Over the next two days, I had listened to every single piece of town gossip I could get my hands on hoping and wondering if the news about my attack would get out but there was not a peep. No one knew or had heard anything about the wolf that attacked me and I was not sure if I was happy or confused about that. I had expected more from a town where news always seemed to be flying around.
I tried poking around for answers from Grandma but she was determined to avoid my questions. The only person who seemed genuinely interested in hearing and answering my questions was Darius but I was determined to avoid him. Sleeping in his office was a mistake because it blurred the line I had been trying to set for him.
He took it as confirmation that I was accepting his weird claim on me and he made sure to make it known to me the next day at work that he felt personally responsible for my lack of nightmares. I stared at him like he was crazy and carried on with my job. Arguing never seemed to work with him and I always lost so I was determined not to even engage in the conversations.
It proved harder than I thought because he was at the bar every day and he always made sure to strike up a conversation with me. He had also made it mandatory to send me home with a dish of food. I loved it as much as I hated it because everyone had noticed it. Ian teased me about it once and I almost smashed his head into the counter.
I told Darius I wasn’t interested in his food anymore and in retaliation, he had broken into my car and placed the dish in the backseat. I didn’t notice until after I had gotten home. I confronted him about it and he pretended like he had no idea what had happened but we both knew he was guilty.
“Where is Darius?” I asked as I walked into the bar and Serena just shrugged.
Ian and his guys were at their usual table but Darius was nowhere to be found. I was mentally grateful for it- at least, that’s what I tried to tell myself. However, I couldn’t stop from glancing at the door every other second wondering if he was going to come in. It made me a little slow and distracted at my job.
“I don’t think he is coming in today,” Ian drawled as he made his way over to the bar.”He said he had some important business to attend to. I could call him if you want.”
I looked up and plastered on the most confused expression I could. “Who are you talking about?”
“Denial is never a good tactic,” Ian teased with a slight grin. “We can pretend like you haven’t been looking around for Darius all night or you could just ask me whatever it is that you want to know. I am the only one who has information and is willing to share it with you.”
“I don’t want to know anything about Darius except for when he is going to fuck off and leave me alone.”
“Snarky, that’s cute.”
I rolled my eyes and focused on attending to the other customers. “Do you want something from me Ian or do you just enjoy being a pain in my ass?”
This time, he laughed.
I had come to realize that out of everyone, Ian was the most approachable. He was the one who held the door open for his friends with an exaggerated bow and he was the one who always smiled or was always laughing. He looked terrifying no doubt in his all-black ensemble but sometimes, he resembled a giant panda bear- intimidating but cute.
“I like you, Leindra,” he mused and even though I stayed quiet, I didn’t mind him either. “I’m sure you’ll find Darius sooner or later.”
“What does that mean?”
He didn’t respond, he tipped his hat to me and went back to his seat.
For the rest of my shift, I kept wondering what Ian meant by that statement. I tried to ask on two different occasions and he shut me down both times by saying it was not important. I was annoyed and infuriated but also slightly impressed by how he had taken complete control of the situation.
Close to the end of the shift, I went down to retrieve some more beer when I noticed that we were out. I thought it was a mistake so I asked Serena to look but she came back and said the same thing. She was confused about what to do because Darius was the one who dealt with the issue of stock but seeing as he wasn’t around, we had to go to Ian. It is not hard to imagine how that went.
“We’re out of beer,” I told Ian and he looked up at me with furrowed brow. “Can you tell Darius or something?”
“He said he didn’t want to be bothered. Can’t you just get some more?”
“There is no more,” I said simply resisting the urge to smack him at the back of his head. “Do you have any idea how Darius runs this place?”
He shook his head. “I know Darius has a guy who does the supplies. He must have forgotten to ask him to deliver. Just drive down to his place and pick it up.”
“I don’t know who the guy is.”
By this time, I was seriously debating smacking him in front of everyone. He seemed to realize that I was new and I had no idea what I was doing because he sighed and stood to his feet. He started walking towards the door and I was making my way back to the bar when Ian stopped me.
“You’re coming with me,” he said.
“My job is to work at the bar.”
“Consider it overtime.”
I rolled my eyes but walked over to the door. “You better be paying me for this.”
If someone had asked me to imagine Ian in a car, I would have said something like a black convertible or a silver sports car. I was not expecting a bright neon green truck to be sitting at the back of the bar. I raised a brow at him and he shot me a clear warning look- do not judge.
I raised my hands in mock surrender and got into the car. At least he had a decent car; mine was on its very last legs of life. I shut the door and suddenly, Ian was yelling with his hands outstretched as if he wanted to push me out of the vehicle.
“Do not treat Nora that way.”
I turned to him with an incredulous look. “Did you really name your car Nora?”
“Yes, everyone names their cars,” he stated as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “She has feelings and when you slam her door like that, you can hurt her.”
I stared at him blankly waiting for him to burst out laughing and say it was a joke but Ian was running his fingers softly over the car handle and muttering words of apology to his NEON GREEN CAR.
“I can’t even be bothered right now.” I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance. “Start the fucking car before I decide to pitch myself off a bridge.”
Despite the occasional sweet words to the car and Ian acting like he was going to start making out with the vehicle any second it was a decent car ride. We got to the wholesale store and I didn’t bother to get out. The store was closed- that much was obvious- but the owner came out through a side door. Ian spoke to the man and there was a lot of profuse apologizing before the drinks were brought.
By the time we got back to the bar, it was less than an hour till the end of my shift. Ian and I went in through the back so we wouldn’t be seen by the customers. I put the drinks in the basement where they were supposed to be and brought one carton up to the bar. When Serena saw me, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness you’re back,” she rushed over to grab a bottle from the carton. “The patrons were going crazy. There is only so long you can distract a person.”
“You can blame Ian and Nora.”
Her brows furrowed. “Who is Nora?”
“It is a long story.”
I told her the story during the shift and she didn’t look surprised to hear that Ian had a neon green car. In her exact words ‘nothing surprises me when it comes to him’. We spent the next half hour running around and trying to meet up with the orders. By the time the clock marked the end of our shift, I was filled with such relief.
The other girls came and Serena and I did not waste any more time at the bar. She had stopped wearing her scarf and coat and whatever mark I saw on her arm a few days ago was perfectly healed. Every day I wanted to ask her more about it but I didn’t want to strain our friendship.
I dropped her off at home and began the slow ride back. I was taking the longer road when I realized it had been blocked by some trees falling over. The news completely rocked me to my core because it meant that I had to turn around and take the normal route- the route where I was attacked.
I wracked my brain to know if there was any other alternative but I quickly realized there was none. My skin was clammy as I started the car and my heart began to race. My foot was on the gas pedal ready to hightail it if anything were to go wrong. As I passed that particular spot where my car broke down, I could see everything that happened as if I was watching it on a TV screen.
“Relax Leindra,” I whispered to myself. “The wolves cannot hurt you now.”
I repeated that mantra until I was away from there and on the street to my house. My heart was still beating and my skin was still clammy but I was relieved. I was relieved that I had put those demons to rest and I was able to face that fear. It ignited a sense of hope and pride in me that could not be explained.
I drove the rest of the route home smiling to myself but by the time I pulled into the driveway my smile fell. Grandma’s car was there as usual but the porch light was on. She never kept it on this late but that was not what stood out to me. What stood out to me was the matte black bike that was sitting directly in front of the house.