Dated 24/08/2010

Mike closed his eyes and held his breath. "OK. Here goes..." he thought, looking up at the door to Rocky's office. It hadn't been easy making that phone call last week, going on his hands and knees begging his friend for a job. Rocky's gym was hardly where Mike had pictured himself working, nor was he too crazy about the idea of having the serial prankster as his boss, but his last few interviews elsewhere had been a disaster and he was fast running out of options. So here he was, facing what was likely to resemble less of a job interview than a complex session of bargaining and grovelling. Raising his hand tentatively towards the door, he gave it a timid knock and waited.

Before he was really ready for it, the door swung open. Mike was somewhat taken aback. Rocky was standing there shirtless, his buff, furry chest adorned with his trademark gold medallion, with his lower half sporting gym shorts and sneakers. The macho display left Mike already feeling out of place.

"Well well well," the husky chuckled. "If it isn't my old buddy, Mike. How you doin'?"

Mike jumped nervously as Rocky slapped his palm on the spaniel's shoulder. "Don't mind me," said Rocky. "I've just finished running a workout downstairs. Come on in, take a seat." Rocky kept hold of Mike, his warm hand drawing the timid dog in with an abrupt forcefulness before directing him past the large polished desk to a rather diminuitive plastic seat. Mike lowered himself into the chair cautiously, half expecting it to collapse or something as if rigged for a practical joke. To some small relief, it didn't seem to give as he sank his weight into it. Rocky slammed the door firmly and strolled over to the other side of the desk, flopping back casually into his tall black office chair.

"So who'd have thought it, huh?" he scoffed. "You coming to your pal Rocky looking for a job... Didn't see that coming back in school, did we? Heh!"

Mike glanced away, trying not to make eye contact. "I guess not..." he muttered. As if he really needed reminding of those days. Mike excelled at school but had always envied carefree Rocky's popularity. They would probably have never even bothered with each other had Mike not been so desperate to be accepted into the crowd. Whether Rocky really liked him or whether he merely humoured him for his own amusement was something Mike had never been sure of - and frankly preferred not to think about.

"Ah, relax. You're my buddy, right?" said Rocky, winking in a way which left Mike none the wiser. "Still... I mean, I'd love to be able to find something for you here... but, er..."

He paused, gazing nonchalantly out of the window behind his desk. "This is the best gym in town, Mike," he bragged, stretching his arms before resting them behind his head against the soft leather. "Everybody comes here. The strongest, the fittest, the most beautiful... it's the place to be. And we get a lot of people looking for jobs here, y'know."

Mike looked down and nodded. "Yeah," he sighed. "I know, I just... to be honest with you, Rocky, I'm just looking for something. Anything. You know me, I'll work hard, I've got plenty I can offer... I just need a chance to prove myself. Even if it's just a summer job."

"Hmmmm... summer job, huh?" said Rocky thoughtfully. "Well I think I might just have something for you..."

Mike looked up in surprise. "Really?"

"Possibly. I have been looking for someone to do a little job for me personally. But I need someone who isn't gonna let me down. Someone who will do exactly what I tell them... you'll need to do something special to convince me, Mike. Something really special."

"OK, I... I-I can do that," stuttered Mike, trying not to sound too desperate. "Just tell me what I need to do."

Rocky sat there quietly for a moment. Mike hung on the edge of his seat. He wasn't certain whether or not he was being toyed with, but despite all the pranks and the teasing, he clung onto the hope that Rocky might actually like him enough to help him out this time.

Suddenly the big husky shifted in his seat, leaning forward and reaching down to the floor. He seemed to be busying his hands under the desk. Mike's eyes widened. A sense of anxiety began to roll inside his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this. He strained, edging himself closer attempting to look over to see what was going on, but his view simply could reach beyond the huge desktop stretching between them. A few seconds later, Rocky rose back into his seat.

Mike froze. The husky had that look on his face. That mischievous grin, the narrowed eyes, the cheeky flick of the eyebrows that made Mike clench up inside, his trepidation growing in anticipation of some unpleasant surprise. Rocky smiled, and swivelling his chair, he swung his legs up over the edge of the desktop. Two heavy thuds resonated powerfully through the wood. Mike now realised what Rocky had been doing under the desk; taking his sneakers off.

There, presented proudly in front of him, were the husky's big feet.

Mike gulped. Rocky's thick, strong feet were an impressive but intimidating sight to behold. One stood inside a sports sock, the white material stained dull grey and brown with moisture where plenty of sweat had been released from the soles. The warm smell of the workout was still locked into the fabric, baked inside Rocky's hot sneakers. The other foot was bare, the white fur damp with sweat, the warm brown flesh of the pads rich with scent and coated in a smooth, greasy glaze. Rocky grinned, allowing his feet to breathe their scent into the air as they cooled on the desk, only a few inches from Mike's face. The spaniel looked at them. His heart sank. It was obvious what Rocky wanted him to do. The prospect left Mike torn. It was a degrading, humiliating deed to be reduced to, one which in any other circumstances he would dismiss as too demeaning an insult to succomb to. But this was Rocky - nothing came without a catch. Despite the proposal, there was ultimately the promise of a job on offer. And Mike was desperate. This would be the most shameful moment of his life, but if he could swallow his pride and bear it, Rocky might just reward him with what he came in for.

Mike took a deep breath, attempting to prepare himself for what he was about to submit to. The scent of the feet was already playing under his nostrils. He tried not to think about it, forcing himself to focus squarely on his aim.

"S-s-so... er..." he uttered, "if I... er... do this... I get the job, right?"

Rocky nodded. "Right," he stated.

"...and... that's it, right? No strings attached, I do it and... you let me work for you? This is all I need to do, this is the interview?"

Rocky sniggered, a smirk of devious satisfaction sweeping across his lips.

"Oh no, Mikey," he sneered. "This is the job."

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This piece from summer 2010 starring my husky Rocky holds the distinction of being my most popular submission ever on FurAffinity - possibly helped by the inclusion of a short story to set the mood. Though it is now quite old and there are now various aspects of it which I dislike, it still holds a special place in my gallery.

RRRex