The Burning Claw
Page 79

Jacque and Peri seemed to be holding their breaths as they waited to see how Sally would answer.
Without missing a beat, she laughed at Jen’s comment and then nodded her head. “Well I work most nights. How about we do some shopping during the day tomorrow? Honestly, I’m new here too and I haven’t made any friends other than the coworkers here, so some girl time would be great. And you three look pretty normal and non-serial killerish yourselves.”
The three laughed. Jen wanted to reach across the counter and wrap Sally in a hug. Her arms ached to hold her friend. It was like holding her breath even though she wasn’t under water. It sucked.
“Okay, awesome.” Jen said. “Would that work for you two?” She asked Jacque and Peri.
They both nodded.
“We could meet at my apartment and then make plans from there. It’s just down the street.” Sally suggested.
“Sounds perfect. Is ten okay for you?”
Sally gave her a thumbs up. “I can totally do ten.”
“What are you doing at ten?” The handsome bartender who’d been working alongside Sally during this conversation butted in. Jen had managed to ignore him because she knew if she looked at him, her wolf would snarl. Just then, she only stiffened. Would he know they were wolves? She hadn’t even thought of it.
“I’ve made some new friends,” Sally motioned to them. “Ladies, this is Jericho, my—”
“Her boyfriend,” he interrupted her.
Before the growl could leave Jen’s chest, Peri elbowed her hard in the side causing her to cough.
“Oh, sorry about that, sis, didn’t realize how close you were.”
Jen shot her a glare and then looked back at the wolf standing next to Sally.
“Yeah and coworker,” she finished. “I’m off tomorrow,” she said speaking to Jericho. “And we’re going to go hang out.”
“That will be fun,” Jericho told her as he tucked her short locks behind her ears.
Oh, if Costin could see the wolf touching his Sally. He would burn the whole bar to the ground, thought Jen
“We’re going to get out of your hair,” Peri/Stacy began.
“I’m going to be off in about thirty minutes,” Sally said quickly. “I usually walk home. You guys could join me if you have time to wait. Then we could actually get each other’s names.” She laughed nervously. It did not escape Jen’s notice that Sally kept taking tiny steps away from Jericho, but like a bloodhound on the hunt, he followed his prey. Stupid hound, Jen mentally kicked him.
“We’d be happy to wait,” Peri/Stacy, told her. “We’ll take a seat at a table so you can do what you need to.”
Sally nodded. Peri grabbed Jen’s belt loop when the blonde didn’t budge from her stool. She was too busy glaring at the stupid wall of Jericho. He was a wall because he wouldn’t get out of Sally’s way. Jen was secretly hoping Sally would just rear back and kick him in the jewels, but it didn’t happen.
Jen finally slid off the stool and followed Peri and Jacque to the table Peri had indicated.
Jacque started to say something but Peri pointed to her ear, reminding them that Jericho had wolf hearing.
“It’s awesome to have met someone who is new like us,” Jen said in a perky voice that made her want to slap her own face. “Don’t you think, Stacy?”
Peri shot her a look that was the mental equivalent of shoving a sock in Jen’s mouth.
“Yes, Jen. It’s awesome,” Peri responded dryly.
Thirty minutes later, they were all four standing just outside of Sally’s apartment building. Sally had dark circles under her eyes and was moving rather sluggishly. Jacque thought she might drop at any minute.
“Well this was fun,” said Sally. “So glad I met you guys.”
Peri reached out her hand and placed it on Sally’s arm. The action seemed natural enough, as though Peri simply wanted to emphasize what she was saying by making sure she had Sally’s attention. But Jen had a feeling the gesture was more than that.
“It was very nice to meet you, as well, Sally. I hope we can be a support for you and you for us. Being new is hard and no one should have to do it on their own,” Peri told her gently. With a soft pat on her arm, Peri stepped back. They waved at her as they turned to go.
“That was a disaster,” Jen said, rubbing her face with her hands. “I was this close” —she held up her hand with her thumb and forefinger millimeters apart— “to clawing that bartender’s face off.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Peri countered. “I am worried that meeting all of us at once was a little much for her damaged brain. She seemed desperate and overwhelmed.”
“Oh frack, do you think her brain is really damaged?” Jacque asked, then held up her hand in a stop motion. “Not that I wouldn’t love her just as much as an undamaged-brain Sally. But I mean, do you think she’ll ever remember us and be able to function normally?”
“Well, when I went to medical school and did my neurology rotation we learned that—” Peri paused and then clapped her hands together. “Oh wait, I’m sorry. I didn’t go to medical school.”
Jen raised her hand. “I think you need a time out. Go see your man and rough him up a bit. Get some of that frustration taken care of because you are totally messing with my ability to rescue my friend in an efficient, timely manner.”
Suddenly Peri was gone.
“Did she just leave us here?” Jen asked, whipping her head around to see if maybe the fae had just moved to another part of the road. She hadn’t, at least they couldn’t see her if she had.
Jacque shook her head. “No. She wouldn’t do that. She’s just playing a cruel joke because you were an itch with a capital B and she needed a break from you.”
Three hours later.
“She left us,” Jacque whined. “She actually flipping left us.”
Sitting on a swing set in a park they found after wandering aimlessly, Jen was getting close to panic mode. “That’s it,” Jen said folding her arms in front of her chest. “I’m requesting a new fairy.”
Jacque laughed. “She’s not an item on a menu, Jen. You can’t just request a new one.”
“Well, you should be able to,” she huffed.