Meg had been working steadily when she heard a knock on the door. She looked up to see Angie standing there with a bag in her hand.
“Hungry?” Angie asked.
“Yes! Oh gods, it’s 1pm?” asked Meg as she looked at the clock.
“Uhuh. I remember when my sister was pregnant. If she didn’t eat, it just made her morning sickness worse. Didn’t know if you were having any, but I knew you needed to eat. So, I had Kevin pick us up some lunch,” said Angie as she sat down across from Meg. She took out cheeseburgers and onion rings for the two of them. Drinks were in the other bag.
“I’ve had a little, but nothing bad. This smells so good!” Meg said snatching up an onion ring. “Oh, Luc said you had some questions for me?”
“Umm, yeah,” said Angie blushing slightly. She walked over to the door and closed it and then came back to her seat. “I have some questions about… about shifters,” she finally said.
“Okay, what do you want to know?” asked Meg.
“Oh god, I can’t believe I’m asking this,” she said and then paused. “Um… are they different than humans?” she said.
“Well, yeah, they shift,” said Meg teasing Angie.
“Geeze! You know what I mean!” said Angie a bit exasperated. It had been difficult enough to ask Meg and being teased wasn’t helping.
“Yes, I do. I just couldn’t resist. In all honesty, they are like any other guy. Unless they shift, the only thing you might notice is that they don’t each chocolate and they are a bit stronger than they look,” said Meg. “At least as far as I’ve noticed. Who had your eye?”
“Oh…” she started and then rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “George,” she said softly.
Meg blinked. “I could have sworn it was Kevin you were looking at,” she said.
“Him? No! He’s gay. Or at least bi,” said Angie.
Meg’s mouth dropped open. “I… I never… How did you find out?” she finally asked.
“Meg! How could you miss it? The nice clothes, really nice undies, the way he is nervous around us and fine around the guys. Plus, I asked him. He only goes out with women so his mom doesn’t bitch,” said Angie. She was amazed that Meg didn’t know this bit of information.
“I’m gob smacked. I never even thought about it. I figured he was just buddy buddy with the guys because they are all shifters,” said Meg. “What else do you know after less than a week on the job?”
“Kevin is buddies with the guys because they are shifters and they help him confuse his mom. Cal, Peter and Andrew are all straight. Cal is dating a cousin he knew from home. Peter has a mate who is human shy. She is more wolf that human is what Peter says,” Angie ticked off her fingers as she thought. “Andrew still loves Ginny, but knows it will never work, and is very happy Patrick loves her. Ysabel has more boyfriends than sense and George is lonely,” she finished.
Meg was stunned. She chewed her bite of burger and tried to think of what to say. She swallowed and took a drink. “So you are thinking of dating George? Has he asked you out?” Meg asked.
“Yes and yes. At the dinner party. He talked to me in the kitchen when we were getting everything set up. I like the way his voice makes my skin tingle,” Angie answered.
“Subvocals. They um,… They will more than make your skin tingle,” said Meg. “So, you really want a dating 101?”
“Yes. George called again this morning to see if I’d like to have a date. I didn’t want to be rude or ignorant and…” she trailed off. “You see Meg, ever since you told me I’ve been wondering. Wondering just who was and wasn’t a shifter. I was thinking that I could run into them at a mall, or get my hair done by a wolfie hairdresser!” Angie said with a giggle. “I know it sounds silly or obsessive, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. We all dream about such things and reading all the latest books and such makes it so interesting,” she said.
“I know! I was the same way after I first started dating Luc. Never told him, but I kept trying to find ways to identify who was a wolf and who wasn’t. Never worked,” Meg admitted.
“So, what’s it like in bed with Luc?” asked Angie. She blushed bright red.
“To be honest, the first time he shifted, he scared the hell out of me,” said Meg.
“I remember you telling me about that, but what’s the sex like?” Angie asked.
“Very nice. I don’t know if it is just because he’s been brought up differently, or what, but damn it’s nice,” said Meg thinking about last night. She told Angie a few details as they ate.
“Mmmm, maybe it’s worth a chance then,” said Angie when Meg finished.
“I’d give it a try. Have to admit though that George’s size, just the sheer bulk of him, is a little intimidating to me,” said Meg. “Just be careful.”
“He’s tall and such, but that doesn’t bother me. Thanks for the chat. I have a phone call to make,” said Angie as she gathered up the trash and headed out the door.
Meg sat back in her chair and smiled. “I can’t wait until Luc gets back to the office!” she thougth.
*
The museum was interesting. Lots of ranching and coal mining displays. Ginny was amazed at the photos of women in corsets, long dresses and tiny heeled boots doing everything from ranch work, teaching and climbing mountains. She walked up to where Patrick was looking at a gun display.
“I can’t imagine working in the clothes the women had to wear back then,” she said.
“Nor can I, but just think of how difficult it was to be a shifter back then too. No wonder we tended to live in isolation,” he said.
“Gods! Some days I can barely get out of my bra fast enough. Can’t imagine trying to get out of a corset!” she said.
“No, and I bet if we dug up family photos, we’d find lots of women with no corsets,” he said as they moved down the aisle to the next display.
“You are probably right,” she said. “Wonder if more of us were killed then by accident than are now?”