by Anthology
Alexis thought about Cole all the next day while she was at work, wondering when she would see him again and hoping that it hadn’t been anything serious with his friend, Griffon. She didn’t have a whole lot of time to wonder, though, as she was crazy busy all day. They were racing to meet an aggressive release date, as she was learning the company always did, really pushing everything and everyone to their limits. But it reminded her of the last company that she’d worked at in San Francisco, another startup, and she thrived on the frenetic, fast-paced environment.
The guys that she worked with seemed nice enough. And it was mostly guys. There never were many women in the software companies that she’d worked at so far, especially in the development and design areas. At a quarter to five, the development team all cheered as they hit a major milestone, which meant they would likely also meet their release deadline. It was worthy of a celebration and the two heads of the group, Ian and Tony, wheeled in a pony keg of beer and declared that work was over for the day and it was time for drinking. Beers were poured for everyone and Alexis took a small sip of hers. She didn’t care much for beer, but she was happy to celebrate with the team.
“And to our newest employee, Alexis, whose designs are making our products look hotter than they are!” There were cheers and chuckles at that and several of her colleagues tapped their red plastic cups against hers in a toast of sorts. Ian then went on to thank several other members of the team and the congratulations and cheers had everyone in a good mood. Finally, as they were wrapping up and people were starting to leave, Alexis overheard a piece of a conversation between Ian and Tony that didn’t make a lot of sense.
“You hear how he’s doing? We didn’t rough him up too much?” Ian commented to Tony who was standing by Alexis’ desk.
“He can’t be hurt that bad. We just wanted to scare him a little. Harmless fun,” Ian said with a chuckle.
He caught Alexis looking at them quizzically then and explained. “Just a bit of harmless fun with a friend. We can be pranksters sometimes.”
Alexis set down her empty cup. The others were starting to file out for the day. She was ready to go, too. She looked at both of them and smiled. “Thanks for the beer. This was fun.”
“We’re really glad that you’re here,” Ian said warmly.
“Have a great night, Alexis,” Tony said as he picked up her empty cup and a few others that had been scattered around the room. She took that as her cue to leave and gathered her purse to go. While she enjoyed working here, it would be nice if there were a few more women. Often, especially at times like this, it felt more like a fraternity than an office.
7
Alexis had just finished eating some leftover chicken soup for dinner and was about to climb into her comfy sweats when there was a familiar knock on the door. She’d hoped he might stop by again soon, but it was already almost eight, so she was surprised to see him now. If it was him.
It was. When she opened the door, Cole was standing there holding two bulging shopping bags. He grinned when he saw her.
“Sorry to come by so late. I meant to get here earlier, but it took me longer than I expected at the store.” She opened the door wider to let him through and he came in, set the bags down and then pulled her in for a kiss.
“I’ve thought about doing that all day,” he said. She felt herself start to blush at that. What was wrong with her? She didn’t usually go all starry-eyed like this. Certainly not so quickly. Cole turned and fished a bottle of cabernet out of one of the bags.
“I thought we could use refreshments before we get started. Do you want to open this for us?” He handed her the bottle.
“Sure. But what are we getting started on?” What exactly did he have in mind?
“Why, decorating of course. This tree won’t trim itself!” He started pulling bags of ornaments and velvet bows and various assorted garlands out of the bags while she went to the kitchen to open the wine. She poured them each a glass and returned and set them both on a nearby coffee table, as Cole’s hands were full at the moment. He was untangling strings of miniature lights.
“That’s a lot of stuff,” Alexis commented. “It’s all for the tree?”
“Mostly. I got some extra lights and tinsel garlands in case we want to decorate your mantle, too. Oh, and of course stockings and stocking holders, too. He pulled out two fuzzy stockings, one that had Lexy written on it and the other said Cole. And there were two iron holders with reindeer on them. Cole had brought an entire Christmas in two bags.
“What can I do to help?” she asked. She was curious what his plan was to put it all together.
“We’ll put the lights on first. I’ll hold them up high if you want to spiral them around the tree.”
They worked together to drape two sets of connecting lights around the tree, and then Alexis plugged it in and they stepped back to take a look.
“You have to admit, even with nothing but lights, that’s a festive looking tree,” Cole said proudly.
“It is.” Alexis was amazed how just the lights transformed the tree into something special.
They spent the next hour decorating the tree and occasionally sipping their wine. Finally, all the ornaments were on, the bows tied to the branches and multi-colored garlands arranged just so.
“Oh, and the last step of all.” Cole reached into one of the bags and pulled out a pretty star that he stuck on the tip-top of the tree and connected with that end of the light string, so that it twinkled merrily.
“It’s really lovely.” Alexis was amazed how the tree seemed to instantly lift her mood. Or maybe her mood was already improved just because Cole was there. She would have to think about that.
“What do you think? Should we do the mantle next?”
Alexis hesitated for just a second. “Why not? We may need some more wine first, though.” She went and got the bottle and topped off both of their glasses. Then Cole showed her what he had in mind for the mantle. He draped a string of lights along it and then braided in a red metallic garland. He set up the reindeer stocking holders and Alexis hung the two stockings up. Lastly, he reached into his bag one more time and pulled out four wooden nutcracker men and handed two of them to Alexis. They arranged them on the mantle and it looked good, but then Alexis had an idea. She ran into the kitchen and pulled two big white candles in glass jars out of a closet and put one on either end of the mantle.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“It looks perfect to me.” Cole touched his glass to hers so that it clinked slightly. “Cheers!”
“Cheers. And thank you for doing all this. I wouldn’t have done it.” But she had to admit, it brightened up the room considerably. And she realized, for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t dreading the holidays.
“How is your friend? I hope he’s okay?” She’d meant to ask about him earlier and then forgot as they got so busy with the tree decorating.
“He’s fine. Some guys jumped him just outside Central Park. He broke his arm and was scratched up, but he’s home now.”
“I’m glad he’s okay, but how awful! Did they rob him, too? It sounded like a mugging to her.”
Cole frowned. “No. They didn’t steal anything. It did shake him up a bit, though. He was having chest pains when they found him, and they did a full cardiac workup, but it turned out to just be a panic attack brought on by the stress of it all.”
“That must have been scary. That happened to me a few times after my parents died. The panic attacks. Even though I knew rationally that I wasn’t having a heart attack, it’s still frightening when your chest tightens up like that. If it wasn’t a mugging, what do you think it was? Just a random attack?”
“I’m sorry you went through that.” Cole put his glass of wine down and pulled her in for a hug and then a sweet kiss. “He thinks that it’s someone he knows. One of the rival packs. Most likely the Bronx Pack. They’re the only ones that have a known issue with him and he knows they are not happy about being ba
nned from the park.”
The conversation that Alexis had overheard earlier flashed through her mind. Was there a connection? She didn’t say anything, because she really wasn’t sure. And if she was going to share that information with Cole, about the pack she was a member of, she needed to be sure. But, if it turned out that they were involved, she wouldn’t hesitate to tell him. Pack member or not, if they did that to Griffon, they deserved to be found out and dealt with.
“What is it?” he asked, obviously picking up on her mood shift.
“Oh, nothing. I’m just tired. Long day. We’ve been going on all cylinders to meet some really aggressive deadlines.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Cole said and made a face.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Alexis asked.
Cole hesitated a moment and then explained. “Let’s just say that they are known to cut corners. To rush their products out the door as fast as they can, and then clean up the mess later.”
“The mess?”
“You’ll see. Every release they’ve had so far has been let loose too soon, before all the bugs have been worked out.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s the case, though. It was the QA team that finished just today. We were celebrating, actually, that the newest product has sailed through all the quality assurance steps. The bugs are gone.”
“Right. That would be great, but somehow I doubt it. Hasn’t been the case so far. But, maybe I’m wrong.” He smiled then and pulled her in closer. “Now, onto a happier subject. How tired are you, Lexy?” He kissed her softly and then looked her in the eyes. “Do you want me to leave so you can get a good night’s sleep?”
Alexis chuckled. “I’m not that tired.”
“Good.” He pulled her in and kissed her hard, and they took turns sliding shirts and pants off. Alexis led him into the bedroom where they both discovered a second wind. She took charge this time and positioned herself on top. He held her hands as she rocked back and forth. His hands roamed to other places, cupping her breasts as she arched her back. When she was close, he sent her over the edge by reaching between her legs, rubbing just enough that she immediately felt the coming orgasm build and then explode. He came, too, just as her contractions were slowing down. When he was done, she slowly rolled to the side and he brushed her hair from her eyes.
“I don’t need to rush off anywhere. Do you mind if I stay?” he asked.
“No, I don’t mind at all,” she said sleepily. She was in a state of absolute bliss, totally spent.
“As long as you don’t mind if I go to sleep on you. I’m not far from it.”
He chuckled. “I’m right there with you. Sweet dreams, Lexy.”
8
Alexis woke to a soft kiss on her forehead. She opened her eyes and Cole was standing by her bedside, fully dressed and looking apologetic.
“Morning, Lexy. Sorry to run out, but I have an early meeting. I’ll call you later?”
Alexis yawned. “Okay, bye. Have a good day.” Cole left, and she stretched and grabbed her cell phone that was by her bedside to check the time. It was so early. Alexis was most definitely not a morning person. She preferred to stay up late and sleep in whenever possible. Fortunately, the office was just a short walk from where she lived, so she could leave her apartment at eight thirty and still be there a few minutes before nine when everyone else was just starting to stroll in.
She eased herself out of bed and padded to the kitchen to make coffee. She stopped along the way when she caught sight of Sherman, lying upside down under the Christmas tree, swatting at a dangling ornament. The tree lights were still on and she had to admit, it really livened up the room. She opened a can of cat food, and Sherman forgot all about the ornament and came running to his bowl.
Alexis was feeling a bit restless as she drank her coffee. She hadn’t run or shifted in a few days and the need to do so was building. She usually liked to get out there at least a few times a week, though as Cole had said, since her pack was banned from Central Park, their options for places to run freely were limited to either Madison Square or Riverside. Since Riverside was closer, that’s where she usually went. She finished her coffee, dressed quickly and then made her way to the office and to the special area out back. Because the company was founded by shifters and there were so many working there, Ian and Tony had built this special area for them. Each shifter had their own locker and privacy to strip and shift.
There was no one else around, so Alexis didn’t even bother to go into the changing room. She just stripped, threw her clothes in the locker, shifted and as soon as she was in her wolf form, she ran. She passed a few others as she went who were also looking to get in an early run before work. Within minutes, she reached the park and then raced along, loving the feel of the wind through her fur and the ground beneath her. She ran hard for a good half hour or so, and then slowed her pace to a trot and made her way slowly back to the office. Though the sex had been a great release as well, there was nothing like a hard run in her wolf form. It kept her in shape, too. When she reached the office, there was someone in the changing area, so she waited patiently and then a few minutes later, Ian emerged fully dressed.
“Alexis, is that you?” he asked and she nodded.
“I thought so.” He smiled. “See you inside.” She made her way into the changing area, shifted and then brought her clothes into the bathroom so she could shower off. Twenty minutes later, she was changed and heading to her desk to start work for the day.
Around four, her desk phone rang and it was Cole.
“Sorry to call you at work, but I realized you never gave me your number and I’d said I was going to call you later. So, this is me, calling you later. Maybe you should give me your cell phone number now?”
Alexis chuckled and then rattled off her cell number.
“Thank you. So, anyway, what are you doing tonight? Want to meet for a drink after work?”
“Sure. At my place?” She assumed that’s what he meant.
“No. Do you like sushi?”
“I love it.”
“I had a feeling you would. There’s a really great place two blocks from your office. Meet me there at six.”
Alexis hesitated. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“It’s a great idea. Best sushi I’ve had in Manhattan.”
She chuckled. “No, I meant is it a good idea for us to meet in public? What if we’re seen together?”
“What if we are? No, really. I don’t see Ian and Tony as sushi lovers, do you?”
Alexis thought about that for a moment. Since she’d been there, they’d brought pizza in regularly. Burgers, tacos, and other fast food, but never sushi.
“You’re probably right. I haven’t been there yet. See you at six.”
Alexis started shutting down her computer at twenty to six, figuring it would only take about ten minutes to walk to the sushi place she was meeting Cole at. Ian strolled over to her desk, a beer in hand. “A bunch of us are heading out for drinks soon if you want to join us. As soon as Tony finishes whatever it is he’s doing.”
Alexis felt bad. Once again, when they invited her out, she already had plans.
“I’d love to, but I already have plans with a friend.”
“All right, then. Another time. Have fun.”
* * *
Cole was waiting outside the sushi place when Alexis reached it. He kissed her hello and then they went inside. He led them to the sushi bar and they both sat down. The sushi chef smiled when he saw him.
“Cole, good to see you again, and your beautiful friend,” he said.
“You too, Patrick. This is my neighbor, Alexis.”
“You are a lucky man, to have such a beautiful neighbor.” Patrick grinned at the two of them and Cole put his arm around her.
“I couldn’t agree more. I told her that you have the best sushi in all of Manhattan.”
“You are very kind. Although I, too, agree with you. Would you like to order fro
m the menu or do what you usually do have me select for you?”
“We’ll have you do it, as long as that’s okay with Lexy?”
“That’s fine with me.”
For the next hour, they tried one succulent morsel of sushi after another. Alexis tried things she’d never had before, and enjoyed them all immensely. She was feeling very full and happy when the front door opened, just as Cole was paying the bill, and her good mood vanished.
Ian and Tony and about a half-dozen other team members came into the sushi restaurant and were seated at a large table near the door. Ian glanced her way and did a double-take. He sat with the others but then, as she and Cole were getting up from the sushi bar to leave, Ian walked over.
“Alexis, could I speak with you for a moment?”
Cole looked at her apologetically. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
As soon as he stepped away, Ian grilled her.
“Do you know who that is?”
“Yes, we’re neighbors. He lives a floor above me. We’re friends.”
Ian sighed. “I don’t care if he’s your neighbor. He’s not a friend of ours. Whatever he is to you, neighbor, friend, something else, whatever, you need to end it. He’s too dangerous to us. Do you understand that?”
Alexis sighed. “Yes, I understand.”
“Good. I like you, Alexis. You could have a bright career with us and are a valued member of the pack. Don’t do anything to jeopardize that.”
“I won’t.”
“Good night, Alexis”
* * *
Cole was waiting right outside the door for her, and put his arm around her as soon as she reached her. She shrugged away and looked at him angrily.
“I knew this was a bad idea. Why did we have to come here? Things were perfect the way they were.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think things were perfect. I don’t want to have to sneak around to see you, Lexy.”
She looked at him in surprise. “You were fine with the arrangement when I proposed it.”
