It definitely shouldn’t be.
I shouldn’t be this turned on just by the idea of getting to meet the girl I spent all of last night flirting with, but I am.
So here goes nothing.
GRETA IS KIND ENOUGH to give me directions to the waterfall. She smirks when I ask her where it is, so I get the feeling it’s some sort of local legend. Maybe this is where all of the kids go to fuck. Who knows?
There’s nothing quite like sneaking around with your first lover. You’re so nervous that your parents are going to find out that everything feels heightened and more exciting.
Everything feels wonderful and fresh and new.
Then you go through your first heartbreak, and your second, and your third. You become a little more calloused and a little more hurt and a little less likely to just feel free.
Right now, I’m at the point where I’m kind of ready for something serious. I know this is just a first date. It’s just a quick little adventure that doesn’t have to mean anything at all, but I kind of want it to.
Is that so crazy?
The directions to the waterfall are fine. Perfect, really. Greta is a sweetheart and I arrive not only on time, but early, and I take a few minutes to walk around. I’m supposed to shift. That’s the deal. I’m supposed to be here in my bear form to meet my little wolf, but I’m walking around fully clothed for a minute because, well, I’m a little bit nervous.
My clothes provide me with a sort of barrier.
They allow me to separate myself from everything else.
The clearing I’m in is beautiful. Sure enough, it backs up to a little swimming hole that’s complete with its own waterfall. It’s lovely, really. Beautiful. I can see why this is the place she wanted to meet. It’s really just all-around wonderful.
There’s soft, luscious grass that fills the center clearing. It’s encircled by trees and flowers, and it really is a delightful little space. I move to one of the trees and strip down. Carefully folding up my clothing, I set it down by the tree. Then I move to the center of the clearing and I shift.
The change happens quick.
I’m a fast shifter. Some creatures like to take their time. They like to savor the moment, I suppose, but that’s never been my style. Nope. I like to do things fast and dirty. The sooner I shift, the sooner I get to have fun playing around in my new skin.
Once I’m in my bear form, I sit down, and I wait.
And I wait.
And I wait.
My heart soars because I’m so looking forward to connecting with this woman. What’s she going to look like in her animal form? Is she going to want to run? Is she going to jump? Will she be excited to see me?
Only, I keep waiting, looking around anxiously, and I start to have the sinking suspicion that I’ve been played. At first, I wonder if maybe she got lost or held up at work, but she was the one who chose the place. My stomach hurts as the time we were supposed to meet comes and goes, and I finally realize that I’ve been stood up. It doesn’t seem possible. We had so much fun chatting, but after half an hour passes, I realize that I really am just some loser sitting in a field.
Fuck.
I slowly walk back over to my clothing, shift back, and get dressed. I look around one last time and then I go home.
Alone.
Chapter 5
Miranda
“I am a terrible person.”
“Tell me everything,” Foxy leans forward over the bar. She’s excited to hear the gossip. Nosy little fox, isn’t she?
“I don’t want to.”
I’m embarrassed about what happened and I feel more than a little bad.