by Sable Sylvan
“Hey, don’t be like that. You know you can tell me anything,” said Aiden.
“It’s just...family is important, to both of us...and I can’t help but think maybe I made a mistake,” said Carmen.
Aiden kept calm, focusing on the road, although his bear was roaring. “What kind of mistake?” asked Aiden. “A mistake...in dating me?”
“Not in dating you, Aiden...that’d never be a mistake,” said Carmen. Aiden’s bear calmed down but was still wary and concerned for Carmen’s wellbeing. “It’s just...maybe my aunt is right. That there are rules we have to follow for no good reason but that just...have to be followed.”
“I get you,” said Aiden. “And I get where your aunt is coming from too.”
“Yeah?” said Carmen, pulling the hoodie off her waist and using it as a blanket. Aiden, noticing Carmen was shivering, turned on the heat. His body naturally ran hotter than hers, so he wasn’t great at gauging whether or not she’d be chilly somewhere yet or not.
“Yeah, I do,” said Aiden. “I’ve been in that same position before, where I’ve had to fire someone for breaking a rule that even I agreed was dumb, but...that they shouldn’t’ve broken anyway.”
“And so how do you think my aunt feels? Mad?” asked Carmen.
“Mad? At you? No frikkin’ way,” said Aiden. “I’ve fired people but never a relative, never somebody I cared about, over something like love. No. I think she’s just...scared.”
“Scared?” asked Carmen.
“Look at it from her perspective,” said Aiden. “Her niece, her pride and joy at work, breaks a rule about fraternizing with clientele, and is keeping a secret from her. Of course that’d be nerve-wracking.”
“So you’re saying that I messed up?” asked Carmen softly.
“No, I’m just saying there’s a lot of ways to look at this,” said Aiden. “And I’m saying she may not be your boss anymore...but she’s still your aunt, still family, and I’d bet dollars to donuts she still loves you.”
“Then why do I feel so bad?” said Carmen.
“Two reasons,” said Aiden. “First of all...this all just happened today, so you’re still emotionally a mess. That’s normal.”
“And second?” asked Carmen.
“Secondly, you barely ate anything all day,” said Aiden. “Trust me. We’ll have fun tonight, you’ll eat something good, you’ll take a nice bath, get some rest, and tomorrow, I’ll spoil the heck out of you...and you’ll feel a lot better.”
“Really?” asked Carmen, looking over Aiden. Aiden always seemed to know exactly the right thing to say, not in a conniving or a manipulative way, but from a genuine place in his heart.
“Yeah, really, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll figure something out, Carmen. Together,” promised Aiden. “I can’t tell you not to worry. I can’t tell you not to be upset. All I can do is love you, support you, and help you through this.”
There was that word again. Love. They’d used it so casually, but never this seriously before. Love. L-O-V-E. Those four letters made Carmen’s stomach do belly flops.
“Aiden...what are we?” asked Carmen.
“Just two people who are gonna have a good time,” said Aiden.
“No, I mean...what are we?” asked Carmen. “Are we friends?”
“Yeah, I’d like to think so,” said Aiden.
“No, I mean, are we just friends, or are we...more than friends?” asked Carmen.
“Oh,” said Aiden. “Well...I was going to ask you this later, but...I was planning on formally asking you to be more than that this weekend.”
“Like...to be your girlfriend?” asked Carmen.
Aiden couldn’t help but smirk. His bear told him to just do what he was planning to do, but it was Aiden’s turn to tell the bear that he had the situation under control. “Sure,” said Aiden. “You could say that. Do you want me to ask you to be my girlfriend?”
“That’s no way to ask a girl out!” said Carmen, crossing her arms.
“Oh, Carmen, you’re suddenly a romantic?” asked Aiden.
“You’re suddenly not?” asked Carmen.
“Ha-ha, very funny,” said Aiden. “I really shouldn’t be such a tease, right?”
“Exactly, a girl might get...ideas,” said Carmen, turning away from Aiden.
“Babe! I was kidding, sorry,” said Aiden. “I thought by now you would’ve figured it out, but yeah, I consider you to be very important to me. I wouldn’t do any of this for any girl I wasn’t serious about.”
“So you’re...serious about me?” asked Carmen.
“There are so many things I’ve never done with any other woman, that I’ve done with you, Carmen...I’ve never chartered a private chopper for another girl, or taken her to my secret cafe hideout, or...skipped out of work for a girl,” said Aiden.
Carmen looked over the handsome billionaire who could be cocky one minute and the next, was blushing a shade of pink so bright that his cheeks looked like they were filled with melted strawberry ice cream.
Seeing the most handsome man she’d ever met fall to his metaphorical knees around her was too much. Carmen couldn’t keep it contained. It was first, a giggle, then a chuckle, then full-out bellyaching guffaws as she laughed harder than she’d laughed in a long time at how pink and cute Aiden frikkin’ Dixon’s cheeks had become during her call-out.
“What’s so frikkin’ funny?” asked Aiden as Carmen laughed next to him. He couldn’t help but smile because her laugh was just that infectious.
“It’s...it’s nothing,” said Carmen between laughs.
“Come on, Carmen, what’s so funny? Spinach in my teeth?” asked Aiden.
“You might be a rich and powerful billionaire, but you’re awful with girls,” said Carmen.
“Hey, I think I’m pretty smooth,” said Aiden. “How many guys have fed you as well as I have?”
“Alright, you have pretty good taste in food,” said Carmen.
“Pretty good? Carmen, if by now, I haven’t managed to impress you with my culinary tastes, there’s absolutely no hope for this relationship,” said Aiden.
“Relationship?” teased Carmen. “What a big word to use...at least, for a guy who hasn’t even had the balls to ask me out yet.”
“The balls? Trust me, darling, I’ve got those,” said Aiden, raising an eyebrow.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” mumbled Carmen.
“Huh? What was that?” asked Aiden.
“I said, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’,” said Carmen.
“‘It’? Trust me, baby, you mean ‘them’, because my clackers come in a pair,” said Aiden.
Carmen put her hand to her face. “Wait. What? ‘Clackers’? Did you just frikkin’ say ‘clackers’? Oh my gosh.”
“What?” asked Aiden. “You want me to be more clinical? Talk about testes?”
“That’s even worse!” said Carmen. “The one guy I decide to run away from home for...and he calls his balls ‘clackers’ and ‘testes’. I better call Niles and get picked up immediately.”
“Alright, calm down there, missy,” said Aiden. “At least let me try and woo you Port Jameson style.”
“Fine, but there better be some damn good eats at this place,” said Carmen.
“Trust me, there will be,” said Aiden. “Help me look for parking.”
Carmen looked out the windows. Even though a lot of people were walking in the same direction as they were driving, the streets well-lit, there was not exactly ample parking. She was surprised at how gorgeous all the people were. She’d lived in Seattle her entire life and was used to seeing men that fell somewhere on the spectrum of fisherman to techie, all clad in flannel and plaid, but Port Jameson, even though it was just a few hours south of Seattle, was warmer, less rainy, and the people look like they’d walked out of a Beverly Hills fashion catalog. There were of course way more shifters than she was used to seeing, and she had to admit she felt absolutely teeny in comparison to the towering men and women, but she also noticed that th
e humans in town that had physiques resembling hers were clad in gorgeous clothes as well, happy smiles plastered over all their faces as they chatted.
Aiden noticed Carmen taking in the view and shook his head smiling. She wasn’t going to be any help finding parking. The way she was looking at Port Jameson reminded him of the way he’d looked at so many cities all around the world...and he recognized that sparkle and twinkle in her eye as a sign that she was falling in love with the world that he too loved. Aiden found a spot and pulled in. “We don’t have to walk too far,” he said as he helped Carmen out of the car and led her by the hand in the direction towards the large community park. The community park was a large flat plain green space that was meant for events, so there wasn’t a ton of art or stuff to play on like there was at the other town parks. However, that night, the park’s square green had bleachers on two sides forming a corner, the other two sides filled with food trucks and tables and chairs. In between all of this was an area marked off with hay bales, filled with bales of hay that looked like they were part of an obstacle course.
“Whoa, I wasn’t expecting this,” said Carmen. “You sure it’s safe for me to play?”
“Of course,” said Aiden. “Port Jameson is intense. We work hard, play hard. You can definitely play for the first few rounds, but if there’s a shifter’s only round, just take this and go get something to eat and drink and watch me do my thing.” Aiden passed Carmen a brown leather wallet.
Carmen opened the wallet. There was a lot of petty cash as well as an unmarked black credit card. “You don’t have to do all that,” said Carmen. “That’s a lot of money, Aiden.”
“You should always have money on you in case of an emergency,” said Aiden.
“Okay, but, isn’t this a bit excessive? This is more than I used to be paid in a month,” said Carmen, flipping through the bills.
“Fine, will this make you feel better?” Aiden went into the wallet and pulled out a bunch of bills and put them into his own wallet.
“Aiden, you just took out the singles,” said Carmen.
“Well, Carmen, you’re gonna have to learn to get used to spending my money,” said Aiden. “I don’t earn it so it can sit rotting in a savings account. Besides, I’m pretty much set for life. When was the last time you were able to do things without money being an issue?”
“Never,” admitted Carmen. “That doesn’t mean I want your money.”
“Fine, fine, but at least for this weekend, can you help me take care of you, babe?” asked Aiden.
“Okay...just for this weekend,” said Carmen, pocketing the wallet. “So where do we sign up for this water balloon fight?”
“That table over there,” said Aiden, pointing. “Do you want to be on the same team as me or the opposite team?”
“Same team, for sure,” said Carmen. “I think it’s a little too soon for us to get in a fight, isn’t it?”
“I like the way you think,” said Aiden, walking up to the table. The table was manned by a curvy blonde woman with a clipboard. “Hey, Goldie, long time no see.”
The woman looked up. “Aiden frikkin’ Dixon? I can’t believe my eyes. Does the sheriff know you’re in town?” teased Goldie. “And who the heck is this?”
“Goldie, this is my girlfriend, Carmen,” said Aiden. “Carmen, Goldie and I grew up together. She’s actually married to three bear shifters, Glen, Brian, and Cliff.”
“Wow...three husbands?” asked Carmen. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, I know, right?” said Goldie, not at all offended. “Believe it or not, it’s not uncommon to have even two fated mates down in Port Jameson...but three, well, it’s not what I was expecting at all, but I’ve never been happier.”
“Please tell me you’re not stuck with a queen sized bed,” said Carmen.
“No frikkin’ way,” said Goldie with a grin. “Aiden, bring her around sometime so she can see what we’ve got. Carmen, sugar, the bed at my place...let’s just say they ran out of terms for royalty to describe it.”
“I’ll definitely take you up on that,” said Carmen.
“So, two for the water balloon fight, for shifters and human...and Aiden, do you need a ticket for the shifter round?” asked Goldie.
“Yeah, that’d be great,” said Aiden.
“You know how this works, Aiden. Carmen, the water balloon fight is very simple. Each team has a large tub of water balloons that are filled with a special, safe dye. The dye will leave a mark on whoever the balloon hits,” explained Goldie. “If you are hit, you are out and can sit on the sides and watch if you want. There’s showers, cubbies, and changing stalls over there.” Goldie pointed to a wooden structure near the arena.
“Got it,” said Carmen. “Where do I go during the shifter round?”
“Just sit on the bleachers and hang out with me, girlfriend,” said Goldie. “Aiden, tonight, it’s bears and wolves against big cats. Bears and wolves are on the blue team; big cats are on the orange team.”
“Big cats?” asked Carmen.
“That’s right, we’ve got all types that came up for this,” said Goldie. “We’ve got folks from Seattle like you all, some from Portland, San Francisco, even Los Angeles, Dallas, and Orlando. You never know who you’re gonna run into in Port Jameson.”
“What team are we on for the water balloon fight?” asked Carmen.
“There’s a pink team and a purple team,” said Goldie.
“Pink sounds perfect,” said Carmen.
“Alright, two for pink?” asked Goldie, clicking her pen.
“Two for pink,” agreed Aiden. He passed a hundred-dollar bill across the table. “Keep the change, Goldie.”
“The entry fee is only twenty bucks...you’re gonna seriously donate the rest? All eighty bucks?” asked Goldie.
“Oh, where are my manners...here,” said Aiden, taking out four more hundred dollar bills and a twenty. “It’s for a good cause, right? The orphan fund?”
“Bless your heart, Aiden,” said Goldie, putting all the change and extra bills into a large glass box with a lock and using a marker to fill in a giant thermometer, increasing the donation meter up five hundred bucks.
“Have a great night, Goldie, and keep an eye on this one,” said Aiden, wrapping an arm around Carmen and giving her a smooch on the forehead. “Make sure she eats something after we work up this appetite.”
“Oh, I will,” said Goldie with a wink.
Aiden led Carmen to the side of the arena marked with a pink flag. “That was so generous of you,” said Carmen. “What’s the orphan fund?”
“I’ll tell you all about it on the way home tonight if we have time,” promised Aiden. “But for now, we should try and figure out our strategy.”
“It’s pretty simple, right? Just hit the other team with balloons?” asked Carmen.
“So that’s the thing. We’re playing against humans and shifters. Even in human form, us shifters are pretty strong...and fast...and competitive,” said Aiden. “And sometimes, even though this is a game, things get heated.”
“I thought you said this was safe!” said Carmen.
“It is...but at the same time, I’d feel better if you let me protect you, alright?” said Aiden.
“Alright,” said Carmen.
Aiden and Carmen grouped with the rest of the pink team. Their team had a variety of players, some shifters, some human. Carmen could easily tell who the shifters were. They were like Aiden: tall, toned, handsome, with a competitive glint in their eye. Each team had people who had volunteered to work on filling water balloons. The water balloons didn’t have to be filled individually. There was a unique way of making water balloons in bunches, however, the balloons were smaller and took a bit more effort to pop. The rules were simple. Hit the other team, and don’t get hit.
Chapter Eight
The whistle blew and Aiden and Carmen grabbed a plastic bucket of balloons. Aiden and Carmen walked carefully as everyone else ran around like chickens that had just lost their heads.
Everyone had tied strips of fabric to their arms to denote what team they were on, but it was pretty easy to see who was on what team, given the buckets and balloons were all color-coded too.
People who had rushed forward had been hit by balloons quickly, but there are also people who were hiding behind bales of hay, tossing balloons, and then moving to a new hiding spot.
A large man with a purple sash tied to his arm lodged a balloon their way, but Aiden grabbed Carmen with one arm, moving her out of the way, before tossing a water balloon at their assailant, hard, and missing.
“Great aim,” teased Carmen.
“Let’s see you do better,” said Aiden.
“Hey, I’m not the one who was bragging about how great of a player they were,” said Carmen.
“Yeah, okay, you’ve got a point, but trust me, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” said Aiden. Just as Aiden said that, there was a large splash. The guy from before had pelted Aiden...or at least, tried. The balloon landed a few feet from them and they dodged the splash the broken balloon made.
“It seems we have a rival,” said Aiden. “Come on. Let’s try being stealthy.”
Aiden and Carmen quietly made their way through the chaos, dodging behind hay bales, until they had made their way around the field...so they were technically in enemy turf, and the large shifter who had tried to pelt them twice had his back to them, and was in the perfect position to be pelted.
“You ready?” whispered Aiden.
“Let’s do this,” said Carmen.
Aiden and Carmen rushed out, and before the other shifter could turn, Aiden had tossed a balloon at the man...but he missed, again. However, Carmen had taken her plastic bucket and, with all her might, tossed the balloons out and up and onto the man who couldn’t miss all the balloons. Well, some of the balloons had popped during transit, but technically, hitting someone with the dyed water, rather than the balloon, was the point, and the man was thoroughly drenched in pink.
The man looked down over his body, which was now thoroughly soaked...and couldn’t help but laugh. “Good job, only took you all game,” said the man.
“Hey, the game’s not over yet,” said Carmen.