2017/07/18: The finished story has been given a different chapter count, which is why the change here.
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* Warning again, no sex in this story. :-p
* Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think of it. Always looking to improve my writing. :-)
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Chapter 03
Gary's confused mood was lifted when he saw Suzy in the morning again. 'Good morning.' he said, smiling a little.
'Good morning.' she said, closing her door.
He cleared his throat. 'Missed you yesterday.' he said with a soft chuckle.
She smiled a little. 'Yeah, I didn't feel well for some reason, decided to take a day off.'
'Oh? You're feeling okay now though?'
She nodded. 'It was nothing serious. Just a little off.' she said on the way down. 'Maybe I ate something that disagreed with me.'
'I hate it too when food can't win at a discussion with me and makes me sick instead.' he said.
She chuckled. 'Some foods are just sore losers.'
They paused outside again, looking up at the sky as it drizzled. 'I heard there might be rain tonight.' Suzy said.
'That would be nice.' Gary said. 'I like to fall asleep with the sound of rain.'
'Yeah, me too.' she said. 'Anyway, have a good day at work.'
'You too.' he said and walked a few steps backwards. 'And try to avoid food that can't come up with good arguments.'
'I will.' she said with a little grin. 'See you later.'
Gary turned around and smiled, thinking today would be a good day.
***
The transformation in the evening felt different. It went on as before, but this time Gary felt more in control. There was still the urge to go to the park, but he could stop himself from going with a little willpower. He thought about staying at home, but a voice in the back of his head wanted to know if the wolf was there, if she was okay.
'Da-amn it.' he muttered and gave in.
He waited at the corner of the alley, looking at the park for a sign of her. He saw nothing and took a walk through the park to see if she might be on the other side.
He reached the centre with the playground for kids when he spotted her, peeking from behind a bush again.
'Ehm, hi-i?' he said, holding up his hand in greeting.
She looked at him, away, then back at him again, her ears moving forward and back.
'I-i don't mea-ean you a-any ha-arm.' he said. 'So plea-ease don't try-y to ea-eat me, oka-ay? I-i'd rather be-e friends.'
She looked away for a moment again, then up at the sky. Rain started to come down and a flurry of flashes shot through the clouds.
'Ah!' Gary said, looking up. 'Forgo-ot about tha-at!'
The rain came down hard while lightning and thunder started the rock and roll concert with light show. Gary saw the wolf looking around quickly with her ears flat, then noticed the small hut on a low hill at the playground. 'He-ere!' he called out to her, pointing at the hut. 'We-e can ta-ake she-elter the-ere!'
She hesitated for a moment while he moved towards the hut, then followed him as he beckoned her. Gary crawled inside and sat back when she crawled in quickly, her fur soaking wet. She sat back in one corner, clutching her tail in front of her. Gary shook himself a little, the rain hadn't soaked his thick coat yet.
The rain played it's drum solo hard on the wooden roof of the hut while the lightning lit up the entire area. He watched her going left and right quickly, her ears flat against her head. 'We'll be oka-ay he-ere.' he said, giving her a gentle smile. 'A-and whe-en it comes do-own this ha-ard, it usua-ally ends qui-ickly.'
She nodded once quickly and he tried to focus on the spectacle outside, but his attention kept going back to her. She had a very dark coat, brown black and a larger tail than he could remember from nature documentaries. Her blue eyes lit up with each flash and he thought they looked lovely. Huddled back in the corner, she didn't look dangerous at all and he wondered who she was.
He cleared his throat and concentrated on his speech. 'I'm Gary.' he said.
She looked at him, outside when lightning flashed again, then back at him.
'Gary.' he said, placing a hand against his chest. 'Do you understa-and?'
She gave him a slow nod.
'Your na-ame?'
She looked away, then down and shook her head once.
'You don't know?'
She shook her head again.
'I see.'
The rain changed to a light shower and both lightning and thunder moved away. Gary stuck his head out of a window. 'Looks like it's o-over.' he said and pulled back. He gave her a gentle smile. 'Told you it would pa-ass qui-ickly.'
She gave him a nod, looked outside, then crawled out of the hut, looking back once before hurrying off into the night. Gary sat back again. "That was interesting." he thought.
***
'Good morning, Gary.'
Gary turned around to see Suzy coming out of her apartment. 'Good morning, Suzy. Did you sleep well?'
She looked down a little. 'Ehm, I, don't really like thunderstorms.' she said, then gave him a grin. 'It's silly, I know.'
'Oh, I can imagine.' he said. 'She was pretty spooked too.'
'Who?'
'Ah.' he said. 'A.., woman I saw last evening. At the store.'
'Oh.' she said. 'I thought the store wasn't open that late?'
'It wasn't.' he said. 'It was when it was still open. She mentioned she didn't like lightning and thunder. And she already looked nervous and all. Like a puppy. Not that I mean she was a puppy, just that she was skittish.'
Suzy nodded. 'Okay..' she said. 'I'll see you later again.'
'Yeah.' he said. 'Later.'
He watched her walk away for a moment, then went on his way with a feeling in the back of his head that he had missed something.
A thunderstorm had started just before Gary finished his meeting with a client who wanted to update the logo and look of her hair studio. He watched the sky and the street as people rushed home, pondering whether to wait it out or hurry home through the rain.
The rain hadn't lessened after a minute and he prepared to become very wet on his way home when he saw Suzy walking out of the veterinary clinic next to the studio, then huddle in the doorway when thunder rumbled overhead.
'Not a great time to go home.' he said.
She saw him and looked up. 'Not really, no.'
Gary hurried over to her doorway. 'Finished work?'
She nodded. 'Yes. Thought I could go home before the storm started.'
'Yeah..' he said, watching the street again. 'I hadn't checked on the weather. Got taken by surprise.'
She chuckled, then held herself when lightning flashed across the sky. Gary watched her, moved a little closer and got an idea when he smelled pizza. 'Care for a bite to eat while we wait for the storm to pass?'
She looked up. 'Eat?'
'Pizza?' he asked, gesturing at the restaurant next door. 'My treat.'
'Pizza?'
'Or something else?'
She looked up at the sky while the storm did its thing again, then glanced at him and smiled a little. 'Okay.' she said. 'Don't mind it when I can avoid this thunder storm.'
He chuckled. 'Let's go then.' he said.
They hurried into the restaurant and sat down at a table after ordering. 'Thanks.' she said after a sip from their wine.
'No problem, I started to get hungry too.' he said, watching the owner construct their order.
She smiled softly. 'I meant for keeping me company during this storm.'
