Chapter 4
*********
The redhead's mind was racing in a million different directions. Roger had lied to her about the roses, and maybe the candy as well...she felt heartsick. Had Snowy known about the lie? Was she part of the cover-up? And Leon...ah, wicked, sweet, dangerous Leon...how had he found her? Why had he searched for her?
She looked at her packmate. The brunette's face was anxious. Why?
"Dorothy, are you alright? You're so pale--what happened back there?" Low-voiced, Kirei continued: "Do you want me to talk to Officer Kennedy?" Kirei wondered if the whole station knew Dastun might be interested in her. Was that what the handsome young officer told Dorothy in private? She gently touched her packmate's shoulder. "Dorothy?"
The android shook her head. "No, I don't want you to talk to Le...Officer Kennedy, it's not necessary." She paused to look closely at her friend. Kirei looked back, unflinching and warm. "I'm hungry, Snowy. Let's get out of here."
~~~~~
Dorothy's mood over lunch was oddly mercurial. She alternated between brooding silence and nervous chatter, and drank a little too much wine.
Kirei watched and listened carefully as her packmate rambled. The pretty redhead had brushed off her attempts to find out exactly what happened. The older she-wolf decided the best she could do for her packmate was simply stick by her side. Dorothy would talk when she felt ready.
Dorothy insisted on going shopping next. She seemed a little more herself as they wandered the aisles at Bendels. "I'm sorry for acting so weird, Snowy. I just got very shaken by a couple of things."
Kirei felt herself tighten; that cop DID say something about the major, she fumed internally. She didn't say anything about it, asking only instead if Dorothy had known Officer Kennedy before.
The redhead nodded, then changed the subject to the rack of cocktail dresses on display before them. She pulled out a silky cinnamon-russet one, cut to bare the wearer's shoulders and bosom daringly. The gleaming fabric echoed the red-gold of her sleek hair perfectly. "What do you think?" she asked, draping it against herself.
"It's very beautiful," replied Kirei admiringly, "but you know Roger won't let you wear it unless it's black."
Dorothy's mouth tightened. "Roger doesn't own us, you know. He's not our spouse, not our boss. Screw his house rules--I'm buying it." She pulled out another dress, this one a rich indigo. "This would look great on you, Snowy."
"Dorothy, what's wrong? Please?"
The redhead ignored the questions, asking her own instead. "Were you home when the flowers came, Snowy? Did you see if a card came with them?"
The brunette shook her head no. "I was grocery shopping with Norman. I didn't know about the roses til you showed them to me. You know that."
Dorothy turned to face her packmate, studying her. Her green gaze bore into Kirei's bewildered brown eyes. "What about the chocolates? Was there a card? Did Roger say he ordered them?"
"I didn't see a card. Maybe it was inside, but I didn't look...and no, Roger did not say he ordered them. I assumed he did, but he never said it, at least not to me. Why, Dorothy? What's going on?"
"You swear he didn't say anything to you, about either the roses or the candy?" Dorothy's voice was strangely tight, like she was trying not to cry.
"Of course I swear! Dorothy, you know I'm always honest with you...what's wrong? What did I do? You're scaring me!" Tears glimmered in Kirei's eyes.
Dorothy sighed and hugged her. "I believe you, I knew you didn't do anything, but I had to be sure! I'm sorry I scared you," she kissed Kirei's cheek, "but I can't discuss this any further yet. You are going to have to trust me, and not say anything to Roger about any of this. Promise?"
Her pale face was pleading.
Despite her misgivings, Kirei gave her word. After all, pack was pack.
*********
The redhead's mind was racing in a million different directions. Roger had lied to her about the roses, and maybe the candy as well...she felt heartsick. Had Snowy known about the lie? Was she part of the cover-up? And Leon...ah, wicked, sweet, dangerous Leon...how had he found her? Why had he searched for her?
She looked at her packmate. The brunette's face was anxious. Why?
"Dorothy, are you alright? You're so pale--what happened back there?" Low-voiced, Kirei continued: "Do you want me to talk to Officer Kennedy?" Kirei wondered if the whole station knew Dastun might be interested in her. Was that what the handsome young officer told Dorothy in private? She gently touched her packmate's shoulder. "Dorothy?"
The android shook her head. "No, I don't want you to talk to Le...Officer Kennedy, it's not necessary." She paused to look closely at her friend. Kirei looked back, unflinching and warm. "I'm hungry, Snowy. Let's get out of here."
~~~~~
Dorothy's mood over lunch was oddly mercurial. She alternated between brooding silence and nervous chatter, and drank a little too much wine.
Kirei watched and listened carefully as her packmate rambled. The pretty redhead had brushed off her attempts to find out exactly what happened. The older she-wolf decided the best she could do for her packmate was simply stick by her side. Dorothy would talk when she felt ready.
Dorothy insisted on going shopping next. She seemed a little more herself as they wandered the aisles at Bendels. "I'm sorry for acting so weird, Snowy. I just got very shaken by a couple of things."
Kirei felt herself tighten; that cop DID say something about the major, she fumed internally. She didn't say anything about it, asking only instead if Dorothy had known Officer Kennedy before.
The redhead nodded, then changed the subject to the rack of cocktail dresses on display before them. She pulled out a silky cinnamon-russet one, cut to bare the wearer's shoulders and bosom daringly. The gleaming fabric echoed the red-gold of her sleek hair perfectly. "What do you think?" she asked, draping it against herself.
"It's very beautiful," replied Kirei admiringly, "but you know Roger won't let you wear it unless it's black."
Dorothy's mouth tightened. "Roger doesn't own us, you know. He's not our spouse, not our boss. Screw his house rules--I'm buying it." She pulled out another dress, this one a rich indigo. "This would look great on you, Snowy."
"Dorothy, what's wrong? Please?"
The redhead ignored the questions, asking her own instead. "Were you home when the flowers came, Snowy? Did you see if a card came with them?"
The brunette shook her head no. "I was grocery shopping with Norman. I didn't know about the roses til you showed them to me. You know that."
Dorothy turned to face her packmate, studying her. Her green gaze bore into Kirei's bewildered brown eyes. "What about the chocolates? Was there a card? Did Roger say he ordered them?"
"I didn't see a card. Maybe it was inside, but I didn't look...and no, Roger did not say he ordered them. I assumed he did, but he never said it, at least not to me. Why, Dorothy? What's going on?"
"You swear he didn't say anything to you, about either the roses or the candy?" Dorothy's voice was strangely tight, like she was trying not to cry.
"Of course I swear! Dorothy, you know I'm always honest with you...what's wrong? What did I do? You're scaring me!" Tears glimmered in Kirei's eyes.
Dorothy sighed and hugged her. "I believe you, I knew you didn't do anything, but I had to be sure! I'm sorry I scared you," she kissed Kirei's cheek, "but I can't discuss this any further yet. You are going to have to trust me, and not say anything to Roger about any of this. Promise?"
Her pale face was pleading.
Despite her misgivings, Kirei gave her word. After all, pack was pack.