Training Toby

How It Began

 Toby was a very good puppy boy. He knew that he used to go to college, write papers, and make hot drinks for people (at least, he would have barked and nodded if anyone ever asked) but that life felt so silly and far away now.

It all started the year before while he was still working for the horrible chain coffeehouse at the university. His hours were long, the dress code was confusingly strict, and worst of all his weed habit was starting to interfere with the quality of his work. He'd always smoke half a joint after his final class of the day before heading straight to the shop, and his boss had already commented on a "weird smell" more than once. The one upside of working at the cafe (besides the discounted pastries) was all the customers he got to chat with while on duty. He had always been a social boy, but a little too awkward to start conversations with strangers usually, especially with his mind perpetually fogged by THC. Being a barista gave him the perfect opportunity to make easy connections with a wide variety of university folk. He was surprised how easygoing the grad students and professors were outside of classes especially. One woman in particular always made his day when she stopped by for her daily latte.

Professionally dressed and radiating a subdued sort of warmth, Dr. Natalie Katz seemed to take special notice of Toby since the first time she came into the shop. She'd been new to the university, just recently hired as a professor in the Psychology department, and Toby had been happy to give her directions to the library building. He'd done his best to be polite, but it had been hard for him not to stare. She had beautiful long legs veiled by semi translucent black tights and a pencil skirt that hugged her slim figure, not to mention the eye-catching heels that brought her up to a good 6'4". She'd smiled so sweetly at Toby even when he got distracted making her drink and dropped the portafilter on the ground, spilling coffee grounds everywhere. In fact, she'd seemed kind of amused and gave him a surprisingly generous tip. Since then, Toby'd been seeing her almost every day he worked and they'd built a friendly rapport despite Toby's perpetual awkwardness.

One chilly afternoon in late March Toby had been a little more high than expected. He'd taken a tolerance break (well, sort of; he'd gone home for spring break and couldn't bring his weed on the plane) so his usual half joint had gotten him loopy, anxious, and overly interested in the fundraising chocolates displayed on the counter.

"Toby!" A cheerful feminine voice snapped the short boy to attention quickly, but the eyes that met his were clearly amused at his shocked expression. "Aw Toby what's up?" She was always so casually sweet with him which felt strange and exciting coming from a professor, even one he'd never end up studying under.

"Oh uhh not much Dr. Katz, sorry! What can I get you today?" Keeping his eyes off her chest in that flattering button down was extra difficult today, even as his vision blurred slightly, but he made sure to stare diligently at the screen in front of him.

"You're so polite Toby! I keep telling you, you don't have to call me Dr. Katz. Oh, and I'll just have the usual please but with oat milk this time, my tummy's feeling funky so I think I can justify splurging a little." She tittered to herself but Toby was too preoccupied trying to remember how to work the machine with the card she'd handed him to laugh politely. "So, uh, how's school been going Toby? You're almost done with your freshman year, how does that feel?"

The shame in Toby's chest was somehow both amplified and blurred by the THC, but he decided to tell the truth while he handed back her card. "Uhhhh I don't know, not great. I'm not doing too good in my business classes. They're just so boring! My dad says if I don't pass all my classes he won't help me pay for college next semester but I really don't want to move back home to work with him in Vermont so I don't really know what I'll do." That was oversharing and Toby knew it, but his filter was down more than usual and something about the woman's concerned expression made him want to confide in her despite the decade or so she had on him.