III

Noon found Chloe naked still lying across her mattress on the floor; she had paced the room till dawn. She remembered turning as her head hit the pillow, it had been a dreamless sleep as it often was.

Sitting up she had this feeling that someone was watching her. Quickly turning her head toward the door she saw a condescending brown eye staring at her through the barely open door. "Good morning, Mother..." The eye quickly retreated and the muffled sound of feet quickly followed it back down the hall. Cathy Lane was always wearing those big fuzzy house shoes, Chloe was sure that she had a pair in every color. Cathy hardly ever left the house so when possible Chloe would leave during the daytime hours just to get away from her. It had been a long while since she had actually wanted to explore a new place maybe she could catch up with her new friends.

Chloe quickly dressed pulling on a pair of black jeans and black tee shirt. The shirt was tight and it accented her figure well. She skipped down the back stairs to the kitchen hoping that she would be able to slip out with out her mother knowing. She was caught though because she couldn't resist the plate on the counter piled high with bacon. She was busy making a very large juicy BLT when her mother came into the kitchen.

"You smell like dog... did you even bother to take a shower this morning?" Cathy said wrinkling her nose in disgust.

Chloe rolled her eyes and continued to build her sandwich. "No, mother I didn't and no I don't stink... I took a shower last night before bed." Once finished she wrapped her BLT in a paper towel and headed for the back door.

"Where do you think you are going?" Cathy said moving to block her way.

Chloe's nostrils flared with anger and with one simple word, "Out." She made her way around her mother and left. She may lock her in at night but Chloe would be damned if she was going to let her lock her in during the day. No she had tasted freedom the day before and she was not going to easily give it up.

"Chloe I was hoping I would see you again today!" Belle chirped happily as she settled herself in to the high chair at the table of the open aired Java Café.

"Hi Belle," Chloe said smiling at her friend, "Would you like to join me for some coffee?"

"Coffee? Oh you know it, I love coffee..." Belle already had one hand in the air waving frantically for the waitress, while her other hand reached for Chloe's cup, "Here let me have a sip of yours... I need it bad."

From anyone else the gesture would have been rude but for some reason it just seemed natural that Belle had helped herself to her coffee.

"Mmmm," Belle said her eyes rolling up into her head, "now that is good coffee."

Chloe smiled and suddenly the breeze blew wondrous scent her way.

Sniff, sniff.

Sniff, sniff.

Chloe began to frantically sniff the air around her and for the first time during the light of day she felt her wolfness rising, coiled just under the surface.

Sniff, sniff.

Sniff, sniff.

"Chloe, what are you doing?" Belle said looking at her with wide-eyed fascination.

Startled back to reality Chloe stammered, "Umm... well... umm well something smells amazing."

"Oh that!" Belle giggled, "I got new perfume..." she smelled her wrist then shoved it quickly under Chloe's nose, "Doesn't it smell wonderful?"

"Yes it does," Chloe agreed as the waitress placed Belle's coffee down, but that was not what she had smelled.

Brady paced the floor of his new office. He had agreed to come back and help with his father's company so that his father could travel more with his stepmother. It hadn't been something he really wanted to do but now things had changed. If he only knew. "Where is she?"

"I'm right here, ya big lug!"

At the sound of the voice, Brady twirled around to see Mimi leaning against his office doorframe. Her smile was as wide as he remembered and her green eyes gleamed with mischief. "So you are..." Brady said crossing the room to swoop her up in a bone-crushing hug, she was like another sister to him. "Why is it you are here again?"

"Put me down, Brady!" she said swatting at him as he put her back on her feet. "See that desk out there? That's my desk, I'm your secretary."

"Really..."

"Yes and you would have known that sooner had you gotten your tushy in here before noon." Maybe he would enjoy this job. Mimi always called it like she saw it's a trait Brady admired greatly.

"Well Mimi, as my secretary, you need to know that I commonly don't get in before noon, so it is your job to make it seem like I get in by eight." And with that he plopped down into his office chair and propped his feet on his desk.

"Fine as long as you don't mind when I take the occasional long lunch three to four times a week." She said sitting on the corner of the desk.

"Oh, occasionally, three to four times a week..."

"Yes..." she said batting her eyelashes at him.

"Oh stop it with the eye thing... you don't have to convince me." Brady said, "I don't care if my sister drags you to long lunches as long as the work gets done."

"Thanks," she said bounding toward the door.

"Hey where are you going?"

"To lunch, silly, I'm meeting Belle at the Java Café."

It's starting already he thought grinning to himself. It didn't matter much really. He knew his father's company practically ran itself. But it had been decided that a Black needed to be there and in charge when his father was away, Kate, his father's right hand was acting too much like the company was hers in his absence.

"Over here, Meems!" Belle yelled when she saw her friend come around the corner toward the café.

"Hey Belle..." she said while grabbing Chloe and hugging her, "Chloe it's so nice to see you again."

"You too, Meems!" Sniff, sniff. Chloe quickly sniffed along her shoulder as Mimi continued to hug her. There's that wonderful smell again!

Meems sat down between them at the table looking like she could burst. "Ok, what's up?" Belle asked, "You look like the cat that ate the canary."

"I got a new boss today!"

"Let me guess, he's tall blond and with rippling muscles, and you have already demanded long lunches?" Belle gleamed knowingly.

"Of course!"

"Of course?" Chloe interjected, "What kind of boss lets you demand long lunches on his first day?"

"Oh it was easy, Chloe," Belle explained, "The tall blond boss is my brother and Meems here has always had him wrapped."

"That's convenient, maybe you could get me a job like that..." Chloe said smiling.

"Oh no way... you stay away from my job!" Mimi teased, "Besides just keeping Belle company while I work to make tuition money will easily turn into a full time job."

"Meems! You talk like I'm so high maintenance!"

"Well you are!!" Mimi put her hand on Chloe's arm, "Don't let her perkiness fool you, Chloe, she is very high maintenance."

"Meems!"

Chloe couldn't help but smile, she loved to watch the friendly banter between the two. She could not believe her luck in finding their friendship. The three of them ate lunch and Belle talked about her boyfriend who had just left for basic training, he had joined the Navy right out of high school.

Then all too quickly lunch was over, Mimi had to get back to the office and Belle had informed Chloe that an afternoon of shopping was required so the three parted ways.

"I feel a makeover coming on, Chloe let's hit the stores!" Belle cried dragging her toward nearest store.

Brady sat leaned back in his office chair his feet still propped up snoring lightly. In his dream he was running free on a high plateau as he neared the edge he stopped and reared his head toward the sky.

"Ahhhroooooo!" he howled at the twinkling stars above.

His nostrils flared catching the scent. HER scent!

Sniff, sniff.

Sniff, sniff.

Brady opened his eyes to find just under his nose a plate sporting the biggest BLT he had seen in a long time.

"I thought that would wake you..." Mimi smiled down at him as she placed the plate into his hands. "I remembered that it was your favorite."

"Yes, it is, thank you, Meems." It was indeed his favorite but it was not the scent that had woke him from his dreams.