Tom’s parallel world – 5

Dear Reader, hopefully you will enjoy my story, it will help if you have read the previous episodes. If you like this, then please read my others.

Please read this chapter after reading the previous chapters.

I am happy to receive comments and PMs. I welcome constructive criticism.

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It excited Tom at long last to be out and about exploring this new world at long last. Although he had promised Kitty to help at the pub with her human guests tonight. He was right about the pub’s location, as they arrived at the large thatched roof house overlooking the beach and low wall running around a small front lawn. A small sign read “Kitty’s pub and B&B” on the gate that gave entry to the pub.

Initially they ignored the lounge and bar area. They climbed the stairs up to the second floor, high in the roof. At the top of the stairs, Kitty showed him a cupboard room with a bed for him to use as “his” bedroom, but really just for somewhere to stow his rucksack and to keep up appearances. Pointing out that behind the next door was Kitty’s bedroom.

The first floor had a shared shower and toilet, and the guest ensuite rooms, which had wardrobes for guests. They got linen and made the beds with actual duvets and pillows.

Back down on the ground floor, in the kitchen, he received a black “Kitty’s Pub” apron and introduced to Brenda the chef, an older cat, who wore a smock and apron. Brenda was nice, looked quizzically at Kitty, who quickly explained their story of Tom just looking for summer work and walking the coast after losing his job.

Kitty showed him the bar and lounge areas, although he couldn’t see anything like a till anywhere. Neither of the two areas was that large, both would be `busy’ with twenty people in them and rammed with thirty occupants. These could be in any pub anywhere in Britain, in either world. Low ceilings, dark beams overhead with an open fire in both.

Kitty said aloud to no one in particular, “Kitty’s pub,” surprising Tom.

Tom then heard from a speaker that couldn’t see “Good Afternoon Kitty,” replied the pub.

“Add new person to level 1 access, name Tom,” Kitty said

The pub responded, “Tom confirmed. Tom please speak clearly?”

“Hi, I’m Tom,” said Tom, really puzzled and looked questioningly at Kitty.

“This sets you up on voice commands to turn lights on & off, lock doors and in an emergency set off fire alarms. You just need to state lights on / off, lock / unlock door and the pub will react” said Kitty, shrugging off his puzzled look.

She showed him what the various drinks were and what would be expected of him, which was basically what Sarah’s job was. It was all very familiar and much like his previous bar work, except that the clientele would be human sized cats and dogs, plus some captain dogs who where to receive waiter serviced, as they all sit at a large table in the bay window of the bar, each on their own seats and had their own individual mugs–which Tom had to learn. The few other tables were small, using stools rather than chairs, the bar being surrounded with empty, elbow high shelves for clientele to prop their beer on, all to keep space available in the small bar area.

Food was to be collected from the kitchen hatch and dirty dishes, empty beer glasses returned to the same hatch. The new dog will take them to keep the hatch clear. Kitty warned him about the new dog Becky, who was the daughter of the top dog Captain Brown. He had asked Kitty to employ Becky as a personal favour, as they knew she was spoilt, arrogant and hopefully a summer job would bring her down to earth, before she goes to university at the end of the summer.

There was a lot of to remember and etiquette to follow, but above all he was NOT to step on any tails. He learnt the menu’s , which were very close to his home counterparts, some tailored for cats, some for dogs and some for humans, but all could appeal to anyone should they wish.

Gradually, as the afternoon wore on, locals drifted in for their afternoon tipple, so Tom’s story was repeated multiple times. Some were captains, and Tom managed to get the right drinks and mugs to the right captain. It shocked Tom when a few local dogs pinched his bum, in what was obviously some boisterous tomfoolery.

Tom noticed his sense of smell was obviously a little more pronounced now, with each individual having their own unique smell and he could count how many were present by just the number of individual smells, although previously back “home” all he would have smelt was wet dog.

These nano-bots and DNA were working there magic, Tom wondered what other `powers’ he could accrue and which ones would he want, certainly not a wagging tail, fur or pointy ears. He did like the bonus of cat’s night vision and was hoping to put it to good use.

Becky arrived in the kitchen and they were introduced, Tom took an instant dislike to her, she was aloof, even to Kitty. She wouldn’t make eye contact or even turn to shake his hand. He thought she looked like a spaniel, but like all the dogs in this world, her snout was shorter than dogs back home.

Tom finally realised that both cats and dogs here in this world had short fur, no shaggy gangly bits. With Becky being more trimmed than others in places, almost manicured. He also noticed that unlike cats, the dogs didn’t seem to be able to control their tails as they seemed to swish uncontrollably without any warning.

The human family arrived comprising a couple with their two children, one young lad and a top heavy twenty something daughter with blonde hair. So Tom introduced himself; they had walked miles along the coast and were keen to explain that they only booked here as everywhere else was fully booked.

He took them to their rooms, carrying the mother’s and daughter’s rucksacks, and showed them the ensuite. They weren’t either happy or unhappy with the shared rooms, mother and daughter in one with father and son in the other–as the pub was too small for family rooms and the son too young for his own. The mother disapproved of Tom’s shaggy appearance, commenting that he was obviously spending too much time with dogs.

Although as she inspected the ensuite and he placed the daughter’s rucksack down, the pretty daughter looked at him and ran her fingers through his beard saying “I don’t mind, I like the rugged look”, before she blushed and turned her back as her mother returned.

He left them to sort them-selves out and checked in with Kitty, then rushed back to the shower with a towel and some borrowed scissors to wash, brush up, and tidy his beard and hair. To be fair to the mother, he was looking a little bedraggled.

Back down in the bar top dog Captain Brown was in, everyone was listening to anything he said. Tom laid out one table in the lounge for the humans, with menus, glasses and cutlery; as he finished, he turned to find the Top Dog stood behind him.

“So you’re Tom?” he said, holding his hand out ”Kitty told me your story, you’ll be fishing with me in the morning, Kitty thinks you will be finished with the humans breakfast by 9:30, so come down to the beach by 10 and we’ll be off.”

Tom held his hand and shook, he had a very strong handshake from years of fishing for a living, his eyes scrutinised Tom, did he suspect? This wasn’t a request; he was to be there at 10.

“Nice to meet you Captain Brown, I think I will enjoy that, although I’m sorry I may not be a very good fisherman, but I will try,” said Tom, scared half to death, hoping he could squirm out of it.

“To be a Fisherdog takes years of experience and hard work, so I am not expecting much, don’t worry we are only pulling up some crab pots, so just hard work,” he replied, turned and returned to the bar and his seat at the captain’s table.

Through the doorway Tom saw kitty behind the bar, looking at him with her thumbs up, looking as nervous as he felt.

The evening seemed to fly by; the human family came down, ordered their food and drinks, with Locals also ordering drinks and food, including waiting on the captain’s table or clearing tables, so Tom was rushing around.

Although every time he returned to the hatch it was full, Becky wasn’t clearing them, getting Tom very frustrated. Meaning he had to enter the kitchen, each time he asked Becky to clear the hatch but without any results. He finally lost it when he had to enter the kitchen fully laden to find Becky leaning over a counter, scrolling through what looked like a fashion magazine.

“Becky! for fuck’s sake, I am working my ass off here, Brenda is too, it’s a madhouse out there, Kitty is working flat out, you are letting not just yourself down but also us and your boss, Kitty; we need to work as a team,”

“Whatever!” she replied, and just flicked over another page.

Tom glanced at Brenda, who just shrugged in acceptance, he just didn’t know what to do, but with the atmosphere being boisterous out there, he imagined he could get away with more with dogs than he could with students at his old student bar.