She Belongs to the Wolves

By the Lake

    I closed the door to my car, took a deep breath, and set off to Ens Lake. Where I supposed. I would be going on a sunset picnic date with some incredibly handsome man from work. I was crazy, now I just had to accept it and let it happen. But something made me feel inexplicably drawn to this stranger. The trip to the lake was uneventful. Except for the fact I felt as if I was being followed and it was making me uneasy. Far unlike the pleasant surprise and confusion of the Black Wolf I had seen now just a few times. Then my phone rang. 

    "Aphrodite, how are you?" She quickly said as I answered my phone.

    "I'm okay Milly. I'm on the way to the date."

    "I just had some weird feeling. But I'm glad you're doing well. Don't forget to let me know exactly how it goes as soon as it is over. And I mean everything!"

    "Milly!"

    "Look babe, I KNOW you've been dry lately. I won't judge you." I absolutely should have known she would try to stick her nose into my nonexistent s*x life with the idea it might become no longer quite so nonexistent if I was seeing someone at all. But goodness! Could it really go that way so quickly...

    "MILLY!"

    "I promise you, Aphrodite. You don't need to keep saying my name. I'm just saying you better tell me everything and I'm your best friend I will not judge you for whatever you choose to do. You're a grown woman."

    "I'll tell you everything. Could be nothing. He might just be some weirdo who wants to eat some cheese or something. I mean he called to say he would bring the food I didn't need to. I still have a bottle of wine though I could NOT come to him empty-handed. I'd feel weird." Milly was quiet for a second putting together how she would respond I guessed.

    "You already didn't let me know any of that. I know there is more. But I need to go now. I got what I wanted." She laughed lightly, "I know you're safe. I know some drop-dead gorgeous dude asked you to a picnic and you worry he might just be some weirdo into cheese or something. That explains why you brought wine. Bye girl." And she hung up and somehow her timing was perfect, too, to when I arrived at the lake. I scanned around, seeing if I could see Damien. I could not but I still got out of my car and walked over to a table by the lakeside. Staring across where I had seen the big wolf before. 

    Suddenly I smelled something lovely and then I heard him behind me,

    "Aphrodite. Forgive me for my arrival time, I had something that needed my attention before I could make myself scarce from it." He reached a hand out to me as if to shake mine, I obliged and I could swear I felt sparks from that quick handshake. Even his eyes seemed to flash for a moment in the expression of something I couldn't place. 

    "It is okay. I brought wine. But I left it in my car for now.. because I didn't see you." I shrugged and he nodded but motioned vaguely.

    "Shall we retrieve it? I parked somewhat close by but worried you would stand me up." He smelled so good it was almost all I could think about. "I left our treats inside." Oh yes, the cheese I thought he had brought. I went to walk to my car, he followed me and as I unlocked my door still feeling odd I leaned in to grab the wine, he did not do anything and I closed my door and locked my car. He smiled as if trying to even further prove he wasn't going to do something weird. Our entire interaction felt as if it was laced with something weird. Yet, Still, I found I was transfixed by the blue of his eyes as his smile brightened his face. 

    "Your car now? I'll help carry." I said and we both walked off to his vehicle. Of course, it was some sort of fancy-seemingly car, a little purple coup - perhaps a Lotus? I wasn't the best with cars. He popped his trunk and I spotted two perfect picnic baskets that still somehow screamed money. He smirked and I melted.

    "I don't need your help to carry it though." He lifted the two baskets simply stacked one on top of the other. I nodded and we walked back to the table I had been at. He placed the baskets down and opened them up. Inside was an array of so much more than just cheese - there were delicate little sandwiches, an assortment of fancy fruit - I spotted dragonfruit, kiwi, pineapple, and starfruit. And that was only a quick glance. "I brought dessert too." He smiled. He had it all set up so quickly I was a little surprised. 

        "Thank you." I smiled at him, he stared at me with those beautiful eyes. And I thought he seemed to furrow his brow for a moment as if to say something but he did not. "This is really a lovely spread you brought... and it is public of course." As I said that a young mother and her child were making their way to the water to toss halved peas to the ducks in the water. I could see the bag as they walked by, I noticed Damien glance at them too. 

     "Elizabeth, remember. We want to help the ducks! No bread from us!" I heard the mother say,

    "Yes, Mama." Her child responded tossing out the vegetables. 

    "So tell me about yourself?" He suddenly said to me.

    "Oh. Um. You know my name.. you know my job. Oh! I love to cook, and I love archery, horses, and hiking." I shook my head a little. "It's way too hard to try to just tell someone about yourself." He nodded thoughtfully.

    "Sometimes you don't want to say things about yourself worried how it will be received," Damien responded to me. This made me a little uneasy, "But you are right. I would hope we can become more familiar with each other through more time together." I didn't know if he was implying what I thought he was implying. It was either the innocence of more dating or he meant sleeping together. 

    "It is a lot easier to learn people through time.."I said carefully and I felt he had placed a single hand on my thigh. I was not unsettled by this touch nor was I made unhappy by how I had noticed we had come to be so close together without even realizing it while talking. He smelled even better from so close together and his eyes were absolutely beautiful and the chiseled nature of his face was extraordinary especially from so close. Maybe Milly was right, I was so very dry. And he was so very gorgeous.

    There was no eating at our picnic and he whispered something to me while we were so close,

    "Want to come to my place?" 

    "Yes." I answered quickly and I blushed but then I looked at the food. "But after we eat?" His eyes sparkled as he actually laughed.

    "I did bring a lovely spread." He said and he plucked a sandwich from the spread and ate it thoughtfully, eyeing up the wine I brought "Nice choice." He said after swallowing, I had plucked a sandwich too. It appeared to be a very small BLT. Somehow it seemed even more delicious than they usually were. I chewed and then placed it down to pick up a kiwi. 

    "Here's a knife and spoon." He handed me quickly for the fruit and I worked on it. 

    "Tropical fruit.. interesting choice. Good choice." I said to him. We ate not quite quickly but also not quite slowly. It was a slightly baited-breath sort of time. Before we had both eaten a little and he had cleaned it up so quickly and I suddenly realized I had agreed to go back with him.

    "You can follow me. Or we can take my car." He said this and I, who already felt I was doing everything to get kidnapped - like agreeing to go to a secondary location smiled and said.

    "I'll ride with you." For some reason, I knew I would be okay. He nodded and we walked over to his car. I made sure mine was locked once more as we passed it. 

    "Not worried about your car?"

    "No. I have left it parked here before..." I realized that made it almost sound like I did this a lot. I almost thought I heard him growl. "I like to be at this lake." I mused out loud. We reached his car and I slid in and took a deep breath. He got in a few moments later after I heard his trunk slam shut. 

    "It's not far, my place." He said as he started his car and off we went.