it, waved off her words and said,
Speaker:"Someone wants a tip.
Speaker:tip." Her eyebrows went up,
Speaker:and she took a sip before asking,
Speaker:"So what sort of music do you play?"
Speaker:Mitch was about to open his muzzle, before he saw her gaze turn to Richie.
Speaker:Oh right. The platinum fox leaned against his boyfriend for support
Speaker:and said, "Oh, just some solo stuff. I play the guitar and sing.
Speaker:Mostly covers but people seem to like them.
Speaker:them." He began to list off a bunch of pop songs,
Speaker:Mitch knowing how to play all of them.
Speaker:Josh leaned forward after taking a shot. "Oh, that one's my favorite," he exclaimed loudly.
Speaker:They weren't that special, Mitch thought to himself.
Speaker:On the topic of things that weren't special, the raccoon took a sip of his Mai Tai and let out a small sigh.
Speaker:Josh noticed and turned to face him.
Speaker:"What's wrong buddy? Not what you wanted?"
Speaker:he asked, and then gave a pat on his back.
Speaker:This whole night was not what he wanted, to be honest.
Speaker:Specifically though, he didn't want this Mai Tai.
Speaker:There was a cross fox sitting at a table across from him
Speaker:with a salt rimmed margarita that looked absolutely delicious.
Speaker:He finished his drink anyways before getting out of his seat, mostly to escape the ringtail.
Speaker:"I'm just gonna use the restroom," he excused himself and walked towards the bathrooms.
Speaker:He practically burst open the door, walking straight towards the sinks.
Speaker:Mitch turned the handles of the faucet, letting water spray loudly.
Speaker:Looking behind him, he made sure all the stalls were empty before stomping his foot on the ground.
Speaker:With his head in the sink, he yelled into the water, letting all of his frustrations out in a scream.
Speaker:Then he splashed the water into his face, hoping that it would cool him off a bit.
Speaker:He grabbed a handful of towels from a dispenser.
Speaker:That's when he heard noises coming from a door opposite
Speaker:of the one he came through.
Speaker:Curiously, he stepped towards it,
Speaker:ears perked. It sounded like another restaurant was attached to the Jaunitas,
Speaker:but he was sure that there wasn't.
Speaker:It was a single building surrounded by nothing but a parking lot.
Speaker:Cautiously, he reached towards the doorknob,
Speaker:grabbing hold of it and giving it a twist.
Speaker:It was unlocked, giving way at the slightest amount of pressure.
Speaker:His head turned back to the door he came from, only noticing now
Speaker:that it wasn't there.
Speaker:It was just a tiled wall, and he thought for a second he must've got turned around in his frustration.
Speaker:No, that wasn't true. This door hadn't been here before
Speaker:and the one he came from was completely gone.
Speaker:Mitch pushed forward anyways, stepping into the restaurant.
Speaker:It was similar to the Juanita's, though, none of the Mexican flags and tacky decorations were no longer on the wall.
Speaker:Instead, they were now replaced with different sports gear and team colored shirts and flags. He recognized the orange and black of the High Kick's football logo. MITCH
Speaker:"The fuck?" the raccoon whispered to himself as he walked around confused. A guest pushed passed him, forcing him out into the open as they raced for the bathroom door.
Speaker:That's when he saw his table, with Richie raising a paw towards him.
Speaker:The fox was still sitting next to Desmond.
Speaker:Still confused about the setting,
Speaker:he got back to his table and asked,
Speaker:"Did they change Juanitas when I got up?"
Speaker:Josh gave a weird look to Mitch and then laughed loudly,
Speaker:"Juanita's? Jeez, those books must've been hectic today." Then, like the ringtail would, he jabbed at him with an elbow and said, "Bro, it's Wing Wednesday. We're at Hot Stuff."
Speaker:Mitch recognized the name, the national brand of a sports bar and grill.
Speaker:Desmond, leaning forward, pointed at the margarita in front of him.
Speaker:"Maybe you should take a sip.
Speaker:Work's got you all mixed up,"
Speaker:he said, getting a small concerned laugh from the table. MITCH
Speaker:"I didn't order— we were just at
Speaker:—" he cut himself off, looking at the salted rim of the margarita glass.
Speaker:The wheels in his head began to turn,
Speaker:and he reached forward to grab the stem.
Speaker:Carefully, he put the glass to his lip and took a sip of his drink.
Speaker:It was as delicious as he hoped it would be.
Speaker:He put the drink on the table, looking around at the group.
Speaker:Everyone had eyes on him, mostly confused at the raccoon's own bewilderment.
Speaker:Then, with a chuckle, Mitch said,
Speaker:"Wow, the waiter wasn't kidding.
Speaker:He did make it special.
Speaker:special." That seemed to ease the tension.
Speaker:Andrea, putting her elbows on the table, gave him a wink and said,
Speaker:"I think he likes you.
Speaker:you." Mitch nodded his head dismissively saying, "Yeah, yeah. Anyways,
Speaker:when do you go up?"
Speaker:His attention turned towards Richie.
Speaker:The fox's eyes lit up,
Speaker:and he could practically hear his bushy tail wagging behind him.
Speaker:"In, like, a little bit.
Speaker:I'll probably have to start getting ready in thirty.
Speaker:thirty." Mitch turned his head,
Speaker:looking all about him at the restaurant.
Speaker:Most things were the same: the waiting staff, his coworkers, the cross fox sitting at the other table,
Speaker:and the stage ready for Richie to play in front of.
Speaker:But it was definitely a Hot Stuff restaurant with all the sports regalia on the walls.
Speaker:The staff was now wearing colored jerseys instead of the ponchos.
Speaker:Josh remained the same, rubbing into the raccoon again.
Speaker:"Hey, don't you play?
Speaker:I think you mentioned that before?"
Speaker:he asked, strumming at an invisible guitar.
Speaker:Mitch nodded his head, making a similar gesture. "Yeah, I'm alright. I know a few songs," he said modestly, still a little jarred at the change of scenery.
Speaker:Josh laughed, continuing to wave his arms about
Speaker:like a fool. "I bet you're not as good as this guy. Maybe you should have him teach you a few things," he said, pointing over to the fox.
Speaker:Richie ducked his head sheepishly, and Mitch gave a frown towards the ringtail. MITCH "Yeah,
Speaker:hey, I think I need to use the restroom again," he said, getting out of his seat. "I'll be right back.
Speaker:back." Josh said something , getting another laugh from the group, but Mitch was already halfway to the bathrooms.
Speaker:He did not like Josh and he definitely didn't want him to be at this outing with him anymore.
Speaker:Mitch thought about the margarita, how much he wanted it when he left for the restroom.
Speaker:With the ringtail on his mind, he stepped through the bathroom door.
Speaker:Everything looked the same, at least, what he imagined looked like the first time he walked in.
Speaker:The tiles on the wall were grey,
Speaker:the stalls, three of them, were black, and there were two sinks in a granite countertop.
Speaker:There was no door across from him.
Speaker:At first, he thought just to go back to Wing Wednesday and play it out,
Speaker:but his curiosity led him to the sink once more
Speaker:and he turned on the water.
Speaker:He dipped his head in, thinking to yell again but chose differently. Just brought his paws up, scooped water into them, and ran it over his muzzle.
Speaker:He let it cool him,
Speaker:grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser, and wiped his fur dry.
Speaker:Then, with a smile, he turned towards the door he came from,
Speaker:only to see it was now a tiled wall.
Speaker:Mitch looked over to the otherside,
Speaker:noticing the sounds of a restaurant coming from his right.
Speaker:He walked to the new door, grabbing hold of the handle and pausing.
Speaker:Would it be Thai Thursday?
Speaker:That didn't make much sense.
Speaker:Mitch tried thinking of all the things that he might have been walking into,
Speaker:wondering what game he was playing wandering through dimensions.
Speaker:Taking a deep breath, he remained stumped, but pushed open the door anyways.
Speaker:Instantly, he was met with an accordion playing on the speakers overhead.
Speaker:There were Italian flags everywhere, along with pictures of Venice's iconic canals.
Speaker:The raccoon stepped out of the way of a waiter carrying a pizza tray.
Speaker:He looked confused at it, then turned his attention to the table.
Speaker:There, Richie raised his paw, waving him over.
Speaker:Mitch took his seat, noticing an absent ringtail beside him.
Speaker:He looked over to Andrea and asked,
Speaker:"Where's Josh?" even though he was sure of the answer.
Speaker:The mustelid cocked her head to the side in confusion and asked, ANDREA "Josh?
Speaker:Ugh, I guess he's at home getting smashed, I assume? Were you expecting him?"
Speaker:Mitch looked down at his margarita, nodding his head before giving a quick shake,
Speaker:"No, I guess I just thought he would've wanted to come out tonight," he said, trying to play it off.
Speaker:Then he asked, "So it's
Speaker:pizza Thursday?" Desmond and Richie gave a look to one another and laughed, before the fox said, RICHIE
Speaker:"I think you all called it Thin Crust Thursday?
Speaker:Little bit of a stretch, don't you think?"
Speaker:Mitch snapped his fingers and nodded along. "Yeah! That's right.
Speaker:Thin Crust Thursday," he said, as if he was supposed to know that all along.
Speaker:Desmond, with some concern, raised and eyebrow and asked,
Speaker:"Everything good? You've been a little off all night?"
Speaker:The raccoon gave a wide smile, feeling some control over his situation now.
Speaker:"Never better," he said, bringing his margarita to his lips.
Speaker:He took a long sip of it, almost tipping the entire glass back before sitting it on the table.
Speaker:Richie, across from him, noticed and then he began to wipe at his whiskers politely. Mitch raised an eyebrow at the motion, before he gasped, now feeling the salt hanging from his own whiskers.
Speaker:He grabbed a napkin and brushed his muzzle clean before giving a silent thanks.
Speaker:The fox nodded and then turned towards his boyfriend, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Speaker:Desmond blushed, but returned a similar peck.
Speaker:Mitch didn't like that.
Speaker:"You know, this margarita is really going through me. I gotta dip into the bathroom again," he said.
Speaker:Andrea furrowed her brow and asked,
Speaker:"Are you sure everything's alright? You don't have to stay. It's just a little get together.
Speaker:We'll see you at work tomorrow." Mitch held out a paw, nodding up and down,
Speaker:"No, it's fine. Trust me. Everything will be alright,"
Speaker:he said, trying to hold back his devilish smile.
Speaker:Then he got from his seat and walked towards the restroom.
Speaker:In his mind, he kept repeating what he wanted.
Speaker:Desmond and Richie aren't together. Desmond and Richie aren't together. Desmond and Richie aren't together.
Speaker:He was so focused on the phrase that he almost ran right into the hare waiter.
Speaker:"Whoops, sorry," the waiter excused himself as he took a step to the side.
Speaker:Mitch looked bashful for a second, dipping his muzzle down. "No, sorry. That was my fault,"
Speaker:he said, trying to walk around him.
Speaker:The hare held up his paw, slowing him down. "Oh,
Speaker:um, hey. I recognize you.
Speaker:I think we go to the same bars?"
Speaker:Mitch nodded his head before shaking it. "Yeah, um,
Speaker:maybe. I usually go to The Lark,"
Speaker:he said, eyes not leaving the door to the restroom.
Speaker:"Yeah, that's the one. I was wondering
Speaker:—" "—Yeah, yeah. Anyways, got to go. I'll see you around,"
Speaker:Mitch said, walking past him.
Speaker:He didn't even care to register the hurt on the lapine's muzzle.
Speaker:If tonight went well, he'd never need to go to The Lark again.
Speaker:Again, he walked into the bathroom, but didn't even need to go to the sink this time.
Speaker:Already, a door waited directly across from him.
Speaker:He turned his head back to the door he just stepped through, but to no surprise, there was nothing behind him.
Speaker:Ignoring that, he just walked to the other side of the restroom and stepped through.
Speaker:Admittingly, he was excited for Fried Chicken Friday, but that wasn't the case.
Speaker:Before him, the restaurant was covered in pictures of boats surrounding him.
Speaker:There was a plastic Marlin hanging against a wall with nets and wooden ship wheels littering the place.
Speaker:Grumbling, Mitch muttered to himself,
Speaker:"Fish and Chips Friday. Of— fucking— course.
Speaker:course." To his surprise, Richie was still seated next to Desmond.
Speaker:He cocked his eyebrow in confusion before the fox noticed him and flipped up a paw for him.
Speaker:Mitch cautiously waved back and then walked over to take his seat.
Speaker:"Hey, did I miss anything?" he asked curiously.
Speaker:Richie shook his head, still wearing that same smile that he had on all night.
Speaker:"No, you were only gone a second," he said gleefully.
Speaker:Mitch, leaning into the table, asked,
Speaker:"So, how did you and Desmond meet?"
Speaker:His words were slow, cautious not to reveal anything.
Speaker:Desmond and Richie turned their heads to one another, a little confused.
Speaker:The wolf was the one to answer.
Speaker:"Um, we've just been hanging out for a little bit now.
Speaker:I saw him play at a bar and we've just been chatting here and there.
Speaker:there." Mitch nodded and then carefully asked, "Are you twoooooooo…?"
Speaker:He let that last part hang until the fox's ears went up. RICHIE "Oh,
Speaker:haha, no. We're just friends," Richie interrupted,
Speaker:ears folding back.
Speaker:The two shared a blush, but Mitch didn't even give them a chance to feel embarrassed,
Speaker:"Oh good. Haha, just was curious is all.
Speaker:all." Desmond's muzzle twisted at that, something on his mind about the word good in his sentence.
Speaker:Before he could let him speak, Mitch said quickly, "So, Desmond, you like music. You know I can play a little bit myself.
Speaker:myself." He motioned playing a guitar for him.
Speaker:Desmond's head went up and down in a slow nod.
Speaker:"Oh yeah? That's cool. Maybe you and Richie could play together sometime?"
Speaker:he asked, but didn't seem to be very interested in that.
Speaker:Mitch, leaning in with a smile, asked, "Maybe? Or maybe I can play something for you sometime?" Desmond nodded again, but turned his attention to the fox.
Speaker:"So yeah! Um, Richie, you have to go up soon, right?"
Speaker:The fox let out a gasp and pulled out his phone.
Speaker:He glanced at the time, before nodding up and down. "That's right! Almost got caught up. Thanks,"
Speaker:he said, getting out of his seat. "Wish me luck!"
Speaker:Desmond and Richie shared a smile, one that seemed just a little too genuine.
Speaker:It made the raccoon's muzzle twist and he followed Richie with a glare as he walked away.
Speaker:Thankfully, no one noticed it.
Speaker:Andrea, with a wry smile, asked,
Speaker:"So, this Richie fella.
Speaker:fella." Her nose was pointed to Desmond.
Speaker:The wolf turned to her before sinking a little into his seat.
Speaker:"He's great, right?"
Speaker:Desmond asked redundantly, but he knew what she was getting at.
Speaker:She let out a giggle and said,
Speaker:"I think he likes you.
Speaker:you." The wolf shook his head, but couldn't wipe away the embarrassed smile on his muzzle. "Nah, we're just friends. I dunno if he wants anything like that.
Speaker:that." Desmond's head turned back towards the stage,
Speaker:ears folded back.
Speaker:Mitch could tell he was looking for the fox, but he tried to catch his attention. "Um,
Speaker:say, Desmond. Maybe you can come over to my place sometime. We could hang out. I can show you some of my guitars or we could watch a movie or something,"
Speaker:he said, trying his best not to sound like he was pleading.
Speaker:The wolf turned his head only slightly towards Mitch,
Speaker:giving a half nod and muttering,
Speaker:"Yeah, sure. We should do that sometime.
Speaker:sometime." Despite it being an affirmative answer, nothing about it made Mitch feel good.
Speaker:It was that damn fox ruining everything. He knew what he'd have to do.
Speaker:Getting up again, he got a single step towards the bathroom before Andrea interrupted him.
Speaker:"Again? What're you doing bumps of coke in there?"
Speaker:His head snapped back and he almost growled out, "No, I'm just
Speaker:—" He caught himself, noticing everyone at the table was now staring at him.
Speaker:Breathing in, he let out a long sigh before saying,
Speaker:"I'm just fixing something. Don't worry about it. I'll be right back.
Speaker:back." There were murmurs shared between his coworkers, but Mitch just ignored them.
Speaker:They couldn't understand how important it was that he got this right.
Speaker:Richie was ruining everything that he wanted, and all he needed to do was remove him from Desmond.
Speaker:That fox gotta go.
Speaker:Mitch wanted nothing more than for Desmond to have never met Richie.
Speaker:He grabbed hold of the bathroom door, thinking about his wish carefully and then pushed through.
Speaker:At the opposite side of the bathroom was the door waiting for him.
Speaker:Waiting to give him everything he wanted.
Speaker:He took quick steps towards it, reaching his paw out to grab the handle.
Speaker:Before he could, Mitch caught the sound of sniffling coming from a stall.
Speaker:He paused. There'd never been anyone else inside this bathroom all the other times.
Speaker:It almost felt like an invasion of his space, like someone else was using his portal through dimensions.
Speaker:That was silly, because it was a bathroom for anyone and whoever was in the stall was free to cry to themselves.
Speaker:He turned the knob.
Speaker:A soft sob stopped him again,
Speaker:and he cocked his head slightly to the side.
Speaker:Everything he wanted was just on the other side of this door, but he couldn't ignore the quiet whimpers coming from the stall.
Speaker:Not when he'd been feeling like he wanted to cry all night himself.
Speaker:With a sigh, he let go of the doorknob and turned around.
Speaker:"Everything alright?" he asked, stepping into the middle of the restroom.
Speaker:There was a soft squeak of fright before he heard someone loudly blow their nose.
Speaker:"Everything is fine,"
Speaker:a familiar voice called back.
Speaker:Mitch recognized the voice, and furrowed his brow in confusion.
Speaker:"Richie?" On the other side of the door, he heard some shuffling before the fox opened his stall. He had a wad
Speaker:of toilet paper in his paw, wiping away at his muzzle.
Speaker:When he stepped out, he looked just as confused as the raccoon was.
Speaker:"Do I know you?" he asked, throwing the wad into the bowl behind him.
Speaker:Mitch closed his eyes, realizing he got what he wished for.
Speaker:Without Desmond meeting Richie, the fox had no idea who he was.
Speaker:He thought fast and said, "Um,
Speaker:yeah. I recognized your voice. You're playing tonight, right?"
Speaker:Richie nodded his head up and down, trying to clean up the matted fur on his face with the back of his wrist.
Speaker:"Yeah. I didn't realize I had any
Speaker:fans. Sorry I look like such a fucking mess," he said,
Speaker:giving a laugh that croaked into another sob.
Speaker:Mitch leaned himself against the sink, asking,
Speaker:"What's wrong? You're gonna go up in a little bit, aren't you?"
Speaker:Richie nodded his head up and down at first, but then shook his head sorrowfully.
Speaker:"I don't think I can do it.
Speaker:I don't even know why I bother trying," he said, waving his paw and slunking against the side of the stall.
Speaker:"All I do is play stupid covers for no one.
Speaker:Nobody’s here to see me.
Speaker:me." Mitch shook his head, realizing what he'd just done.
Speaker:Desmond had been the one to give Richie courage to go out there on that stage,
Speaker:and he selfishly had cut him off from one of his biggest supporters.
Speaker:His eyes went back to the other side of the bathroom, but there was no door. Just a grey tiled wall.
Speaker:There was no way to take his wish back. This isn't what he wanted.
Speaker:The raccoon's ears folded on the back of his head and his maw was left gaping.
Speaker:"I'm so sorry," he apologized in a whisper.
Speaker:Richie, turning his head up to look at Mitch, shook his head and said,
Speaker:"It's not your fault. I'm just dumb.
Speaker:dumb." His words were shaky and he seemed ready to crumble into sobs again.
Speaker:"No, I—" Mitch cut himself short, thinking hard about what he could do to fix this.
Speaker:They stood in silence for a second before the raccoon found the courage to do what he had to do.
Speaker:"Hey, buddy. You don't have to go up there alone.
Speaker:What songs you playing?"
Speaker:Mitch and Richie left the bathroom a couple minutes later.
Speaker:It was Steak Saturday now, and though he certainly liked the sound of that, there was no time to order himself anything.
Speaker:The fox had cleaned up his muzzle enough to hide his tears. Mitch only stopped by his coworkers for a second, telling him his plan.
Speaker:Desmond seemed confused, and though he thought he could have his opportunity with him now,
Speaker:he just gave him a wave goodbye.
Speaker:Then, going on stage and borrowing a guitar from another musician, he began to play.
Speaker:The two played for an hour straight.
Speaker:Mitch was glad it was all the cheesy love songs that he'd practiced alone hundreds of times before.
Speaker:He joined in on some of the vocals but mostly supported Richie in the center of the stage.
Speaker:The fox didn't fumble a single note,
Speaker:turning back around to smile at Mitch every now and then.
Speaker:When they'd finished, the two met backstage. Richie pulled Mitch into a tight hug, letting some tears fall onto the raccoon's shoulder.
Speaker:"Thanks. For everything.
Speaker:I don't think I could have done this without you," he said,
Speaker:brushing his eyes as he pulled away.
Speaker:Mitch nodded his head up and down, still feeling a little guilty for what he'd done.
Speaker:Knowing there was still one last thing to make right, he pointed the fox towards the dining area and said,
Speaker:"You did great out there.
Speaker:Actually, I think one of my coworkers, the wolf, really liked your performance.
Speaker:His name is Desmond.
Speaker:Desmond." Then, working up a sly smile, he added,
Speaker:"I think he likes you.
Speaker:you." The fox's muzzle turned a slight shade of pink, and he asked bashfully,
Speaker:"Am I that obvious?"
Speaker:Mitch laughed, watching Richie poke his head from behind the curtain to see who he might have been talking about.
Speaker:"Just, call it a hunch," he said.
Speaker:Then, looking over to the bathrooms again, he nodded his head and excused himself.
Speaker:"Why don't you sit with us? I just gotta run to the bathroom really fast," he said and then left with one more parting hug from the fox.
Speaker:When he got back into the bathroom, he expected to see a new door,
Speaker:but there was nothing.
Speaker:He walked to the sink, trying to recreate turning on the water and washing his face,
Speaker:but no door had appeared.
Speaker:As goofy as it was, he tried to yell into the water again, but he no longer had the frustration from earlier.
Speaker:No matter what he did, the grey tiled wall remained just a wall.
Speaker:Though he would be glad if he got to skip his entire workweek hopping through dimensions,
Speaker:he kind of just wanted to go back home.
Speaker:Mitch turned back to the door he came from and stared at it.
Speaker:He could hear the restaurant still bustling on the other side.
Speaker:Curiously, he walked towards it and placed his paw on the handle.
Speaker:He wondered for a second if he was going back to Steak Saturday or maybe even forward to Sushi Sunday.
Speaker:With some courage, he pushed through the door.
Speaker:Immediately, he was met with Mexican flags, sombreros, and desert landscapes hanging along the walls.
Speaker:Mitch let out a small sigh of relief, turning towards his table.
Speaker:Richie, as always, was sitting at the table next to Desmond.
Speaker:He had one arm wrapped around the wolf's while the other went up to wave at the raccoon.
Speaker:He smiled and waved back.
Speaker:When he got back to his, Josh was sitting next to him, already finishing his second shot.
Speaker:"Hey buddy! You ready for a show?"
Speaker:the ringtail asked, giving him a rib to his side.
Speaker:Mitch laughed, elbowing him back hard enough to get an Umph. "Yeah,
Speaker:Richie's going up in another half hour?" he asked, turning up and smiling at the fox.
Speaker:Richie's ears perked up, and he pulled out his phone.
Speaker:"Oh shoot, that's right! I gotta start getting ready.
Speaker:Thanks for the reminder," he said, quickly getting out of his seat.
Speaker:He gave a peck to the wolf, getting one in return.
Speaker:Before he could get a step away from the table, Mitch called out,
Speaker:"Best of luck, buddy!"
Speaker:That got Richie to pause, muzzle growing hot for a second before he gave a thumbs up to the raccoon and left for the stage.
Speaker:Andrea took a sip of her drink before saying,
Speaker:"You're in a good mood.
Speaker:mood." A paw went to the back of his head and he scratched it bashfully.
Speaker:"Yeah, sorry about that guys. Just needed some perspective.
Speaker:Thanks for letting me come out with all of you for Taco Tuesday," he said,
Speaker:and then turned to Josh.
Speaker:"You know, I think I might join you for a shot." The ringtail's head lifted up in surprise, and then he pumped a fist into the air.
Speaker:"Yeah! That's my guy,"
Speaker:he practically shouted and then flipped around looking left and right for the waiter.
Speaker:As Josh signaled for the hare, Mitch reached out and grabbed hold of a pen in the center of the table.
Speaker:He pulled a napkin towards himself and began jotting something down.
Speaker:The waiter got to their table, Josh getting shots for both him and Mitch.
Speaker:The raccoon nodded, but before he let the hare go,
Speaker:he held up the napkin for him to take.
Speaker:"Hey, uh, I think you dropped this earlier," he said to the waiter.
Speaker:Confused, the lapine's whiskers twitched. He looked to say something, but his muzzle clasped shut as he unfolded the napkin and peaked inside.
Speaker:Then he nodded and left.
Speaker:Josh hadn't noticed the exchange, but Andrea did and asked,
Speaker:"What was that?" Mitch grabbed his half dranken Mai Tai and said,
Speaker:"Nothing," he said before turning back to eye the waiter.
Speaker:He could see the hare was sneaking peeks in his direction.
Speaker:He tipped the drink to his lips and finished the rest of it before saying,
Speaker:"Just call it a hunch."
Speaker:Before Taco Tuesday had even finished, he had received one new text message.
Speaker:This was “Taco Tuesday” by Dirt Coyote,