by Milly Taiden
“Uh, Francesca,” he mumbled, running a shaky hand through his hair. She looked at him with a sly grin.
“Marcus, I’d love to go out with you Saturday.”
He sat straighter and sucked in a breath. “You would? I mean, that’s great. Here,” he handed his phone to her, “text your phone from mine and we’ll both have each other’s number.”
He walked her out to her car. She belonged to him now. She was his mate. And he would take care of her and make her the happiest woman on the planet because she made him the happiest man.
6
Marcus poured his first cup of coffee and reclined on the sofa, watching the sun come over the adjacent buildings. One thing he missed about living with his parents was their rural location. No tall buildings blocking the view, no cars honking or polluting the air. Just peace and smaller critters romping through the forests out back. He’d love to get back to that. He could literally work from anywhere, as long as he had Internet, he could live in Antarctica.
His bear shivered. Maybe not there. How about a nudist beach where it could run around naked? His animal must’ve been high. The damn thing didn’t wear clothes. High on love.
Marcus would agree with that. They’d found their mate and now they had to woo her to make sure she knew they wanted her, and only her, now and forever.
He heard the elevator down the hall ding then a moment later, Theo opened the door. Was he humming? Theo never hummed or whistled. He did occasionally belt out AC/DC in the shower. Those were times Marcus prayed the hot water would run out before he did.
“Hey, what’s up, Marcus? You are,” he said and laughed at his own joke. “Get it? You’re up—out of bed—”
“Yeah, Theo, I get it. Why’re you in such a good mood?”
He came around the sofa and plopped down, almost causing Marcus to spill his coffee. “I found her, man.”
“Her, who?” Marcus asked.
“Her, the one, dude. My mate. I met her at a party last night.” He laid his head back and spread his arms. “She’s so beautiful.”
“I thought you worked last night.”
“I did. At least, I think I did. I couldn’t think of anything else but her. Fortunately, it was quiet all night. No calls.”
Marcus wondered if Theo’s finding his mate and him finding his own on the same night was one of those strange connections they had since kids.
Theo looked at him. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you happy for me?” His eyes widened. “This doesn’t mean I’m kicking you out. Well, maybe it does. No. She’ll be with me in my room. You’ll be fine.”
“That’s a hell no, I’m not listening to your headboard bang against the wall all night, every night,” Marcus grumped.
“Okay,” Theo placated, “I’ll get rid of the headboard. I never liked it anyway.”
“No, Theo,” Marcus said. “That’s not the point.”
“What is the point?” he asked. Marcus sat up on the couch and put his feet on the floor.
“I found my mate last night, too.”
Theo stared at him. “I didn’t know you left the house. Did she deliver a pizza or something?” He breathed in heavily, probably searching for that special day-after pizza smell.
“No, I was invited to a meet and greet by a mate consultant.”
“A what?” Theo asked.
“Someone to help me find a mate.” Didn’t anyone but him not understand mate consultant?
“You’re gonna sleep with the chick beforehand, right, dude?” Theo looked concerned.
“God, Theo. You’re just like my dad. That’s the first thing he said.” Marcus stood from the sofa to get more coffee.
His roommate smiled. “I was trained by the best.”
Marcus rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I think you should’ve been born into the family and I was the pseudo-adopted one.”
“Aw, come on, man. Don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful.”
Good god. Marcus would’ve shot coffee out his nose had any been in his mouth. “Whatever, dude. You and your sissy surfer hair,” he teased.
“Hey, man. You carry a hundred pounds of equipment up twenty floors and see how sissy you are.” Theo had a point. Marcus wasn’t much for the athletic stuff, even though he kept in good shape. His sedentary lifestyle called for him to work out at the gym or die of heart disease at age thirty.
“Okay,” Marcus conceded, “I’m thrilled you found your mate last night.” A horrible thought crossed his mind. Please god, no. “Theo, where was your party last night?”
“Some place pretty spiffy. Ruth’s steakhouse or something.” Marcus groaned. This was not happening. “Why? Steak kabobs were great. Still moo-ing.”
“Does your mate have long brown hair that looks like flowing silk?” Marcus asked.
“Yeah, it’s beautiful. I can’t wait to fist my hand in it while she sucks me down.” A shudder rippled through his friend’s body. “Does yours, too?”
He chose not to answer as he filled his coffee mug. “Does she have a curvy body that would feel great pressed under you?”
“And an ass that doesn’t quit. I’ve always liked asses. I’m an ass man, through and through.” Theo rubbed his crotch and he stretched on the sofa.
Marcus mumbled, “Was that ‘ass, man’ or ‘ass-man’?” He shook his head. “Maybe just ass would be correct.”
“What were you are saying in there, dude?” Theo continued to rub his dick while Marcus leaned against the encased opening between the kitchen and living space.
“Is her name Francesca Virgata?”
Theo’s hand and body froze on the sofa. His eyes narrowed. “How did you know that?” For fuck's sake! Marcus turned back to the kitchen as Theo jumped off the couch. “You been spying on me? What the hell? Did one of the guys from the station call you?”
Marcus plopped onto a chair at the table. “Fuck me. No, I’m not spying and no one called. The woman I met last night was Francesca Virgata. And I thought she was into me.”
“Fuck you is right. She was heavy into me. And she’s mine. I saw her first.”
“That’s only because you had to go to work, so you left before I did.” Another thought hit him. “And why didn’t you tell me you were going to the get-together?”
Theo sputtered without an answer, then spit out, “Why didn’t you tell me you were going?”
“Really, Theo?” Marcus said. “Answering a question with a question is lame.”
“Politicians get away with it. So can I,” he replied.
“All right, enough.” With both hands, Marcus scratched through his messy morning hair. “We need to figure this out.”
“There’s nothing to figure out. I saw her first.” Theo crossed his arms over his chest.
Marcus glared at him. “We aren’t in second grade, Theo.”
“I know, but it worked for me then.” Marcus almost laughed at his roomie’s pouting.
“Because I backed off so you could play with Marissa Caders. Then two days later, you didn’t like her anymore.”
“She was boring. All she wanted was to sit on the merry-go-round and make me push it.” He shook his head. “Did you see her throw up on my shoes?”
Marcus leaned back in his chair and laughed. He’d forgotten that part. “No, but I smelled them all the way home.” He slapped a hand on the table. “I told you, you were pushing her too fast. But did you listen to me? Noooo. You got what you deserved.”
“Whatever, man.” Theo crossed to the fridge, plucked a chocolate milk from the door and unscrewed the top. “You know,” he said as he closed the fridge, “we could make a bet to see who gets her.”
Marcus dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling. “No wonder you’re still single,” he said. “Haven’t you seen every movie where the guys make a bet, then she finds out and they both get dumped? Sorry, bro. Ain’t dumb enough to fall for that.”
“Damn,” Theo whispered, “I had to try, at least.” He smiled when Marcus raised his b
rows at him.
“We’re handling this like adult men. That is if you can pretend to be one long enough.” Marcus eyeballed his best friend across the table. Theo slapped a hand on his chest.
“That hurts. Cuts me deep, man,” he pointed to his chest, “right here.”
Marcus smirked. “Well, if you die, she’s mine.”
Theo frowned. “Not funny, dude. Don’t go messin’ with my mate.”
Marcus sighed. “I’m guessing you asked her out.”
“Yeah, on Sunday,” he said.
Marcus covered his mouth with his hand. He would not laugh out loud at his friend. “You can’t seriously be taking her to that?”
Theo’s brow raised. “And what are you planning with her?”
“Another question with a question.”
Theo growled and waved a hand in the air. “Just answer it.”
“If you must know,” Marcus sat straighter, “I’m taking her to the outdoor theatre to see Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Theo covered his mouth, Marcus was certain, to imitate his action. “You do that. Come Sunday night, we’ll see who she prefers.”
Marcus sighed. He hoped this didn’t mean an end to their friendship after so many years. But significant others were reasons friends no longer remain friends. He didn’t want that.
“I need to get some sleep,” Theo said. “Normal shift tonight.” He gave a chin pop. “See you then.”
“Yeah, have a good rest,” Marcus replied. After his roommate’s bedroom door closed, he picked up his phone and placed an order.
7
Francesca sized up the enemy in front of her. He was quite a bit taller, but that was only because she was vertically challenged. She wouldn’t let a silly thing like that be the reason she got the shit beat out of her. Nope, not this morning. After such a wonderful evening the night before, she was psyched beyond belief.
She and her opponent circled each other, neither had a hand raised. No weapons had been pulled. No, not for this fight. This would be all skill.
He lunged toward her, fist aimed at her. Easily, she blocked the oncoming missile with her forearm, grabbed his wrist and thrust him to the floor using his own momentum against him. He sprang to his feet. She got lucky on that one.
His eyes flared. It was probably hard for a man to take getting their ass kicked by a woman. A short one at that. Circling again, she focused on his stance. There were telltale signs throughout the body that foretold what was coming.
Fists and biceps relaxed. He wasn’t thinking of an upper body punch. His posture straightened just slightly, prepping his core muscles. He’d decided on a lower strike position. But which one? A roundhouse, side strike, hook? His weight shifted onto his left leg. Roundhouse, then.
His right leg bent and lifted at his side, readying to snap around and deliver a foot to her chest. But seeing his muscles prep the move, she was ready. While his leg was in the air, she dropped into a crouch, then swung her leg around to take out his knee and his ability to walk again. An inch before making contact, she stopped all movement.
Point!
Those sitting around the mat lying on the wood floor jumped up and cheered. She and her contestant rushed to their feet and bowed. The sensei dismissed the group for the night’s lesson.
Francesca fell back on the mat, exhausted. Who the hell had the brilliant idea to train for a black belt? Oh, right. That was her wanting to teach self-defense to the females in the pride. She must’ve been high when she filled out the paperwork. Her antagonist, Ben, offered a hand up.
“You’re getting good, Francesca,” he said. “Being short really helps on those low-to-the-ground movements.” She grabbed his hand.
“Thanks, smart ass. I mean, Ben.” Her shit-eating-grin matched his. “Your sky-high, praying mantis legs are hard to miss.”
He yanked up a white pant leg of his gi showing his thin, hairy limb. “These are rather sexy, aren’t they?”
“If you shaved them, we could at least see some skin then, you gorilla,” one of the other guys hollered.
“I can’t help if I was born this way. Talk to my mom,” he yelled back.
“Yeah,” joked the other guy, “I’ll talk to your mom. After I do her.” Francesca rolled her eyes and headed for the lockers. Guys could be so crude sometimes. Actually, most of the time. How was she blessed with so many as company?
After changing into street clothes, she came across Sensei Steve standing outside the small office, hands on his hips.
“Sensei, is everything all right?” she asked.
“Oh, Francesca,” he laid a hand over his chest pocket and both pants pockets, “I seemed to have locked my keys in the office.” He pointed through a window. Sure enough, on the corner of the wood desk lay a ring of keys.
She’d never picked a lock before, but it seemed like everyone on TV could do it with two picks. Of course, MacGyver just needed a piece of gum. After googling instructions on her phone, she called on her tigress for a couple long claws. Within a few minutes, the lock popped open. She couldn’t believe it. That seemed easy. No wonder everyone could do it.
“Thank you, young lady,” Sensei Steve said.
“You’re welcome. Looks like I learned more than I intended this morning.” She adjusted her purse on her shoulder. “If that’s it, then I’ll be on my way.”
“Francesca,” her sensei replied, “may I have a few moments with you?” He fingered the scar on the side of his face that had been there before she was born. It had faded with age, but whenever he worried about something, he always rubbed it. She never asked how he got it. It looked as if it was somewhat prominent at one time.
“Sure.” She walked through the door he held open. “What can I do for you?”
Steve closed the door and pulled the blind down. “Francesca, I’m disturbed by things I’m seeing here in the pride.”
Whoa. She didn’t see this coming. “What kind of things?” she asked.
He sat back in his office chair and sighed. “Francesca, since your father’s absence, I’ve noticed…” he paused. “I fear some of the young men may have become aggressive.”
Another shock. “Oh.” She thought through her last couple of weeks. Being stuck in the office all the time, she was out of the loop on the community. “Like how?”
“I’ve not seen anything myself, but several of the younger ladies have enquired about self-defense classes recently. More than ever before. And with things like this, I find there is usually a reason behind the enquiries.”
So he hadn’t seen anything personally. Maybe he was getting a bit paranoid in his older years. “Thank you for sharing your concerns with me, Sensei. I will discuss this with my brother.”
He nodded. “That’s all I can ask. How is your father doing?”
“He’s doing well. Thank you for asking. Some days are better than others,” she answered.
He sighed. “Ever since your mother passed away, he’s not been the same. He truly loved her. We all did.”
Now she felt awkward talking about her deceased mother. She really loved her mom, too. But being Mom’s sibling, he had a right to express himself.
“And what about you, grasshopper? Any love interests? Your father would want you happily mated soon. With him being ill, and one of my closest friends, I feel like I should keep an eye on you and your brother.”
She wanted to tell her sensei that she and her brother were old enough to care for themselves, but she understood the need to protect others, especially someone who never found a mate or had children of their own to love. “Thank you, Uncle Steve. I very much appreciate all you do for us and the community. And I have two dates this weekend.”
“Two? Well then, you don’t need any help, sounds like.” He winked and rose from his chair, grabbed his keys off the desk, and motioned for her to walk out with him. “I know you and your brother are capable of watching yourselves, but I still worry. Can’t help it.”
She kissed
him on the cheek. “You’re the best, Uncle Sensei. I’ll see you next lesson.” She headed for her car in the morning sunlight as he locked the main doors and watched her drive away.
His words about the guys in the community troubled her. She hadn’t witnessed any aggressive actions toward anyone, and none of the ladies shared anything with her. She thought they would since she’d known all of them since she was old enough to recognize faces.
She didn’t know what to do.
8
Sitting at the one stoplight in the little town, Francesca pulled her phone from her purse. Her screen showed she had two text messages waiting. She tapped for the first.
Good morning, beautiful. Just letting you know I’m thinking about you. Looking forward to Saturday. Marcus
Aww, how sweet. She texted back a thank you and similar regards. When she first saw him last night with Gerri, she hadn’t seen anyone as gorgeous since…Theo had left ten minutes before.
How could she be so attracted to two men, and at the same time? She’d gone years without one guy turning her head, then in one night, two cause her whiplash. Then stupidly, she agreed to both dates. When did she become one of those women? One thing was for sure, she didn’t want to string anyone along. She’d figure out which she liked, if either, and then let the other one go.
The message definitely added points for Marcus.
She went back to the messenger home screen and clicked the other text.
Good morning, gorgeous. Hope your day is great. I can’t wait to see you again Sunday. Get ready for a wild ride. Theo
Oh, shit. Now the guys were tied for points. Was it going to be like this until she made her decision? She sighed and replied similar to Marcus’s. It’d been a long time since anyone made a fuss over her. Her mom was the designated daughter spoiler and since it was just Dad now, she was not only not spoiled, but barely had attention from anyone.
She wasn’t a needy princess by any means. But knowing and being shown she was loved made her feel good about herself. That was hard to find in a world so demanding of everyone’s time.