Chapter 4
My mud mask was starting to crack and irritate my skin, but I was too preoccupied drawing up a final design concept for Tak.
I had a meeting scheduled with him for the afternoon, and while I planned to discuss his thoughts on what he had in mind, sometimes clients needed guidance.
To get the ball rolling, I created a few ideas in my sketch pad using colored pencils, drawing inspiration from the Arrowhead land and the fact they were wolves.
Well, not all of them. That was what we needed to discuss.
If he didn’t want animals, I could always do a landscape, and I also had a few abstracts in the back of my sketch pad for clients who didn’t want a specific scene or image.
At least this would show him my versatility, and I also had photographs of my work saved on my phone.
This final image was a standard floral one with sunflowers, a monarch butterfly, and various shades of a sunrise.
After setting the pencil back in the tray, I closed my eyes and listened to my portable radio. The station was playing disco, and a band called ABBA sang “Take a Chance on Me.” Older music was fun to listen to, but I preferred current artists.
Rising from my chair, I swayed my hips while admiring the pieces on my wall.
An unexpected knock at the door startled me, and I froze. “Who’s there?”
“Salem.”
Relief washed over me until horror stepped in and tapped me on the shoulder.
My face!
I’d worn the green mud mask for beyond the recommended time period, and I looked like Medusa.
I jerked open the door and put a fright into him. “Hi. Uh… what are you doing here?”
He lowered his head, and I caught a smile. “I’m here to give you a ride.”
“Where?” My heart pounded as I cowered behind the door.
“Tak thinks it’s rude to expect you to walk to our property. I concur.”
“Um… okay. Come in, but I need to get ready. Make yourself comfortable.” I bolted from the door and flew into the bathroom.
Once I closed the door, I recoiled at my reflection. The green mask had cracked all over, and I looked a thousand years old. On top of that, my skimpy brown halter top was a little too revealing.
I scrubbed my face until my cheeks were ruddy. After putting on deodorant, I assessed my hair situation. It was loosely fastened in a side braid, the way I often wore it. Strands had pulled free on the opposite side, so I took it down, combed it, and braided it once more.
“Did I catch you in the middle of something?” he called out, his voice muffled.
I cracked the bathroom door but didn’t see him. “No. I was just finishing up work.” I tiptoed like a maniac into the adjacent bedroom and pulled open my dresser door. Then it dawned on me that this was a business meeting and maybe Tak expected me to dress up.
“Business meeting, business meeting,” I murmured, staring into a drawer filled with tank tops, halter tops, and socks. Then I searched the drawer below it and found a white button-up V-neck blouse with yellow flowers.
Is this too summery?
It absolutely was, so I pulled the white cardigan from my closet. After changing, I looked like I was ready to go to Sunday brunch with the girls before an afternoon of wine tasting. At least the stems on the flowers matched my green cargo pants.
I sauntered out of the room and grabbed my keys from the hook by the kitchen. “Do you want a drink before we go?”
When he didn’t answer, I entered the living room and discovered him admiring that same redbird from two nights ago.
“Do you think this looks okay?” I asked.
When Salem turned, his gaze fastened on mine. After a blink, he asked, “What am I looking at?”
“My outfit. Is this suitable for a meeting with Tak? I want to impress him, but I’m not sure what to wear. I don’t have any skirts or dress slacks.”
“Tak doesn’t care about that kind of thing. The guy walks around shirtless half the time. I doubt he’ll even be dressed for the meeting.”
A laugh burst out of me. “Maybe I should do the same.”
Salem scratched his eyebrow. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
I drew closer. “Do you always take everything literally? I’m only teasing, but your surprised reaction is even better. Let me grab a few things.”
After collecting my sketch pad, I lifted my silver locket off the desk and looped the long chain around my neck.
“You always wear that,” he noted as we stepped outside.
“It’s special, and I don’t leave home without it.”
Once inside the car, Salem adjusted the heater before backing out. “What’s special about your necklace?”
I squeezed it in my palm. Then I opened it to show him the pictures inside. “These are my parents. They go where I go.”
After a cursory glance, Salem focused on the road. He lifted the center console and rattled a plastic bag. The next thing I knew, he was eating a stick of black licorice.
“Okay, I have to ask. What’s your deal with black licorice? Is that your Shifter craving, or do you enjoy punishing yourself?”
A smile touched his lips. “Punishing?”
“It’s awful! Nobody likes that stuff.”
“I do.”
“Are you saying it’s not your craving?” I asked, genuinely curious what a man like him craved after a shift.
He looked at me sideways before turning his attention to the road. “I started eating it years ago because it helps with my heartburn. I used to work in an emergency department, and the job was stressful. But I can’t eat too much of it.”
“Why not?”
“In humans, eating too much affects blood pressure, electrolytes, and even the heart. I’m not referring to the cheap candy but the kind made from licorice root. I don’t know what the safe doses are in Shifters, so I enjoy in moderation and don’t eat it daily.”
“Could’ve fooled me with all those bags you had stuffed in your car like you were stocking up for the great flood.” I let go of my locket and stretched out. “If you only eat it to quell heartburn, what’s got you so anxious right now?”
His chewing slowed, and a moment later he put the rest of his piece back in the bag.
I continued admiring his brown hair, which was twisted and bound into a knot. How long was it? Why did he wear it up, and more importantly, why grow it out in the first place if he wasn’t going to show it off?
Salem answered his phone when it rang. After a quick glance at me, he said, “Where?”
I heard someone shouting on the other end. “Hurry up!”
“I’ll be right there.”
Salem ended the call and wiped his forehead. “I have a medical emergency. Can you walk the rest of the way?”
“My meeting isn’t for a while. Do what you need to do. I’ll stay out of the way.”
He accelerated, and the car violently shook when we struck a pothole.
Meanwhile, I dithered about whether to send Tak a message that I could potentially be late.
Technically, I wasn’t supposed to be there for another two hours.
He was the one who’d sent Salem over as a surprise chauffeur, so hopefully he wasn’t expecting me earlier.
“Can you get my medical bag?” he asked, gesturing to the back seat.
I pulled a heavy black bag onto my lap. “Do you carry this everywhere you go?”
“I have to. I’m always on call.”
“Just like a superhero.”