Ted didn't even bother with the usual greets when he saw Otis's number appear on his cell phone. "Hey, I saw the magazine you're in."

"Do I look good?"

"Totally hot. I bet Reggie's jealous you made the cover and he didn't."

The otter's throaty chuckle caused a tingle to run down Ted's spine. Christ, did Otis know how bad Ted had it for him? "Dammit, I think you do that on purpose."

"Do what?" asked Otis, and all Ted could think about was how sexy even a look of confusion must be on the otter.

"Laugh like that."

"I ain't sure what you mean, Ted."

Ted shook his head, glad Otis couldn't see him right now. "Some of the things you do just push my buttons."

"So a chuckle's makin' you sport wood right now?"

"Damn, dude, I thought my bro was blunt."

Another damned spine-tingling chuckle. At this rate Ted was going to be feeling electrified all afternoon. "Who do you think I got it from? Your bro's my best buddy, and he's pretty influential even when he don't wanna be."

"Did I mention how your accent makes me wish I was born in the South?"

"The Bayou ain't too bad, but don't tell Venti that wish. I don't think he'd approve."

"Like I care what he thinks all the time."

"Uh huh."

The skepticism made the tingles vanish. "What? I don't."

"Dude, I can see past the attitude. You worship your bro. If he said the sky was plaid and FOX News sucked, you'd believe him."

"FOX News does suck."

"That was probably a bad example, but you get my point."
Ted grunted. "So?"

"Aw, I don't mean nothin' by it."

"All right, so you know me. When're we gonna start datin'?"

Silence. For a moment, Ted was afraid he'd pissed Otis off and was about to hang up on the hyena. "When you get a species change operation."

"I'll wait until they perfect the sex change stuff."

"Oh yeah?"

Ted found a smile form as he heard the amusement in Otis's voice again. "Yeah."

"You never know, maybe I'll just change into a hyena."

Yeah right, Ted thought. What a tease.

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