A Wolf in the City

7. I'm not Celibate.

RAVEN.

I am seated with Jackie, my bestfriend since childhood as I try to feed him on every single thing that had happened on the cruise ship he had basically nagged and forced me to go on with Flora.

"Do you think he was on drugs? Maybe he was just too high?" He says as he tries to understand my story about the psychotic man I met and what he had done to me.

Jackie has all the bulk of a man but none of the height. There are muscles under his shirt and I am not talking of the bulky kind men can get from years of weight lifting. From behind, he could be anywhere in his late teens to early thirties, but whenever he turns, that face is all boy. He is always lit up with that grin boys wear when they have something mischievous planned.

I call Jackie my "little ant," but not because he is short. He was just so freakishly strong. You've seen those ants carrying several times their own body weight? If not, check it out on discovery channel or something, it's awesome!

Anyway, back to Jackie. He's the most wiry yet small startured person but every ounce is either dense bone or sinewy muscle and he's as lithe as any olympic gymnast. Sometimes I wonder just how greatly strong his body would be if he'd grown a bit more, but I love him just the way he is. He's as sweet as his name and twice as cute.

"He didn't look high to me, Jackie. I'm sure that's his personality and normal way. He's crazy. I tell you and not even your girlfriend stood up for me when I told her everything. She just looked at me like I was the crazy one, everyone believed him over me." I say, reminiscing about that time and getting all angry again.

I intentionally leave out the part when I noticed and clearly saw Flora making seductive faces at the psycho too. I just don't want to hurt my bestfriend, he's obsessed with her.

Winter, my younger sister who's fourteen and freshly in high-school walks into the living room in a strutting manner that she seems to have adopted these few days since she got into high-school. Infact, she seem to be dressing differently, acting weird and even trying way too hard too. Teenage and puberty expectancies of course.

"Hey, Winter. You look awesome in those shorts, how was the cheerleading tryout? Did you get in?" Jackie asked.

"No, no, I didn't but that isn't my fault at all. The captain of that stupid team just hates me because her boyfriend likes me or something. But then, I do not mind at all, that team is as good as dead anyways and I was just planning on reviving it for them. I got to realize that they just don't deserve a great cheerleader like me. And you know what I plan on doing to teach the b***h of a captain a lesson?" She rambles on while I shake my head.

"Stop cursing, Winter!" I calmly scolded while she rolls her eyes.

"What do you plan to do?" Jackie asked, so engrossed in her little story as they both ignore me.

"Well... I'm just going to date her boyfriend and make him break up with her, then when he breaks up, I'll break up with him too. So then, its going to make both of them know not to mess with me." She says while I stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Go girl! Badass!" Jackie hailed her as they both gave eachother a High five.

"Jackie, don't indulge her!" I snapped as Winter walked back into her room while being entirely focused on her phone.

"Oh, she's just being a teenager and it's better to be the bagasse than to be like you were in high-school. She's like the total opposite of you, I bet no one can ever get away with messing around with her." Jackie says while I roll my eyes at his reference to my own high school days.

"Yea, whatever. I notice how you haven't spoken about Flora in like... an hour. Let me guess, you both are fighting again?” I decide to change the topic. Jackie is engaged to be married in months— well, if he and his high-maintenance fiancée could stay together that long.

“She broke up with me last night.”

“What was it this time?”

“Hell if I know. I think her words were something like, ‘Because you’re an insensitive asshole who doesn’t care about anything important.’ But by important, she means bullshit like what color the flowers will be at the reception or what flavor the wedding cake will be, or who should be part of her bridal train. What do I care about that stuff? It doesn’t even matter!”

I can’t agree more, but I keep my mouth shut.

“It’s all bullshit,” he rambles on. “Why can’t we just say ‘I do’ at church or something and go drink beers afterwards like normal people? I’ll even wear the suit if she wants it so bad.”

I laughed. “Well, she wants an extravagant wedding and you’re the one who asked her to marry you so I guess you have to take her like that.”

“I know, but it’s like she lost her mind ever since I engaged her. She used to be so fun. We used to hang out and listen to music and talk about s**t that matters, like soccer and movies. Now all we do is argue. I have to say I’m sorry like ten times a night.”

“So stop apologizing to her. Let her crawl back to you for once.”

“Oh my God, you do not know Flora like I do, Raven. That would take weeks, she never apologizes even when she's wrong and I just can’t wait that long to have s*x. Not all of us have the discipline to be a celibate virgin like you, you know?”

“I’m not celibate, asshole. I’m just not a slave to my privates like you are.”

“But don’t you want it?” Jackie asks.

Is he kidding? Of course, I do, even though I have never done it, I actually want it. But needing something or someone so badly makes you weak, and I pride myself on being strong. Sure, I was human like anyone else, and occasionally, I get so horny that I just want to say, f**k it and grab the next available man but why rush it with just any man when I have already waited this long.

“There are more important things in life than s*x, Jackie. But you won't know that, will you?” I say as I get a text on the designated driver app that I use for work.

"A job?" Jackie instantly asks and I nod, "yes, at a bar minutes away. I have to go do this one and get some money, at least get some happy bills before I get the feedback about my application." I say as I get off the chair.

"Well, I'm very positive that the application will be accepted this time, very." Jackie says, just as she had said when I applied five times before.

"You said that after the last application, Jackie. And the one before that, and the one before that too. You literally say that everytime." I say as I shake my head while smiling.

"I'm so positive this time, how about that?" She yells as I rush out of the house.

I check for the venue that was sent to my phone again and barely ten minutes later, I am at the venue described. I stand in front of an exquisite bar as I called on the number, the masculine voice tells me that he's on his way out and I stood, looking around while waiting for him.

"Here!" A familiar voice suddenly says minutes later as he throws a key into my hands. When I look up up properly greet my client, the air hitches in my throat, especially when I get hit so hard with the impact of the presence that I can barely stand straight, but still I glue my gaze to him, not missing any small detail about him.

His dark hair accentuates his tan skin and emphasizes the high cheekbones that only bring attention to the perfect symmetry that is his face. His mouth with full lips curves into a smile, yet it almost serves as a warning to whoever wants to come close to be ready to face the outcome of their decision. The white shirt under his black suit has several top buttons open, showcasing little worded tattoos on his chest, while his muscled yet lean body almost tempts any female in close proximity to discover what hides behind the V of his neckline.

Everything about him is stunning from his darkish, gorgeous charisma to the dangerous energy surrounding him wherever he goes, promising a life full of secrets he’ll never share with anyone. However, the most piercing part of his looks is his green with golden lined eyes that are so beautiful I wonder if he’s wearing contact lenses, because I’ve never seen such a pure color on anyone.

I finally found my voice after taking him in, “You! Again? The arrogant, self-serving, obsessive psychopath!” I snap furiously.

“Try bastard, princess. That word always works well.”

“Because you work so hard at being one,” I hiss.

“Believe me when I say it takes absolutely no effort at all.” He says with a nonchalant shrug.

I threw the keys down as I turned on my heels to leave, "500 dollars." He suddenly says, stopping me immediately.