"And your man?"
"Forty-two.About this high."I move my hand at my height, and Mom slaps my chest.I grin."He's...tired."I wince."He's a single parent, obviously, and has some sort of corporate job, but he told me yesterday they'll be firing people, and he's most likely one of them."
Mom grows serious."Will he be okay?"
I shrug."I got the feeling it will be a problem."
"Will he be forced to move?"
Cold seeps into me."Move?"
"He has a house, right?Houses are expensive.And he has a child to provide for."
People are starting to shift around us.Clothes being folded and put in the cars.A few low whines rise toward the sky as bones shrink or elongate, and fur covers naked skin.We try not tohowl, in case someone is close enough to hear us.
"We'd better hurry or they'll run off without us."Mom goes to stand behind Luna in the cookie line, and Itoe off my shoes and throw them into my car, together with my shirt.
Luna flips through the brochure with the cookies and scrawls something on the order form.Mom does the same, but she writes a lot more than Luna did.I'll check later what everyone ordered.
Since Mom is the last in line, she tucks the order form into the brochure and hands it to me.
"Thanks, Mom."
She nods and goes over to Conan's car, undressing on the way.I shove my jeans and underwear off, close the door, lock the car, and place the key on the front tire before I allow the shift to take me.
* * * *
Chapter 8
Simon
I'm in the middle of folding laundry when Ira appears in the doorway."Boris is here."
"Here?"I glance at the clock.It's only a quarter past twelve.Didn't he say afternoon?I haven't fed Ira lunch yet.
Ira nods and stares at me.I swallow a curse, leave the laundry, and head for the front door where I expect Boris to be.
He's not.
Instead, I find him in the kitchen."Boris?"
"Oh, hi.This is nice."
I look around the kitchen.It's nothing special."Eh...yeah, it's...eh...a kitchen."
He grins, and there is something wild in his eyes.He looks the same as he did yesterday, and yet he feels...feral.I shiver, and not in a good way.Fuck, is he dangerous?I glance at Ira.
"I have your cookie order."He waves the papers at Ira, and I almost object when Ira walks closer.
"Did Zahrah agree to buy any?"I try to sound calm.It would be so good if she did.If she bought one pack, and Boris bought one, I'd only have to buy eight.
"Sure, the others did too."
I stare at him."The others?"
He shrugs."My pa--family.Mom and a few others."
I keep on staring.My voice has stopped working.His mother?Ira's eyes are wide as he hands me the order form.I take it and glance at the lines.A surprised sound leaves me.It's full.Boris' name is listed at the bottom, below the last line.
