Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love (Adaira) BBW Bear Shifter Romance (Hope Valley BBW online dating app romances Book 6) (4 page)

Hey there, Leigh.

I hope you’ve been having a good week? Mine’s been crazy, but I’ll tell you all about it when we meet!

I’m look forward to meeting you and enjoying a good meal together tonight!

Adaira xx

Panic made Leigh’s hand tremble.
There’s no way out now
. He was just going to have to do it. He hit the home button and thrust his phone into his back pocket.

But, as he packed the few things he was taking to Hope Valley – a change of clothes and deodorant – a thought occurred to him. Why was she messaging him? She seemed to be asking if he was having a good week. But that wasn’t a very important question. Maybe she was expecting something else from him? He took his phone out again and called Lauren.

She answered, greeting him brightly. When he relayed the message to her, she chuckled.

“Oh, sounds like she’s just checking in with you, since you haven’t been in touch for a few days. She’s probably making sure that the date is still happening,” she said. Leigh frowned.

“But why didn’t she just ask me that?” he said. Lauren laughed more loudly this time.

“Because she’s a woman, Leigh. She’s being subtle.”

“Oh.” He was more than a little confused

“It sounds a little negative to ask if it’s still happening, when you’ve made definite plans, so I guess she’s just gently checking, to make sure she doesn’t get stood up,” Lauren explained.

“Ah, I think I understand,” he said. “So is she expecting a reply from me?”

“I think she’d appreciate one.” Leigh was silent as a jumble of words tumbled through his mind. He loved words when he was reading, but creating them was a very different matter. “Hey, Leigh, put me on speakerphone, and I’ll dictate a message for you,” Lauren said.

“Ok,” he said, full of gratitude. Lauren dictated:

“Hi, Adaira, exclamation mark. My week has been very good, thanks. I look forward to hearing all about yours. It must be exciting being new to Hope Valley. I can’t wait to meet you tonight, and to learn all about each other. I’ll see you at the restaurant at 8, exclamation mark. Until then, Leigh. Smiley face.”

“Thanks Lauren,” Leigh muttered as he completed the message and hit send.

“Do you want to stop by our place and wash up before the date?” Lauren asked.

“No, I’m good. There’s a stream right by the cave at the foot of the mountain where I sometime leave my clothes. I’ll get ready there,” he replied.

“Ok, if you’re sure,” Lauren said, a tinge of doubt in her voice. “Make sure you pack your toothbrush and a change of underwear.”

“Nah, I don’t need them. I’m only staying for the evening.” Lauren chuckled.

“That may well be, but it’s good to be prepared, isn’t it?” Sighing a little, Leigh took his toothbrush out of the bathroom and wrapped it in a piece of notepaper before stuffing it into his backpack. He added a clean pair of black boxers too.

“I have to go now, Leigh, as Willow is crying, but let us know how it goes. I’ll be waiting with bated breath!”

“I will do, thanks Lauren,” he said, and they cut the call.

Leigh took a last look around his cabin and set out for the long hike down the mountain. Every time he left his home, if felt like he was being physically torn away from it. It was such a part of him, so central to the peace and calm he’d created for himself after his difficult experiences early in life.

The hike went fast and Leigh judged it was around 6pm by the time he reached the cave and the stream that ran alongside it. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was 6:07pm. Pretty close. The low battery alert flashed up on the screen.
What the – ?
It should have been almost full. He’d put it on to charge this morning. But he hadn’t. After calling Lauren, he’d been so stressed by the thought of the date that he’d forgotten to reconnect it. And he’d left the portable chargers at home. He slapped his forehead.
“I’m such a dumb bear sometimes,”
he muttered to himself. It wasn’t really a big deal, though. There was nothing he actually needed the phone for.

He went into the cave and looked through his things. When he didn’t need to bring anything down from the mountain, he travelled in his bear form, as it was much faster, and more convenient for catching food on the way, so he stored clothes and soap here. Everything was as he’d left it. He hadn’t expected anyone to disturb it. Other shifters and animals would smell bear, and know to leave well enough alone, while the cave was so well concealed that humans were unlikely to stumble across it.

He stripped his clothes off. His bear was pushing at his skin, desperate to be let out, so he let it, thinking it would be easier to control later if he gave it its freedom now. He raced through the trees, endorphins flooding his veins, before plunging into the river. There were huge fish racing against the current, and he caught several of them easily in his paws and ate them in a couple of bites. He was hungry after all the energy he’d exerted today, and he was happy to fill his stomach, figuring that it would be a good thing if he wasn’t too hungry when he arrived at the restaurant. He’d be less likely to embarrass himself with his table manners.

He climbed out and shifted on the bank of the stream, then he grabbed his soap and plunged in again, shouting out as the ice-cold water touched his skin. He lathered himself all over with natural olive oil soap, and rinsed off, before jumping out shivering and rubbing himself down with a t-shirt. He dressed in navy blue jeans, as Lauren had suggested, and he put on clean underwear and the heavy brown boots he always wore. He rubbed at his two-day-old stubble. He didn’t like to be clean-shaven; it didn’t feel right to him. He was a big, rugged bear, and his hairiness was a part of him. He went back to the cave to grab his deodorant, and returned to the stream to retrieve his backpack from a rock. But when he saw it, he gave a groan of dismay. Somehow he hadn’t balanced it properly, and it had fallen off, tipping the contents on to the ground. Including the blue plaid shirt he was about to wear. He picked it up and roared in fury. It had fallen onto some wet ground right at the edge of the water, and was now stained with a large splotch of slimy mud.
Shit! What the hell am I going to do?
He held it up and examined it. He’d have to wash it out. There was no two ways about it. Holding most of the shirt out of the water, he submerged the stain. Then he pulled it out and rubbed the soap over it.
Relief.
It was coming out. He rinsed it until it was completely gone. He held the shirt up to the light again. It was all good. But it was also soaking wet. The whole right side of the shirt was drenched. Growling and grumbling to himself, he wrung it out as best he could and shook it. What should he do now? Would it dry better from the heat of his body, or from being laid out. He decided on the latter. He tied the left arm of the shirt through the handle on the top of his backpack, and allowed the rest of it to spread over the pack and hang down. The sun was behind him, so with a bit of luck, the last of its rays should dry it out as he walked. He transferred his phone from his other pair of pants and glanced at the time. His breath caught in his throat. It was 7.15pm. He’d wasted so much time on that damn shirt! He was going to be late for the date. He needed at least an hour to get to the foot of the mountain, and then it was another 15 minutes to downtown Hope Valley.

He started to run. And then he stopped himself. If he ran, he’d sweat, and he’d arrive at the date smelling bad. He took his phone out.
I should message Adaira and tell her I’m going to be late
, he thought. He tapped Shiftr and the app opened. And his phone died.

“Damnit!” he bellowed, his voice returning to him in a series of echoes.
How have all these things gone wrong? It’s a sign. A sign I shouldn’t be doing this stupid dating crap!
He turned around and stared at the way he’d just come. Every fiber of his being wanted to rip his clothes off, dump everything in the cave and run as a bear all the way back home. But then he thought of Lauren, thought about what she’d say if he told her that he’d stood the girl up. It was the wrong thing to do; he knew that deep in his heart.

Sighing, he turned back again, walking down the mountain as fast as he could without breaking into a run.

Adaira’s first week at the university had been amazing. Everyone had been very excited to meet her, and the facilities were awesome, much more sophisticated than at her university back home. People hadn’t always been able to understand everything she was saying, but she was training herself to speak much slower, and make her vowels a little longer. She loved the research too. She’d spent hours with her research team, scrambling around in the Texan desert, hunting out rare native species of cacti, and bring them back to examine under the microscope.

She took a late afternoon flight back to Hope Valley, full of the satisfaction of having had a fruitful week. As the plane took off, her tummy jumped with nerves and excitement. In just three hours’ time she’d be meeting her date. A huge, impossibly handsome
bear
. It was almost too much to believe. She wondered if he’d be chatty and outgoing. Tamika said that bears could often be shy, and needed warming up before they’d talk openly about themselves. Adaira didn’t mind too much. Her mom always said she talked enough for two people.
But what if he doesn’t like me?
a niggling little doubt said, but she dismissed it firmly. After uprooting her life to come here and find a partner, she wasn’t about to sabotage herself with her own fears.

When she arrived, she went straight to Tamika’s place. Her cousin had said she could stay as long as she liked. She’d start looking for her own place over the weekend, but for now, she was very grateful for Tamika’s generosity.

Tamika arrived home after she’d showered and was in the middle of getting dressed.

“Good timing!” Adaira said as Tamika knocked on the door. “I wanted to get your opinion on this.” She indicated the skirt and blouse she was wearing. Tamika tucked a lock of her long, golden brown hair behind her ear and appraised her.

“To be honest, darling, I think it’s a little frumpy. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look a little like an English librarian.” Adaira burst out laughing.

“Now that I could do without! And thank you for your honesty.” She frowned. “But that’s pretty much all I have that’s suitable for the occasion.”

“Actually, I think I have something that would be simply perfect for you. It’s a little too tight for me these days, but I’ve kept it because I’m hoping it’ll fit me again,” Tamika said, running out of the room.

She returned a couple of minutes later, carrying an olive green jersey dress.

“Try this on, dear,” she instructed. Adaira looked at it doubtfully. It looked far too skimpy to be flattering. But she put it on anyway. And when she looked in the mirror, she smiled.

“It actually looks good,” she said in surprise, examining herself from different angles. Somehow, the light fabric clung to her curves in all the right places, while hiding the bits she hated. It had a nice, low neckline and finished just above the knee. It probably cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, she realized. That’s why it fit so well. “I’ll do my best not to spill my dinner over it,” she joked.

“Don’t worry – I have an excellent drycleaner,” Tamika said with a wink. Adaira loved the way that Tamika looked and acted every inch the aristocratic English lady, but was actually really down to earth, with a wicked sense of humor. She blew out a long, slow breath, looking at herself in the mirror. She’d blow-dried her hair, so it hung nicely in curls, and she’d done her make-up already. She wasn’t very good at applying it, so she always kept it light – mascara, a sweep of golden eye shadow to bring out the gold in her eyes, and a peachy pink lip-gloss, which complimented the tone of her skin. Perhaps because of her healthy, outdoorsy lifestyle, she had great skin that didn’t need foundation or concealer. This week, by some amazing feat, a lot of sunblock, and a big hat, she’d managed not to get burned from the fierce desert sun. She felt inordinately proud of herself for this. Usually, when she went on vacation to France or Spain, her fair, freckly skin burned badly on the first day, and she spent the rest of the trip looking like a giant tomato.

“Ok, I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she said.

“You look ravishing, darling!” Tamika said. Adaira laughed as if she’d said something hilarious. “I’m not joking. You’re a sexy, voluptuous woman, Adaira McKenzie. Now go out and get that shifter!” Adaira blushed beet red, but a small part of her relished the compliment.

“I’m not busy for the next half hour. Let me drive you to the restaurant.”

“Thanks, Tamika, if you’re sure?”

“Of course. We can have a good gossip on the way.”

*

Fifteen minutes later, Adaira was sitting in a corner booth of the restaurant. It had a charcoal grill, Adaira’s nostrils noted with approval as she walked in. It was carefully decorated to look like a rustic hunting lodge, with dark wood panels and random knick-knacks on the walls, including a few stuffed animal heads. Candles in wine bottles on each of the tables completed the look.

She was ten minutes early, and relieved that she was the first one to arrive. It would give her a little time to get her nerves out of the way. She ordered a beer as soon as she sat down, choosing an obscure-sounding craft ale. She loved beer, and enjoyed trying out as many varieties from around the world as possible. This one was a black IPA. It was deliciously caramely, with a hint of bitterness. The alcohol slowed her heartbeat, and she leaned back in the booth, listening to the pleasant background music and forcing herself to focus on how much she was going to enjoy the date.

Twenty minutes passed, and he hadn’t arrived. She wasn’t obsessive about people being on time, but for a first date, really? This was a little off. She took her phone out and checked Shiftr, in case he’d messaged her. There were a ton of messages from other shifters, but nothing from him. She sighed. She was already two thirds of the way through her beer. At 8:20pm, she considered ordering another beer, but decided against it. It had been a long day, and she tended to get drunk more easily when she was tired. Instead, she passed the time by fantasizing about all the things that could have made him late. But they were all ridiculous. No-one was late for a first date without any excuse, unless they’d got cold feet.

At 8.30pm, she knew it: she’d been stood-up.
Why the hell didn’t I get his number so I could call him up and give him an ear-full?
she thought in annoyance. Then she bit her lip. It was all a front. In actual fact, she wasn’t far away from tears. This was her first date in a long, long time, and it was a non-starter. Maybe he’d only agreed to go on the date because they were supposed to be a perfect match, and he hadn’t really liked the look of her.
But he sent you such a nice message this morning
, she reminded herself. She took her phone out and looked at it again. On reflection, it was a polite message, but it wasn’t exactly dripping in enthusiasm. Perhaps he’d felt obliged to reply to her, but all the time he’d been thinking that he wanted to cancel. She closed the app and dropped her phone in her purse in disgust. She was sick of being messed around by guys who didn’t want to be with her, and he was just the latest.
Screw him
. She stood up, left the money for the check on the table and stormed out.