“Hi.” Jimmy flashed him a smile, but it felt rather awkward. He meant it to be that way. He was also losing his patience. Brandon always did that to him. He left the maker, passed him, and headed back into the living room. He walked straight to the TV and turned it on.
Brandon laughed, watching his best friend wobble as he walked. He watched him almost fall into the sofa with a heavy thud. He loved Jimmy a lot, but more for the pure joy of just watching his awkward friend. Sometimes he looked too—well—sloppy not to want to watch him. He walked back into the living room, stopped just beside the sofa to the right of him, and sat down on the arm. It was time to get to what he needed to ask. “I just wanted to see what you were doing Friday night?”
“Nothing, I think.” Jimmy took the remote to the TV, and started flipping through the channels. He knew that it was too early for the news, so knowing that, he didn’t expect to find anything to watch. He just felt content to do some surfing instead. Besides, if ignoring Brandon like this makes him leave, it worked for him too.
“Cool. Let’s get together and hang out. See if we can find you someone to squeeze. Now that you have something to do with work, we have to get that other thing off your mind.” Brandon leaned in, and straddled the arm. He looked like he was on a horse and was ready for a ride.
Jimmy nodded, but he didn’t agree with anything that he’s heard so far. As far as he was concerned, he had already found what he was looking for. Now, all he had to do was to see her again, and go from there. Besides, dating wasn’t what Brandon had on his mind. Whenever he said anything about finding a girl, a date was only something that he used to get to what he really wanted. Sex was the only thing that was ever on his mind.
“All right?” Brandon saw the nod, and stood back up with a flare. He went to the door and grabbed the knob. “I’ll call you Friday afternoon.”
Again, Jimmy only nodded, and again, he didn’t agree with the offer. It just seemed like the best way to get Brandon to drop the subject and leave.
Brandon took the nod for what it was worth, and opened the door. “Later.” He left.
Jimmy didn’t watch him leave. His mind was squarely on Rachel. He could almost see her standing there right in front of him. He could almost see every line on her face. He could almost see every curve of her body. She looked so perky. She looked so fine. He could even remember clearly the perfume that she wore. Everything was all there, and it brought an immediate smile to his face. He liked her all right. He obviously liked her a lot.
Flipping through the channels, he stopped on channel six and saw a Breaking News story flash across the screen. He had to stop to see what it was.
“Another animal attack occurred last night.” A woman reporter was holding a microphone and had it up to her face. She was standing outside with the trees blowing slightly behind her. Her lightly blonde colored hair was blowing around the sides of her head. A field was also there, just before the trees, and behind her. “Police are not saying much, but what they are saying is that it was a brutal attack. The victim has yet to be identified, but it appears to be a young man, and that he was attacked sometime after midnight. This is the second attack in as many days, which has some worried around the area that there might be a large predator out stalking them in and around Redford Forge. Police are warning people to stay in at night and to keep their children with them at all times, until further notice…”
He watched and sat forward. He paid attention this time and listened to everything that she said. Hearing it only made him worry, and with each word, the feeling only grew stronger. His thoughts turned instantly to Rachel. What if something happens to her? He knew that most of the daytime employees had to park out further away in the lot. That made her more at risk. He hated the thought, but suddenly his mind switched gears to an entirely different direction, all too fast. Nah, she works during the day. This animal, or whatever it is, is only attacking people at night. She’ll be fine. He tried to push away the thought out of his mind, and it seemed to work. It seemed logical, so he really didn’t have a reason to think about it otherwise. Besides, he couldn’t do anything about it anyway, so instead, he looked up to the clock. It showed him that it was now five o’clock, so he stood up and made his way back to the kitchen. The coffee was finished, and he now had to wake up and get ready for work.
13
He relieved Pat Moore, and took his place behind the counter and got ready for the night. He prepared his paperwork and signed himself in on the computer. Finished, he signed the duty roster, and then turned to the clock. Eleven-thirty. He still had time, so he looked back out through the front doors and to the parking lot outside.
Outside, the moon shined brightly. The lights in the parking lot were on, and they only added to the light. He could see everything clearly, and it only added to the calm feeling that was welling up in his heart. It looked so much like another beautiful night that it made it hard for him to want to wait to begin it. Being that way, he looked back to the clock. Eleven-forty. Time seemed to be slowing. It felt creeping. It made him feel even more impatient, so much so, that he had to take a deep breath. If he didn’t, he felt like he was about to implode.
“Hey there,” a voice came out so suddenly that it instantly snapped him from his thoughts. In fact, it almost caused him to jump straight out of the chair.
He gathered himself, finding that it was a tough fight, but one that was winnable, and he looked to the direction of the voice and watched Rachel Garland coming down the steps and towards him. Seeing her, he instantly exhaled. From this angle, she looked even more beautiful than what he remembered her from that first night that they met.
“Hi.” He stood up and straightened the dark blue tie on his uniform. He didn’t know what else to do. He didn’t expect to see her again, and it also seemed that he didn’t expect her to say anything to him first. With it all, it made him instantly nervous. It all made his stomach just as queasy. Instantly, he could feel his hands grow sweaty. Even with all of it, he still felt glad to see her again. Now that he was, it left him unsure of how to think at all. Therefore, he kept quiet. He didn’t know what else to say, so he didn’t even try to say anything.
“How have you been?” She stepped off the last step, made her way to the counter, and stopped directly opposite from where he stood. “It’s been a while hasn’t it?”
God, did he love the sounds of her voice, but that wasn’t what made him almost gasp. She remembered me. I can’t believe it. And, to top that off, she even remembered how long ago it was. “Fine.” He smiled. “You?” His voice squeaked some just for good measure. So much so, that he tried hard to swallow it back down. The lack of saliva in his mouth made the swallow hurt some as it tried to go down. It was never a good thing to try to swallow a dry mouth.
“Good, just working late.” She smiled, and placed a large briefcase like bag to the top of the counter between them. She shrugged when finished.
“Yeah I am.” He bowed his head and tried again to swallow but couldn’t, so instead, he just settled on trying to clear his throat instead. The squeak stayed, however. It obviously didn’t seem to want to leave once it started.
She laughed at that one. “I meant that I was working.” Her smile grew larger. He looked too cute. He looked so awkward, and the fact that he had said something stupid only added to his charm. It meant more to her than anything else about him. It made him seem normal. It made him seem real. It made her like him even more.
His face instantly flashed with heat as he realized what he had just said. He couldn’t believe that he did it. “Oh, I,” he tried to say anything, but stopped. His voice seemed to vanish right out from under him.
Again, the look on his face only made her laugh. His shyness looked so adorable that she couldn’t help herself. She did feel for him though, so she decided to change the subject, and fast. “I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind walking me to my car.” The red in his cheeks looked like they were about to catch his face on fire. Hearing
the sounds in his voice, she knew that she had to rescue him from his shyness. It was the least that she could do. She took her bag and tossed it gently over her right shoulder, and she made sure that the smile never once left her face.
“Sure. I’d be happy to.” He nodded and took a deep breath. Thank God, she changed the subject. He was right. He started to believe that he was about to explode.
“Good, thank you.”
He nodded, moved out from behind the counter, and stopped directly beside her.
“I really appreciate you doing this.” She watched him come to her and smiled again. His awkwardness looked so overpowering that he looked like he was having trouble walking. She watched him turn to the front doors, and open the left one for her with a skip in his steps. She obeyed the gesture, went through it, and walked outside to the sidewalk.
“No problem.” He joined her outside as the door closed softly behind him.
“With all that is going on in the area, I didn’t want to go out alone,” she tried to explain. She continued trying to keep the conversation light. He looked like he needed it.
“I understand.” He nodded as he continued to grow redder by the second. He walked with her down the sidewalk as they stepped off the curb to the parking lot. Even walking with her seemed difficult to do. He stumbled some as he walked. He wasn’t about to fall over, but the stumble was still noticeable all the same, so he tried to remain strong. He tried hard to remain in control. Both of which, he was neither. I can’t believe I’m walking with her. This is so great. This is so perfect.
They walked across the parking lot and passed two vans parked closer to the building with her car on the other side of the vans.
She reached the car first. “This is me.” She smiled, turned, and faced her escort. She felt beyond thankful for his help. With the animal attacks, she didn’t want to go out alone, especially with them happening so close to the building. Having him with her made all the difference. She felt his strength, even if he didn’t.
He nodded, feeling his flushing flesh beginning to fade in the cool summer air. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. The squeak might have been gone, but his voice seemed to have vanished with it.
“Well, have a great night.” She opened her car door and tossed her bag to the passenger seat, before climbing behind the wheel.
“Night.” He watched her close the door and watched her as she started the engine. It took everything that he had just to say that.
She looked at him through the glass one final time and smiled as she put the car in drive.
He smiled back and watched as she pulled away. He stayed there for several moments, until she left the parking lot and disappeared out of sight. When she was gone, he finally breathed.
Relieved, he turned and headed back across the lot, and made his way back to the front doors. He was almost skipping as he opened the door and walked back inside. He felt completely happy with how everything went. He felt wonderful. He felt just about right, at least until he noticed a large, muscular, blonde-haired man, wearing a dark blue uniform, standing just at the side of the counter. Seeing him, his heart stopped. Any glee that he might have had all vanished with a flash.
“Where the fuck were you?” Gary crossed his arms over his chest. Doing so made him look four times larger than already had.
“I had to give an escort.” Jimmy’s head went down. His mind fluttered. He held his breath. His entire life almost seemed to stop. He passed the much larger man, went around him, and retook his chair. He moved so fast, that he almost missed the chair and fell to the floor, but luckily, he caught himself, and thankfully, he didn’t.
“You’re not supposed to leave the lobby.” Gary uncrossed his arms and placed both hands to the counter-top between him and the rent-a-cop, and smiled. He loved looking at this chubby little bastard more than he thought of at first. Now being this close to him, it looked worth it. He looked scared. He looked absolutely pitiful and it only built up his own strength fivefold within him.
Jimmy shook his head. “I have to give an escort if I’m asked.” He pulled himself tightly to the desk. He tried to remain tough, but could still feel his face once again flash with heat. He wasn’t embarrassed but angrier. He had no idea how else to act. He had no idea what the problem even was. Besides, what he said was right. Escorting employees was in his orders. He had to do it. It was a part of his job. It was his duty. Besides, she asked him.
“Who’d you escort?” Gary’s voice rose and boomed. He sounded tougher as it grew deeper. He loved the sound.
Jimmy feared the sound. “Rachel.” His eyes went to the counter and stared at the CCTV screen, and couldn’t bring himself to bring them back up. He couldn’t force his mind. He could never do it when he needed to do it the most.
“You mean, Doctor Garland, don’t you?” Gary flashed, laughing inside. He of course knew that the guard was right, but he didn’t care about that. All he cared about was doing what he was now doing. He just loved watching this little man grow afraid of him. He loved the feeling more than life itself.
Jimmy nodded. “Of course, Doctor Garland.” He tried swallowing again, but for all of a different reason, and couldn’t. A frog rose in his throat, and that frog had a name, and that name was fear.
“Don’t make it a habit, if you know what’s good for you.” Gary smiled as he left the counter and headed back to the stairs. He got everything he wanted. He laughed to himself harder as he ran up them to the second floor.
Jimmy once again, didn’t look to see him leave. “Asshole,” he finally said quietly, and after saying it, he regretted it instantly. Quickly, he looked back to the stairs just to make sure that the big man didn’t hear him. He didn’t see him, so instantly, he felt relieved and took an easy breath. He turned back to the screens, and pondered everything that just happened. He shivered with the thought.
“Hey!” a voice and a body flashed up in front of the counter.
The sight and sound nearly made Jimmy fly right out of the chair. “Shit!” he screamed. He had to hold the arms of the chair to keep himself from falling out of it. For a brief moment, his entire life passed before his eyes. He thought for the briefest of moments that the big guy had heard him after all and came back to prove to him that he did, so in other words, he thought he was dead.
Collins placed both hands to the top of the counter with a slap. “Whoa, I didn’t mean to scare you my friend.” His yellow teeth showed. “You okay?”
Jimmy nodded, catching his heart in his throat. “Well you did.” He breathed. When he did, it sounded more like a wince.
“Sorry.” Collins grinned. He never intended to scare anyone, ever. He did it though, more often than not.
Jimmy pulled himself back to the desk. “What are you doing?” He placed both elbows to the top of the desk, and wiped his eyes with both palms of his hands. Doing so, he tried to wipe the fear from his mind. It worked some, but really didn’t.
“Hanging out.” Collins’ smile widened. “Watching you.” He laughed.
Jimmy nodded, but gasped after listening. “Me? Why me?” He placed both hands flush with the counter. Why in the hell would anyone ever be interested in watching my lame ass? He nodded again.
“Why did you let him talk to you like that?” Collins’ smile faded from his face and a look of concern came in its stead. He liked this young man. He liked him in so many ways that he didn’t quite understand yet, but he did like him. He did see that much of him did look perfect. So much of him felt real. He liked that. He could also see strength within him. Strength the young man had, but that he had no idea of how to bring out. He hated seeing that, because it also made him almost hurt for him.
“You saw that?” Jimmy bowed his head again. The heat flashed through his cheeks. His entire body shook some. He suddenly felt exposed. He felt invaded. He felt everything all at once.
“Yes. Yes I did.”
Jimmy shook his head, and couldn’t respond. He didn’t know what to
think so he tried not to. It didn’t help that his embarrassment came back again in spades.
“Why?” Collins asked again, tilting his head. He needed the answer. He wanted to know, and only hoped to help.
“What was I supposed to do?” Jimmy pulled himself from the desk and leaned back in his chair. He didn’t understand the question. The guy is so much bigger than he is. He’s huge, as fact. Why would he ever try to stand up to such a beast?
“Stand up for yourself, for starters.” Collins likewise stood back upright.
“I did.” Jimmy swallowed. He did his best. He always did. He survived, and that was that.
Collins laughed with the bellow sounding hardy as it echoed around the lobby. It bounced off the glass like thunder. “You call that standing up for yourself?”
Jimmy nodded as his face flushed even more. “I’m not a fighter.” He swallowed, and again, he didn’t know what else that he could do? What does he want with me? What does he think? Did he want me to brawl with somebody that is twice my size? He could have killed me.
“Not much of a lover either.” Collins shrugged, and smiled again.
What in the hell was he doing, spying on me? Jimmy looked straight at him as his eyes widened. “You saw that too?” Now, his face was more than just red, it now felt like it was on fire. Why in the hell do you care? I’m doing everything that I know how to do.
“Who could have missed it?” Collins left the counter and walked towards the front doors. He stopped, and turned back towards him. “You need some strength my friend. You need some balls.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest and hugged himself tightly. He didn’t agree with anything that he heard. God, everyone wants to run my life. What am I doing wrong?
“I don’t huh?” Collins moved back to the counter. “I used to be like you, my friend. I used to be quiet and unsure of myself. I used to fall all over myself with women. I used to be afraid of my own shadow. I used to tuck my tail between my legs and never stand up for myself. It seems so long ago. It’s forever ago it seems.”
A Werewolf's Saga Books 1, 2, & 3 (A Werewolf's Saga Boxed Sets) Page 8