Werewolves of New York (9 page)

J
ust after eleven
on Saturday morning, Rose rolled over and stared at the ceiling, feeling like she'd caught up on three adrenaline-filled years of sleep. She stretched her body under the covers and snuggled with them, bunching them around her and smiling toward the window. The pale blue curtains were halfway open and the sky outside looked overcast but bright.

Having spent a good part of yesterday with Michelle, drinking and then ditching the booze to shop for new sweaters, she felt loved. The kind of loved you feel when you spend time with a friend who gets you. They’d separated in time for Rose to come home and send the company laptop and all her files by courier back to Hewlett, Leonard and Clarkson as promised. Then she happily binge-watched her favorite T.V. shows, The Walking Dead and Jane The Virgin, sticking her head in the sand so she didn’t obsess over what Eli and Michelle were hiding.

Staring out the bedroom window, she gave some thought to what she should do today. With no job, there was no schedule of pressing problems. No witnesses to set up with interviews. No cases. No money coming in.

She sat up and stared as images of poverty and destitution flashed before her way-too-ambitious eyes. "Oh my God. I've got no clients. Am I even a lawyer anymore?"

Throwing off the comforter, she paced around her apartment making a plan. First she’d need her own laptop and maybe a tablet. Then a website. Or maybe website first and then…wait, no she needed a laptop to set up the website. Also, what would her company name be? And...

"How am I going to get clients?” Anxiety drove her into her kitchen where she searched for coffee. If she were going to build a whole online profile in one day, she'd need brain juice.

The canister was empty.

She shook it. “Great.”

A
t Bluestone Lane Coffee
, the line was manageable, but it wasn’t moving fast enough for her. She tapped her foot while her mind made big plans, spinning in circles about how to make a website. She could hire someone but would they work fast enough? She wanted the damn thing up today! Digging in her bag for her purse, she heard a male voice say, "Why the frown on a Saturday? Don't tell me you're working on the weekend."

She glanced up and saw a nice looking man with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He had no accent but with those features and that smile, she'd bet money his family descended from Ireland. He had a nice face. "I’m starting my own business. Today. So, I guess I am working."

He gave a playful frown. "I don't like the idea of anyone working today when winter is just around the corner. Plenty of time to stay indoors then, dontcha think?"

She laughed with an agreeing shrug. "Yes. True. But I'm going to do it anyway."

He smiled and turned back around.

Giving his trim shape a once over, she pulled out her phone to call Michelle about internet stuff when he turned back around and asked, "Well, how about tonight? Let me take you out to dinner after you're done building your empire." His eyebrows rose in expectation of a positive reply.

Her smile turned into a grin and she slipped her phone back in her purse. "That would be nice."

"Yeah?" he asked, grinning now, too. He didn’t have a dimple, but his laugh-lines were contagious. He seemed kind.

"I'm Rose."

"Danny.” He held out his hand.

She shook it and quickly let it go. "What do you do, Danny?"

They both moved up as the line got shorter. "I'm a contractor. Foreman of a team of really good men. We build things," he smiled with comical pride.

She gave him the smile he wanted. "That's really cool."
And here I was going to drink coffee at home.

A text came through on her phone and she reacted to the familiar beep, telling him, "Excuse me a sec."

"No prob."

Her smile vanished as she saw an unfamiliar number and read the text: Rose. It's Eli. There's a woman who's being abused by her partner. I gave her your number, just in case she decides to prosecute and needs the help of a great lawyer. I am hoping she'll call. If she does, please bill me. I'm taking care of it. And I'm sorry about the other night. - E.J.

She stared at the text.

"Bad news?" Danny asked.

She saw him glancing at the phone, and shoved it into her purse. "A referral possibly. Good news."

"You don't look like it's good news."

She made a small noise that shrugged off any more questions and they both stepped forward as he became the next person in line. "Can I get your coffee for you?"

She smiled and thanked him, but she was no longer in the room, her mind on Eli's text and what it meant. He was going to pay fees for a woman in a bad situation? That was so noble she had a hard time believing it true. It was another reminder that she didn't really know him. But it made her want to, which sucked, and his timing was uncanny. Right after she'd been asked out by an attractive guy, he texts her?

After giving Danny her number, settling on when they would meet and where, she thanked him again for the double Americano and declined his offer to walk with her. She had too much on her mind, she told him. She really wanted to call Eli. Instead, she settled on Michelle. Glancing around, she made sure Danny was out of sight and earshot before she dug out her phone and dialed.

"Hey Rosey, hungover?"

Rose answered on a wry smile, "We didn't have enough to get hungover. Wait, are you?"

"No. I was just joking."

"What are you guys up to?" Rose looked up at the cloud-cover, wondering what she was going to ask and how to phrase it. Eli had her number. How’d he get it? What did he say? Anything about her? Did Michelle still think…she shut off her mind and listened.

"We're discussing a honeymoon. Your vacation talk got me wanting to get away to a beach, too." Rose heard Nathaniel's voice in the background, "Thank her for me." Michelle laughed. "Nathaniel's happy. I think he wants to see me in a bikini."

Rose was dying with questions so her laugh sounded fake. "That’s great. Well, my vacation is put on hold. I need some help, Chelle. I want to build a website today for my practice."

Without missing a beat, Michelle said, "Wix. They're drag and drop, and their templates are fantastic. You could have it up by tonight, easy."

Rose blew through the tiny hole in her coffee lid to cool it down, her red sneakers stopping. "Awesome. And do you know anything about this woman Eli is helping? I got a text from him that he's referred me to her. A battered woman? Do you know who she is? He said
her partner
, so I'm not sure if that means she's gay or just not exactly married."

Michelle was quiet and Rose thought she heard her cover the phone, but wasn't sure. She waited until she heard, "I don't know anything about it. But Nathaniel says the guys, his friends you met at the wedding? They like to help people in need. So it must be that."

Rose heard it again, just like yesterday, Michelle way too careful with her words.

"I see. Is he…does he know this woman? How did–"

Interrupting, Michelle said quickly, "I don't know, Rosey. Why don't you ask him?"

With a single snort, Rose shot that down immediately. "He's probably just telling me this to make up for the other night." As soon as the words fell out of her mouth, she regretted it.

"What happened the other night?" Michelle asked with surprise. "Did something happen and you didn't tell me? How long did we spend together yesterday and you didn’t tell me something happened with you and Eli?"

Oh, puhhhleeeease. Like you’re so forthcoming!

Gritting her teeth she moved closer to the building she stood by, and started kicking it. "We kind of exploded. I have to stay away from that man. He is bad for my sanity and that's all I'm going to say."

"You're going to say more than that!"

"No, I'm really not." She sipped her coffee and burned her tongue. "Ow! Fuck! And besides, I have a date tonight. A very attractive man named Danny is taking me to Gotham tonight which I hear is incredible…so Eli can kiss my ass."

She heard Michelle ask her husband, "Did you know something happened between Eli and Rose?" A pause, then, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What'd he say?" Her eagerness was embarrassing. She cleared her throat. “I mean, whatever. It’s fine.”

On an exasperated sigh, Michelle answered, "He says there's a guy code."

"Well, get it out of him!"

"If you knew him better, you'd know that's not possible. Those four are thick." Directing her next words to both Nathaniel and Rose, she added, "Thick as thieves AND thick-headed. Argh! Don't!" She burst out laughing, obviously being playfully attacked.

Rose called over her friend’s laugher, "Okay, I'll let you go! Wix. I'll try it. And about Eli, let's just drop it. I don't need to know what he said about me. I already know what I have to do."

"Which is?"

A bird landed on a trashcan in front of Rose. They watched each other as she said, "Go out with someone who is available, and that ain't Eli. Guys like him are dangerous."

Michelle told Nathaniel, “Hang on!” and asked Rose in an urgent voice, "So, you're going out with this guy Danny?"

"Yep. But first, my empire." The bird lifted his wings and flew away. She smiled, "I'll talk to you later, Chelle."

"Bye, Rosey."

E
li stared
at the phone waiting for Rose to reply. The T.V. was on TNT and a repeat of Supernatural had been amusing him to no end. Until now.

"You’re not going to even answer my text?" he muttered, his hand on the soft cotton of his t-shirt. He meant to sleep in that day since it was the weekend and their firm was closed. A wolf's hours are in the night, and day-sleeping was natural. He and his packmates indulged themselves at least twice a week, and today was supposed to be one of those days, but he'd dreamed of Rose all night and woke with a hard-on that wouldn't quit. He wouldn't let himself fantasize about her because it would only feed the beast.

He’d stupidly thought texting was a good idea since he had to tell her about Diana in case she called. But he realized with each passing second he waited for a reply that it was the worst thing he could have done. The obsession he’d abated was now in full swing. Jumping off the couch, he paced around Michelle's old apartment, grabbed the remote and powered off the show. For the billionth time, he snatched up Rose’s panties and breathed them in. Throwing them to the couch, he grabbed onto a wall and cracked his neck. “Stop it!”

Anxious and irritated, he blinked at the furniture. "That's what I'll do. I'll throw out all this stuff and go buy my own things." He dialed Darik and as soon as he picked up, demanded, "You want to help me get furniture for my new place?"

Darik didn't hesitate. "Fuck yeah! Nathaniel and Dontae coming?"

"You want to give Dontae a call while I phone my ex-roomie?"

"Sure. Then text me where we should meet."

"You got it." They hung up and Eli's mood improved. "You've gotta have friends," he mumbled as he dialed. His best friend answered on the first ring. "Hey. We're going shopping for couches and tables and stuff. Wanna come?"

Just like with Darik, the answer was immediate. "Count me in." To Michelle who must have been right beside him, he said, "The guys are going to get new stuff for your old place. Do you want to keep any of it? What shouldn't we throw away."

Eli loved how quickly Nathaniel took care of business, and waited while they discussed. She asked if she could come by while they were out shopping and grab some things, but the major furniture items she didn't need.

Nathaniel came back to say, "You heard that, right?" knowing with their hearing abilities, Eli had.

"Yup. Tell her to have at it. Whatever she needs. Oh man, this is gonna be good. I can't wait. Don’t tell her this but I’m crawling out of my skin over here. It’s about that thing we talked about. I don’t even want to say her name."

Michelle's voice in the background changed as she reminded her new husband, "Tell him about tonight."

Nathaniel paused, torn between both conversations. "Do you have dinner plans?"

He could hear hesitancy in his friend's tone, so he said with caution, "No, why?"

"Michelle wants to go to Gotham, hasn’t been before. She wants you to come."

"Just me?" Eli asked with surprise. "What's going on?"

"No, not just you. D and D, too."

Eli relaxed. "So why the tone? It sounded like you didn't want to ask me."

Nathaniel paused again. "No. I wanted to ask you. That's why I did."

Eli frowned. "Okaaaaaay? Well, yeah, I'll want to eat after we buy all my new stuff." He laughed, eager for something to occupy his mind with. "Let's do this!"

"Text me where we're starting.” He hung up.

Tossing the phone on the couch that would soon no longer be there, Eli clapped his hands once and headed for his jacket. "Where to begin, where to begin..." Then he remembered the text and like a gnat buzzing around his head, he couldn’t ignore his desire to go check once more. He rushed back for the phone, picked it and saw no response from Rose. "What the fuck!" He threw the phone and shattered the screen. “Oh no…”

E
ven though Danny
had offered to pick her up in a cab, Rose turned him down knowing full well that if this went badly, she didn't want him knowing where she slept at night. He seemed completely sane, but can’t be too careful…

He was waiting in the bar for her when she arrived at Gotham in her blue, V-neck dress that fell to the middle of her thighs and flowed when she walked. It looked like it might rain later, so she'd broken out last season's trench coat, black to match her shoes. As she arrived in front of him, she slipped it off her shoulders and he gave her the once over.

"You look beautiful."

She smiled and threw the coat over her arm, glancing to find him in a forest green sweater and black slacks. It was a little too future-husband-y for her. She would have preferred a suit. "What are you drinking?"

"Oh, water.”

She blinked at him, not sure what to do. "Well, let's go to our table."

He offered his arm and she took it, pleased to feel strong muscles tightening. He smelled good, too. Not as sexy as Eli had, more subtle. "Did you build your empire?"

She laughed as they walked to the hostess stand. "I researched other law practices all day to find out what I liked and didn't like about their sites. That took longer than I thought it would."

An Asian brunette with long straight hair glanced up from a floor chart and nodded as he gave his name. "Right this way," she smiled, leading them into the romantically lit dining room. Danny motioned for Rose to go first. She knew he was probably checking her out and for the first time ever, she didn’t sway her hips knowing that. It was occurring to her she didn’t really want to be here, but with Eli having chosen not to go out with her, she needed to get her mind off of him. Only Danny seemed like a decent guy, and she was starting to feel like a jerk for using him.

“Here you are,” the hostess said, removing two of the settings and leaving two behind.

Danny held her chair for her. "Thank you." She offered him a distracted smile.

He grinned as he sat down. "My mom taught me to always treat a lady like a queen." The impression of his mother included an accent that made him all the more charming, her thoughts of Eli swept aside momentarily.

"I thought you must be Irish! Is she first generation American?"

"Second. Light accent still there, just enough to make me want to call her more just to listen to her voice." The crinkles by his eyes appeared as his blue eyes danced. She’d guess him to be thirty-two or three, but those smile lines were here to stay. That only meant one thing, he was a naturally happy person and Rose couldn’t help but like that.

She picked up the wine list, glancing to him. "I think I'll order a glass."

He motioned for her to go ahead. “Please. I want you to have whatever you want.”

He called over their server and ordered her Pinot Grigio for her, and asked for a large sparkling water as well, with two glasses. As the man left, Danny turned back to her and said, “I’m glad you came out tonight.”

She smiled. “Me too.”

“What’d you find out about the websites? What didn’t you like?”

Sliding her cloth napkin onto her lap, “Well, there are a lot of really boring sites that don’t seem modern, like they were thrown up there without a care a decade ago.”

He chuckled, “I bet.”

“I did get a new laptop though. I have to get a tablet still, but I don’t know what to get, gigabytes and all that stuff boggles my mind. I’m going to research them first.”

“You want me to explain them?”

She thought about it and grinned. “No. I think I want to finally learn, since I’m on my own now. I’m hungry. Do you want to order an appetizer?”

He picked up the menu. “Sure. Let’s see what they have.”

Admiring the white columns and large flower arrangements while she played with her napkin, her glance made its way to the door. What she saw there made her mouth go dry. She swallowed, not able to believe her eyes.

She heard him saying, "Oh, they have calamari.”

Eli, Nathaniel, Dontae, and Darik, all in expensive suits, stood by the hostess stand like they owned the place and everyone in it. Her eyes locked with her Judas best friend who was staring right at her.

"Motherfucker," Rose muttered.

Danny looked up. "What?"

Rose flew back to him and shook her nervous head. "Did I say that out loud? I'm sorry. I just remembered I didn't lock my front door."

His eyebrows flew up. "Do you live in a small building?"

"No. It's a high rise."

He concluded, "Oh, well, then the likelihood of someone trying your door over the next two hours..."

"Right. Yeah, I'm sure no one will. It’s just, that’s why I swore like a trucker. Sorry." She glanced to her menu. "So, do you know what you're having?"

"There's no rush," he smiled. “And you forget I work with men all day. I’ve had to hold back four swear words since you got here.”

She nodded, unable to laugh, sweat beading between her breasts. Wishing they weren't so prominently displayed with this table, she decided the only thing to do was what any smart woman would, look like she was having the time of her life. She straightened up her spine, picked up her menu, put on her most winning smile and said, "Ooooo, you're right. They do have calamari. I love that, let's get it."

He grinned. "Yeah? Great. I'll tell him when he comes back." His smile became more intimate and he held his arm toward her, laying it on the white linen tablecloth with his palm up, waiting. "You really look beautiful tonight."

She smiled and felt her veins flex with anxiety as she put her hand on his. "That's very sweet. Thank you."

Danny's face changed and he looked up. She could feel the presence of someone walking to them. Heat raced up her right side as the person got closer. She didn't have to look to know it wasn't the waiter. She withdrew her hand like a shot and turned to see Eli looming above her with fiery amber eyes. He looked so much taller and foreboding standing over her like that. His suit was impeccable, but he looked like he was about to shatter it, his muscles tense and ready to fight. His fists were white and he wouldn't look at Danny. "Rose."

"Eli," she answered, her voice cold.

"You didn't answer my text."

"And is it any wonder?"

They glared at each other, forgetting there was anyone else in the room.

She watched his jaw tick four times before he growled, "Nice dress."

"Thank you."

"Would you like to join us?" He jerked his chin toward the booth his friends stood by. Rose glanced to them quickly, then back to him without moving her head. Only Michelle was sitting down and from the look on her face she’d been told to.

"You can see I'm on a date."

He exhaled slowly through his nose and she heard his knuckles crack. She glanced to them.

"Eli. Calm down," she said carefully.

He stared at her and said through gritted teeth, "I'm trying."

She rose up just as the waiter returned with her white wine, glancing between the three faces with curiosity.

"I'm sorry, Danny." She met his eyes. "I can't do this."

"I get it," he muttered, holding up his hands.

She grabbed her coat and purse. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled, rushing past Eli and toward the hostess stand. She shot a look to Michelle and caught her friend’s horror as Rose mouthed
What the hell
? Chelle tried to get out of the booth, but Nathaniel held out his hand to stop her. That's how Rose knew that Eli was right behind her. She broke into a run, bursting through the front door and out onto East 12
^th
Street. The Greenwich Village sidewalk was full of people grouped in two's, three's and four's all out for a great Saturday night. She ducked and weaved through the crowd with him on her heels.

Catching up quickly, he rushed in front of her and ran backwards. "Rose, stop!"

She tried to get around him, but he zigzagged with her, interpreting her every move. "Eli! Leave me alone!" Gasping for air, she bent over. "My heart's going to explode."

"I know! I can hear it. You have to slow down!"

With her coat and purse in her arms, her hands over her slamming heart, she blinked at him. "What do you mean, you can hear it? What the fuck are you?"

He swore at himself under his breath. "I meant I can tell! Of course it is! You're upset. That's what I meant."

Her blue eyes narrowed on him and she shook her head, struggling for breath. "More lies.“

“Look, I didn't know you were going to be there. It took me by surprise. I'm sorry for what I just did. I couldn't stop myself. Fuck!” he shouted, spinning in a circle and coming back to her, saying with great control. “Rose, when I saw you holding that guy’s hand! I lost it. I fucking lost it. I'm just glad you ran out of there when you did, or..."

"Or what! Or what, Eli? I would have had a good time with a man who actually wants to date me? Or
wanted
to. Past tense. He sure as hell doesn't want to see me again."

Eli's jaw ticked. "I'm sorry." He grabbed her face and stared into her eyes, saying in a thick low voice that was so earnest and eager for her to understand, it shocked her. "I want to explain. Believe me, when I look at you I want nothing more than to explain why I've been acting like such an idiot. I want to wipe that frown off your face forever...and tell you things I've never told anyone...I want to, Rose! But I just can't."

"Yes, you can."

Eli released her and looked up. Rose turned around and saw the whole group standing behind her. Michelle had a look on her face Rose couldn't read. Darik and Dontae who she barely knew, looked gravely at her like a decision had been made. It was Nathaniel who had spoken, and his green eyes were saying all kinds of things to Eli that only they could understand. "You can tell her."

She looked at Eli and watched his face change like a huge weight was at once lifted and dropped on him at the same time. "She's not ready.”

"She can handle it," Michelle told him.

"I can handle what?" Rose demanded. She pointed at her best friend. "I knew you'd been keeping something from me. Is this it?" Michelle's face had never been more somber. It was a little frightening and it quieted Rose’s anger. "Can I handle it, Chelle?"

Michelle nodded and looked at Eli. "She can. You can trust her. I'd trust her with my life. Even if she rejects you, she'll never tell anyone."

Rose whipped around. Eli’s soulful brown eyes were flitting around. “You’re sure, guys?” Rose looked to see his three friends nod as if they were a single entity. He held his hand out. "Walk with me?"

Rose nodded and slipped her hand into his, frustrated at how good it felt for his fingers to entwine with hers again. "I can't believe I’m even talking to you after what you pulled the other night."

Just like two nights ago, they didn't talk as the buildings passed by. His presence beside her felt protective. Wherever they walked people moved out of their way. Glancing to his profile she saw him lost in his thoughts. She squeezed his hand and walked closer to him, holding onto his arm. He glanced down and offered her a distant smile. "You want to put on your coat?"

She shook her head. "You're keeping me warm. Your body is..."

"I run hot," he murmured, smiling as though at an inside joke. Stopping, he faced her, then glanced around to make sure no one could hear. "Rose, what if I told you that you are right, that I'm not human?"