Bearly In Control (2 page)

For who?
Grace hated politics. And she was in the wrong family for someone who hated politics.

“I don’t like him,” she said. Devon was always talking about himself. He was almost as self absorbed as her father.

He straightened his jacket. “Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the good of the family. To keep the honor in the family name.”

Grace squeezed the key in her hand and bolted out the door. She had been hearing that speech for years. Her family always had to look perfect. She always had to watch what she said, watch what she wore, watch who she was friends with. If it wasn’t her Dad watching over her than it was his staff. His endless team of assistants, secretaries and pages were always watching her every move and reporting back to her Dad.

But the worst among them was the head butler Alfred. Grace swore that his life’s mission was to catch her doing what she wasn’t supposed to.

Alfred claimed that he was from Britain. Part of the old class of butlers trained to serve the royalty. Grace was convinced that he was an American from San Diego. She had seen an old, San Diego, driver’s license, with his picture on it complete with hat head and blood shot eyes, when she was playing in his room as a kid. He denied it of course but Grace wasn’t convinced. Grace’s friend Angie was always trying to get Alfred to admit his true heritage. It was a little game between them. A game that Alfred despised.

Alfred followed her out. “I trust that you’ll follow your Papa’s advice,” he said in a thick British accent, as Grace hurried to the car. “This is a key moment for the Briggs family. Perhaps this is not the best time to have random blokes running around the estate.”

But it had to be this week. It was the only time that Edwin could get some time off from the busy summer period at the kayaking excursion place where he worked. Grace had nothing for the week either. She organized charity dinners from time to time but she had nothing on the horizon.

Grace opened the door. “Last time I checked you worked for the Briggs family.” She glared at Alfred over the door of her Porsche.

He ran his fingers over his thin, black mustache. “I work for your father,” he said, standing as straight as the stick up his ass. “And rest assured that I will be watching this Edwin very closely.”

Edwin’s bear was squeezed into the bathroom stall at Grand Central Station in New York City. He had made it through the whole train ride without phasing but New York was a whole other beast.

There were people everywhere and there were so many strange noises and unfamiliar smells. He lasted exactly thirty seven seconds before he started to shake. His bear was surging to the surface and Connor wasn’t there to stop him.

Luckily there was a bathroom nearby and he ran inside. There was a woman by the sink that gave him a dirty look as he ran into the stall and closed the door. He pulled off his clothes as his body began to transform.

Now he was stuck in the ladies’ bathroom in his bear form, squeezed into a stall. He ran through his options as his bear sniffed the roll of toilet paper.

Edwin tried to calm himself. He tried to ignore all of the outside noises and stimulation and focus on Connor’s encouraging words. When that didn’t work he thought of Grace’s beautiful face. If he wanted to see it again he would have to reel in his bear.

The door of the bathroom opened and a woman screamed. Edwin heard footsteps running away as the door swung closed.

This was no place for his bear.

He focused all of his energy to pull in his bear and push his human form to the surface. His bear grunted and whined as Edwin pushed forward. His body began to shrink as pain sliced through him and his human self took over.

He was about to open the stall door when he realized that he was naked. Connor had warned him about being nude in public. Apparently people get mad when men walk around with no clothes on. Edwin shook his head as he pulled up his pants. Humans had the weirdest customs.

It was strange and ridiculous but Edwin would do whatever he had to in order to fit in this week so that he could be with Grace. He just didn’t always know what he had to do to fit in.

He put all of his clothes back on and stepped out of the bathroom. A woman with fear plastered all over her white face pointed at the bathroom door with her finger.

“In there! There’s a bear in there,” she screamed to two security guards who were strolling over and looking at her funny.

They casually walked into the bathroom with their hands on their belts. “There’s a bear in the bathroom,” she explained to the strangers passing by. They hurried away from her.

Hands grabbed Edwin and covered his eyes from behind. His bear sprung forward, dangerously close to the surface. “Guess who?” a familiar voice said, as he began to shake.

He exhaled and relaxed. It was Grace. His bear slid back down inside him.

She jumped in front of him and gave him a big hug. “It’s so great to see you,” she said, with a smile.

His heart thumped. He couldn’t breathe. He forgot how stunning she was. How her lips made his pulse speed up.

Grace turned as the door of the bathroom opened and the two security guards stepped out smirking. “Nothing in there lady,” the bigger one said.

The lady’s mouth dropped. “But…I saw him…”

The younger security guard with the beard chuckled. “Lay off the drugs,” he said, as they walked away.

The woman looked at Edwin and Grace with wide blue eyes. “But I saw a bear,” she repeated. “In the stall.” She opened the door slowly and looked around inside.

Grace smiled, placing her hand on his chest. “Did you have something to do with that?” she asked in a whisper.

Edwin couldn’t lie to her. “There’s so many people here. I got nervous.”

Grace looked around with her nose scrunched in the air. “This place stinks,” she said. “Let’s go home.”

Grace put the key in the ignition as Edwin looked around the inside of her Porsche.

“It’s so small,” he said, bumping his elbow into the car door. His knees grazed the glove compartment. “Why did you get one so small?”

Grace turned the key and the V10 engine roared to life. This was a four hundred and fifty thousand dollar, limited edition car. Her Dad had it specially made and shipped over from Italy.

“This is a 2007 Carrera GT,” she said, turning down the radio. She ran her hand over the hand carved wooden dashboard. “This is one of the finest automobiles on the planet.”

He looked around the inside of the car with narrow eyes. “I hate it.”

“Would you rather walk?” she asked.

“Can we?”

Laughter burst from her lips. “No,” she said. She leaned over and kissed him. He was so hot, even with his clothes on.

Grace had thought about their night together for three weeks. It felt like their bodies had been melded together. Like they were built for each other. She was looking forward to doing it again.

His tongue tickled hers as their lips caressed each other. She placed her hand on his hard chest and ran her fingers over the defined lines of his pecs. His chest began to vibrate as the car filled with loud purring.

She pulled her mouth away and licked her lips. “You can’t be doing that around my family,” she said. “Especially my Dad.”

“Can’t I just be myself?” he asked.

“No,” she replied.

He broke eye contact, looking ashamed.

Grace felt bad but she couldn’t let her Dad down. Not this week. She couldn’t be the one to bring shame to her proud family name.

“My Dad is going to announce that he’s running for President tomorrow,” she said. “You can’t be growling or phasing into a bear in front of the TV cameras.”

He swallowed hard as he played with his hands in his lap.

“It will be fine,” she said, leaning back in. “I know you can do it.” She kissed his bottom lip and brushed her breasts against his arm. Her nipples hardened under her bra. This was going to be a fun week.

He kissed her back, full of passion. It seemed that he missed her as much as she missed him. He slid his hand up her shirt and felt her breast.

Grace reached over, turned the car off and slid the key out. They were going to be here for a while.

Edwin had never seen such a large house. He didn’t even realize that such a thing existed.

“How many people live here?” he asked, looking up at the giant columns in front of the door. They were thicker than some of the biggest trees in the forest back home.

“Just me, my Dad and my stepmom,” she said, closing the door of her car.

Three people for all of this space?
Why would anyone need so much?
All that Edwin needed, hell all that he wanted, was a forest to wander around in. He had no need for possessions. He always lost them anyways when he phased into his bear. His bear never took them with him.

A young man in a suit with red hair ran over and took the keys from Grace. He jumped in the car and turned it on.

Edwin stepped forward. This man was stealing Grace’s car.

Grace grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“Your car,” he said, as it took off down the long rounded driveway.

“Oh that’s just Matt. He’s just going to park it.”

He stared at the car in confusion as it disappeared around the house.
I have so much to learn.

A man in a black suit, with a thin mustache, stood beside the door with his chin in the air. He looked past them, holding one arm behind his back.

It was time to make a good impression on Grace’s dad. He ran up the rest of the stairs, practicing the words that Connor taught him, and wrapped his arms around the man.

“So nice to meet you Mr. Senator,” he said, giving him a strong hug.

The man’s body went stiff in his arms.

Grace was bent over laughing.

“Get this man off me,” he shouted. He had a strange way of talking.

Edwin let him go and stepped back. He looked from Grace, giggling her head off, back to her father, who was straightening his tuxedo out with his hand and mumbling. “This is highly inappropriate,” he muttered.

Grace finally caught her breath. “That’s Alfred,” she said. “He’s the butler.”

“Head butler,” Alfred corrected.

Edwin’s cheeks felt hot.

“You’re about to enter Senator Briggs’ estate,” he said sternly. “I suggest that you act accordingly.” He rearranged his handkerchief in his front pocket. “I’ll be watching you closely.”

Grace pulled Edwin into the mansion. “Don’t worry about him,” she whispered. “He thinks he’s important.”

Edwin gasped as he walked into the lobby. The ceilings were as high as the tree tops. A huge staircase was in the middle of the room leading up to the higher levels. There was stuff everywhere: furniture, statues, art.
Why do three people need so much stuff?

Edwin stepped towards the wall. There was a giant picture the size of his bed hanging in a gold frame. The painting looked like a child had done it. The arms were too long for the woman’s body and her eyes were both out of place. He touched the thick texture of the photo, running his fingers over the lady’s distorted face.