by Mac Flynn
Adam devilishly grinned. "I may have just the excuse for us."
I leaned away from him and narrowed my eyes. "Mind letting me in on the secret?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm afraid you're a terrible liar and may alert your employer to our plans."
I turned away from him and pressed my lips in a pout. "I'm not that bad," I grumbled.
Adam chuckled and pecked my lips with a teasing kiss. "Your honesty attracts me."
I snorted and stepped out of his pecking range. "Honesty aside, what do I do to get your plan to work?"
"You will have your guests and yourself invited to tea with the Vandersnoots at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. You will leave here at exactly fifteen minutes before three."
I blinked at him. "And then?"
He smiled and stepped away from me toward the path. "Then I will show you what I have planned."
My face drooped and my eyes narrowed. "That's it? I'm just supposed to get them to the car and wait for something to happen?"
"Something like that, but I will leave the rest to your imagination until tomorrow." He turned and headed back up the trail.
"I have a good imagination, and I'm not liking what I'm seeing!" I yelled after him. He waved his hand at me, but didn't turn around and in a few moments he disappeared into the trees. My shoulders slumped and I sighed. "My life is so strange." I returned to the cabin and sat on the couch with the whimpering Snookums at my feet. I leaned over and scratched the pedigree mongrel's fur. It was softer than it looked, and he stopped his whining. "I wonder if your life is as weird as mine," I whispered to him. He whimpered and laid his hand on the ground. "I'll take that as a yes, and I'm sure Adam will make it just a little weirder tomorrow."
But first, I had a call to make.
Chapter 10
"Darling! It's so nice to hear from you so soon!" Clara exclaimed.
I stood outside once more with the phone to my ear and my body fending off my creeping cold. Clara Vandersnoot was on the other end of the line. I cringed and pulled the phone a little farther from my ear. "Um, yeah, I wanted to tell you that I'd love to have tea with you tomorrow, but I wondered if you would mind if I brought along a few guests."
"Oh, that would be wonderful! Who are these charming people I'm to meet?" she asked me.
"My employer and his wife. They're staying with me for an evaluation period of my work at my new home and-well, I'd like to make a good impression for them," I explained.
"Oh, you're such a flatterer, Christina! You want them to see the best of the best, and I really am honored you've chosen me to be your choice of neighbors to visit." She paused while I rolled my eyes. "You haven't scheduled any other play dates with other neighbors, have you?"
"No, just you," I assured her.
"Marvelous! What time can I expect you?"
"I was thinking tomorrow at three," I replied.
"The perfect tea time! I'll have so many yummy things for them to taste that they won't want to go home with you!" she squealed.
I cringed as the noise stabbed through my head. "That sounds delicious-" and a tempting idea, "-but I was wondering if you could do me a favor while we're there. Like I said, I want to make a good impression, so I'd rather not talk about the rumors that are going around about Adam. They've already been introduced to him so I couldn't really lie and say he's not my boyfriend."
"A secret between friends! That sounds absolutely scandalous and deliciously fun! Of course I'll keep the secret for you, but you have to promise to see me again so we can have that chat," she insisted.
"That sounds great. See you at three," I replied.
"Ta-ta for now, darling!"
Clara hung up and I sighed. It sapped my energy talking to that energizer bunny. Speaking of bunnies, I heard my boss call my name from inside the cabin. I reached the porch just as he opened the door and stepped out. "What are you doing out here?" he asked me.
I sheepishly smiled and held up the phone. "I was just-um, making a phone call," I told him.
He frowned. "To who?"
"To a-um, a neighbor of mine. I thought I'd invite us to tea at her place," I explained.
Whinier raised an eyebrow. "Why'd you do that?"
"I thought, well, that maybe we needed to test out Bunny's cold-turkey by taking her out to see some of my male neighbors," I replied.
Whinier furrowed his brow and stroked his chin. "You may have something there, Monet. We should see if she's really changed or not. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow afternoon at three." I glanced past him and into the cabin. "I thought maybe Bunny might need some time to sleep. How's she doing?"
"Better. I got her hand wrapped and told her about that fellow carrying something her dog didn't like." He chuckled, and the sound sent shivers down my spine. "She didn't take that too well, but if she's going to be going cold turkey then we've got to scare her a little. I don't think she'll even be coming out of her room until tomorrow."
My smile grew strained. "How-um, how ingenious-" and sadistic.
Whinier tapped his temple. "Yep. This old thinker's still got it. Now what do you say we get more work done?"
The next few hours passed by in a blur of work and pampering to Bunny's every needs as she remained within the confines of my bedroom. It was probably for the best that she was stuck in the room because whenever anyone opened the door Snookums picked up his head and snarled at the room. That invariably caused Bunny to shriek in fear, and the door was shut to protect her and the dog. I wouldn't have wanted to deal with a dog who bit a werewolf-infected human. The last thing I needed was to cure a were-mutt.
When night fell so did the lethargy of sleep. Whinier sat in the bedroom regaling her with tales of how he started the fire that warmed me as I sat on the couch. For her part she was not as loud nor as vapid as usual, at least when I heard them converse through the closed bedroom door.
"I didn't mean to be sick and all," I heard her apologize to Whinier for the tenth time that day.
"It's all right, but you still have to stay away from him for a few days so Snookums can hug you," Whinier cooed. I tried not to gag at the puddle of ooze he became around his wife. It was no wonder she'd steamrolled him for so long.
"But I can go visit those people with you tomorrow, can't I, Honey-Buns?" she pleaded.
"Of course, dearest, but you have to avoid touching anyone. You don't want them to catch it, do you?" he returned.
She sighed loud enough to rattle the door. "No, I suppose not."
"Good, now you just stay in here and I'll be right back. Then we can get some sleep." I discontinued my ear from listening to their conversation and my eyes focused on the fire as though it was the most interesting thing in the world. The bedroom door quietly opened and shut, and Whinier strode over to the couch. "We're going to bed. You will keep the dog out here with you," he ordered me.
I glanced down at the mutt at my feet who wagged its furry tail in response. "Sure, no problem." I hoped.
"Good. I hope you don't mind an early morning. I get up at five. Goodnight."
I inwardly groaned. "Goodnight. . ."
Whinier left me with the dread of an early morning. This would be my first night on the couch, and I made myself as comfortable as possible among a pile of assorted quilts and pillows scavenged from the kitchen and the couch and chair. I snuggled down amongst my makeshift bed, but no sooner was I comfortable than something solid hopped up beside me. I peeked out from the blankets and glared at the mutt who stared at me and whimpered.
I sighed and rolled my eyes. "All right, but no hogging the bed," I ordered him.
Snookums slunk to my feet and crashed atop them. He was like a lead brick atop my toes and I swore feeling left them beneath his hefty weight. I wiggled my feet, but he didn't budge. On the contrary, I think I heard whistling noises emitting from his nose. The dog had already fallen asleep. I groaned and plopped my head onto my pillow. This was going to be a long night.
Little did I k
now how long until around one o'clock when a long, high-pitched howl erupted from the bedroom. Snookums and I bolted up, and the dog turned its short snout towards the bedroom. He bared his teeth and growled at the door. Other noises caught my attention, and they all came from the bedroom.
"What the hell was that? Bunny, you okay?" I heard Whinier ask his wife.
"I-I'm fine, Al, but-well, I don't know what came over me. I just had to howl," she replied.
"You what?"
"I just had to howl. I don't know why, I just had to," she insisted.
"Are you sure you're feeling well?" he questioned her.
"I don't know, Al. I think I'm just feeling a little restless, that's all. Maybe my throat's dry and I just need some water. Could you get me some water?" she pleaded.
"All right, but you stay right there." In a moment the door opened to Whinier in sky-blue silk pants and shirt. His feet were bare and his hair was tussled. The bedroom light illuminated his figure and cast his shadow across the room and over me. He shut the door behind himself and I was glad for the darkness. "Monet, get some damn lights on in this place," he barked at me.
"Yes, sir!" I replied. I hopped from my bed, spilling my blankets and the dog, and switched on the kitchen and living room lights.
Whinier met me in the living room and grabbed a glass. He also grabbed my phone from the counter and tossed it at me. "Call a doctor. Something might be wrong with her," he ordered.
I clutched the phone and the color drained from my face. "A doctor? Are you sure it's that serious?"
"How the hell should I know? Just call a damn doctor and ask him!" he growled.
"Um, sure." I moved toward the front door.
"Where the hell are you going?" he shouted at me.
I jerked to a stop and looked over my shoulder with a sheepish grin on my face. "Just going to go call a doctor like you asked."
He pointed a finger at the couch. "You can do it in here so I can hear what's going on," he commanded.
My shoulders slumped and I dragged my feet back to the couch. Whinier prepared the glass of water for his wife while my mind frantically searched for some way out of this mess. There was only one, and I'd have to suddenly learn to be a good actress.
I dialed Adam's phone number and turned down the volume so only I could hear the other line. It rang only twice before he picked it up. "What's wrong?"
"Um, hey, Doc, it's me, Chris Monet. I was just wondering if you could give me some advice for a friend of mine who's staying over here," I replied.
"Chris, this isn't Doc's number," Adam replied.
Whinier sat down in the chair close by and watched me like a hawk. I nervously smiled at him and turned my face away. "I know it's late, Doc, but there might be something wrong. She just woke up and-well, started howling in pain. Any idea what it is?" I asked him.
"Chris, is someone there who you don't want to overhear our conversation?" he guessed.
"Yeah, that's what I said. What do you think's the problem?" I answered.
"If that's the case then I will prepare what ingredients I have tonight and we both need to be ready for the hike tomorrow," he instructed me.
"What's he saying?" Whinier snapped at me.
I placed my hand over the tiny receiver and turned to him. "He says there isn't much cause for concern. She probably just had a nightmare and was acting out, or maybe had a muscle spasm that made her howl in pain," I told him.
Whinier frowned at me. "She's never had any of those. What kind of a doctor are you talking to?"
"The only one around," I replied.
Whinier thrust his hand out toward me. "Give me that phone."
"But-"
"Give it to me or you're fired." I scowled at him, but forked over the phone. He put it against his ear. "This is Albert Whinier. Who am I talking to?" There was a pause as he listened. His eyes narrowed and his lips curled down in a growl. He thrust the phone back at me. "Take it. I can't understand a word he's saying."
I smiled and took the phone from him. "Yeah, he's a little weird, but he knows what he's talking about."
Whinier looked me over with a careful gaze. "I didn't know you understood German."
My face dropped. "German?"
"Your doctor there is speaking in German, or didn't you know that?" Whinier questioned me.
I laughed. It actually sounded convincing. "Oh, yeah. I guess I know it so well that it's second nature."
"Then speak a line for me," he ordered.
"I-um, I don't speak it, I just know what the words mean." I returned to the phone. "Anyway, Doc, what should we do for her?"
"Give her alcohol to make her go to sleep and make sure she remains inside for the rest of the night. I will see you tomorrow." Click.
I pulled the phone away and glared at it. Whinier was on the edge of his seat. "Well? What'd he say?"
I shook myself and turned to him. "He said to give her some alcohol and keep her inside until it-um, until the sun comes up. He thinks maybe she's catching a cold."
Whinier scoffed. "Damn doctors don't know anything, but a little of my grandfather's cough medicine won't hurt her." He returned to the kitchen, poured out the water, and replaced it with some of the whiskey I gave to him earlier in the day. Whinier went back to the bedroom, and I heard the bed creak under his weight. "Take some of this. It should help you sleep."
"But what's wrong with me?" Bunny asked him.
"We just called a doctor, and he thinks maybe you're just a little under the weather. This should help." There was a brief pause followed by the sound of Bunny coughing. "See? That'll put hair on your chest. Now let's get some sleep."
In a few moments the light beneath the door disappeared. I shut off the other lights, but lay awake for another hour watching the door and listening for any escaping were-Bunny's. Nothing happened, and I dozed off into sleep.
Chapter 11
The morning proved to be uneventful. Bunny remained in her room while Whinier barked orders at me to help him with his email and paperwork. Bunny must have had some smarts because Whinier wasn't all that competent with even basic internet abilities like browsing and not clicking on every spam pop-up that appeared.
As the time approached two forty-five I was a bit of a mess. I was exhausted, sleepy, and not looking forward to the six-mile hike that awaited me should Adam succeed in wrangling me from my guests. Bunny and Whinier, on the other hand, openly looked forward to the coming tea party.
"You say these people are pretty important?" Whinier asked me for the tenth time.
"The most important people here," I assured him. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It read two-thirty. Fifteen minutes until time.
He scoffed. "That's not much to say. What's their connections? Why do they know? What do they do?"
"Um, I'm not really sure, but they've got quite a bit of money," I replied.
"How much we talking?" he persisted.
"Enough to invest in any newspaper or online paper they wanted," I pointedly remarked. I could practically see the saliva drip from the corners of his mouth. Gone was the importance of Bunny and in its place was the prospect of investors for his real baby, the company.
He rubbed his hands together as he sat in the chair while I had the couch. "Good, good. That's just what I wanted to hear. Now you'll introduce me as your boss and Bunny as my wife. None of this secretary business. A lot of people don't like mixing business with pleasure."
"I'll be glad to do that," I replied. I would be even more glad if Adam would get me out of doing anything at all.
Whinier glanced at the clock and stood. 'We'd better get ready. Bunny takes a heck of a long time getting her face on." The images his statement gave were frightening, and he left me with them to attend to his wife. He strode into the bedroom and shut the door behind himself. "You getting ready yet?" he asked her.
"I don't know about going, Al. I'm not feeling too well," Bunny moaned. I cringed. Not feeling well was a sign of Adam's initial curse-n
ess.
"Don't be a fool. These people will help us get what we both want, now get some makeup on and take some more of the cough syrup," he ordered. Now I pitied Bunny for her spouse, and envied her for being able to take a drink without worrying about later.
In fifteen minutes the pair emerged from the bedroom. Whinier wore a blue suit and Bunny had on a red dress that showed off her assets. The husband had on polished black shoes and Bunny sported high heels that matched her shockingly red dress. They looked like they were going out on a dinner date at a fashionable restaurant rather than a simple tea time with one of my neighbors. I glanced down at my attire. I wore a simple white t-shirt with stained jeans. At the door stood my mud-covered hiking boots.
Whinier noticed my less-than-stellar outfit. He raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. "Do you plan on joining us for this appointment?"
I sheepishly grinned and shrugged. "Mrs. Vandersnoot doesn't really mind me going au natural," I replied.
Whinier sighed. "All right, but-" His scolding was interrupted by the angry sound of Snookums. The dog stood in front of the fireplace and bared its fangs at Bunny.
Bunny returned the compliment when she curled her lips back and snarled. Whinier and I blinked at her, and she started back. Bunny clutched her head in one hand and shuddered. "I don't think I want to go anywhere today. I don't feel well," she told us.
Whinier clasped one of her fingers in his hand and patted the top of her hand. "I'm sure you can do it, sweety. You just need to do this for a few hours and you'll get those connections you always wanted."
She lifted her head and looked at him. "You really mean it?"
"Do I lie?" he returned.
She frowned. "You once promised me a fur coat, and I didn't get one."
"Then I'll give you a fur coat when we get home. How does that sound?"
"What about that pink corvette you promised me?"
"We'll go to the dealership the first thing," he insisted.
