“You find him, Josh. Do you understand? I want to see his face in twenty-four-hours.” Zeke rose from his seat, his full six-foot-seven-inches towering over Josh, who was modest five-foot-nine-inches tall. He looked even smaller when he was afraid. “No exceptions.”
6.
Tiffany rolled over at eight o’clock the next morning feeling a little slower and a little heavier than usual. Possibly because of all the food she ate the night before. She cooked herself a steak with caramelized onions all over the top with a teensy little pat of butter, a baked potato with bacon, butter, sour cream, and some cheddar cheese sprinkled on top and after that, she found the biggest bowl she had and dug herself some ice cream, pouring hot fudge on top with some cool whip and three cherries. She wasn’t used to eating that heavy after she got off work. Normally, she might have a can of soup with some buttered bread while she cuddled on the sofa with her puppy, Brody, who was half Pug, half Chihuahua, he was a Chug.
Overeating late at night, the morning after was usually the equivalent of being hungover for Tiffany. Brody grumbled next to her as she tossed her covers back and sat up on the edge of the bed, moving too fast and feeling her stomach churn. “Bad idea, oh gosh. Such a bad idea.” Tiffany braced her elbow on the small bookshelf that was next to her bed that served as her nightstand and just held her head in her hand for a few minutes letting the fan hit her face. “I way overdid it, little buddy… why did you let me do that?” Brody grumbled again, getting up and stomping to the edge of the bed before he hopped down, giving himself a vigorous wake-up shake that caused the tags on his collar to make a bell noise before he trotted out of the bedroom.
“Where is your sympathy for your mom?” Tiffany asked, finally standing. She knew that Brody needed to go to the bathroom, so she waddled through the little apartment, nearly blinded by the muted sunlight that was coming through the living room window. Brody was already standing at the door waiting. Sympathetic he may not have been, but he did have the patience of a saint. Unlocking the chain lock, the deadbolt and the probably useless lock that was on the handle of the door, Tiffany cracked the door open, squinting at the blazing sunlight. Brody quickly walked out of the crack in the door and Tiffany stepped out onto the first step to watch him in the patch of grass that served as her lawn.
She wasn’t entirely sure how you would describe her apartment. They were made somewhat like small houses that were split in two. They were low-income apartments, but when she had looked at other apartments in the area that were more expensive, this one seemed to be more spacious. Two bedrooms were large enough for a queen-sized bed and modest-sized bedroom furniture. One bathroom, there was a utility room, which was where she kept all her towels, wash clothes, sheets and other such items one would keep in a utility room, plus she had her own washer and dryer. Tiffany found a small stacked washer and dryer at a church thrift store that was perfect for the room and it even allowed her more space than she would have with a standard side by side unit. The bathroom was just a little bigger than the utility room, but it fit her needs. Her living room was large enough to hold a medium-sized ‘overstuffed’ sectional she bought at a yard sale that was still in good condition, but it was sitting on four cinderblocks because the legs had been broken off by the rowdy children of the previous owner. Tiffany liked her apartment. It was homey and she only shared one wall with the people who lived next door. Off the living room, which was where the front door was located, you looked to the left and there was a small eat-in dining room and beyond that, there was the tiniest kitchen that was smaller than the bathroom and the utility room. Tiffany didn’t mind. She didn’t cook large meals for herself, so for the purposes that she needed it, the apartment was just right, though if more than two people tried to go into the kitchen, people had to press against the countertops and stove to make room.
Brody padded around in the grass, sniffing before he finally lifted his leg and released himself, Tiffany leaning against the door frame as her neighbor came out to drop off the trash into the can around the side of their apartment and headed to her car.
“Morning’ sugar,” Geraldine said with a wave.
Geraldine was in her thirties; her husband Max was in construction and to Tiffany’s knowledge they were trying to have a baby. She knew this because she often heard their lovemaking. Being a were-rabbit wasn’t always easy if you weren’t trying to eavesdrop on people.
“Morning’ girl.” Tiffany responded, pushing herself off the door frame as Geraldine stepped over the little patch of grass that separated their two ‘yards’ and leaned down to give Brody a scratch behind his ears.
“You look rough, did you get into the liquor cabinet last night?” She asked, shielding her eyes from the sun.
“Worse, I got home from work and decided to eat a big meal at like twelve in the morning,” Tiffany said, trying not to burp a little.
“You need some medicine? I’m on my way to the store, need me to grab something for you?” Geraldine asked.
“No, I’ll be okay. Thank you though.” Tiffany smiled weakly, though she had a feeling she was going to need to take a couple swigs from the Pepto bottle. Brody finished getting his loving from Geraldine before he hopped up the steps and squirmed around Tiffany’s legs back into the apartment. It might have been cooling down, but it was still uncomfortably warm standing in direct sunlight. “I better get back in and get this one his breakfast before he starts grumbling at me,” Tiffany said, watching Geraldine laugh and nod.
“Alright, I’ll holler at you later. Have a good day.”
Slipping back inside, Tiffany relocked all the locks on the door and scrubbed her hand over her face, letting her eyes adjust to her living room again before she went into the kitchen and popped open the bin that she kept Brody’s dog food in. Getting his bowl off the counter, she poured a cup inside and carried the dish over to his water bowl, checking to make sure he still had plenty of water. Brody was set, at least for now.
Going into the bathroom, she popped open the vanity mirror and took out the bottle of Pepto-Bismol and unscrewed the cap, slugging back two drinks before she burped softly and put it back on the shelf before she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She did look awful. “Heads up for future me, don’t eat so much after midnight,” Tiffany told herself grabbing some towels from the utility room and turning on the water in the bathtub. It was her day off and she intended to enjoy it, but before that she knew of one other task that would help her feel better. She didn’t take a shower last night before bed –and she was feeling scuzzy now.
Jumping in the shower, even over the sound of the water, she could hear Brody’s nails clicking on the bathroom linoleum. If ever she was sick, which happened rarely he was always by her side. He was a very caring animal that way. Sure enough, when she pushed the curtain aside, he was laying on the fuzzy mat in front of the sink, patiently waiting.
“Making sure I don’t pass out in the tub, buddy?” Tiffany laughed a little, feeling more herself as she wrapped her hair up in a towel and then began her routine, using some of the gel-style baby oil with cocoa butter and shea to smear over her skin before she patted herself try. Being as there wasn’t anyone around –ever, Tiffany usually patted herself dry and then walked around the house naked letting herself air dry for a few minutes before slipping into a pair of shorts and a tank top. Her days off were usually a mixture of catching up on things that hadn’t been done when she was working through the week, washing clothes, cleaning, catching up on a little tv time. Tiffany didn’t have cable, but she had internet. When she moved into the apartment she’d gotten cable, but since she mostly watched things on the internet from her television it seemed silly to spend sixty dollars a month on cable that she wasn’t using so as soon as her contract was up she canceled it and kept the internet. With a gamer on in the background, she swept and moped her small kitchen, the bathroom, and the utility room while her work uniforms were in the dryer.
By the time noon arrived the apartment wa
s once more in the order and cleanliness that she preferred, and she’d managed to pull all over her hair up into a high pony on top of her head like Pebbles Flintstone.
“You want to go to McDonald's?” Tiffany smiled at Brody, getting her purse, keys, Brody’s leash, and her sandals, she unlocked the door. After lunch, she wanted to take Brody for a nice long walk in the park. Usually, she enjoyed doing this every single day, but there were times when she felt like a horrible dog mom because she didn’t get to spend as much time with her dog as she wanted to. Tiffany hated leaving him at home while she had to run errands or to go work so, whenever she could, Brody went with her everywhere.
Brody used the bathroom again before they got into her little car and Tiffany cranked up the air conditioner as they drove down the street.
In her idol moments, she thought back to the night, two weeks ago and her romp with the were-bear. Who was he? He had to live nearby, but she didn’t know how she would manage to find him even if she knew where to look. The odds of meeting him again felt like they were slim to none. It was a line of thought that caused the nineteen-year-old to frown as she pulled into the fast-food drive-thru.
Getting a plain burger for Brody, he would enjoy the hamburger patty and a cup of ice water, Tiffany ordered herself a coke and a large fry.
Pulling up at the park, she rolled the windows down and shut the engine off as she took Brody’s burger out of its wrapper and broke it up into small pieces for him. Laying it on the seat next to him and took the top off his water, making sure it was secure in the cup holder so he could get a nice cold drink whenever he was ready. Inhaling, as she ate her fries, Tiffany considered many possible ways she might be able to find her mystery bear. She didn’t know what he looked like, well –she could have tried to describe him, but it was dark and she hadn’t really gotten acquainted with his features very well, she just knew that he had dark hair and he was a large man, physically and not just his –very endowed cock. Was there a support group for women like her who’d had a brush with a complete fantasy and now they wanted to live it rather than briefly visit some magical place where perfect lovers existed?
No, Tiffany didn’t think so.
So, what else was there? It wasn’t like Tiffany could hire a private detective.
Sitting up in her seat, she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t thought of it before. Margaret! Tiffany planned on going to see the woman today anyway, maybe she could ask her about some tips about finding people –hopefully without outing herself as some one-nighter girl. Honestly, she wasn’t like that –she didn’t judge, but usually if she wanted to have a relationship with someone, she got to know them first before sleeping with them, but this time, things had happened in reverse and now all Tiffany wanted was to find him. Honestly, yes, he was an amazing lover, she didn’t believe that their one night together was some sort of fluke –but there had to be more to him. Tiffany felt it.
First things first, however, Brody had been a very good boy and he was now drinking some water from his cup, letting her enjoy her lunch being the perfect patient little man that he was. He deserved his day.
“Are you ready to go for your walk, baby boy?” Tiffany asked, finishing the rest of her fries and dumping all their trash into the fast-food bag. Grabbing some extra shopping bags from her glove box she sat up some, tucking them into her pocket because she knew that they were going to need them, and this park was very strict about animals staying on a leash as well as owners cleaning up after their pets. Picking Brody up, she was attacked by his tongue licking her face as she opened the driver’s side door and felt of the ground. Good, it wasn’t too hot for his paws. Setting him down, she got out and grabbed her trash, dropping it off in a trash can as they began a nice leisure stroll, their second trip around the little pond helped Brody use the bathroom for the third time, which was good because it meant he wouldn’t have any little accidents when they went to their next location. But, surprisingly, Tiffany wasn’t in any hurry. The day felt so nice and she knew that Brody was enjoying himself.
Once they were both tired, they went back to her car and enjoyed a good drink, Brody’s lapping made her laugh as she stroked his head before turning the air conditioning back on and took Margaret’s card out of her wallet where she’d placed it for safekeeping. The address was on the main little strip of town which would make it very easy to find.
7.
Finding a place to park down the main section of the town wasn’t difficult at noon on a weekday, there were a few people out and about, but for the most part, Tiffany was able to find the bondsman’s office with little hassle, but she found herself sitting in her car a little apprehensive. What if Margaret didn’t remember her? Or she was only being nice to her the other night and didn’t expect her to show up, people said all kinds of things trying to be nice when they didn’t intend for you to take them up on their offers. Tiffany had met a few people like that before and she instantly reevaluated the kind of person they were afterward. She couldn’t stand it when people were like that. It didn’t make you a better person to make offers when you had no intentions of keeping up with them, instead, it just gave you a bad character because you were unreliable.
Putting her fears aside, Tiffany gathered Brody in her arms and got out of the car, setting him down on the pavement. Instantly, the two of them took in the scents of their surroundings. People, gas, there were a few restaurants in the center of town that were actually very decent and Tiffany did love going to Eddie’s, it was the only Italian place in the town that you didn’t have to drive a good hour to get to a chain restaurant like the Olive Garden or Carrabba’s which she had never been too. Perhaps if she didn’t have plans on her next day off, she would drive into the city and check it out. Have a day for herself, but the thought made her feel guilty as she looked at Brody tugging at the end of his leash.
“Tiffany?” Someone called her name, instantly snapping her out of her thoughts. It was Margaret, she was stepping out of the bond’s office with a cup and a pack of cigarettes in her hand.
“You remembered me,” Tiffany said a little surprised as she stepped up onto the sidewalk.
“Well of course I did,” Margaret said with a laugh as she motioned for Tiffany to come on over. Margaret was in a black tank top and black flared yoga pants that showed off the woman’s physic. Tiffany hadn’t really paid much attention to her body before, now she realized that she was in remarkably good shape. “How are you? I had almost given up that you’d come by.” Margaret smiled at her. “You were coming to see me, right?”
“I was, indeed.” Tiffany laughed somewhat. “I’m sorry it took me so long. I guess I felt a little nervous.” She said sheepishly, rubbing her hands together.
“And who is this little fella?” Margaret squatted down, flat-footed in a pair of flip-flop sandals, letting Brody sniff her hands before she rubbed his head and stroked her hand down his back.
“This is Brody. I hope you don’t mind, I brought him with me, we went to the park and decided that we would come on over and see you if you aren’t terribly busy of course.” Tiffany added a little self-conscious.
“I’m never too busy for a friend, or their fur buddy,” Margaret replied as she looked up at her, flipping her sunglasses down to shield her eyes. “Feel like taking a drive? I was just on my way out of the office to check on a bond.” Margaret said, standing up straight once more.
“Really? I –I can come along? You won’t mind Brody being a little bond-doggy, would you?” Tiffany was surprised that Margaret would be so open to the idea.
“Of course, the more the merrier. Besides, I love animals. I have two dogs at home, as well as a yard cat and around the back of the house, I got some potbellied pigs.” Margaret chuckled as she took her keys from her pocket and pressed a button on the remote, causing the black Dodge Charger behind them to beep-beep softly. “Let me grab my file, and I’ll be right out, you two go ahead and hop into the car and get out of this heat.”
As Ti
ffany went to the passenger side of the car, she realized that it was running, Margaret’s car must have had one of those push to start buttons. She didn’t know if she would ever be able to own a car like that, much less drive it. She would be terrified she was going to press a button and the car would accidentally explode like in an action movie.
Settling into the seat, she put her seat belt on and placed Brody in her lap where he could look out of the window. Tiffany couldn’t believe it; it was like she was going out on a real stake out for a bad guy. Only she hoped that he wasn’t a super bad guy.
Bunny and the Bear: A Shifter Romance Novella Page 3