by Amelia Jade
A taxi-van was waiting at the foot of her little walkway, on the single-lane gravel roadway that led through the complex of buildings that housed all the women who had come with them from their time at the Institute’s facility.
“You’re planning something,” she said as soon as she noticed the vehicle. Rachel must have summoned it when she arrived.
“Gee, whatever gave that away,” Rachel said, monotone, opening the door and sliding herself and her child inside. Due to the influx of women in Cloud Lake, all of whom were pregnant, and all of whom had no other means of transport, the largest cab company in town had adapted several of their vehicles to carry carseats to help with the increased traffic. In short order the two of them had everything secured and could be on their way.
“I look forward to the day they can just sit in normal seats,” she groused, annoyed at all the effort it took simply to leave the house.
“Or when they can move out and get their own cars?”
They laughed.
“But seriously, where are we going?” she asked.
Rachel shook her head, and so Angela was forced to just watch in silence as they moved into the downtown core.
“Oh, by the way, just for you and your daydreams, I asked Hector who the new guy was.”
“Like you were any different when you first started up with Hector,” she shot back. “I saw the way you walked the first day after.”
Rachel blushed but didn’t back down. “His name is Noah, and he’s new to the guard. They expanded it apparently, and he’s the senior one of the transfers.”
“So he’s the oldest new guy?” she asked.
“Yeah, something like that,” Rachel said with a wave of her hand as the taxi came to a halt. “Anyway, we’re going to have lunch with the two of them.”
As the second one into the cab, Angela had to be the first one out. Thus she was in the middle of pulling Cooper out with her when Rachel’s words hit home. They were having lunch with Hector and Mr. Iceberg-to-her-pants-Titanic.
“You mean today, don’t you?” she asked sourly. “That’s what all this is about.”
Rachel just smiled.
“No,” she said, reversing course and getting back inside. “We’re not. Not today, Rach.”
“Oh yes we are!” her friend said, putting out a hand to block her return into the vehicle. “It’s already arranged. We’re already here. In fact, they’re probably getting a nice view of your ass right now as you stay bent over like that trying to get back in.
Angela almost looked over her shoulder to see if she was telling the truth. Almost. “With the babies?” she asked, giving her friend a pained look. “I don’t want to meet any guy with Cooper along.” She sighed. “Not the first time at least.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Listen, Angie darling,” she said, knowing Angela hated being called the shortened moniker. “He knows you’re one of us. He knows you have a kid and why. Even if he didn’t, he had to find out one day, so may as well be today.”
This time Angela did laugh. “Right. Because knowing you, and knowing Hector, I bet this Noah guy knows exactly what’s going on. He’s definitely not sitting inside in the restaurant with no clue that he’s about to be on a double date, is he?”
Rachel at least had the good graces to look embarrassed.
“I can’t believe you!” she shouted into the vehicle before apologizing to the driver, who just waved it off and tried his hardest not to smile in laughter at her. “We only forced you to go see Hector after you’d already met him once. We didn’t say when or where and kidnap you and make you do it. This is so underhanded.”
Her friend blew air out from between her lips. “Angela, we both know that you would never have gone and done anything on your own. You needed a push.” She mimed pushing her friend out of the vehicle. “Here it is. You’re with me and Hector, so if it gets awkward or anything, we have several easy ways to end it without it getting weird. We’re not throwing you out into a pool and telling you to learn how to swim. I’m here, I’ve got your back. Now suck it up, and let’s go meet Mr. Hottie.”
She glared at her friend, who just shed the look like it was water.
“Besides,” Rachel added. “Don’t act like you don’t want to meet him.”
“I…” she stopped to formulate her argument, but it was too late. Rachel had her dead to rights. She did want to meet Mr. Hottie—Noah, his name is Noah! But she couldn’t stop thinking about how awkward it would be to introduce herself and produce a child. Would he really be interested in her?
Hector was into Rachel, and hadn’t cared about the fact that she was with child. In fact, Hector was simply the cutest father that she’d seen. Maybe it would work out.
“I hate you,” she complained, but got out of the taxi anyway, carrying Cooper with her.
“I know,” Rachel said. “You’re excited but also nervous, it’s okay. I’ll hold your hand.”
She vowed terrible, terrible revenge on her friend. “I’ve gone on dates before, you ass,” she said, but Angela was smiling now.
“Good. Can we finally go in then? I’m starved!”
“Fine,” she said, the two of them continuing to bicker like the best of friends they were as they entered the restaurant.
Chapter Five
Noah
“The fish here is amazing,” Hector said as they were ushered to their assigned table by a hostess. “Beer battered and all the goodness.”
They were at a local restaurant that Hector had insisted on taking him to as part of his learning about Cloud Lake. Andrew was in a grumpy mood that day, something about permission being granted to someone to allow them to travel to Cloud Lake, so getting out of the embassy was a relief. A real troublemaker apparently. Noah didn’t know much about it, but he figured he would get briefed on anyone who came to town if they were expected to cause issues.
“Two colas please,” Hector said as the waitress came by.
“Uh, and a water for me please,” he added. “No lemon.”
“Sure thing. I’ll be back with those to take your food order,” she said.
“So, why did I have to come here with you again?” he asked. Hector had been rather insistent about the fact that Noah accompany him to lunch. He would have come along regardless, but the near forcefulness with which he’d been told he was coming had him wondering what the ulterior motive was.
“Because you need to learn about places like this,” Hector said, trying to sound dismissive and failing utterly.
Noah just stared at him. They were seated at a table for six, but it was only the two of them. He wasn’t an idiot, and his gaze told Hector as much.
“Because I asked you to?” Hector said, trying to sound hopeful that he would accept that answer.
In the reflection of the mirror above the bar at the back of the little restaurant Noah had a view of the street. He watched a van pull up in front.
“Somehow I doubt that’s the only reason,” he said dryly, his eyes roaming over the rest of the faded yellow-gold interior. A horizontal strip of what might generously be called white wallpaper broke the walls up into sections. The entrance was behind him, with bathrooms on his left and a row of tables against the wall to his right. The bar and entrance to the kitchen were at the back.
“Am I that transparent?” Hector asked, sounding disappointed.
“Are you going to be hurt if I say yes?” he said with a smile so that his coworker knew he wasn’t being malicious.
“Also, I forgot to mention that Rachel and Karlie are coming.”
Noah shrugged to indicate he was fine with it, but something about the way Hector had said it nagged at him. He replayed it in his head several times, but couldn’t quite figure it out. So he did the next best thing. “Okay. When are you going to spring your surprise?”
Hector looked hurt. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He went to respond, but Hector’s eyes were no longer focused on him, but on the door.
Before he could turn in his seat Noah heard the little chime go off over the door as someone entered.
“Hey darling,” Hector said, rising.
Noah went with him, turning as he did to greet her.
“You remember Rachel, my mate, don’t you, Noah?” Hector said smugly.
The words barely registered. Only reflexes kept his hand moving until he could shake Rachel’s. Something came from his lips, but it sounded muffled and indistinct, the words impossible to make out. Rachel smiled and turned side-on to him, gesturing at what had caught his attention.
“Noah, this is my friend Angela. She was at the school you and Hector picked me up from the other day. Angela, this is Noah, Hector’s new coworker and guard at the embassy.”
“Hi.” The words seemed to come gliding out of the sky, carried to him on golden wings of sunlight and delivered to his ears by the most beautiful songbirds in the world. A harp played softly in the background and Noah wouldn’t have been surprised to see a white stag leap down the street outside the restaurant. His entire world stopped as he stared at her.
At Angela.
She was gorgeous, just as stunningly beautiful as she had been the other day, despite the sweat and exhausted look of someone who had just finished working out.
She was slightly tall for a woman, a little bit closer to six feet in height than five. Still nearly a head shorter than he was, but that didn’t matter. Her shoulders were broad and she had an overly stocky appearance to her. Thick legs and a sort of block-like torso. On some women it might have made them look awkward and dumpy.
Not Angela. She radiated pure beauty in a way that he knew he would never be able to appreciate on anyone else. She wore a purple shirt with gold detailing and loose black pants, and her curly brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
“Noah?”
Shit. He’d been staring too long.
“Um, hi,” he said hurriedly, awkwardly sticking out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
The fact that his voice came out mostly even and normal astounded Noah as time began to return to normal and he attempted to recover his composure.
“Nice to meet you too,” Angela said. He saw her features tighten and then she looked down, lifting the object in her hand. “And this is Cooper.”
Noah felt his face break into a grin as the child in the carrier looked at him.
“Oh hey there,” he said, reaching in to gently tickle the baby on the stomach. It gurgled and made a sort of hiccupping laugh that seemed to indicate it enjoyed it. “Well aren’t you a cutie,” he said. “Just like your momma.”
Angela coughed and he flicked his eyes back to her, watching the way she blushed, the redness making its way down her neck and spreading over her collarbone and chest, disappearing under her shirt. Wow. Even the way she blushes is attractive.
“How old are you?” he asked Cooper, poking his head closer and opening his eyes real wide, much to the child’s delight.
“He just turned five months the other day,” Angela replied, smiling at the interaction between the two.
“Well, you’re going to be a big one,” he teased, standing back up, hoping that Angela was a bit more at ease now that he’d shown her he wasn’t put off by the fact that she had a child.
“Tell me about it,” she said, sliding into the seat next to where he’d been sitting and putting Cooper on the chair to her right.
It all made sense now why they had the big table. He shot Hector a glance, but the big shifter was busy making faces at Karlie while Rachel glanced over the menu, the two of them obviously trying to give him and Angela some faux privacy. Now that they were all sitting, however, that died away and Rachel turned a look at him.
“So, Noah. You’re new to the Cloud Lake detachment.”
“Uh, yes, ma’am,” he said, suddenly very acutely aware of what was about to happen. It could be summed up in one word.
Interrogation.
“What made you decide to come here instead of staying in Cadia?”
Yep. He was right. Asking the important questions to help make up her mind about whether Angela was allowed to be interested in him or not. Apparently shifter women and human women had a few things in common.
“I’ve been in Cadia my entire life,” he said, laying out his reasoning bluntly, seeing no reason to hide. It would help, or it would not. Either way, it was going to come out eventually. “Things were okay there, but they weren’t amazing either. After three and a half decades of life, I decided it was time for a change.”
“I see,” Rachel said guardedly.
“You can call it a midlife crisis,” he told her lightly. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been teased about it, and maybe they’re right. I’m not really sure. But either way, it was an opportunity and I took it. Only time will tell if it works out, or I regret it entirely.”
Throughout his entire spiel he kept a peripheral eye on Angela. He wasn’t sure just how old she was, but he doubted she was over twenty-five. What would she think of an age barrier so large?
It’s not a barrier, it’s just a gap. Stop thinking of it as something to get over. She may not even blink twice. You don’t know that.
“So you’re…how old?” Rachel asked, pressing for more information.
“I’ll be thirty-eight in a few months,” he replied dutifully, not bothering to hide anything.
With Rachel sitting across and to his right it was easy for him to see any reaction from Angela, who was directly opposite him. But she didn’t flinch, nor did she seem to be bothered by that admission, which buoyed his spirits somewhat.
“How long is your assignment to Cloud Lake for?” The question came from Angela, catching him off guard as she took over the interview unexpectedly.
“Um, essentially as long as I want.”
Hector jumped in. “Assuming that he doesn’t screw up first!” he joked, bringing laughter from all parties.
Noah smiled at him, thankful for the change of topic.
“And how are things going in that department?” That was Rachel again.
“Not bad,” he began, before Hector interrupted with an explosive snort.
“Is that what you call knocking off a door at the Full Moon, or were you referring to the new front wall they’re going to need after you tore down the brick? All on your first night?”
The two women looked between him and Hector with mixed reactions of surprise and shock, along with a double handful of doubt, which boded well for him…hopefully.
“Okay, so I may have overreacted,” he said, spreading his hands wide. “But the guy was sneaking up on Gray with a metal pipe.”
Rachel laughed. “He probably wouldn’t have done any damage. Gray’s thicker than a steel beam!”
The others all laughed good-naturedly, though Noah refrained. He didn’t know Gray well enough to laugh at his expense just yet. The fact that everyone seemed to get along to feel comfortable teasing those who weren’t present was a good indicator of the bond formed by them all though, and that was a good sign.
The laughter slowed and Hector snagged Rachel’s attention, the two of them leaning forward to admire their little one, leaving Angela and Noah alone, such as it could be in the middle of a restaurant.
“So,” he started lamely. “You come here often?”
Angela laughed lightly. “Actually no, I’ve never been. This is more of a hangout for the guard boys.”
“Ah. Well, I guess that makes me one of the boys for the day then?”
“If you’re tearing down doors and beating up jerks on your first day, I think you’ll fit in just fine,” she confirmed.
“It wasn’t like that!” he protested.
“Just warn me if you’re ever coming over,” she said. “I’ll leave the front door wide open.”
Noah buried his head in his hands. “So much for making a good impression.”
“From the sounds of it, the only impression you left was that of a body in the wall.”
; He glanced up at her through his fingers. “You’re just firing on all cylinders today, aren’t you?”
“I suppose. You’re leaving yourself wide open for them though.”
“As wide open as the door after I tossed him through it?” he supplied.
“That’s the spirit!” she joked with a laugh. “You’ll stop feeling bad any minute now if you keep it up.”
“Somehow I doubt it,” he told her, but his lips curved upward as he said it.
“Ye of little faith. Hector will probably do something dumb enough to draw attention away from you real soon, so I wouldn’t worry.”
That drew a turn of the head from Hector but little more as Rachel drew his attention back to him.
“Well if it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll try and not make any more noise for a little bit. At least when it comes to the job. I’m enjoying it here so far, and I’d like to stay.”
“Sounds good to me,” Angela said with a soft laugh.
At that point the waitress returned to take their orders and conversation turned more generic, with Hector and Rachel entering back into it. He knew that Hector was due to report to the embassy soon, and so doubted that he would have any time with Angela after lunch. He spent most of the time trying to work up the nerve to ask her for a way to contact her, but it took him until the plates were cleared to even have the courage. But just as he was trying to figure out the best time to ask her for her number, she took the decision out of his hands.
“They gave you a phone for work, right?”
“Um, yes?” He pulled out the black object to show her. “I haven’t gotten around to using it much. We don’t have them back in Cadia but…”
Angela grabbed it from him, hit a few buttons, typed something in hurriedly, and then passed it back to him before standing up and gathering her stuff as she and Rachel prepared to depart.
“What was that all about?” he asked.
She gave him a cryptic smile. “You’ll know when you find it.” Then she grabbed her child, waved goodbye, and the two departed.
Noah watched her go, waiting until the two women had disappeared past the edge of the restaurant before he returned his gaze to the phone.
