EnsueMoongaze the jaguar clung to her backpack handles nervously as the train pulled into the station in the heart of downtown New Los Angeles. She wore her Dog Groban tee shirt without shame—it was a large black tee, with the Labrador retriever’s mug plastered in an all over picture in the center—and decided to wear her dark blue jeggings with it. The other train passengers shook their heads at her—she was no teenager, but Moongaze felt like an exhilarated teen all over again, thrilled with the possibility of meeting her crush in furson at long last. It had been years since she went to a concert, and she decided to go it alone—to treat herself, as Xena the pitbull called it—rather than with her mate, Jay, or her friends. She began to regret the decision as she boarded the even more crowded transfer bus to the concert hall, and her heart sank on seeing the sea of furs waiting for their star singer to arrive.
Moongaze found the line for autographs and she joined the throng, hoping he would sign the artwork she brought with her. She hadn’t spent her whole life on the piece, which was of the singer in a variety of poses and in appropriate business casual attire, but she put her heart into it, channeling his warm energy into her work. She was in line behind a chatty group of furs—two jaguars, a gray vixen, a tiger and a rabbit, among other canines. One jaguar seemed vaguely familiar to her—they had a blue tipped mane and a melanistic coat with blue rosettes. The melanistic jaguar’s skin tight, colorful leggings and crisp overcoat with a loosely wrapped silk scarf put Moongaze’s baggy concert tee and plain jeggings to shame.
“How long is the line?” the rabbit asked, grunting in irritation at the sea of furries around them.
“It’s probably a mile before the concert hall,” grunted the tiger, rolling his eyes.
“We’ll get there, when we get there,” reassured the melanistic jaguar, shaking her head at her friends’ impatience.
“I hope he doesn’t just take off,” Moongaze overheard the group ahead of her. The group stared at her as if she was incredibly rude, and the melanistic jaguar grinned gently at her interjection.
“I hear he’s so nice to his fans!” a canine whimpered, a Borzoi by Moongaze’s reckoning. “I’m sure he’ll stay for us!”
“Keep dreamin,’ sweetheart,” gruffed a mouse by Moongaze’s feet. “We’re at the end of the line—there’s no way he’ll stick around for us latecomers!”
“Don’t mind her,” the melanistic jaguar tsked, again meeting eyes with Moongaze in quiet recognition. “I’m sure things will work out, somehow…”
Moongaze sighed, feeling drained. It had been two hours since she joined the line for autographs, and the concert would begin in less than half an hour. Her feetpaws ached, and her backpack seemed unusually heavy. Suddenly, a beefy bulldog bouncer approached the end of the line.
“The official end of the line is here,” he grunted, stopping Moongaze before she could advance another step. He placed a plastic sign on the ground denoting and reiterating his point with an angry red text of LINE ENDS HERE.
“But!” Moongaze sighed, feeling the tears starting. “I’ve been here so long and…I just wanted one autograph…!”
“Sorry, ma’am!” the bulldog pointed toward the ticket kiosks, which were practically empty by the time she retrieved her online tickets.
Moongaze realized her seats were in the highest row of the stadium—while she could hear her beloved canine idol, she wouldn’t be able to see him well at all. She sighed, wiping her tears away with a paw hastily as she ascended the steps to her row of seats.
Some date for myself this turned out to be, she thought angrily as the stage lights began to swivel and the crowd became excited. She took several deep breaths, trying to reassure herself—and the jaguar’s voice broke her anxious thoughts—
things will work out, somehow.
Moongaze’s thoughts dissipated as the orchestra began to tune up, their arpeggios beautiful in comparison to her squeaky ill practiced ones on a rental violin she had snagged from an abandoned Guitar Center parking lot. The thrill of the strings and the drums, the careful plucking of a Spanish guitarist…then, her heart stood still as he took the stage. The Labrador retriever wore his black suit jacket, white button down top and dark jeans which contrasted his cream coat, soft brown eyes and curly dark mop. The canine began to sing, his voice powerful and beautiful. Moongaze felt her jaw drop a little and fresh tears sprung to her eyes as his voice carried even to her in the heights of the concert hall, making her heart pound and soar with each crescendo and piano warble of his baritone.
The concert ended as abruptly as it had begun, but Moongaze sat motionless, her eyes fixed on the canine that had stolen her heart with his voice. She felt like she was floating above her chair, and she snapped back to reality once she realized everyone around her had left the concert hall and headed for home. She watched the singer, guarded by his bouncers and staff, be escorted to the offstage area, and Moongaze gasped, nearly forgetting that she wanted to get his autograph!
She rushed toward the stage, nearly calling for him, when she bumped into the group of furs she had interrupted earlier. The melanistic jaguar caught her, and asked, “Hey! You alright?”
“M-m-my autograph!” was all Moongaze could stammer, looking for the canine that had so swiftly vanished into the darkness of the night in the big city.
“Here!” the jaguar shoved a pass into her paw and urged her to hurry, tilting their head toward the canine.
“This is a backstage pass?!” Moongaze cried out, stunned by the kind gesture.
“Take it!” the jaguar growled. “You’d better hurry! He’s off to get ready for the next stop on his tour!”
Moongaze stared at the pass, and recognized the jaguar’s name, reading it silently. As she looked up, the melanistic jaguar grinned knowingly. The jaguar winked at her and joined her friends, and Moongaze took her departure as a cue to follow the errant Labrador.
“Excuse me—sir! Dog Groban!!” Moongaze called out as she ran toward the canine and his escorts. The beefy bulldog bouncer frowned at her and immediately began to growl, but the Labrador pressed his paw into the muscular dog’s shoulder with a gentle squeeze, facing the panting feline.
“Hey!” the Labrador panted, his grin genuine and his large brown eyes sparkling in mirth at the disheveled jaguar before him. He noted her attire, and tossed his head a little as he said, “Ah! A fan, I see! You’ve got a pass? Cool! Nice to meet you—uh---!” The canine gracefully extended a paw toward the awestruck jaguar.
“Moongaze!” was all she could blurt as their paws met. His paws are so warm! she thought, but stowed it as she dug out her drawing. “May I…get your autograph?” she stammered, handing over the art. The escort had crowded around them in a protective circle, and the bulldog had finally relaxed.
“Hey! That’s pretty good!” Dog Groban chuckled, his eyes widening as he studied the piece. “Got a pen on ya?” Moongaze handed over a Sharpie, her paws shaking. She felt so anxious, almost giddy as she watched him think for a moment, then sign the paper with a practiced flourish. “Here ya go!” He handed back the art as carefully as he would any piece of precious art. “You know of any place to grab a coffee? We need some for the road!” he asked Moongaze directly after she put the art away.
Moongaze felt the heat from her blush race toward her ears, searing her cheeks. “Um…yeah. I know a place. It’s by the old Natural History Museum…”
“Awesome! Boys, let’s go for a walk, huh?” the canine grinned, offering his arm to her. Moongaze trembled and grinned madly as she directed them toward her favorite coffee shop, thinking of the melanistic jaguar's gift the whole way.
~~Music to accompany the story!
https://youtu.be/wKbXmuUXito~~
