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“Says the guy who’s been bitching and moaning about his love life for the past two years,” said Michael.
They sat at a table toward the back of the bar. The chairs were old and a little unstable, but Michael wasn’t expecting much more from a place like The Stripe. With its rickety tables and eclectic decor, it was very much like the rest of Cub’s Cove—mishmash and worn down, rustic but full of characters. To Michael, it was a small town, but Jason had told him several times that Cub’s Cove was a sprawling metropolis compared to Jason’s hometown of Helmswood. The place must be far out in the boonies.
“Bitching and moaning doesn’t mean I automatically want to come to speed-dating,” Jason shot back.
“You were the one who suggested it!”
“Yeah, well, maybe in a place where we wouldn’t get stared down like we’re visiting from Mars.”
Michael rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
Everyone was treating them like outsiders because neither of them had much interest in drinking and hadn’t been in this bar before. Michael, in particular, tended to stay to himself, and social places like the bar didn’t interest him. There were few things he had in common with the majority of the men here.
And it turned out that meeting women wasn’t as easy as he’d originally assumed.
“Gotta take some bad with the good,” Michael said with a shrug.
A middle-aged server came over, and the two of them ordered a pint of beer each. Jason fidgeted in his chair and kept looking around. Tonight, dressed in a button-down that was a little too loose on him and a pair of slacks, he looked respectable enough, although not polished. With any luck, he’d find someone while speed-dating.
Michael wasn’t all that hopeful for himself.
He’d come to Cub’s Cove after fleeing his pack in the hopes that there would be others like him, only to find himself on his own. There were other shifters—he knew them by smell—but there weren’t any tigers.
Especially not white tigers.
“I guess you’re right,” Jason said. The waitress came back with their pints. “You know your fair share about that, don’t you? You ever hear from the old man’s family?”
“No.” Michael set his lips and lifted his pint to his lips. The bitter taste of beer drowned the pang of regret he felt at the memory. “But let’s not think about that tonight. We’re here to have a good time, aren’t we?”
“Yeah.”
For a while they sat in silence and people-watched while they drank. At the bar sat a group of older men. Michael recognized them from around town. He’d worked repair jobs here and there with Jason, and he’d seen enough of the townsfolk around to know who was a familiar face.
The recognition didn’t go both ways.
Michael much preferred letting loose in the woods, pacing, roaming, and running. There weren’t many times he could let the tiger out, and he cherished his nighttime prowls.
“So,” Jason said after a while, looking to create conversation. “You think any girls are going to show up at all tonight? Pickings are slim out here. I’m disappointed. I thought a place like this would have eligible women to choose from.”
“There has to be someone coming,” Michael said. “If not from Cub’s Cove, then from Tucker Point, I’m sure. It’s not every day you have a speed-dating event in a small town.”
They worked their way through their pints and ordered another round as they chatted. With a little bit of alcohol in him, Jason opened up, and he had a lot to say about what kind of woman he was looking for.
For a man so shy, he certainly was opinionated.
“…But more than anything,” he continued, looking at Michael from over his pint, “she’s gotta be worthy of me, you know? A real woman. Not some shallow imitation. I’m done with games.”
“That’s a tall order.” Michael hitched an eyebrow. He thought life would be simpler in Helmwoods. Apparently, the dating scene in Cub’s Cove was just as complicated as in a big town.
“For me, maybe. But for you?” Jason scoffed. “Mr. Six Pack shouldn’t be hurting for women. And if that doesn’t sell you, for some reason chicks dig blond hair, and I’ve never seen hair blonder than the almost-white locks you have.”
“Is that a compliment?” Michael grinned. “Even then, it’s still not that easy, like you said, buddy.”
Jason laughed. “Shut the fuck up. You don’t even need to come speed-dating. For a guy like you, being single is a choice. All you need to do is flash them a look from your sparkling blues and bam, girlfriend.”
“You think so?” Michael held back a laugh. “You seem pretty confident about that.”
“Because I know,” Jason insisted. There was a little indignation in his voice.
