by Amanda Jones
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You were this close to making that basket,” he said as he pinched his fingers together. “Well … it may have been more like this close.” He opened his arms as wide as he could. “But you get an A-plus for effort.”
“We give gold stars here,” she said with a flirty grin.
His eyes scanned her face, taking in her hazel eyes and full lips. “You can have all my stars,” he said quietly.
“Oooooh they like each other!” The sound of the children startled them both. They forgot they were surrounded by spying eyes.
“Oh shush. The man is just being polite,” she said.
“Then why are you still holding hands?”
They both looked down and laughed before quickly releasing their grip. Peter started to speak when the bell clanged loudly to signal the end of recess.
“Thanks for the lift,” she said as she smiled and slowly turned away. “Look class, the circus is in town. There are the elephants!” She pointed to the right, causing all the little heads to zip around. As soon as they were distracted, she made a break for the school steps shouting, “Last one’s a rotten egg!”
“She got us again!” Their little legs gave chase as they laughed their way into the building.
When the doors closed behind them, the block became unusually quiet as if all the street noise had also followed the girl in yellow. Peter smacked his head and mumbled, “I didn’t get her name. Idiot.” As he turned to leave the playground, he nearly stepped on the yellow cardigan she’d removed before her last failed attempt. He quickly picked it up and rolled it in a ball, trying his hardest not to smell the fabric like a crazy stalker. His willpower only lasted a few blocks before he ducked into an alleyway and held it up to his face. He felt his pupils dilate when the scent entered his nostrils. Her pheromones were perfect. The bulge growing in his pants confirmed it. Now all he had to do was return the cardigan … and make her like him. Peter was used to getting what he wanted. How hard could it be?
He rushed back to the office and summoned Charles, his cousin/chauffeur/bodyguard/best friend. “Smell this,” he said as he held out the yellow fabric.
Charles hesitated. “Is this a trick?”
“Yes, the buttons are going to attack you. Seriously, just smell it.”
He leaned in and inhaled deeply. “Nice. Fresh. Healthy. Who is she?”
“She’s the one. She just doesn’t know it yet … and I don’t know her name.”
“And you need me to find out?”
“Exactly.”
“Tell me what you know,” Charles said as he took a small notebook out of his back pocket.
“Teacher at Westwood Charter School, the kids call her Miss C, and she’s terrible at basketball.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s a deal breaker,” he joked. “I’m surprised she didn’t just roll over and rip off her panties like the others. You must be losing your mojo.”
“Alphas don’t lose their mojo,” Peter said with a smirk. “This one’s different. She gave the impression that she was attracted to me, but it was all about the kids for her.”
“Teaching is a noble profession. Actually, I’m glad she has any profession considering the spoiled brats you’ve had in your bed.” Charles stood up and faked a sad expression. “It’s not you, it’s me.”
Peter grabbed an eraser from his desk and threw it at him. “I won’t have to say that ever again if you go out and do your job.”
“I’m on it,” he said with a salute. “Go back to sniffing your magic sweater.”
“With pleasure.” Peter waved goodbye and spun his chair around, gently swiveling back and forth as he stared at the park below. “Miss C … Miss C.” He thought of her clumsy dribble and the kids laughing and felt a smile spreading across his face. Then his thoughts moved to the cheery voice escaping from her full lips, the strong legs peeking out from under the yellow dress, and the red polish shining on her toes. He felt his pants tightening again from the pull of his growing bulge. “Control yourself,” he said in the direction of his crotch.
The knock at the door startled him. He quickly flipped around and tucked his chair under the desk to conceal his lower half. “It’s unlocked.”
Daphne opened the door a few inches and partially pressed her face through. “I think I got it right this time.” He motioned with his hand for her to enter. “Gramercy Models has a division for curvy girls. I think you’ll be pleased,” she said as she placed a stack of photos on his desk.
He spread them out and studied the images. “They’re perfect! Glowing skin, bright smiles, gorgeous figures … they are Curves and Lace.”
“Who will be the diamond girl?”
“What do you mean?”
“In the Victoria’s Secret fashion show they always have one special girl in the million-dollar bra made of diamonds.”
He clasped his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. “I think I’ve already found my diamond girl.” Daphne leaned in to stack the photos when he stopped her. “You can leave those. Go out and have some fun tonight.”
“Yes, sir,” she said as she turned to leave.
“Peter. Please, call me Peter. Nice work,” he said as he waved his hand over the photos.
“Thank you, si – I mean Peter.”
He was happy Daphne had come through. Maybe there was hope for her after all. He looked at each model carefully and mentally assigned outfits to highlight their best features. White lace for her and pink for this one. Wow! The black teddy would look amazing on her hips. The ringing phone broke his concentration.
“Who’s your favorite cousin?” Charles asked on the other line.
“Hmmm … Toby, Diane, and Josh is up there too.”
“Very funny. I guess you can call them about Miss C.”
“That fast? You just moved to the front in my will. Now spill it.”
“After a search on the school’s website, which you could have done yourself, I’m pretty sure you met the lovely Mia Carter and not Avis Campbell who, while also lovely, is probably nearing sixty. Further Google snooping shows she lives at 85th and Columbus, not one of your buildings, and she appears to be single.”
“Hallelujah!”
“I thought you’d like that last part. Her Facebook status mentions working with Sandwich Samaritans to deliver food to the homeless in Central Park tonight. Feel like going on a little reconnaissance mission?”
“Do you really need to ask? Can we go now?”
“Have patience, Peter. You know it’s not dark enough yet.”
“You’re right. So … bring the car around in fifteen minutes.”
He abruptly hung up, frustrating Charles as he always did. But an Alpha does what an Alpha wants to do and his faithful cousin must dutifully fulfill his role in the pack, especially considering he was the pack, the local one anyway. Modern comforts had changed the focus for the Arctic tribe with battles being fought through lawyers instead of fangs. Charles was grateful to Peter for providing such a comfortable life for all of them and enjoyed his role as full-time sidekick. If he needs his help stalking a teacher as she innocently feeds the homeless, he’s in with all four paws. He’s never seen Peter so excited over a woman, so he was hoping and praying this would all end well.
Chapter Two
They drove the town car near Summit Rock in Central Park and surveyed the area. Charles pointed out the window. “Nice foliage beyond the hill. We can hide over there after they set up.”
“Where is she?” Peter asked, nervously rubbing his hands along his slacks.
“Geez, you’re like a kid. Should I take you for an ice cream to kill time, you pain in the ass? We’re an hour early. It was your idea to race over here.”
“I know, I know. Just circle for a bit. Please.”
“I’ve never seen you like this. It’s—”
“Pathetic.”
Charles laughed and shook his head. “Refreshing. You’re smitten and downright goofy
. It’s nice to see you excited about something that’s not business related.” He cleared his throat and continued, “I know you’ve had a lot of pressure on your shoulders trying to carry all of us. You are appreciated more than you’ll ever know.”
“Thanks for saying that. I don’t do it alone, though. We’re a good team,” he said as he punched Charles lightly in the arm. “How much time have we killed so far?”
“Oh, about five whole minutes. Why don’t you stick your head out the window and let the wind hit your face? Our kind seems to enjoy that very much.”
Peter laughed at first and then got quiet. “I’ve never had to tell anyone about our kind. How do you think she’ll take it?”
“Let’s just make sure she likes you first. One step at a time.”
“You don’t think she’ll like me?”
Charles pulled the car over with a screech. “When did you turn into such a pussy?”
“What?”
He raised his voice a few octaves and batted his lashes. “Will she like me? Where is she? How much time has passed?” He continued in his normal tone, “Yes, you are turning into a pussy. You’re an Alpha. Act like it!”
Peter stared at him with a furrowed brow. “I don’t know what’s come over me.”
“I do. It’s that fucking sweater! Her pheromones have you by the balls.”
“I’m returning it tomorrow.”
“I know you are because I’m going to personally drive you to the school.”
Peter slid down in the seat and released a loud sigh. “You’re right, I need my balls back.”
“You’ll feel better after you shift tonight and breathe in the night air.”
“I’ve never had anyone make me feel this out of control before.”
“I know, buddy. I know.
They drove in circles through the park until they saw a table being set up near Summit Rock. “I see sandwiches,” Peter said as they made another pass and found a parking spot. “Let’s find a bench with a view.”
They made their way to a grassy area near a thicket of trees and plopped down on a bench. The table was a few hundred feet away in their direct line of sight, separated only by a handful of Frisbee players crossing back and forth in the last hour of daylight. The trees towering behind them would provide perfect cover for shifting when the darkness hit completely. Peter felt his nose begin to twitch.
“She’s close,” he said.
“Don’t tell me which one,” Charles said as he looked around. “I want to see if I can guess.” He studied the women walking by, following their steps until he zeroed in on bouncing curls cascading down the back of a pink dress. “She’s the one. Pink dress.”
“Final answer?”
“Absofuckinglutely.”
“Isn’t she magnificent?”
“Gorgeous hair, confident walk, curves for days … she’s just so pretty. I love how her muscle indents on the side of her calve. It looks so strong and sexy with those—“
“Okay, you can stop looking at her now,” Peter said with a low growl.
Charles laughed and said, “I’m just showing my appreciation for your choice.”
“I can appreciate her enough for both of us.”
“So, go over and talk to her.”
“I just want to watch her tonight.”
“You mean stalk her,” he said with a smirk.
Peter shrugged. “I’m not the least bit insulted by that word. It’s what our kind does.”
“Yeah, when we want to eat something.” They both looked at each other, and then back at Mia’s curves.
Peter licked his lips. “Here’s hoping. I can only imagine what’s under that dress.”
“We need to change the subject or I’ll go back to appreciating her in my mind … in very naughty ways.”
Peter growled again, but completely understood as he’d already experienced his fair share of lustful thoughts. They watched her interact with the homeless men and women, offering a paper bag with food and a welcoming hug. The crowd lingered, enjoying the company as much as the food. She knew most of their names and spoke animatedly with her hands while they filled her in on the comings and goings of their lives. Peter and Charles easily picked up the conversation with their heightened sense of hearing.
“Miss Mia. How are your students?” asked a tall gentleman who had a collection of plastic bags tied around his belt so it looked like some type of flotation device.
“They’re fine, Jonesy. Thanks for asking,” she said as she rubbed his arm gently. “The citywide basketball tournament is coming up. We’ve been practicing, not that I’m very much help. I just need the principal to come through with our new uniforms. How did it go with the Department of Housing?”
Jonesy looked down and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “They approved me … and I moved into a little studio.”
“That’s fantastic!”
He took a long pause and said, “But then I got evicted because I kept letting my sister and her kids use the place while I came back to sleep in the park.”
“Aww Jonesy, it’s okay. Why did you keep returning to the park?”
“All my friends are here,” he said matter-of-factly as he swept his arms wide around him. “Why be anywhere else?”
“That’s a good point,” she said, smiling up at him in appreciation of his kindness and innocent wisdom.
He took a bite of his sandwich and expressed his approval by rubbing his tummy. “Ham with cheese is my favorite. Thank you.” Jonesy sat on a retaining wall with his friends as they laughed and enjoyed their food. If you ignored their disheveled clothing, they appeared as people who wanted for nothing.
Peter glanced at Charles and said, “They’ve got it right.”
“The homeless guys?”
He nodded. “Remember when we were young and all we had to do was play in the snow and help feed the pack?”
“We had some lean years, but they were mostly fun. Do you want to go back to simpler times?”
“In some ways I do, although I have no desire to chase caribou all over the place,” Peter said shaking his head. “That guy really doesn’t have any material possessions to speak of, but he’s overjoyed because he has his friends and a simple sandwich. He is probably ninety-nine percent happier than I am.”
“You have a great life!”
“I’m not denying that, but YOU are my only witness and while I love you, my dear cousin, I have no plans to mate with you.”
Charles threw his head back and laughed. “I should hope not. We’re now sitting so close to your potential future. What are you worried about?”
“She may not be interested.”
“I have to agree that she isn’t like the others. This one actually has a soul,” he said with a laugh. “I want you to forget about my suggestion that you find your Alpha balls. She is human, so you should lean on your human emotions to woo her. I don’t think this can be a rush job.”
As they were watching Mia interact with people, she suddenly turned her head in their direction as if she could feel their eyes examining her every move. She couldn’t see very well in the evening light, so she tilted her head and squinted her eyes.
“Shit! She might recognize me from the basketball courts.” Peter jumped up and turned to face the thicket of trees. “I’ll come out when the coast is clear.”
“She can’t make out our faces from that distance, but you can go into the bush if it makes you feel better. I’ll stand guard in case we need to make a run for it.”
Mia hadn’t recognized Peter at all. She turned back to help fold up the table and carry it back to the Sandwich Samaritans’ van. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged and friendly waves sent the van off as it drove away in the dark. Most of the people were slowly walking away to their preferred evening hangouts, but Mia had climbed atop Summit Rock with Jonesy. They positioned themselves flat on their backs with arms clasped behind their heads as they stared at the stars beginning to appear overhead.
“Sitting up here reminds me of being a kid in Queens” Jonesy said. “The lock on the rooftop door was busted, so we used to hang out there all the time. On the Fourth of July, we’d straddle the wall and let our legs dangle so we could watch the fireworks. Nobody ever fell.”
“I think about the crazy stuff I did as a kid too,” Mia said. “It’s a shame we lose that fearless nature.”
“Shit, we haven’t lost it. Sometimes you have to be fearless just to wake up in the morning. It really is a jungle out there, but it’s a beautiful jungle.”