“You okay?” Cece had stopped eating, a concerned look on her face.
“Fine,” he said. “Eat your pizza.”
She took another bite before studying the light fixture. “It looks so much better with all three lights. Thank you again.”
“No problem,” he said. “I tried to make dinner, but you didn’t have enough food.”
The scent of her embarrassment drifted to him, and he cursed inwardly, but she smiled cheerfully at him. “I’m a little low on groceries, but I’ll buy some more tomorrow.”
They ate silently for a few minutes before she said, “So, how long have you worked for the security company?”
“Not long,” he said. “A couple of months.”
“What did you do before that?”
“Heavy equipment operator for a logging company.”
She cocked her head. “Here in Ashdale?”
He sipped some water. “Alaska.”
He could smell her excitement. “You’re from Alaska? Fairbanks?”
“No, a small town called Wellington.”
“Oh. I’m planning a trip to Fairbanks. Have you been there before?”
“Yes. Why do you want to go?”
Her cheeks went pink, but she said, “I, um, like polar bears.”
Dismay trickled into his stomach as she said, “There’s a polar bear boat tour in Kaktovik, and you have to fly from Anchorage or Fairbanks to get to it.”
“You’re going to Alaska so you can take a polar bear boat tour,” he repeated slowly.
“Yes,” she said, her excitement returning. “I’ve never seen a polar bear in person before, and I’ve loved them since I was a little girl.”
Dismay turned to annoyance in a heartbeat, and he couldn’t stop his scowl. Cece didn’t seem to notice. She was almost bouncing in her seat now. “They have five-day or seven-day tours, and if you go in September or October, you’re almost guaranteed to see polar bears. I’d love to do the full seven-day tour, but I’ll most likely -”
“You do know that polar bears are not on the planet for your amusement, right?” he snapped.
She gave him a defensive look. “I know that. The tours are very respectful of the animals, and it’s not like I’ll be going up to one and poking it or something.”
“That’s supposed to make it better?” he asked. “You’re gawking at them while they’re just trying to live their damn life, but it’s okay because you’re not touching them.”
She flushed bright red. “I want to see one because I love them so much. They’re beautiful animals and they -”
“If you love polar bears so much, then you’d know the better place to see them is in Canada, not Alaska,” he said.
She swallowed hard as he scowled at her. “Humans are all the same. You want what you want and don’t consider anything else. How would you like it if you had people lined up to gawk at you through your windows? It’s fine because they’re not touching you?”
“It isn’t like that, okay? I have a love and appreciation for polar bears because they’re incredible animals and I would never do anything to harm them or -”
“You want me to shift just so you can see a polar bear, don’t you?”
Her face turned a fiery red. “No, I… I mean… I know that shifters need to spend time in their animal form, so I wanted you to be comfortable and -”
“Bullshit,” he snapped. “At least be honest with me.”
