Coincidence: Scarlet and Wolf
by Down Iris
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I do not have any rights to nor make any money from the characters in this story.
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Wolf is called to the police station because Ran committed a crime, but while he's waiting to make a statement, he meets a beautiful woman with curly red hair.
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Please read my other Scarlet and Wolf stories, A Piercing Gaze, To Protect Her, What He Knows That She Doesn't, A Hasty Escape, and What Was Wolf Thinking?
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Wolf sat on a hard chair at the police station, cursing his brother's name for the millionth time. Ran had never been anything but trouble.
As he was ruminating on his hatred of his brother, the door of the small room he was in opened. A police officer appeared. "Please wait here until the officer is ready for you."
Wolf was confused, as that was basically what another police officer had told him a few minutes ago. Then he realized that the police officer was talking to a woman behind him. As she entered the room, Wolf could practically feel all of the oxygen rush out. She was the most stunning woman he had ever seen. She had the most vibrant curly red hair that settled elegantly around her shoulders.
He quickly dropped his eyes, not wanting to be caught staring, but he couldn't help glancing up several times. The door closed and the woman sat down opposite him. This was going to be an awkward few minutes until the police officer came back for him.
Then she surprised him by asking, "What are you here for?"
He looked at her and was tongue-tied for a moment. "My brother," he finally got out. "Apparently he stabbed someone, although they wouldn't tell me who he stabbed or even if they're alive. I'm supposed to make a statement, but I'm not sure what they want. The only times we've talked in the last few years have been at my parents' home, and mostly that was fighting."
"Well, I can satisfy your curiosity. He stabbed my friend Emilie."
Wolf felt embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry." He hesitated. "Is she…did he…?" He couldn't get the question out because he dreaded the answer.
"She's still alive."
Wolf let out a sigh of relief. "Good."
"She's in the intensive care unit at the hospital. She's stable, but she's going to have an operation tomorrow."
"Do you know why he stabbed her?"
"Not exactly. They'd been going out for a couple of weeks, but I warned her that he seemed like a scumbag. I didn't expect him to turn violent, though."
"I've never heard of him getting into anything worse than fist fights, and those were only with other guys. He would always attack me as we were growing up, but I could always beat him off. Then he'd go running to my parents, but they figured out pretty quick that he was the one who started the fights, so they told him he got what he deserved. He probably has brain damage from all the times I had to punch him in the head to get him to leave me alone. I don't know what's wrong with him."
"That sounds aggravating."
"He's been in and out of jail since he was thirteen, for fighting, some drug stuff, stealing, vandalizing, and the like. I wish they would just put him away for good. He deserves it. And now I have to come down here just to make a statement."
"I didn't have much contact with Ran except when he picked up Emilie from the restaurant where we both work. She's a waitress, and she always flirts with the customers. That's how she met her last five or six boyfriends. She always makes bad choices, though, like with Ran. I try to warn her, but it always takes a few weeks before she finally realizes that the guy's a scumbag and dumps him. Then she complains that she can never find a good guy!"
"I know the type. That's the kind of girl who Ran always brought home. They all dumped him too. I always wanted to warn them, but I figured it was none of my business. I never expected for him to get violent with one, though. I'm definitely going to warn any girls he tries to date now. He shouldn't be allowed in public."
"I agree. I got a bad vibe from him the first time I met him, but the first really bad sign was when he asked to borrow money on their second date. And Emilie lent it to him! I bet she'll never see that two hundred dollars again, unless she sues him or something. Then I caught him smoking in the alley behind the restaurant. Smoking tobacco would have been bad enough, but it didn't smell like tobacco and from what I saw in his hand before he hid it, what he was smoking looked hand-rolled."
"I wouldn't be surprised. He's gotten busted for drugs a couple of times." Wolf decided that he was tired of talking about Ran, and he was more interested in the woman than Ran, although he wasn't sure how to steer the conversation toward her. He still felt shy.
"So you work at a restaurant?" he thought to ask. "What do you do there?" He was pleased that his change of subject seemed somewhat natural.
"I'm a waitress too. I work part-time while I'm going to college."
"Oh." He suddenly felt nervous, because she was probably a lot younger than him. "Um, what are you studying?"
"Botany. I grew up on a farm, and I've always loved plants. I'd like to do field research in nature areas. I always liked going on walks through the woods. I have many books filled with pressed leaves and flowers that I've found."
Wolf couldn't help but smile. "I'm afraid I'm a city kid, so I don't know much about plants other than the pot of blue daisies my mom grew."
"Being in town for college is kind of like a deprivation for me, but it's only for three more years, and I have a bunch of potted plants in my apartment. And I have holidays at home."
"You like going home, then?" Wolf didn't share that feeling.
"Yes. I live with my grandmother, who raised me since I was seven. I'm incredibly lucky to have her, especially since my own parents are worthless. And seeing how the plants change between visits is always an adventure." She had started smiling when she talked about her grandmother. "So what do you do?" she asked, startling him.
"I'm a mechanic." He debated about whether he wanted to let her know how much older than her he was, but decided there was no good reason to hide it. "I was in the army for eleven years. That's where I learned how to be a mechanic." He watched her closely as he said that, but she didn't seem to react much. "I've been working here in the city for five years."
"So you fix cars?"
"Cars, trucks, and…." He felt embarrassed bringing out his usual punch line, which he typically enjoyed. "And even tanks." He was grateful when she smiled.
"Tanks, huh? That's pretty impressive. I couldn't fix anything. I'm better with living things than with machinery."
"That's what they pay me for."
"Do you have any family besides Ran?"
Wolf was startled by this, wondering if she was trying to find out if he was married, but he decided that was just wishful thinking. She was probably just making conversation.
"Just my parents. I get along with them okay, but they always invite Ran over too when I try to visit them and he causes a scene. He doesn't seem to bother them as much as he bothers me. He's still their 'darling little boy.' Maybe now they'll finally get the message. And hopefully Ran will be behind bars for a while."
"I hope so too."
A police officer leaned into the room. "Scarlet Benoit? We're ready for you." So her name was Scarlet.
"Okay." She stood up. "It was nice to meet you," she said to Wolf, smiling.
Trying not to blush, he got out, "You too," as she turned and left the room.
A few minutes later an officer came for Wolf.
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After answering a lot of boring questions, Wolf was released. As he was walking down the hallway, Scarlet came out of another room.
"Oh, hi," she said. "Are they finished with you too?"
All he could reply was "Yes."
She smiled. "Where are you off to now?"
Feeling flustered, he said, "Actually, I was thinking about going to see my brother in the lockup. I thought maybe I could get him to incriminate himself, although the case against him seemed pretty good already. But he's going to try to convince me to bail him out, which I've never done."
Scarlet frowned. "Do you mind if I came with you? I'd like to give that sleaze ball a piece of my mind."
"Um, sure." They walked down the hall. Wolf tried to think of something to talk about, but couldn't.
"So what's your name, anyway?" she asked.
"Ze'ev Kesley. But everyone calls me Wolf."
She smiled. "Wolf? How…predatory."
Not sure how to respond, he just nodded.
They reached the lockup. There were only two other people in it besides Ran. He jumped up when he saw them.
"Well, if it isn't the lovely Scarlet. And my worthless older brother. Fancy meeting you here."
"Why did you stab that girl?" Wolf asked directly.
"I didn't stab her, she stabbed me. Right in the heart." He pointed. "Said she wanted to break up with me. How do you expect a man to react?"
"You can't be considered a man. A man would retreat gracefully if his presence was no longer wanted."
Ran snorted. "Like you would know. You always had girls just hanging off your arms."
"This isn't about Linda. This is about some poor girl who you stabbed in a fit of anger. Didn't you?"
"Fine, I stabbed her. But she deserved it! I thought she was cheating on me."
Wolf had noticed Scarlet getting angrier as he talked, but she hadn't said anything yet. "Cheated? Emilie would never cheat! That's something you would do!"
"Humph. As if the high and mighty Scarlet would know. You just never liked me."
"It's pretty obvious why now, don't you think? I hope you rot in prison."
"Is Emilie still alive? They wouldn't tell me. I'd so like to pay her a visit when I get out!"
"Stay away from her! Actually, stay away from everyone!"
"Speaking of getting out, Wolf, would you please lend me some money to make bail?"
This time Wolf snorted. "Yeah, right. I'm not letting you out where you can hurt someone else. I hope you rot in prison too."
"Fine. Abandon your own brother. You always were worthless." Ran turned away from the bars.
Wolf huffed, turned around as well, and marched out the door. Scarlet followed him, throwing "Scum!" back over her shoulder.
Once they were outside, Wolf surprised himself by asking Scarlet the same question she had asked him before. "Where are you off to now?" He immediately wanted to take it back, thinking that he sounded creepy.
Scarlet didn't seem to care. "I'm going to go see Emilie at the hospital.
"Can I come?" he blurted out. He tried to think of an excuse that wouldn't make that seem creepy too. "I mean, I'd like to apologize to her about my horrible brother."
She smiled. "You don't have to do that."
Bolstered by her smile, Wolf replied, "Well, I would like too." He paused. "I mean, unless you think she wouldn't want me to come? I don't want to intrude."
"No, she'll like visitors. She's at Mercy Hospital. I'll meet you at the front desk." She smiled again before heading to her car. Wolf hurried to his.
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Wolf berated himself the whole way to the hospital. He was being stupid. He hadn't really wanted to see Emilie, although he wouldn't mind it. What he'd really wanted was to not say good-bye to Scarlet. Even though probably the last thing she wanted was an older guy following her around.
She was standing at the front desk when he arrived. He almost blushed when she smiled at him. "I got directions. Follow me."
He followed her through several halls and up an elevator in silence, trying to think of what to say to Emilie that wouldn't sound stupid. Eventually they stopped outside of a room. Wolf looked in and saw that the occupant was sleeping.
"We probably should let her sleep," Scarlet said, slipping into the room and sitting down in a chair. He hesitantly sat next to her.
"So how long have you known Emilie?" he thought to ask eventually.
"Since I started college last fall. I got a job at that restaurant a few days after I moved here. She's been working there for maybe ten years, ever since she graduated high school. She took me under her wing and taught me all the tricks. She's really decent, besides her awful taste in men."
Not sure how to respond, he said, "That's good."
"Who's Linda?" Scarlet asked out of the blue.
"I'm sorry?" Wolf wasn't sure what she was talking about.
"When you were talking to Ran, you mentioned a Linda. Who's she?"
Wolf made a face. "She was Ran's girlfriend in high school, but she dumped him because she got a crush on me. He's never forgiven me."
"So did you two start dating then?"
"No. Ran's taste in girls is very different from mine." He started to worry that she might ask what his tastes were, so he hurried to continue. "Also, I wouldn't have gone out with someone Ran liked, anyway. It wouldn't have been fair to him."
"You seem like a decent person. It's hard to imagine you being related to Ran."
This time Wolf couldn't help but blush.
He suddenly heard moaning from the bed. Scarlet hopped up and approached it. Emilie's eyes were open.
"Are you awake, Emilie?" Scarlet asked.
"Um, I think so?" Emilie said uncertainly.
"Do you need the nurse?"
"No, I think I'm okay. But can I have some ice chips?"
Scarlet glanced around and picked up a cup from the table. "Have you heard any more about your condition?"
"Not since I talked to you before, except that my surgery is scheduled for 10:30." Emilie noticed Wolf and smiled. "Hi, handsome, what are you doing here?" Wolf thought she sounded like she was flirting, which was a little disconcerting given her condition.
"Hi. I'm sorry to intrude. I'm Ran's brother. I just wanted to apologize for him and make sure that you're doing okay. I wish I could have done something to stop him."
Emilie had frowned when he mentioned Ran, but her smile came back a little as he continued to talk. "Well, thank you. I appreciate that. Can I ask you a favor?"
"Certainly."
"The next time you see Ran, can you punch him in the head for me?"
Wolf smiled. "I'm not sure when I'll see him again. Hopefully he'll stay in prison for a while. But he usually tries to beat me up whenever he sees me, and I always win, so probably the next time I see him I'll have a good opportunity. I'll tell him you send your love."
Emilie laughed. "I'd like that."
Wolf listened to Scarlet and Emilie talk for a while, wondering if he should leave but not wanting to.
Eventually Emilie closed her eyes as Scarlet talked, causing her to stop. "Are you still awake?" Scarlet asked. Emilie didn't respond. Scarlet looked at Wolf. "I guess we should leave then."
"Okay." Scarlet leaned over right next to him to pick up her purse, making him flustered. He followed her into the hall.
"Have you had dinner yet?" Scarlet surprised him by asking.
"Um…no."
"I'm going to head to the cafeteria. Hopefully it has some decent food. Do you want to join me?"
Wolf had to fight to keep a stupid grin off of his face. "Sure," he said casually.
Once they were seated, they had a lively conversation. They talked about Scarlet growing up on her farm and Wolf's time in the army. They found some common interests, and some different viewpoints on other subjects to discuss.
"Why are you called Wolf?" Scarlet asked at one point.
"Oh. Ze'ev actually means 'wolf' in Hebrew, but as I was growing up everyone always spelled and pronounced it wrong. So I eventually decided to just go by Wolf, since most people could spell and pronounce that, and it stuck. In the army, my unit decided that everyone should pick an animal nickname. There was Cheetah and Grizzly and even Platypus. He was a very interesting person. Everyone else picked predators."
"Well, I'm named Scarlet after my hair, pretty obviously."
"It's obviously pretty as well," Wolf replied before he could chicken out. He was pleased when Scarlet laughed.
A while later, Scarlet said, "Look at me."
Wolf complied, nervous.
Then Scarlet said, "You have the greenest green eyes I've ever seen."
Not sure what she meant, he was not sure how to respond. "Um…thank you?" He quickly changed topics.
Finally Wolf couldn't pretend to still be eating, and Scarlet noticed.
"I guess I should get going. I need to finish reading my chapter for tomorrow," she said.
"Okay…" Wolf replied, disappointed. They threw away their trash and headed for the entrance.
As they were passing through the hospital doors, Wolf stopped. He was very embarrassed, but he thought that if he let this opportunity pass him by, he might regret it for the rest of his life.
"Um, I was wondering…."
Scarlet paused as well. "Yes?"
"Would you like to go on a date with me sometime?" He was relieved to get it out, and even more relieved to see Scarlet smile.
"Sure. My number is 555-2123."
Wolf smiled back. "I'll call you, then."
"I look forward to it." Scarlet turned and walked to her car.
Wolf waited a moment before heading for his own, a smile still on his face. This evening had turned out much better than he'd feared when he was first called to the police station.