“I can’t do that.” He runs a hand across the back of his neck.
I get a look at his body, and Royal is definitely more of a gym bro than he let on. The single picture I have of him did nothing to show how built he is.
Not the time, Leticia.I mentally face-palm myself.
“Leticia, focus,” Royal says. “You can check me out later, but I have something that I need to tell you, and it needs to happen soon.”
“What do you have to tell me that involves taking —” I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Royal unbuttons his pants. “Taking your clothes off.”
“I just need you to promise that you’ll stay as calm as possible and let this process, before you do anything. Remember everything we’ve talked about and that we’ve been friends, and it feels like we’ve been friends for a lot longer than a week.”
He isn’t wrong. The long talks and nights on the phone do make it feel like I’ve known Royal a lot longer. It makes it feel like I’m not really meeting him for the first time today.
Royal’s jeans slipping from around his waist, however, has me raising a hand to shield my eyes from view.We’re friends, but are we those sort of friends? I mean, did him walking me through my orgasm make me that sort of friend? Do I want to be that sort of friend?
I try to focus and draw slower breaths than the words rushing in my head, but all the questions feel valid.
“I’m turning around, for your sensitivities.” Royal laughs, and hemakes it sound like I’m some Victorian damsel he needs to be chaste around. Though, maybe I am.
I close my eyes and draw two more short breaths.
“Okay. Royal, this is moving past weird into uncharted territory,” I tell him, but when I open my eyes and look between my fingers, Royal isn’t there.
I slowly lower my hand because maybe he’s crouching, taking off his socks, or —OH my god.
“That’s a wolf.” I step backward away from the massive animal. “Oh, my god. ROYAL!” I shout, trying to find him in my peripheral vision, but he isn’t there.
Did he get eaten by the wolf? Am I getting eaten by the wolf?
“Great job screaming, Leticia. Gonna fuckin’ scare it into attacking you.” I talk to myself this time, trying to keep my voice low. “Maybe I can reassure the wolf not to attack me. Nice, wolfie. Good, wolfie.”
I step backward again, trying to put distance between the really big wolf and me, all the while coaching myself to not freak out. “Think of it like a dog. I like dogs.”
The snow crunches under my feet, and with my next step, my heel hooks on ice.
I try to stabilize myself, but I go sliding down to the ground.
The wolf springs forward.
“Ahhh!” I try to curl up into a ball.
Is the ball the right thing? What do you do for wolf attacks in the wild? Why does the world prepare you for bear attacks and not wolves?
I wait for pain and for paws and teeth to try to tear into my jacket.
Instead, a snuffly, cold nose presses against my ear. I move my arm to better protect my head, but that leaves my middle more open, and the wolf shoves its snout into the opening near my stomach.
“Don’t eat me!” I try to push it away, but the animal is massive, and my fingers slip into thick, rough fur.
But after a few seconds of not being mauled, I stop and slowly uncurl my body to look at the animal closer.
It’s big and fluffy with light gray and white fur. A strip of whitefur goes up from its nose between its eyes. The ears are cupped, sticking up through the fluffy coat.
“Okay.” It’s like my brain is fuzzy with what I’m seeing and what I didn’t see.
“First there was Royal, and now there’s a wolf.” I keep the animal in my line of sight but turn my head. “Royal?”
The wolf barks.
