“Girl, you look like you’re feeling guilty as hell. What did you do?”
“I stood him up.”
“What the fuck?” Foxy leans back, offended and upset. I know why, too. S
he doesn’t exactly have the cleanest dating record. I mean, who does? But the idea of someone purposely standing up another person has got to sting for her, especially.
“It’s not what you think.”
“Really? Because you said you had a great time texting. Before you left for your date, you were super excited about it. So what went wrong?”
“I went to the meet.”
“What happened? You didn’t like what you saw?”
She bristles.
“Look, Foxy, this isn’t about you. I’m not like those guys who have stood you up because you’re small.”
“Being a fox doesn’t make me unlikable,” she murmurs.
“I know people have been dicks to you because of your size,” I tell her. In fact, that’s putting it lightly. As it turns out, plenty of people don’t like foxes in general. I don’t really understand why not. Foxy is pretty cute and she’s a lot of fun.
“So what is it?” She says. She pushes back her red hair and reaches for her drink. “He wasn’t what you expected?”
“He wasn’t who I expected.”
“You know him.”
“Yeah, and you know him, too.”
“Who?”
“Foxy,” I lower my voice. “I went to the meet, but when I smelled him, I knew exactly who it was and I just couldn’t.”
I open my mouth to tell her, but the door to the bar opens just then and he walks in looking forlorn and broken. It’s obvious this guy has had a rough day, and unfortunately, I know exactly why. Foxy looks over at him and turns back to me.
“No,” she whispers.
“Shit.”
“You didn’t.”
“I...didn’t mean to.”
Foxy stands up and slams her hands on the counter.
“You better fix this,” she hisses. “He did not deserve that.”
Then she turns and leaves without paying. She pushes past a few patrons who are standing by the door, and then Foxy disappears into the night.
I don’t even blame her.
I totally deserved that.
Before I can formulate what to say, he approaches the bar and he slides into his seat, only I know something this man doesn’t know.
I know that his name is Robert, and I know that he’s a bear shifter. I know that he was supposed to meet me only a few hours ago by a beautiful waterfall, and I know that I didn’t show my damn face because when I got there, I fucking smelled him, and I knew.