More Than Just a Fairy Tale Ch. 15

"Huh? Do you think that Ginny will be out more than a day or two?" asked Meg.

"Never know. She might. Or, she might be back tomorrow. We just have to play it by ear and see what happens. I know Cal said that Patrick was looking for work, but I don't know what he does. There are just too many variables," said Luc.

Meg thought about it for a moment and nodded. "So, it might not be a bad thing then if we had at least a temporary receptionist? When Ginny comes back, she could concentrate on other things and leave Angie to answer phones and such?" asked Meg.

"Sounds good to me. You do realize that when you talk to Angie that you are going to have to explain about shifters?" said Luc.

"What? Why can't you do that, or why can't we just not say anything?" asked Meg.

"To prevent the same reaction you had in the middle of sex. Honesty is the best course. If she wants the job, you have to let her know. It will be easier coming from you than from me. Then if she doesn't pass out or laugh herself silly, call me into the office," he said.

"Damn you're too rational for this early in the morning. You're right. Well, she'll be here in a couple of hours. Let me get to work so I can take her to lunch," said Meg.

Luc smiled, blew her a kiss and headed back to his office. On his desk were a couple of notes from Kevin. Apparently, he'd been catching the phone. Looking at the pencil scratches on the paper, he gave up trying to decipher them and headed to Kevin's office."Maybe Angie will be just the right answer!"he thought.

*

Kevin popped into Meg's office. "Hey Meg, you have a gal waiting for you in the front. Seems a bit nervous," he said.

"That'll be Angie. Thanks for letting me know she was here. I'll be right out," said Meg. She grabbed her handbag and coat and headed for the front. Angie was trying to pace, peek around and pretend not to all at the same time. Meg smiled.

"Hey there Angie!" she called as she entered the reception area.

"Hi Meg!" said Angie. She moved towards Meg and the two women hugged. "It is great to see you. I've missed our lunches and just, well, um, missed you period."

"Same here Angie. I figured we'd go to lunch and talk. Sound good?" Meg asked.

"Sure. Where are we going?" asked Angie.

"Hmmm, too cold for salad. How about Roberto's for chile and tortillas?" asked Meg.

"That sounds good. My car is just out front," Angie said.

They headed out for lunch. As the door shut, Kevin and Luc met in the hall.

"How did she check out with you?" asked Luc. He knew Angie from before and found her acceptable, but he needed to have the input of others. He knew Kevin was a good judge of character.

"She's a bit nervous, and I can understand that. It isn't every day you have to go begging a job from a friend. Otherwise, she seems fine. Think Ginny will take to a non-shifter running the front desk?" asked Kevin.

"Once she remembers Angie and realizes that she should have hired a receptionist about six months ago, yeah. Between the kids, Duke and now Patrick, she won't have time to breathe let alone try to run this office the way she has. In spite of things, business is picking up. If Patrick is any kind of computer tech, I'll be hiring him as well. If not, I'm going to be advertising for a tech. Chances of that one being a shifter are 50-50. Our days of being a small family business are about over," said Luc.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Which reminds me, you have a call to be at in twenty minutes," said Kevin.

"Damn! Thanks Kevin," said Luc who went to grab his tool bag and his coat.

*

"So, you finally had enough of the old fart?" asked Meg.

"Did I ever. I swear they wanted me to do twice the work, and no extra pay. After a week of overtime, I said enough. They didn't listen, so I gave my notice. Gave them the time sheet with the vacation time worked out and explained that I had two weeks of vacation time coming to me with pay. I packed my desk after collecting my check and left," said Angie.

Meg about choked on her smothered burrito. "Oh god! I can just see them turning purple."

"It was so worth it. Now, tell me about the job you think might interest me," said Angie.

Meg explained the business, and how the IT work meshed with what she was doing. Angie nodded. They paid for their lunches and headed back to the office. Once at the office, Meg gave her a tour of the building and then they went to Meg's office. Meg closed the door.

"So, if it is alright with Luc, would you be interested?" asked Meg as they sat down.

"Yes, I would. I have to admit that I'd rather work with someone I know than start all over," said Angie.

"I know. It makes life so much easier. Now, I have one other thing about the job to discuss with you," said Meg.

"Okay," said Angie trying to figure out what they had left out of the discussion.

"You'll probably think I'm nuts, but most of the people who work here are shifters," said Meg.

"Huh?" asked Angie.

"Shifters, werewolves," said Meg."There, the word is out. Now for the hard part."she thought.

"You're pulling my leg! Is this some kind of joke to see if I have a sense of humor Meg?" asked Angie.

"No, I wish I was joking. However, there really are such things as werewolves. Only they don't eat people or bite them to turn them into werewolves. It's genetic," said Meg. She remembered her own shock and hoped she could get the information across to Angie without coming off as a kook.

"Right. You work for werewolves. Um, just because the business name is Alpha Wolf doesn't mean you have to pretend," said Angie.

"You know, Luc said this wouldn't be so easy," said Meg.

"Meg, I think you've watched too much TV lately or read too many books. Werewolves aren't real," said Angie.

"Yes, they are," said Kevin from the door.

Angie turned around to see the man who had greeted her earlier in the day. "So, are you one? Or is this just Meg's fantasy and joke to pull my leg?" Angie asked.

"I'm a shifter. Everyone here except you and Meg are shifters. I will shift for you if you require proof," he said.

"Oh yeah, but isn't the full moon a week or so away?" asked Angie. She really did think that this joke was going a little far."Why on earth was Meg doing this?"she wondered.

"It doesn't have to be a full moon Angie," said Meg.

Angie blinked. Meg sounded serious.

"How body conscious are you Angie?" asked Kevin.

"Well. Um, I don't parade around nude, but. Why?" she asked.

"Reason I ask is that I don't want to shred my clothes. So, I need to undress before I shift," explained Kevin.

"Meg, what in the hell is this stuff about? If you didn't want to give me a job, all you really needed to do is say no. It would have been a hell of a lot kinder," said Angie who was getting more upset by the second.

"Oh hell," said Kevin as he kicked off his shoes and then shifted.

Angie screamed. Meg moved to her side and was torn between trying to comfort her friend and not laughing about a rather large wolf tangled up in shredded clothes. Laughter won as Kevin shook and while the shirt and most of the trousers fell off, the belt and underwear were still in place.

She was laughing so hard that Angie stopped screaming and took another look at Kevin. As she watched Kevin try to bite the belt and bikini briefs off of his hind end, she too started to giggle. About this point, Meg's office door burst open and Cal and Peter ran in.

"We heard screams..." was as far as Peter got when both of them saw Kevin. Cal started laughing and Peter just whooped. By this time, Kevin had the belt stuck bandoleer style and the undies were shreds with elastic holding them around his hips.

Cal took pity on Kevin and undid the belt and pulled the underwear the rest of the way off. Kevin shook himself again and then sat looking at Angie. The giggles slowly settled down.

"Angie, I'm sorry we upset you, but," started Meg.

"No, it was my own fault. You can take the girl out of the Midwest, but not the Midwest out of the girl," she said trying to explain her reluctance to believing Meg without seeing things. "I just thought this was all some elaborate prank to not hire me," she finished.

"No, it wasn't. It was an honest attempt to explain how life is around here. You had to know what kind of environment you would be working in," said Meg.

Angie nodded, still looking at Kevin. She finally collected herself and stood up. Walking over to Kevin, she held out her hand. Kevin sniffed it and then sat still. Angie touched his ear and then his head like you would a dog.

"He likes scratched behind the ears," said Cal.

"Cal!" said Meg. "You are such a brat!"

Cal smiled. "You have to admit that this is the best laugh we've had in weeks, besides Ginny," he said.

"I know, but Kevin just shredded his clothes, and the last thing he needs is for you to pull funny jokes at his expense," said Meg.

Peter nodded. He agreed with Meg, but oh how he was going to tease Kevin. There was ammunition in this situation for weeks.

"Meg," said Angie turning back to her friend.

"Yes, Angie," said Meg.

"He's real," Angie said as all of what had just happened sunk in.

"Yes, he is. And when he shifts back so that he can drive home, he'll be naked," said Meg.

"Nah, he's got his belt and his shoes," teased Peter.

"Peter!" said Meg almost at the same time that Kevin growled. Angie stepped back from Kevin.

Peter put his hand up in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, he won't be nude. I know where his spare stash of clothes is in his car. I'll go get them." Peter then turned and left the room followed by Cal and Kevin.

Angie sat down still trying to take everything in. It took her a few minutes to compose herself. "Mmeg, when did you find out that Luc was a shifter?" she asked.

"In the middle of sex, on that first camping trip. I screamed too, and climbed a tree," Meg said. "Luc and I had a talk and he finally convinced me that he wasn't going to eat me, nor was it contagious and I fell out of the tree and into his arms."

"Oh god!" said Angie. "And this is real? Not some magic trick or fancy holograph trick? I'm not dreaming?"

"No, you aren't," said Kevin from the door.

Angie jumped. "Oh! Kevin, I am sorry I didn't believe you. Sorry I caused you to destroy your clothes," said Angie.

"And I'm sorry for laughing, but it was the undies that got me," said Meg.

Kevin blushed a bit and went to pick up his shoes and what was left of his clothes. He tossed some of them in the trash. "Yeah, I forgive you ladies. I know it isn't easy. Not from this side either. Both my parents are shifters and the first time I discovered that some people don't shift it really threw my world into a spin. Even worse on my first non-shifter date," he said.

"I never thought about that," said Meg. "I guess it would be a bit unsettling."

"It was. Put me off sex for months, because I was afraid I'd hurt someone," said Kevin.

"Mentally or physically hurt them Kevin," Meg asked.

"Both. Mostly physically though. Luc is real gentle isn't he," said Kevin.

"Yes, but I never thought about it in terms of trying not to hurt me," said Meg.

"Well, you know we are strong, so think about how that would be if we got carried away during sex," said Kevin.

Meg thought about it and nodded. "Yeah, I see," she said.

Kevin walked over to where Angie sat. "So, are you running away from the prospect of a job with a bunch of werewolves, or are you going to join us?" Kevin asked Angie.

"You aren't afraid I'd run off and expose your secrets?" Angie asked.

"No, who'd believe you?" asked Kevin.

"What?" asked Angie.

"If you went to the papers, or the news stations, who would believe you?" asked Kevin softly. He could see Angie thinking it over.

"You're right," Angie said after a moments thought. "And the woman who's job I'm taking over is a werewolf too?"

"Yes. Does that bother you?" asked Kevin.

"No, not really. It explains the peanut butter dog biscuits in the jar and the vase full of beef jerky though," Angie said. "Are you sure you want to work with me?" she asked Meg and Kevin.

"Angie, I wouldn't have offered you the job if I didn't think you capable of the work," said Meg.

"I think if you can cope as well as you have with the shock we've just given you, you'll do just fine," said Kevin. With that, he walked out of the office.

Angie just blinked. She couldn't figure that last statement out. "Meg, why did he say that?" she asked.

"He was being honest. Remember, they've dealt with people finding out for a long time. Plus, just because they are in human shape, doesn't mean they don't use some of the wolf's senses," said Meg.

"Huh?" asked Angie. Now she was totally confused.

"He could smell that you weren't really afraid. Get use to the idea if you decide to work here that they use their noses as much as we do our eyes. Oh, and go light on the perfume," said Meg remembering her first non-camping date with Luc.

"Oh! Oh that makes sense. They really aren't afraid of being found out?" she asked as her mind ticked over things she was trying to grasp.

"No. Not really. I asked the same thing. Over the centuries they've figured out some pretty good strategies. They have their own doctors and hospitals. They try and avoid certain professions and laughter saves a lot of trouble. Like Sara. Just wait till you meet her. She's a little whirlwind on two legs with a cute lisp and the tactics of Patton. If she walked up to her teacher and told her that Unky Woofy Luc was a werewolf, the teacher would laugh. Why, because she's a kid. If an adult finds out and goes to the papers, the shifters treat it like it was some stalker nuisance. Worst case, they move," said Meg as she tried to condense months of conversations into a few minutes.

"Wow. I have to admit that I really did think you were trying to blow me off at first," Angie said. "If the offer is still open, I'd like to start work as soon as you need me," she said."What the hell, it can't be any worse than those idiots over at the office who think they are Brad Pitt,"she thought.

Meg smiled and came around the desk to hug her friend. "That would be in the morning or now, your choice."

"It's only 2pm. Let me get use to the office and I'll officially clock in tomorrow morning," said Angie.

"Alright. Let me show you the hallowed office of Ginny. By the way, she is the toughest of the bunch around here," said Meg. "But canned air is your friend," she finished as they walked down the hall.

"Canned air?" asked Angie.

"I'll explain," said Meg as they reached the desk.

*

Luc came back to the office ten minutes before closing time. He wondered how things went, and was pleasantly surprised to see Angie sitting behind the desk, answering the phone and looking right at home. He nodded at her and headed to his office. After dropping his tool bag, he walked to Meg's office.

"How did it go? Did you tell her?" he asked quietly.

Meg smiled and held up Kevin's shirt that he had thrown in the trash can. "She didn't believe me and thought I was trying to brush her off in a rude way. Doing sort of a bait and switch routine. Kevin shifted, she screamed and then we talked some more. When all was said and done, she was fine. We owe Kevin a set of clothes and Cal and Peter will probably never let him live down the belt and undies situation," she said.

"What?" asked Luc.

"I'll explain it all over dinner," she said as she closed down her computer and grabbed her stuff.

"Okay. Guess I can call Ginny in the morning and let her know that she can take a break if she needs it," said Luc as they walked out of her office.

"Sounds good," said Meg. When they got to the front office, Meg reintroduced Luc and Angie.

"Nice to see you again," said Angie. "Thanks for the job as well."

"You're welcome. You understand that if you have any questions or issues that you can come to me or Meg," he said.

"Oh yes. I'll probably have lots of questions until I learn your system. I see you use Linux and Ubuntu and I'm coming from a Microsoft centric office," said Angie.

"Oh yeah, yes. What I meant was though if you have any questions about us," he said.

"Oh! Yes. Sorry. I'll ask. Can't wait to meet Ginny and Sara," said Angie with a smile.

Luc laughed. "You'll do just fine. Just keep the jar full of biscuits and the canned air nearby and you'll be fine," he said.

"Meg explained about the canned air. Never would have thought of that. My biggest issue now will be explaining to my poor little dog why I've been 'hanging around' with other dogs when I get home," she said smiling.

Luc and Meg laughed.

*

Meg turned out the light and crawled into bed. It had been a long weird day. As she snuggled next to Luc, she let out a long sigh.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing really, just a long day," she said.

"Granted, but you seem rather quiet. If you're not up to paying off your debt, we can just snuggle," he said.

"No, I want to give you a lovely blow job, but I was just thinking of the day. I never would have thought Angie would think we were trying to scare her off rather than hire her," she said.

"Well, you have to understand that we're a rather honest and simple bunch," said Luc.

"No you're not!" said Meg. "How on earth do you figure that?"

"We are honest. Simple not in stupid, but in lacking convoluted thinking and the like. You and I would never have thought about making up a plan as complicated as an interview and then scare tactics to save face. We simply wouldn't have offered her a job," he said.

"Okay, on that front you're simple. As for the rest, there are days I wish there was a book on shifter and human relationships," she said.

"Me too. Maybe you should write one," he said as he pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips. "Right now, I have this lovely bit of anatomy that's wondering where your mouth is," he teased.

"Oh you!" she said and reached down to tickle his cock.

"Aaaah!" he gasped. "Careful."

"Oh, I will," she said as she moved under the sheet to pay off her debt.