Six Times a Charm

by Deanna Chase

  “Oh, right, right, right. Well…what about that drink, Miss Cruz? There’s a great bar around the corner. They have the best screwdrivers I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot.” His heavy breathing sounded deafeningly loud through the receiver.

  “Uh-huh, nope. You’re missing my point. While that is tempting, no thanks.” Sarcasm dripped from my words. “And by the way, how’d you get my home phone number?”

  I gathered up the voodoo paraphernalia and stuck it in the corner of my dresser drawer.

  “Um, Jack gave it to me. I’ve been waiting outside your office all day, keeping an eye out for you, just like he asked me to. Until Lily ran me off, of course.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be protecting me from her? If she ran you off, then you’re not doing your job, now are you?” It was a good thing I really wasn’t relying on him for protection.

  “Well, I knew you were safe in the building.” Uh-huh. I doubt he’d ever get a job with the Secret Service. And I hadn’t been safe, something he wasn’t even aware of.

  “Fine, anyway…I have a lot of things to do, so I’ll just have to take a rain check on that drink.” A day from never would be a good time.

  “Oh.” He sounded deflated. “Sure, um…some other time. Thanks, anyway. I’ll talk to you later. Tell your friend I did watch after you, would you?”

  “I’ll make sure to tell him, don’t worry,” I lied. If Jack bothered to ask, I’d tell the truth: Martin hadn’t been an ideal bodyguard.

  After I hung up, I crawled under the sheets. Talk about a bizarre day. I ignored the strangeness of everything as I pulled the covers under my chin. The voodoo thingy hadn’t been completed, but it would have to wait until another time. I’d had all the craziness I could handle for one day.

  Chapter 18

  How to Date a Werewolf Rule # 18:

  Don’t mention Zoloft or a mental institution. They are not cures for lycanthropy.

  My bedroom always felt like a refuge to me. My comfortable bed with its oversized fluffy comforter made falling asleep easy—most of the time. The cheerful yellow walls and tall window lifted my spirits—most of the time. The place was old, but that only added to the character. It was never easy for me to get out of bed, and this morning, it wasn’t just because of the comfortable room. After everything that had happened as of late, I didn’t know what the day ahead held, and my tension mounted. Without a doubt, things would be better if I hid under the covers for a month. Maybe then everything would be back to the way it was: boring but happy. With the sun pouring through the small opening of the curtains and work waiting for me downstairs, I had no choice but to haul my lazy butt up. Within an hour, I was dressed and ready for the day. Well, as ready as I ever would be.

  Since tonight a full moon would make an appearance, and I planned to hide away up in my bedroom, I would have to knock off work early. I didn’t want to scare Jennifer with my wolfy appearance—or my disgusting eating habits, for that matter—while I was in animal form.

  As I ambled through the apartment toward the kitchen, an eerie silence filled the air. No singsong voice to greet me over coffee. I grabbed a mug, poured my steaming liquid and snatched my purse. Apparently Jennifer had already skedaddled for the day, because she was nowhere in sight. The thought crossed my mind she was avoiding me. I started out the front door, and had traveled halfway down the stairs when I noticed the main entry door open. I scanned the area looking for a werewolf or some other whacked-out person waiting to attack me.

  I eased down the rest of the stairs. Nothing or no one was in sight, only the usual activity of people walking by out front. I did notice the clear beautiful sky outside added a spring to everyone’s step, but not mine. In spite of the picturesque day, I couldn’t quite shake the foreboding feeling nestled deep in the pit of my stomach. Lily must be ramping up her antics as the full moon approached—it figured. I opened the door to my office with caution. The room was still. My gaze scanned the area. No one there. The light blinked wildly on the phone letting me know I had a message. I walked over and pressed the button, then held my breath waiting for bad news. It was nothing more than someone wanting a brochure. Thank God. The wind must have knocked the door open.

  The day and work passed by swiftly with nothing abnormal taking place. How that happened, I wasn’t sure. Just the normal matchmaking deals—very few. A witch here, a vampire phone call there, with a few non-paranormal folks thrown in. When the hour hand on the clock finally clicked around to almost quitting time, what I thought was Lily’s voice echoed from right outside my window. The day wasn’t going to be normal, after all. Had she returned with another sign? I hoped Lily didn’t try to attack me again. To be truthful, though, after the visit from the police yesterday, I’d almost expected a little visit from her. No doubt she’d be pissed when they called to question her, and I was sure they already had.

  I hurried over to the window and scanned the area below. The usual sights greeted me: random people strolling by and the same old buildings. A young girl struggled to walk her dog as it ran ahead on its leash. After a few seconds, not surprisingly, Lily popped into view. It figured she was lurking. She wore leather pants and a tight red top that clashed with her hair. Once again she was visiting with Creepy Neighbor. What in the heck was going on with those two? This was the second time I’d seen them talking to each other. She gestured with her hands, and by all accounts, he appeared to be intently hanging on to her every word. Yep, Lily felt the influence of the full moon too. Bossier than ever.

  As I peeked out the tall, paint-chipped window, straining my neck to see farther, Lily pointed toward my direction. I ducked my head back. She didn’t need to know I’d been spying on her. I leaned my body against the wall, praying she didn’t catch a glimpse of me. She was probably explaining to Creepy Neighbor how I’d called the police on her. Maybe I should talk to her. Explain that it wasn’t my fault the police had contacted her. Although it wasn’t as if she’d listen, because she hadn’t when I’d tried to explain the Martin situation.

  Coming to my senses, I thought better of the stupid idea and decided to close up shop for the day. My mind was too distracted to work, anyway. It was five and I needed to get upstairs, prepare my food and lock myself in before twilight faded into darkness. I had plans to watch the latest Drew Barrymore movie I’d rented the other day and never got around to watching. The moon would pop out soon enough. Thankfully, with Jack out of town, I wouldn’t have to worry about hiding from him. Not that he’d want to see me after the weird bullet package fiasco, anyway. Sigh. I missed his kisses.

  Not only did I want to lock myself in my bedroom well before nightfall, it was imperative I did. When the full moon edged into view, the weirdos came out from the shadows, and I didn’t want to roam the streets like the rest of those hooligans.

  Feverishly, I cleaned off my desk, put away the files and grabbed my purse. That tingling feeling I always got during shape-shifting time was present. Soon my transformation would happen. Hair would grow, fangs would appear more pronounced. My glowing eyes would sparkle. I slipped out the door, making sure to turn on the security alarm and lock it. I didn’t need another break-in, not tonight. Halfway up the stairs, I overheard voices drifting from my apartment. Either Jennifer had the television on again, or she had a guest up there.

  Greatness. I felt crankiness coming on. I wanted to get my meat fix and slink off to the safe confines of my bedroom—away from the mindless games of the undomesticated werewolves roaming the city. With a total stranger lounging around, it would be tough, to say the least. I needed to hurry. I hoped Jennifer knew I couldn’t chitchat with anyone tonight. The voices were muffled, but as I inched closer they became clearer. Jennifer was talking with a man whose voice seemed somehow familiar. At first, I thought it was Todd, then maybe the cop from last night. I moved a few more steps, then froze on the spot. I recognized the voice. The tone was as clear as the night sky.

  It was Jack.

  What was he doing talki
ng with Jennifer in our apartment? He wasn’t even supposed to be in town. From what he’d claimed, I didn’t think he’d be back until tomorrow. Jack being around was the last thing I needed. I couldn’t talk to him, not now, not in my condition. Hair had already started to form on my hands. A little stubble formed on my chin as I raked my palm across it. God, I was so messed up. Jack certainly hadn’t known what he was getting involved in when he stepped into my life. I remained as quiet as possible and listened closely to make out what they were saying. Their voices were still a little muffled, so I inched closer. I leaned up against the door and prayed they wouldn’t open it and catch me eavesdropping.

  “I’m so glad you were home,” Jack said.

  “I just got here. I was thinking about you all day. How are you?” Jennifer’s voice sounded uneasy.

  “It’s hard. My mind has been going over our dates and the time we spent together.” He paused.

  What the hell was going on? My nostrils flared. My heart raced. Dates?

  “I feel so badly for her,” Jack continued.

  Wait. For her? Whom was he talking about? Did he mean me?

  “My dates with her were fantastic and I was falling hard.”

  “I do too. I had no idea even after all these years how bad she was,” Jennifer pointed out. “It just makes me want to cry. She’s such a nice person, she doesn’t deserve this.”

  “Sometimes when you live with someone, you’re too close and it’s hard to see how they really are,” Jack offered his analysis.

  I knew it. They were talking about me. How sneaky.

  “I guess you’re right. I just wish I could have known sooner. I should’ve, though, I guess. I mean, really a werewolf? I’ve never seen her turn into a wolf. I knew it wasn’t possible. And she mentions all these other creatures too. Like vampires and witches. And she told me her client, Lily, the one who attacked her, was a werewolf too. It was the perfect opportunity the other day for her to pretend that dog was Lily in werewolf form. Heck, maybe she let the dog in herself just so you could see it attacking her.”

  They really couldn’t believe I’d do such a thing, could they?

  “She has a mental illness and we need to help her. She’s very sick,” Jack said with pity in his voice.

  Oh. My. God. I could not believe what I’d just heard. My emotions swirled inside me like an enraged storm. I didn’t know whether to burst in and tell them both off, or never speak to either of them again. I guess I could understand why Jack might think something was wrong with me, but Jennifer should believe me. We were best friends, for heaven’s sake.

  “I should have seen the signs. I mean, they were everywhere. I believed her for twelve years. I know it was naive of me. But I was young. Why didn’t I see the trouble she was in?”

  “There was no way for you to see the symptoms of her illness. I mean, at first, I thought something was wrong, but I shrugged it off. I was suspicious. But I thought maybe she was just wrapped up with some weird friends. Then, when I saw the papers on her desk about werewolf customers, how she was a werewolf and could help them? It was disheartening, to say the least. And she made up a story about how it was her code.” Jack’s voice sounded so official. I guess this was “official” business for him.

  “Yeah, she made up two separate brochures. One for her human customers and one for her so-called supernatural ones. So what can we do to help her?” Jennifer asked.

  “I think Rylie suffers from clinical lycanthropy. Have you heard of it?”

  “No,” she said.

  “Basically it’s a mental disorder where the person believes he or she is a werewolf. As simple as that.”

  “Oh. I had no idea there was such a thing.”

  “Yes, there’s such a thing. Rylie is experiencing delusions and hallucinations. The lycanthropy could be caused by schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or clinical depression, I just don’t know at this point.”

  This was getting serious. My head swirled and rage coursed through my veins. I shook my head to try to clear the thoughts overtaking my mind.

  “Is there some sort of treatment? What can we do?” Jennifer asked.

  That traitor. Some friend she turned out to be. The nuthouse probably had a room reserved with my name on it.

  “Sure, there are medications that can be prescribed. She needs to see a doctor. It would be great if we could speak to her parents about this.”

  “Oh, this is so incredibly sad, but you’re right. I think maybe she needs your help on a professional level,” Jennifer squeaked. I couldn’t tell by her voice if she was crying or not.

  “I think she is hiding something else from me too. Probably a lot of somethings. All the weird stuff happening to her and around her. I really had feelings for her, but I’m not sure how far our relationship can go with her being so secretive.”

  “And the biggest problem, of course, the far-fetched werewolf thing,” Jennifer added.

  Far-fetched, huh? I’d show her.

  “It’s not far-fetched in her mind,” Jack said.

  “Thank goodness you came along when you did. Maybe it was fate. She could be hurt going around town thinking she’s a werewolf.”

  Fate, my ass.

  “What do you think about the customers she claims are supernatural?” Jennifer chirped.

  “All just part of the delusions. There are no such things as vampires and witches or other strange creatures. I should have never taken her on that ghost tour. It probably just added fuel to the fire.”

  He thought he knew so much about me. He knew nothing.

  “What you did took a lot of courage,” Jennifer continued.

  Oh please, they were making me sick.

  “We’ll help her, don’t worry. I’m glad you came to me and were open enough to consult me.”

  So that’s why they were so talkative with each other. All along they were plotting to take me away to the funny farm. The guys with the butterfly nets would be here soon. Never before had I felt more betrayed. After all those years of friendship, she believed someone we’d only known for a week. I wasn’t sure what to do next.

  With the added agitation from what I’d heard, and the fact I was growing hair quickly, my mind felt bogged down. My fingers tingled and I could no longer control what happened to my body. Nature took over, and I sure as heck didn’t want them to see me as a freak. I climbed down the first two steps, trying to ease my way downstairs, but I missed the next stair. In a split second, I stumbled and there was no way I could catch myself. I swiped my hand for the railing, but missed and fell face first down the stairs, bouncing off each side like a pinball in a machine. While I lay there flat on my back, I sensed movement at the door to my apartment. Jennifer and Jack had heard my tumble and were coming to investigate.

  My back throbbed and my butt hurt as I scrambled up from the hardwood floor. The door to my apartment opened wide and I made a leap for my office. Damn, I wished I hadn’t locked the door. I fumbled with my keychain and found the correct key to open the lock. As I thrust it in the deadbolt and gave it a twist, I turned my back to the stairs. From that angle, I knew they couldn’t see my hideous appearance: my shining eyes, fanged teeth and hairy hands. My heart hammered in my chest at the thought of being caught. Although, if captured, at least they’d believe I wasn’t some crazy wacko.

  “Rylie,” Jack yelled, “stop, it’s me, Jack.” I felt as if he might throw a net over me at any second. Maybe he had one of those tranquilizer guns.

  As I scurried through the door, I didn’t answer. The alarm beeped, waiting to be switched off. With the high-pitched noise shrieking in my ear, I wondered why I’d had the stupid thing installed in the first place. I didn’t have anything of value in the place, anyway.

  “Wait, Rylie.” I heard Jennifer run along with Jack down the stairs.

  I slammed the door shut behind me and flipped the lock. Jack feverishly rattled the knob.

  “Rylie, please let us in. We need to talk to you. Just open the door and ev
erything will be fine.” Fine schmine. “We can work this out. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  Easy for him to say. No one thought he was nuts.

  If I pretended not to be there, they would go away. No, they saw me, I was sure of that. That’s why they’d chased me in the first place. Within a split second, before I could get to the alarm control panel and punch in the code, the loud siren began to wail. The sound echoed and bounced off every wall in the place. There was no way to hide the fact I was in the office now. More attention drawn to me, just what I needed. And unless I switched the alarm off in a jiffy, the police would be there soon. Of course, if I’d really needed the cops, it would take them forever, but in this instance no doubt they’d be there in a minute flat.

  I tripped as I ran to the control panel. With my mind still fogged by the chaos, I couldn’t think of the code. The numbers vanished from my mind faster than a plane flying through the Bermuda triangle. It was hard with my hands changing, but I randomly punched in numbers. Two—five—three. Four—six—nine. Finally after several attempts, I got it right. The entire time Jack jiggled the knob, trying to get me to open it for him. Fat chance on that.

  My mind whirled and I was almost fully a werewolf. Jack and Jennifer were both at the door trying to persuade me to come out and talk to them. Since they didn’t believe my supernatural tales, there was no way they would go away. Jennifer would stay to help Jack until I finally decided to come out and let them carry me away to the padded palace. As long as I could fight them, it wouldn’t happen. I ran over to the corner of my office, beside the back window. I prayed the two nuts in the foyer wouldn’t do anything crazy like knock the door down, since I already knew it was quite possible to do. I didn’t put anything past those two. They ganged up on me something fierce, and they thought I was the crazy one.

  I shimmied out of my skirt and peeled the blouse off my hairy chest. Sick, I know, but it doesn’t happen often, so what could I do? I couldn’t do an entire body wax every time it happened. I just had to let it ride. I couldn’t begin to imagine the pain involved with wax on nipples. Ouch. I stripped off my underwear—they matched, thanks to Jennifer. I pulled out the bottom drawer of my filing cabinet and stuffed my pile of clothes securely inside. The moon wasn’t even out yet and I had taken on my full werewolf form. The stress from Jack and Jennifer banging on the door like mad helped push me over the edge to a complete she-wolf. More talking wafted in through the cracks in the door. Others had joined the two know-it-alls.