The Wolfs Maine (2 page)

“I want us to go out one night.  We can grab Lena and go out dancing.  It will be so much fun and it will get you out of your funk.  Who knows, maybe it’s what you need to open that door that has shut in your head so you may actually write.”  I can’t deny that it sounds like a wonderful idea.  I haven’t been out with my girlfriends in years.  Nicholas shouldn’t care if I go. 

“Sounds good Jaci.  Let me run it by Nicholas and I will let you know.” 

“Why do you have to run it by Nick?  Is he your dad now?” 

“You know damn well how he is.  I can’t just go out without at least telling him first.” I responded, slightly irritated.

“Okay okay.  Check with the warden and text me later. I’ve got to run; I’m already late for work. Love ya!”  With a wink she skips out the door.  A night out with my friends may be exactly what I need.  A few drinks and some dancing sure would be nice.  Now if only N
icholas would let me.  I go ahead and send Nicholas an email letting him know the plans and seeing if he minds me going out.  Emailing him is always easier since he gets mad if I call him at work.  I decide to check my other emails while I wait on his response and there is an email from John.  I click on it immediately feeling a smile is creeping up on my face and begin to read:

Ava,

How are you dear?  I have missed talking to you.  I am sorry I have been so busy with work and everything.  I feel as though I haven’t talked to you in weeks even though it’s only been a day or two but that feels like a very long time when it comes to you.  I really wish you would reconsider meeting me in person.  I promise I will behave, I just want to see you and yes I know your married and you’re not supposed to meet strange men but live a little Ava.  We both know you don’t have a real marriage, let me give you what he can’t.  Meet me.  Just tell me and I will be there.  If not that is Okay too.  I hope you know what you mean to me.

Always,

John.

He takes my breath away.  With one email he can take my breath away, how does he do that?  Should I reconsider meeting him?  He brought up the subject of meeting each other off and on throughout the year but lately he’s been bringing it up more.  A part of me wants to meet
him so bad but the other part worries about Nicholas.  It doesn’t take a genius to realize that John and I are attracted to each other with all the flirting that goes on between us, but I still don’t know if I want to take the chance.  If Nicholas found out he would kill me, or worse kill John and I couldn’t live with myself then.  I wish something or someone would just tell me what to do.  Just then I receive an email back from Nicholas.

Fine!  Go out with your friends. Maybe I’ll be able to get a good night sleep then. Try not to wake me when you get home and have dinner waiting for me.  I won’t have time to fix anything myself.

Fix dinner for himself?  He has never fixed dinner for himself ever.  I doubt the man even knows how to use the oven.  I text Jaci and let her know that the night out is on and I would be ready by six o’clock.  I got a text back that said and I quote,
“It’s on.”
Then I decide to write John back. 

John,

I’m just not sure if meeting each other in person is the best idea.  What if anyone found out?  What if Nicholas found out and killed you or us both?  I will think about it but I just don’t know right now.  I miss you too and I want to see you.  This is so frustrating you know?  Anyway, I need to go and get a nap in before I go out with my girlfriends tonight!

Always,

Ava.

I figure I better lay down and get a few hours of sleep before I go out on the town.  It’s been years since I’ve been out like that and I doubt I would be able to stay awake if I did not at least try to get in a cat nap.  I hear my phone within five minutes of lying down and it’s John. 

“Going out huh?! That’s a first!  I hope you have a good time tonight. Sweet Dreams.”
 

Before I know it I’m drifting off to sleep.  I find myself in that dream again only this time I know what I’m trying to find, it’s John.  I keep walking and looking and can see him but the more I walk the further away he gets. 

I look over and those yellow eyes are watching every step I take, but all I can think of is getting to John.  I begin to run towards him, every breath beginning to feel like it’s shredding my chest until I finally run into him.  He holds me with his strong arms, vowing to not let me go and all I can hear is him telling me to breath and then I feel something change.  It’s John.  He is disappearing or not disappearing but changing into something else, something soft.  The next thing I know he is gone along with the yellow eyes that were following me and all I hear is a howling in the distance.  I wake up breathless.

Chapter Two

I didn’t
really know where I was until my eyes began to focus and see my living room walls and my computer blinking at me.  A chat window is up and it’s Lena,

‘Are you ready yet?  It’s Five o’clock.  I’m going to come over there and pick you up.  See you soon.’ 

Damn! It’s already five!  I jump up and get myself together.  Shower, clothes on, makeup on although I doubt it makes a difference to this pale face of mine but I have to try nevertheless.  Finally I strap on my favorite high heel boots with my black leggings and one shoulder tunic, make sure Nicholas has dinner in the crock pot and head out the door to find Lena waiting for me.

“Hey Avalon! You ready to party?” 

“Definitely!” 

First we go to Five-Fifty Five where we order dinner and get that
‘out of the way’
as Jaci likes to put it and then head over to club Styxx on Spring Street.  Since its Thursday it is Ladies Night which meant discount pitchers of Margaritas. 

Inside is what you would expect from a club, multi-color lights, a DJ booth, loud music, an awesome wrap around bar, and all kinds of people on the dance floor.  We make our way to the bar first because Lord knows we are going to need a drink before you get us out on the dance floor.  The bartender looks at us and smiles.  I have no idea what he’s thinking but he comes right over.  He looks like any typical bartender; tall, built, his arms look almost as big as my thigh with tattoos on his arms and spiked bla
ck hair. It was nice to see white teeth though when he smiled.  Normally bartenders smoke so you always see the yellow teeth if you’re lucky to see teeth at all but this guy looked much nicer. 

“The usual, Jaci?”  Lena and I both look at Jaci as she says “Of course,”
followed with a wink. 

“Jaci, how often do you come here?”  I had to ask. 

“I don’t know, once a week or so.  I need to blow off steam after work.  You work eighty hours a week and see if you don’t need to do the same.” 

Jaci is an intern at the local hospital which does keep her very busy so I can assume this would be a great way to end an eighty hour work week.  Lena, Jaci
, and I drink our Margaritas then head to the dance floor.  I almost forgot how freeing it feels to dance.  Just moving around without a care in the world, it’s very accelerating.  Half way through the tenth or so dance I feel my thigh vibrate.  I walk over to the bar, order another drink, and check my phone.  It’s a text from John.

“Hope you’re having a good time. Thinking of you.”
  That same smile creeping on my face I’m sure.

“John just texted Ava.”  I look up to see Jaci and Lena looking at me.

“What?”

“I was just telling Lena that John texted you and that is why you have that big goofy grin on your face.  Are you going to go meet that guy or what?”

“I don’t know.  The more I think about it the more I want to but I’m just worried about Nicholas finding out.” 

“How would Nick find out?  He’ll hardly notice if you don’t show up at home.”  Lena looks at me and I can see the question on her face that she soon expresses out loud,

“Aren’t you scared that John just wants a fling?  Do you want to have a fling?  You just don’t seem like the type Avalon.”  Of course Jaci vocalizes her opinion quickly as well.

“What’s wrong with a fling?!  Hell, as far as I’m concerned every woman needs a fling every now and the
n especially when their boyfriends are assholes.” 

I think about it and think about it but I just don’t know. 

“I really have no idea what I want to do.  It would not be a fling.  We’ve been talking too long for that.  Sometimes I think he knows me more than I know myself.  If I do meet him it will not be a fling.  Although, I am scared of what it will be if I do meet him.” 

“Ava, I say go for it.  Fling or not go meet the guy.  See what happens. Live a little.”  Jaci always had the same answer for everything.  To be honest I really did want to meet
him.  Before I knew it Jaci grabbed my phone. 

“Here I’ll text him for you and tell him you want to meet.” 

“JACI!”  I yank the phone back before she could text him all kinds of sex invites, then text him myself. 
“Would love to meet. When and where?”

I figured I was just drunk enough to do it so why not?  Within five seconds I got a response.  I held m
y breath while I read it:

“Ava. Are you sure?”
  Finally I decide to meet him and he wants to second guess me?  What a man. 

“Yes I am sure. Now tell me when and where before I change my mind.”

“Right now. It is not too far from you. It is off Two Lights Road. I will text directions to you in a minute."
   Jaci was reading the text and immediately grabs her keys. 

“Alright, I’m not drunk whereas you and Lena are so
I guess that means I’m driving.  Let’s roll ladies!” 

Before I knew it we were all
in the car and as soon as we received the directions from John, Jaci types them into her navigation, and we are on our way.  The closer we get to the little arrow on the screen the shorter my breath becomes. 

The snow is falling harder and harder the closer we get to his h
ouse.  Am I crazy for meeting him at his house?  Should we have chosen a more public place to meet?  What am I saying?  I know this man.  Looking out the window it looks like a typical winter day in Maine, snow two feet high all around but luckily the roads were okay.  Although with the way the snow was falling the roads wouldn’t be okay for long until they come through with the snow plows again.  All the trees look naked with icicles hanging off of them and the clouds in the sky look translucent almost ghost like.  The farther we drive the fewer houses we see.     My heart begins to beat out of my chest and I am so nervous I can feel my body shaking. 

“Calm down Ava.  You act like it’s your first time.  You’ve been talking to this guy for over a year.  Just breathe.  It will be fine.  An
d if it’s just a fling then fine, just fling and go home.  You deserve some excitement in your life.”  I know Jaci is right but I can’t help but feel nervous.  I haven’t been around another man in years.  Lena stays quiet.  I know she worries about me.

“Avalon, keep your phone on and text me first thing tomorrow and let me know you’re okay.  If you need anything just call.”  I always appreciate Lena’s concern.  She’s like the mother I never knew. 

We finally make our way down the winding road and drive slowly down the driveway to find a beautiful country cabin, nestled in the snow, surrounded by trees.  It is stone with three stories and two balconies from what I could see so far.  In the front a wraparound porch is all lit up so I would be sure to see where I was walking.   Jaci stops the car and just drops her hands. 

“Damn.  The man has a gorgeous house Ava.  Go have fun and text us soon. But you know, not during anything.”  Lena just sighs and rolls her eyes. 

“Be safe Avalon.”  I take a breath and step out of the car. 

I could
hardly believe how beautiful it is out here.  You could see every star in the sky since there are no other lights and I could hear the sounds of the beautiful ocean nearby.  I make my way towards the house.  I knew the guy was successful but I never would have thought he would have a house like this.  I get closer to the house and just have to stop and stare. 

Right as
I am about to get my phone and call Jaci back to pick me up I see a shadow up ahead, it’s him.  My breath stops as he gets closer to me.  Then I see him.  He is even more gorgeous than his picture.  He has such beautiful features, dark as night hair, beautiful green eyes that I could lose myself in, six feet of total perfection standing in front of me in jeans and a black sweater.

“Ava dear. Breathe.”  I let out a long breath that I hadn’t realized I was still holding but yet I still can’t talk.  I am just frozen which wouldn’t be a surprise standing out here but I am not even cold, just a complete statue.  This man in front of me can’t be interested in me, there is just no way.  He could have any beautiful, tall, blonde chick he wanted.  That is the only type of woman that would look right standing next to him.