In the Loup Boxed Set #3 Page 3

  Stephanie was still softly squealing in glee when the door to her bedroom opened. Chuck had heard her feet patter against the floor boards and had come up to see what she was doing. He was a little worried to find her standing at the window.

  "You feeling all right?" Chuck asked, and Stephanie turned to him. There was a wide grin on her face. She was free from the curse and its effects, at least for a time.

  "Better than ever."

  The first week or so away from her normal life was like a wonderful, hazy dream, and yet Stephanie felt clouded by the gloom of her coming divorce struggle. The young woman went through the motions of work, but her heart wasn't into anything. Chuck tried his best to cheer her up, but it was tough going. Her world, any plans for her future that she'd made, they'd all been tossed aside by her husband's betrayal. She'd been so gloomy her partner had insisted on her staying at his house rather than working from the office, but she knew she couldn't do that.

  "There are too many distractions around here," Stephanie pointed out. It was several days into her self-exile from her home, and she gestured toward the bookshelves and movies. "If you let me stay here and use the internet I'd only end up wasting time reading some books or watching movies. Nothing'd get done and we'd end up losing business. Then I'd have to sell the whole thing and we'd both be out of work."

  "Don't you think that's being a little overly dramatic?" Chuck asked.

  "We've got a lot of competition," she reminded him. Then she frowned and tapped her chin with her fingernail. "Like, um, like-"

  "Like William Chism?" her partner teased. Neither of them thought the pudgy man was a suitable adversary. "I guess I could see him driving us out of business with his expertise in wooing the fair sex."

  "Bah, that pig doesn't even know how to woo a cow. He'll be lucky if his dog doesn't run away from him," she shot back.

  "And speaking of dogs, how has your, um, condition been?" Chuck wondered. He looked over her body but didn't see any noticeable change. She blushed beneath his intense gaze and waved her hands in front of his face to break his glance.

  "I'm just fine, better than ever. You can probably stop all this worrying about me," she informed him.

  "You really think that whole 'being fine' thing is going to last?" he pointed out. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, but he was the only messenger she had. "It's probably a calm before the full moon storm." Stephanie sighed and shrugged.

  "I figure I can't really stop it from happening," the young woman replied. "I mean, if it's going to happen, it's going to happen. The worst I got last time the moon was up was a strange-looking arm and a lot of pain. Maybe I can even control the transformation like that one werewolf taught me."

  "So you think you're just going to be able to change in and out of this wolf state?" Chuck asked her, and she frowned. She didn't like that lack of faith in his voice.

  "It's possible." She folded her arms across her chest. "I mean, it's not like either of us is an expert on these things. Anything could happen. Hell, I could even die trying to fully change into this whole werewolf form."

  "Don't say that," Chuck snapped. Stephanie sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

  "I know it's not a great thing to happen, especially for me, but it's something that might happen." Then she frowned and glanced at him. "Why are you so worried about all of this, anyway? You could just lock me up on this bomb shelter of a house or chain me outside if I go berserk during the next full moon."

  "That's what I'm worried about." He pointed at the calendar, but she didn't put the pieces together. "The next conference is going to be held the days leading up to the next full moon. We'll be in the city at hotel rooms."

  Stephanie marched over to the calendar and looked at the schedule Chuck had meticulously penned on those days. He was right, the conference did fall on the days before the full moon. She saw a loop-hole in his worrying, though, and she jabbed her finger on the actual day of the full moon.

  "It says here we're suppose to come back here on the day of the full moon," she pointed out. "So if we get our butts back here you can have me locked up before night."

  "I was thinking maybe you could miss the whole thing," Chuck informed her.

  In surprise she swirled around and raised an eyebrow in question. This was the first time he'd suggested she stay away from any conference they needed to attend, and this one was pretty important. It was where a lot of potential clients, and even their current clients, gathered to rub elbows with their advertising geniuses. For her not to be there would make things awkward for Chuck, especially since he wasn't as savvy as she was with their capabilities. Besides, she'd promised herself a vacation after the conference. She couldn't exactly reward herself if she hadn't done the hard work.

  "You really think I'll be that much trouble?" she asked him, and he shrugged.

  "Like you said, neither of us can be sure about any of this, but I just don't want you changing into something you can't control in the middle of a large city."

  "Then how about I promise not to do it?" she teased, but he didn't find her joke that funny. She held up her hands and put on her most serious expression. "All right, all right, how about we make some sort of a compromise?"

  "Like what?" He was definitely skeptical.

  "Um, I'm not really sure," she sheepishly admitted. "Maybe I'll agree to have you tie me up in my room if I start misbehaving?"

  "Actually, that's not a bad idea," he mused. She blinked.

  "Really?"

  "Well, the idea that came to my mind. Yours is terrible," he further expanded his comment. Her shoulders slumped, but he ignored the unamused expression on her crest-fallen face. "We should share a room." Stephanie's mouth dropped to the floor.

  "We should to what?" she questioned. Surely she'd just heard him wrong, or he was just kidding. She found it hard enough to avoid his sensuous body in the same house. Sleeping in the same room might cause complications to their relationship. "Are you nuts?"

  "I'm perfectly fine, but I admit my idea is a little crazy. It could work, though," he defended his plan. "If something does happen, I'll be at the ready. Besides, I don't mind sleeping on the floor if we can't get a double bed room. It's what I did at the inn on the mountain pass road, remember?"

  "I don't think it's you getting a cramp from sleeping on the floor that I'm worried about," she fumed with her cheeks a deep blush of red. "I mean, what if, er, what if something tries to happen between us?"

  "We're two adults, I'm sure we can control our urges," he replied. He waved his hand as though he could brush aside all her concerns with that simple gesture. "Besides, I'll always have the rope."

  "Yeah, but I might just think you're being kinky."

  "I won't make any inappropriate moves toward you," he promised. Stephanie sighed and thought about it for a moment. It wouldn't complicate their relationship too much. After all, they'd already shared a room before without any consequences. Hell, they were even sharing the same house for a little while and nothing exciting had happened. Well, at least not with them together. There was that incident with her and his bed.

  "I guess we could do that, but don't you think some people are going to see it in a bad light? I mean, what if somebody sees us sharing a room and they know I'm married to someone else?" Much as she hated to admit it, they had to look their best in front of the clients. He had a plan for that, too.

  "We'll take a room at one of the hotels across town. We can't really afford to take anything close to the conference hall, anyway." Stephanie smiled. There was the Chuck she knew, always practical and cheap on the business wallet.

  "Then I suppose it could work," she agreed. It would be more complicated than she wanted, but Chuck was right. If she wanted to attend the conference and get her work over with before her vacation, it would be for the best if they shared a room in case something happened to her.

  With their plans formed, the pair got to work preparing for the coming conference. With renewed energy Stephan
ie got back to work on their orders and Chuck called up prospective and current clients to grab some more work. Bills still needed to be paid and orders filled so they could keep themselves in house and food. Stephanie worked harder than ever, if only to distract her from the insanity her life had become. Chuck, though, made sure she kept care of herself by eating and drinking, and now that they were roommates he could see whether she was going to bed at a reasonable hour.

  Things weren't always perfect. They bickered over chores and meals, and Stephanie tried again and again to pitch in with the expenses, but Chuck refused. However, the arguments never got heated and Chuck always distracted her with a simple show of her favorite ice cream or by conceding only a little, than reneging at the first possible chance. It was never a mean lie to her and they had fun bantering about everything.

  They also had one disagreeable interruption to the daily drudgery, and it wasn't appreciated. William Chism paid the office a visit just a week before the conference. The aforementioned short, slimy salesman stood in the front room with that stupid grin on his face, and Stephanie had the worst timing by appearing from the back room before Chuck managed to politely tell him off.

  "Ah, there's my favorite designer," Chism greeted Stephanie before she could pop back into the back room. She plastered a smile on her face and turned around.

  "What a surprise," she returned. She couldn't be any more polite than that, at least not without lying. "What brings you here?"

  "I was just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by. I don't visit you often enough to get my eyes tired of your pretty face." It was meant to be a compliment, but Stephanie just wanted to shudder. Coming from such a grotesque, rudely blunt man, nothing he said made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Besides, everyone there knew it was a lie. Chism didn't live or work anywhere close to them, so he'd come there for a specific purpose. "Are you ready for the conference coming up. I'll be there you know. We should get together and have a drink." He winked at her and the corners of the smile slipped. Chuck interfered before Stephanie replied in her own blunt way.

  "I'm afraid we won't be there very long," Chuck informed their plump guest. "Only for the meeting day, not the touring days. Then we have to get back here and finish up some work." Chuck was referring to those days where the host city took the groups, advertisers and company representatives, on tours of the sights. The city advertised it as another day of meeting with clients, but there was very little socializing possible on a bus crowded with people and a guide at the front blaring over a speaker. They were glad to skip it this year and go for the kill during the gathering at the conference hall and the fancy dinner that night.

  "Ah, what a pity. This place that's hosted it this year has some great places to see," Chism bemoaned their lack of attendance. "But then, I suppose sometimes with this small of a business, you can't afford that many luxuries to go staying at hotels all the time."

  "We're doing pretty well," Chuck replied, a little indignant himself over their guest's insinuation. Their finances were not in the red and they needed no loans to operate. That was contrary to all the rumors they'd heard about Chism's spend-thrift ways. He led a notoriously self-indulgent life-style, as evidenced by his wide waist-line and expensive clothing.

  "Well, you never know when things will take a turn for the worse." The partners imagined the man had probably filed for bankruptcy more times than they cared to think about. "So I was wondering if you thought seriously about my proposal." He was looking at Stephanie when he made the comment, but she gave him back a blank look. Chuck, too, didn't recall anything from their last run-in with the man. Then again, it had been some weeks and they'd had bigger things to worry about.

  "What proposal?"

  "So you've forgotten already?' he scolded and wagged a finger at the two. "I don't know if I can trust two people who are so forgetful to be partners in my business." That would have been fine with Stephanie and Chuck. "But that's what it is. I propose we merge out two companies and try to corner the market on advertising in this area. Then who knows? We might be able to branch out and reach a wider audience if we pool our resources together."

  The two partners were speechless. It horrified them both to be asked to join their small if lucrative assets to a man they considered at best unreliable, and at worst a complete idiot. Stephanie, the most stunned of them both, made no move to speak, so Chuck took it upon himself to be the representative of the two. He'd need all his diplomatic skills to be polite, otherwise Chism would no doubt be offended and spread lies about them and their unwillingness to accept his 'kind' offer.

  "That's...that's very kind of you to offer that, Mr. Chism," Chuck replied. The man stuck out his large stomach and smiled proudly at the compliment. He probably didn't get many. "It's so sudden, though, and we've had a hectic last few weeks. What with Stephanie being sick and all, you know." Here Chism frowned.

  "No, I didn't know." He glanced at the young woman, and indeed she still showed signs of her illness. Her skin was still pale and she was thinner than when he'd last seen her. "It's no wonder you forgot my kind offer."

  "Yes, well, that's why we need a few weeks to think about it. It's a pretty big decision to change our business and such," Chuck continued. "I'm sure you'll understand, and we'll get right back to you when we've made our decision."

  "Oh of course, I completely understand." By his face, Chism looked supremely disappointed not to receive an answer immediately. "But be sure to call me when you decide. Do you have my card?"

  "I'm sure it's somewhere around here-" Chuck began, but their guest whipped one out anyway and handed it to him. The thing was flashy and overused stock patterns. The partners wondered if the man had any clients with a card like this. It didn't show off promising traits for an advertising professional.

  "And make sure you keep good care of that, those things aren't cheap, you know," Chism scolded the two. They were a little confused about how to take that comment.

  "You don't make your own cards?" Stephanie asked. She and Chuck produced as much of their promotional items in-house as possible. It was not only cheaper and faster, but they had complete control over the final product and showed off their chops to the clients.

  "Oh no, I don't have the time. Too much working on commissions and trying to get new clients, you know," their guest pointed out with a wink. He looked at his gold wristwatch and sighed. "But I regret to say I must be off. Business calls and I've got a lot of people to contact."

  Chuck and Stephanie escorted him out the door and they were overjoyed to wave goodbye to their unwelcome guest. He drove off in a sporty-looking vehicle which no doubt cost as much as their total expenses for a year.

  "That man is completely unbelievable," Stephanie commented while they walked back inside. She was so angry at the man's selfish proposal that she kicked her desk hard with her foot. She winced when her toes protested. "As if we'd want to work with him every single day."

  "But don't you miss his words of affection already?" Chuck teased. He was not blind to Chism's romantic entreaties toward his partner, but he felt no need to be jealous. The man wasn't a serious rival.

  "Good god, no. At least he didn't know about me getting a divorce. He might have proposed to me," Stephanie pointed out. She shuddered when she imagined the chunky man getting on his fat hands and knees, and proposing marriage to her. They probably would've needed a crane to get him back up. Stephanie frowned when she noticed Chuck put the card in his desk drawer rather than in the waste basket. "Shouldn't we be burning that and sterilizing the entire office?"

  "I promised him an answer, so I'd better keep his number around when I get around to calling him," Chuck gallantly pointed out. He meant to keep his word to call. "It just won't be the answer he wants."

  "It'd better not be or I'd have to fire you for insubordination," Stephanie teased.

  They pushed away the memories of their visitor and resumed their work for the day. In their haste to get all their work done and their travel
prepared, the final week flew by in a haze of scurrying and paperwork. The day of the drive soon came, and they piled into Stephanie's spacious vehicle for the six hour road trip. They would drive to the city that day and then spend the next full day rubbing elbows with the many businesspeople looking for advertising agencies. Then the day after that would be the drive back home, and Stephanie's rendezvous with her fate.

  She'd never admit it to Chuck, but she was scared of the coming full moon. Every night she'd stood out on the balcony and watched the orb in the sky grow larger and larger. With it the impulses had arisen again, though this time she'd been prepared. Several times in the last week she'd locked herself in her bedroom and had performed strenuous, if quiet, exercises. Those workouts made her exhausted beyond what the effects of the moon, and she had been able to go to sleep without any seductive complications.

  Now, though, Stephanie would be stuck in the same room as Chuck for two whole nights. Her hands gripped the wheel as she thought about his strong body so close to her own all those long nights. She'd have a hard time exercising without him noticing, and she vaguely wondered if maybe she shouldn't have grabbed some over-the-counter sleeping pills to knock her out. It was too late to figure that out, though, and she had only her prayers and hopes for a cloudy night sky to comfort her fears and worries.

  Somebody up there must have liked her because they arrived at the city that night in the middle of a great rainstorm. The streets ran with water and overhead the dark clouds thundered and boomed. It was a perfectly miserable night, and Stephanie couldn't have been any happier. She and Chuck checked into their suite, and she found he had booked one of the more spacious rooms available. There was even a plush carpet on the floor, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. He'd probably ordered this suite so he wouldn't have such a hard time on the floor. By the time they'd unpacked their stuff and made themselves at home, it was well past dinner time and they were both starving. Stephanie especially wanted to bite into something fat and juicy. She licked her lips when she thought about having a rare steak for the meal. Chuck noticed she was staring at him strangely.