Caleb placed his computer to the side and stood unsure of what he should say to his friend. “Come on Josh, let’s go for a run.” Caleb skirted the question with a twinkle in his eye as he removed his shirt tossing it at Josh.
Josh threw the shirt back at Caleb, “You know turning all furry won’t help what is bothering you. It will only delay the inevitable.” Josh stood anyways knowing he never turned down a chance to let loose. Josh pulled his shirt off and quickly stripped his pants transforming into a little white fox. His body morphed into a fox faster than a single blink. His bones shrinking and reshaping themselves in order to become this tiny creature.
Josh was one of the last of his breed. His parents died about 8 years ago and his species was at its last descendant. Josh was a fox shifter. Caleb smiled down at the tiny fox and then walked out of the door dropping his pants on the porch before shifting into a giant black bear.
His bones and muscles grew instead of shrinking. Fur sprouting all over as he stretched out his new shape. The transformation so quick that if you were not paying attention you would completely miss them. Shifters could slow or speed up their own transformation as they needed to. They can even manage partial shifts when needed.
Caleb was a powerful creature compared to Josh’s cunning fox figure. Caleb shook his fur out as he adjusted to his new form. He saw Josh take off through the underbrush at the edge of the tree line. Caleb felt the exhilaration of the run coming on and took off quickly after him. When he was in this form all his worries disappeared if only for a little while. Every shifter alive knew this feeling and reveled in it every time they shifted. It can be easy to get lost in the simplicity that shifting can be.
Many shifters have lost themselves within their animals. Caleb went through a period a couple months ago, where he lost himself a little too far within his bear. He spent a few months in the woods here and scared the locals, gaining a gunshot scar to the leg for his troubles. His friends were able to bring him back after a while. Josh was one of those friends. Josh had since stuck by him as much as he dared without aggravating Caleb too much.
Caleb and Josh ran through the woods without a care in the world. They chased each other for a while then Caleb basked beside the lake in the lowering sun. Josh lay on a rock nearby taking a nap. As the sun lowered over the horizon, so did Caleb’s mood. Caleb stood heading back to the cabin to change back and face reality once more.
Caleb grabbed his clothes from the porch and stomped inside to take a shower. When he emerged dressed in his sweatpants and not much more, grabbing the bottle of whiskey from the table he took a swig, rubbing a hand across his face before glancing at Josh’s concerned face. “Leave it,” Caleb sighed.
“You know I can’t do that.” Josh said firmly.
Caleb shook his head dropping into his favorite chair trying to figure out the encounter from yesterday in his head. “I met a woman yesterday,” Caleb began slowly. “I ran into her at the coffee shop where I should have been meeting the client.”
“And this is supposed to be a bad thing? Why does it have you in such a sullen mood though?” Josh said slowly as Caleb hesitated.
Caleb massaged his face harder while taking another drink of whiskey before continuing his story. “I literally ran into her. I spilled her coffee and destroyed her boss’s expensive shoes.” Josh chuckled as Caleb turned red as a beet. “I went and bought her new coffees and even some cupcakes as an apology. I then walked her back to her office even, then said some corny line as I left her.”
Josh is laughing loudly at this point, “I don’t see what the problem is though.”
“I am not sure what she is. She is a shifter that much I am sure of, but she isn’t your everyday shifter. She has this beautifully sweet smell that confuses me as well as infuriates me. It won’t leave me alone. It is all I can think about since it happened. It even made me forget to return to the shop for my meeting. It is not like me to forget about a client like that. By the time I remembered the client, they had left in a fury. She frustrates me and yet fascinates me.” Caleb drinks deeper this time with a glance at Josh’s smiling face.
“So, send her some flowers and chocolates and ask her out man! It isn’t that complicated.” Josh shrugs bringing himself under control to offer his advice finally. “Pay for her boss’s shoes too while you're at it. Women hate for their shoes to be ruined. It will also help get you points with her friend maybe.”
Caleb was silent, drinking his whiskey thinking about what would be the best flowers that he should send to her as an apology and an invitation to his event this weekend. He couldn’t imagine that she would be a rose type. Caleb suddenly has a thought that he felt was genius. He picked up his computer to put his plan into action. First thing tomorrow he would have gifts waiting on her and hopefully her answer by tomorrow night as well. Josh patted Caleb on the shoulder, “Good luck man, I am going for a shower now.” Caleb just nodded and continued his search on the computer in his lap.
Renea
Walking around the office building gathering material swatches for Dita while wishing she could get that handsome devil out of her brain. It was all she could think about since it happened. She desperately wished she had gotten his information. Renea had been back to the coffee shop several times in the past few days, hoping to run into the man again with no avail. Renea was having trouble staying on task, focusing fully, completing assignments, and even her dreams were now filled with the man. His smell haunted her senses and drove her completely insane.
She had sat down and explained everything to Dita that night. Dita was all around pure giddy as she tried to describe the man that had completely taken all her senses and turned them upside down. Dita thinks Renea should hunt him down, Renea on the other hand feels if fate deems it then they will meet again. Renea grabbed the last swatch nodding at the other workers before turning and heading back to the elevator to join Dita. She needed these swatches approved within the hour but Renea couldn’t pull herself together to care today.
Dita smiles as Renea walks in the door. Dita jumps up and down and points to the delicious treat sitting upon her desk. “It’s from HIM!” she yells to Renea. Renea stops in her tracks as her eyes snap to the flowers on the desk. As Renea begins to move closer, she notices they are not just flowers, but flowers made of chocolate. Pure chocolate roses. Renea’s heart melts even further as she grabs the card next to them as well as the box it is laying on. Dita bounces around her in excitement as she opens the card. Renea scans the card with her mouth dropping open as she continues to read. “What’s it say?! What’s it say!?” Dita asked impatiently.
“Well, he wants to take me out to dinner and an evening of dancing at some posh event.” Renea says in disbelief. She sits the card down and opens the box dropping it quickly on the desk as it reveals a beautiful black silky dress and a diamond necklace laying on top. Renea covers her mouth with her hands not knowing what to say.
Dita glances over her shoulder and whistles deeply. “He has some super expensive taste. That is an original Stonewall exclusive. Only the best evening wear designer I have ever met. And what you want to bet that necklace is no knockoff either.” Taking the box Dita had googly eyes as she ran a hand over the dress pulling it from its box. It slid out of the box in a silky pool as she held it up to get a better look. “Oh, he clearly guessed your size right too. He may be a keeper.” Dita grabs one of the billion hangers laying around and hangs the dress up so it wouldn’t wrinkle throughout the day.
Renea looked in the box and another letter was laying in the bottom addressed to Renea’s boss. Renea handed the letter over to Dita, “Something for you too apparently.” Dita snatched the letter and yanked it open scanning the note quickly only to reach in the envelope to grab out the five hundred bucks within.
“Well, he sure knows how to make a lady swoon that’s for sure.” Dita fanned herself with the letter smiling at Renea. “You have got to go! When is it?”
“Saturday.” She sighed unsure of what to do. She was so happy that he contacted her but terrified that he wanted to go out with her. She also felt uncomfortable with all the lavish gifts.
“I know that look, what’s wrong?” Dita gave her friend a sad look. “You do know it is okay to be wined and dined sometimes, hun. It will be okay. Tell him yes, then that gives us tomorrow to get you ready before Saturday. We will take the whole day off and go get the works done. You got this!” Dita soothed.
Renea knew Dita was right but that did not make her feel any better as she admired the dress. She knew that dress cost a fortune and cannot believe anyone would buy her anything such as that. She did not deserve these things. No one had ever bought her anything except Dita. And Dita usually bought it for herself first and gave it to her when she decided it wasn’t what she wanted. Renea would never get used to being treated like a royal. Renea sighed and thought to herself that a conversation was due to Caleb. She could not let him spend this much on her.
Renea turned from the gifts to continue on with the day's work. Dita kept a huge smile on her face throughout the day and made all the plans for tomorrow. It sounded like Renea was in for a huge day of hair, nails, waxing, and spas. She rolled her eyes as Dita finished yet another phone call with reservations for lunch for their huge trip tomorrow.
“What?” Dita smirked at her. “He spent that much on you, then the least you can do is make it worth it. How many times have you gotten to go all out like this for a man that clearly adores you?” Dita gave her a knowing look. Renea just shook her head and left her to her planning.
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