In 1990, a sign language interpreter explores the queer scene on a journey of self discovery. However, he comes across a former client in a rather unusual place. Will his day time cover be blown?

Today’s story is “Familiar Encounter" by Darius Davis, a black queer bilingual african wild dog author, who uses his academic knowledge and background to create compelling short stories. You can follow him on twitter, @2DWildDog, for future writing projects and commissioned artwork. Also, a special thanks to @wakewolfasl on twitter, a friend of Darius who acted as a deaf creative consultant for this story.

If you'd like to read today's story, please follow this link for the text version: https://www.sofurry.com/view/1655992/

Read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.

You’re listening to The Voice of Dog. I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,

and Today’s story is

“Familiar Encounter"

by Darius Davis, a black queer bilingual african wild dog author,

who uses his academic knowledge and background to create compelling short stories.

You can follow him on twitter, @2DWildDog,

for future writing projects and commissioned artwork.

Also, a special thanks

to @wakewolfasl on twitter,

a friend of Darius

who acted as a deaf creative consultant for this story.

“Familiar Encounter”

by Darius Davis “Move your ass!”

James yelled with his head out the driver’s side window.

The donkey driver in the Buick GNX

gave him the bird

before he crawled forward to make room for the parking lot entrance.

The black and brown alpine goat rolled his eyes before he swerved into the lot.

His horns caught onto the roof of his Silver Honda Accord

as he tried to retreat into his car.

He was not about to be late for his assignment,

no matter how bad the traffic becomes.

The clock inside his dashboard counted down the minutes as he eventually found a spot next to the doctor’s office.

James grabbed his interpreting notebook and pen

to quickly review over the notes of today’s assignment.

After a few mental checklists and vocabulary clarifications,

he put the interpreting notebook away in the glovebox

and fast walked towards the entrance.

For James, it was standard procedure to arrive 15 minutes early to the appointment

so he could meet his client.

He checked in with the shriveled lioness receptionist at the front desk

to find out where his client might be.

Without even looking up from her grey mechanical keyboard,

her long boney finger pointed James to the nearest waiting room.

There were only two other creatures inside that he saw.

On one side of the room

was an older parrot woman

who read a glossy magazine.

On the other side was an admittedly handsome Irish cob horse

that matched the description his agency gave him.

He was a black and white stallion

with an enormously long flowing white mane

and tail hairs that completely covered the couch cushion next to him.

The stallion had a noticeable splint worn on his right ring finger.

For his attire, the stallion’s jean jacket and white undershirt was form fitting to his body,

which outlined the broader aspects of his muscular physique.

James could see himself mistaking the stallion for a

bodybuilder magazine cover model.

One that you would find at a checkout aisle inside a grocery store.

But today, the Irish cob was nothing more than a client.

The stallion looked over to him

and brought his hands up to sign,

“Are you the interpreter?”

“How could you tell?”

James signed back

“All you interpreters wear those black smock things.

No sane person with decent fashion sense would wear those,”

The stallion snickered.

The alpine goat chuckled to himself as it was clear

that the stallion was his client.

The stallion’s signing style reflected an urban dialect compared to those who lived outside the city.

Most people within the deaf community

tended to be extremely forward with their words and intentions.

They weren’t the type of people to be vague compared to their hearing counterparts.

And it was common for clients to poke fun at their interpreters for their choice of uniform attire.

In this case, however, it couldn’t be helped.

James sat next to him,

“I know but it's company policy that I wear this.

So, what’s your full name?

And what are you going to ask the doctor?”

“The name is Dixon Smith.

I’m here for just a regular check up and getting some blood tests back.

Nothing much else to it.

What’s your name?

Is this your first time doing a doctor’s appointment?”

Dixon laid back in his chair.

“I’m James Johnson.

And don’t worry this isn’t my first time, the agency wouldn’t send an amateur out for an important gig like this!”

“Hate to break it to you,

but there ain’t anything complicated about this appointment.

It’s no open-heart surgery, we are just

going in and out quick!

Should be done in under an hour.”

James took a sigh of relief as the appointment seemed to be an easy enough assignment.

It was always awkward for him to sit and observe silently whenever he had to inform a client of a serious medical condition

that dictated life and death decisions.

Last thing he wanted

was to tell his client they had terminal cancer or a serious illness.

Though before James fully settled into his chair,

Dixon waved at him to get his attention.

“By the way, what’s your name sign?”

Dixon asks. James shook his head,

“I… don’t have one.

Not yet anyway.” Dixon nodded,

“Alright… How about I call you JJ.

Makes it easier for me to remember.”

Dixon had modified the sign for yellow

as he kept his thumb in but motioned his hand to make a J sign twice.

A soft burning sensation

trickled up the sides of James’s cheeks

as he gave his thanks.

It was a huge honor for him to receive a name sign from a client.

In all his two years of work in the agency, he never imagined he would be granted such a privilege

from a strapping older stallion.

As the two waited,

James mentally ran down the check list of all possible medical terminology one last time

to give himself a self confidence boost.

After a few minutes,

the elk nurse called them in

and the two situated themselves in the doctor’s office.

James made sure to sit in a position where Dixon and the doctor

can both see him comfortably for him to sign.

Once the short brown otter doctor came in,

he introduced himself as Dr. Williams

and shook both of their hands.

The three made small talk as they all prepared themselves for today’s visit.

The short stacked otter had a large grey handlebar mustache

that covered his upper lip, which made it difficult for Dixon to read lips.

James could understand why his services would be needed

as the otter spoke in a lower volume and tone.

Dr. Williams took Dixon’s current weight,

height, and blood pressure.

He also did a quick evaluation on Dixon’s sprained ring finger.

Dr. Williams still recommended that Dixon keep it elevated

and treated for another week.

After the evaluation, the otter doctor brought out a clip board

and carefully reviewed it before he spoke while James interpreted.

“Now concerning your blood and urine tests, there are no signs of Chlamydia, Hepatitis, HIV, or Syphilis in your system!

Now, it is still important that you continue to practice safe sex with any female and/or male partners you may have!

If you need any pamphlets on exploring safe sex alternatives, I can have a nurse provide one for you!”

Dr. Williams said.

James was taken aback from the news

as he didn’t anticipate the need to interpret this specific subject.

He expected something along the lines of blood sugar levels, liver function, or cholesterol.

At least that was what he prepped for when former clients told them about upcoming blood tests.

Regardless, James quickly shook out his hands to compose himself

and relayed the information to Dixon.

The stallion nodded along as his tail flicked from side to side in his chair,

“Awesome! And don’t worry,

it’ll never happen again.

Just needed to get those tests after I found out my girlfriend cheated on me.

You wouldn’t believe the week I had!”

After James voiced the stallion’s signs,

Dr. Williams chuckled,

“Well, no worries ol’ sport.

I understand, you were just taking responsibility for your own health.

You don’t simply go around fucking every broad unlike most of the young folks I have to take care of!

Especially with this HIV thing still going around.

For a deaf man, you’re one of the smarter ones!”

James bit his lower lip as a sense of dread clenched his heart.

He understood that Dr. Williams’s intentions weren’t meant to be derogatory,

but felt the urge to omit the last part.

Still, he conveyed the full message and cringed internally as he watched Dixon silently clench his teeth.

They shared a deep glance,

Dixon and James understood the awkward situation the doctor created.

Dixon let out a small

uncomfortable verbal laugh to lighten the mood and sought to end the appointment as soon as possible.

After the test and health recommendations,

the two were escorted out of the office as the appointment concluded.

Dixon and James were met with the warm embrace of the afternoon sun once fully outside.

While the appointment was finished,

James considered himself lucky that his pay counted for the two-hour minimum.

As James headed for the parking lot, Dixon tapped the alpine goat’s left shoulder to stop him for a moment.

“Thanks for not making a big deal about the appointment.

I was too embarrassed to tell you earlier what the blood tests were about.”

Dixon shifted his feet.

“It’s fine, I’m sworn to secrecy, so the agency and I are legally compelled to keep our mouths shut about these sorts of things

outside of work!” James rubbed his hands after he signed.

They broke eye contact as James tried to figure out

how to not make the end of the session any more awkward.

He decided to step outside the normal bounds of his job responsibilities

to convey his sympathies to the client.

“Hey, sorry about what happened to your girl.

I know a few guys who had a raw deal like that.

Was that the reason why…

your ring finger needed a splint?”

James asked. “Oh this?

Um… this was just from a workplace accident after a steel beam landed on it.

I do construction for a living.

Anyway… like you said, you’re sworn to secrecy so it ain’t a big deal.

Probably won’t even see each other again.”

Dixon shrugged “I hope so…

I mean in terms of having to visit the doctor again!”

James tried to cover up his mistake for potential rudeness.

Dixon laughed, “I get it.

You don’t need to explain.

Anyway… it was nice to meet you!

Hope the rest of your day goes well!”

James nodded, “Agreed,

it was really nice to meet you as well.

Are you waiting for someone to pick you up?”

“Nope, I take public transportation. Though I’ll probably head to the gym.

You should get back to your agency. I know they tend to get stingy when you’re over the clock.”

Dixon pointed to his wrist.

James looked down to his watch

and saw he had about an hour to return to the agency.

While the drive was only a few minutes away,

he did want to pick up some lunch beforehand.

James took his cue and waved goodbye before he fast walked back to his sliver Accord.

For the rest of the day,

the strapping older stallion lingered in James’s mind.

Every client had their reasons to keep some personal details a secret.

The agency hammered home the point that people like James were nothing more

than language machines,

automatons. They were dissuaded from getting involved in personal matters of their clients.

It was forbidden for interpreters to develop deep

friendships or relationships with those in the deaf community.

To do so would put James at the risk of having to interpret for a client with

personal intimate knowledge,

which would hamper his judgement and bias.

Yet there were downsides to such a policy.

James hadn’t developed many connections within the deaf community.

It was a testament that his lack of a name sign after two years of work

signaled him as an outsider.

He wouldn’t mind getting to know people like Dixon.

The stallion seemed to be friendly,

not to mention a good looker.

James speculated

as to why a handsome strong stallion like Dixon would ever have a girl cheat on him.

Dixon didn’t appear

visibly upset when he mentioned it.

James could recall a few of his childhood friends that still held

strong grudges against their past lovers.

A lingered fantasy played out in his mind,

about how the two may share

more things in common than he first thought.

Regardless, like Dixon said,

they probably won’t come across one another for a while.

With a sizable deaf population in the inner city,

there was no telling if Dixon would need the agency anytime soon.

Besides, to become intimately involved with a past client,

let along one of the same sexes,

could cost him his livelihood.

Just one slip about James's personal life and he could soon see himself collecting employment.

That is why, James tried to figure out ways in which he could explore his sexuality while remaining anonymous.

The first rule

was to never date or deeply befriend anyone in the deaf community

just for his own protection.

But James also wanted to make sure the venues he attended

would have the low possibility of a neighbor,

work colleague, or friend finding him.

Thoughts continued to plague his mind

as the workday came to an end

and he started to head home.

His normal route was blocked by major construction

and he was forced to take a detour deeper into the city.

As he stopped behind several rows of gas guzzling sedans,

James’s eye caught the sight of a fancy sign outside an inconspicuous tall white building.

A few large burly bulls waited outside

with two keeping close contact with one another.

It dawned on him

that it was one of those bathhouses,

a place where men can feel liberated and comfortable with their desires for one another.

The building itself looked unremarkable but the sign and clientele out front gave a heavy hint.

James quickly opened the glove box to retrieve his interpreter notepad and pen.

He spotted and scribbled down the names of the street signs as fast as he could

before the light turned green.

Just as he was about to finish,

a car horn blared from behind

as the cars in front had already left.

James quickly pressed onto the gas and made the turn,

his blood rushed throughout his ears as he drove home.

No matter what, he needed to get home and open his phone book

to look up more information about the place.

A few days passed as James sat on the couch with a sprawl of notes scattered throughout his coffee table.

The phonebook revealed the precise name and address of the gay bathhouse

along with its operating hours.

Though there was not much info he could discern about the place without calling.

There was little info about what these hookup places were like.

Most of the national and local newspaper articles would

sensationalized them

to be nothing more than run-down festering slums where drugs and sleezy gay sex took place.

The only recent newspaper article about the specific bathhouse was its reopening in 1989,

just a few months ago.

There was little indication that anyone close to James would spot him there

which was an immediate benefit.

The building was hidden

behind several tall office complexes and low-income apartments

that most commuters wouldn’t pass unless taking a detour.

After a few days,

James compiled a plan to check out the location.

He would leave behind his work beeper,

take a bus route that situated close to the facility,

and would wear dark shades to obscure his identity.

At the most, he would bring a small gym bag, a notebook and pen,

flip flops, a towel, some cash,

and his driver’s license.

He hoped people would just take him as an ordinary jogger.

Though when the day came

and he started to take the bus trip down to the bathhouse,

pools of sweat beads down his face.

No one in their right mind could recognize the grey alpine goat

as this wasn’t his normal route and clothing attire.

Still, he had to stretch out his hands and legs to prevent them from

clenching up. Once the bus made the desired stop,

he swiftly climbed out the door

and headed towards the bathhouse a few blocks away.

He blended in with the other pedestrians

as he hoped it prevented the possibility of a coworker passing by

while on their commute.

After a few turns,

James arrived in front of the bathhouse and approached the front desk.

The heavyset tan wolf behind the plexiglass

didn’t bat an eye when James approached.

The wolf simply asked for payment and ID

while he pointed at the sign that displayed all the rules.

After the transaction,

James was finally allowed entry into the facility.

Once buzzed in the front doors,

the alpine goat was greeted by the sight of two young handsome platinum foxes

with towels around their waist.

Every variety and species of men

adorned the hallways

and rooms of the facility.

The halls buzzed with casual conversations

as James made his way towards the locker rooms upstairs.

His floppy ears heard side conversations of the clientele

as the halls were mixed of small talk,

sports conversations,

blue collar work, and compliments.

The décor of the bathhouse didn’t meet James expectations.

Instead of loud colors,

ostentatious furniture, or elaborate carpentry like he imagined,

the inside looked no different than a casual gymnasium.

Though it had the aesthetics of a casual gym,

it wasn’t the main attraction.

An array of saunas, pools, jacuzzis,

locker rooms, small indoor theaters, and a roof patio were all provided

by the facility that James took note of.

There was one small detail that his ear picked up as he passed by a nearby door.

Slight rumbles traveled under his hooved feet

while the bass music climbed up from the basement.

A symphony of sighs and moans accompanied the club music from the basement section called

“The Dungeon”. A hot rush tickled up to the tips of his floppy ears while he fast walked past the door

and headed for the locker rooms.

He found an empty locker to undress

and stashed his belongings in.

Though as he stripped more of his clothing,

James’s mind slowly filled with second guesses.

He didn’t know exactly what the proper etiquette was.

Truth be told, he was extremely nervous when he was down to his briefs.

He had managed to come this far in the journey,

yet his body tensed up.

Perhaps once he made his way to the jacuzzi,

he’ll be able to fully relax.

A few men happened to walk into the locker room

as they started to strip down from their street clothes.

From the corner of his eyes,

James could see three stallions in the room.

Their body type reflected a spectrum of male physique of physical fitness.

The stallion on the left

was a well statured and slender chestnut Morgan stallion

adorn with a white jockstrap.

On the right was a heavy set muscular golden fur American quarter stallion

that wore tight briefs.

The two boasted about their recent weightlifting achievements earlier in the day.

Though there was one in the center that was strangely quiet.

A black and white male Irish cob stallion who stood amongst them.

His back was turned to James though

there was something immediately familiar about him.

He had a long flowing white mane

along with an elongated fluffy white horse tale that hung between his massive buttocks.

The fur reflected a clashing tone of black and white paint.

He had stripped down naked while a towel rested on his left shoulder.

James backed into the corner as he realized who the stallion was.

The Irish cob then looked over

and took notice of the alpine goat.

Dixon was taken aback to see his former interpreter.

The goat’s pink nose and ears

were pale as blood drained from his face.

He stumbled backwards and slammed against the wall.

The back of his head smashed into the drywall which caused his horns to lodge inside.

James, unable to free his horns, sat stuck.

He stared up with his mouth agape with shock and embarrassment.

The two other stallions looked over

and verbally asked James if he was alright.

Dixon walked over and motioned him to wait

as his strong arms carefully pried the horns out from the drywall.

He then dusted off the bits of drywall from James’s horns

and helped him up on his hooved feet.

“You okay, JJ?” Dixon signed.

James became lightheaded as his perplexed mind tried to make sense with what was happening.

Echoed screams raced in his thoughts,

“Oh God! Oh fuck! Why is this happening?

Why is Dixon here?

Just try and not look down. Don’t look down! Don’t look down, don’t look down…”

James nodded before his eyes drifted down.

He caught a better glimpse of Dixon’s

muscular naked body in picture perfect detail.

“Why the fuck did I look down!

He’s so hot but… I can’t stay here!”

James’s head voice screamed;

he tightly clenched his teeth.

After a few seconds,

Dixon looked over to the two other stallions and motioned his head towards the door.

The two took their cue and simply left Dixon and James alone

inside the locker room.

James finally snapped himself back into reality

as the weight of the situation dawned on him.

A pulsing headache plagued the alpine goat’s mind

as he tried to concentrate.

After a few false starts,

Dixon brought his hands up to sign,

“I never thought I would see you again.

How long have you been coming here?”

James quickly backed away and headed towards his locker,

“I’m sorry, but I just remembered I left my work beeper at home.

I really need to go!”

James's shaky hands fidgeted with the locker key as he tried to retrieve his belongings.

Dixon waved at James to get his attention.

When that failed,

Dixon reached over

to clasped his right hand on the alpine goat’s left shoulder.

James reluctantly looked over to Dixon

as the stallion had a furrowed expression on his face.

“You’re the only one here that can understand me so I’m not letting you ignore me.

So, tell me, what’s up?

What’s got you spooked?”

Dixon asked. Hot air rushed out of James’s nostrils

as he tried to calm himself down,

“Listen, I can’t be here.

If people knew I hung out with a former client in a place like this, my career is over!

I’ll be stripped of my license and barred from interpreting professionally!

It’s why I can’t be seen with you here!”

Dixon let out a heavy sign,

“I understand that you’re scared about your job.

We are in the same boat!

I get that meeting you here would have risks involved.

But nobody needs to know that we’re here.

You kept my doctor’s appointment a secret.

Why can’t I just

keep this between us?”

“It’s sweet of you to offer,

but I wouldn’t be a good fit for you.

Plus, I’m sure there must be other deaf gay men you know.

I can’t imagine anyone turning down a handsome guy like you?”

James tried to play it off.

Dixon’s ears flatten,

“I never really had anyone else to talk to here.”

James tilted his head,

“But what about those other stallions that were with you earlier?”

“Those guys? They’re from the gym nearby.

They’ve taken me in since I helped spot them.

But… they don’t really talk with me much.

And none of my deaf friends know that I’m here.

I never came across anyone else here that could understand sign language.

And… I think most people here are scared of me.”

James raises an eyebrow,

“Why’s that?” Dixon lifted the splint to rub his right ring finger to soothe the soreness,

“Well... I had a bad sex experience with a steer guy a few weeks ago.

And since then, everyone has been standoffish around me.”

“What happened?” James asked.

Dixon looked visibly frustrated as he shook his hands to make them relax.

He then continued,

“We were having sex at the dungeon downstairs.

I gave him a condom and had him put it on before we began.

But… after a few minutes I felt him slide the condom off and he tried to fuck me unprotected.

I motioned him to stop but he kept going.

So… I bucked him off and punched his face to make him stop.

Left him with a broken nose and a chipped tooth.”

“I can’t believe someone would try and do that to you!

That was awfully cruel of him!

What happened after that?”

James looked up to Dixon.

“I was called in by management to explain myself.

Course, they had to give me a pen and paper so I could tell them what happened.

Because they’ve known me for years, they believed my side of the story and kicked the steer out.

Still… I was worried that the asshole might have infected me.

Which is why I got tested at the doctor’s office.

And why I had to get a splint for my ring finger.”

“I see… I’m sorry someone tried to take advantage of you like that.” “It just

feels good to talk about it with someone, you know.

I couldn’t talk about this with my deaf friends because they wouldn’t understand.

And everyone else here, other than management,

thought I was the aggressive asshole.”

Dixon huffed with frustration.

James bit his lower lip

as his eyes looked up with empathy.

He never seriously considered what it must have been like for Dixon to live with something like that.

Even for a stunning

handsome horse, there are only so few people that could know him on a deeper personal level.

Dixon was trapped between two cultures,

deaf culture and gay culture.

Yet, the stallion couldn’t fully participate in both.

James could see how the need to connect with someone would override the worries about breaking norms by befriending an interpreter.

Dixon wasn’t just another client to serve,

but a person with emotional wants and needs.

While he hadn’t fully come to terms with his own sexuality,

James still felt compelled to at least give the stallion a chance.

James closed the gap between them,

“I’m glad they allowed you to stay.

I’m sorry for trying to dismiss you earlier.

But… I won’t lie, it is nice seeing you again!”

Dixon flashed a smile,

“I’m happy to come across you again as well.

So… would you like to come downstairs and join me in the hot tub?”

James shuffled his feet,

“I'd like to but… I really do need to head home.

Not because I don’t like it here,

I do! But… it just feels too public for me to get comfortable.

Plus, I got a headache from that fall earlier.

Maybe we can get to know each other at a more private place another time?”

Dixon chuckled, “Fair enough,

I know this might have been a lot for you.

Do you have a notebook or a piece of paper?”

James nodded and turned to retrieve his notebook and pen from the locker.

He handed it to the stallion

as Dixon started to write down his phone number along with the time and date for when to call.

The alpine goat was perplexed as to why Dixon would be giving him a phone number.

Dixon handed him the notebook,

“Here, you can contact me with this number if you like to hang out again soon.

I have a teletypewriter at home,

it will allow me to receive and make phone calls to you.”

James sucked in some air through his teeth,

feeling dumb and forgetting that deaf people could use the phone lines through a TTY.

After that moment of embarrassment washed away,

he accepted the phone number and started to dress back into his street clothes.

He then turned to the naked stallion and smiled.

“I hope we see each other again,”

James said before he extended his hand for a handshake.

Dixon looked down at James’s hand and let out a small snicker.

Instead, he reached over to give the alpine goat a long

intimate hug. James froze in place as he felt the naked stallion softly press and grind his body into him.

The alpine goat lightly placed his hands-on Dixon’s hips

as the two locked eyes for a moment.

The stallion leaned forward to leave a soft peck on James’s lips,

which made the alpine goat squirm while he held onto Dixon tightly.

Though as time passed,

James’s body fully relaxed

as his arms rested over Dixon’s hips.

After the small kiss,

Dixon gave a slight wink

and carried the towel over his shoulder as he headed downstairs towards the jacuzzi.

James on the other hand opted for the exit.

Before James left the facility,

he turned and saw Dixon blow him a kiss.

The tips of James’s ears glowed like a tea kettle before he exited from the facility

and made his way home.

On the bus route home,

he tightly held onto the notebook

and admired Dixon’s handwriting.

Even if he may never be able to interpret for Dixon professionally,

the benefits of befriending and growing a closer bond with the stallion

massively outweighed any drawbacks.

For the time being,

it will be their little secret.

This was “Familiar Encounter” by Darius Davis,

read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.

You can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,

or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.