In the Arms of Fenris

This story takes a bit of time to build. Give it time to set the scene, and I think you will enjoy it.

*

Marty never thought about them really. Werewolves that is. Never figured they would be a reality or an issue. Granted, she use to think that they were fairy tale monsters and characters for fright movies. Ranked them right up there with witches, ghosts and vampires. She ought to have known better. You can't have whole genres of literature without a little bit of fact hiding somewhere. Never thought she'd ever meet one, let alone date one.

Marty met Graydon at a party. A 'bring a friend and a bottle' type. One of those parties where the real objective is to get laid. She didn't have a friend, but she had a lovely bottle of brandy. Marty never dressed up. There wasn't even a dress in her closet anymore. They were just impractical in her life. So, Marty wore her usual jeans, flannel shirt and moccasins expecting to be comfy and drunk by the end of the evening.

She walked in and found Jessie doing her best to be the hostess, which is really funny. Jessie loves people and parties and is hopeless at organization. She was trying to get everything out and as usual had botched it. Marty smiled, stuffed her coat in a corner and started to straighten out the table of glasses and paper plates.

"Thank goodness someone knows where I keep things!" Jessie said.

"Yeah, and good thing you throw parties where I can practice these skills." Marty smiled as she plunked the last of the plasticware into a large cup.

Jessie looked Marty over and just shook her head. "Glad you had time to shower before you came over."

"Hey! I do my best not to smell like my charges. It's just difficult sometimes when I'm in a hurry," she said trying to defend her damp hair and general sloppy appearance. Marty worked at a fancy kennel and stable outside of town. Lots of big dogs and horses.

"She still hasn't forgiven you for the time you brought the Great Dane to that picnic," said Dirk as he came out of the kitchen with a tray of cheese, crackers and sliced meats. Dirk was Jessie's lover. One of those tall, dark and handsome types that walks right by Marty like she was invisible. Jessie is blonde and thin. They make a beautiful couple.

"Well,... I couldn't help it. And he was well behaved right up until he ate that potato salad." Even though it was the truth, it sounded so lame. The dog loved Marty and had escaped the dog run at work and followed her. "I was at the park by then and had figured it would just be easier to wait for Nick, our vet, to come pick him up. Silly me."

"It's okay Marty. I just had to tease you," Dirk smiled.

Everyone else leaves their jobs at the office and Marty's has the darnedest way of following her everywhere. She pulled her hair back again into a scrunchy. Damp brown curls that had a mind of their own were doing their best to escape. She keep threatening to chop them short, but never had the time or the guts to do it. Plus, she hadn't graced the inside of a beauty parlor since she was five years old.

Marty got the last of the foodstuffs from Jessie and had just set them on the table when the door bell rang. Dirk got it and she didn't notice who came in.

"Graydon, I'd like you to meet Marty," Dirk said as he tapped her on the shoulder to get Marty's attention. She turned around to see a man with dark hair, slim muscular build and broad shoulders. Most of the crowd are desk jockeys and cubicle rats, so to see someone so physically fit was a change.

"Um... Hello, I'm Marty," she said as she held out her hand.

He took her hand and gave it a firm shake. "Graydon Roche. Nice to meet you."

Marty smiled and then suddenly felt set up. She looked over to Jessie who was smiling. Marty was being set up! Well, she wasn't going to play this game no matter how nice this guy was. She had her mind set on just getting drunk tonight. Horses and dogs are so much safer. "Excuse me a minute, I need to talk to Jessie."

"No problem, where do you want this?" Graydon asked. He had a bottle of red wine in his hands. Marty took it and placed it on the table where other bottles had been left earlier.

"Jessie, can I speak to you in the kitchen?" Marty moved towards her, put her hands on Jessie's shoulders and pushed her into the small kitchen before she could protest.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Marty asked.

"I was trying to find you a date! Or don't you care if you ever get laid?" Jessie asked.

"Well, of course sex is important, but I'd kind of like to find my own guy. I don't even know this man!"

"No, but you know everyone else who usually comes to our parties and I thought a bit of new blood might actually interest you. You've picked over and turned down most of the guys. The ones you've actually taken to bed could be counted on one hand. So what's wrong with Graydon?"

"I don't know him!" she hissed.

"No, but you could get to know him. Talk to him. Give it a chance. Worse that could happen is that you could bore him to death with talk about horses and dogs," Jessie finished with her hands on her hips. She was getting pissed at Marty.

"You... you... oh! Okay, where did you find him?" she asked, trying to calm down and not walk straight out the door.

"He works in Dirk's office. New guy, transferred in from Idaho or Montana. Been there about a week, and Dirk likes him. Says he really knows his stuff. Has a brain and all that," Jessie was trying to calm down too. She was running her hand through her hair. "So, I had Dirk ask him to the party. He doesn't have any expectations. So relax. Just have a good time okay?"

"Fine. I just don't like having dates found for me. Let me do my own hunting, okay?"

"Okay," Jessie said as she ran her fingers through her hair again and then left the kitchen.

There was only one door and Marty looked around to grab something that might need taken out. She saw the salt and pepper shakers, and grabbed them. The last think she wanted to do at the moment was talk to Graydon. Marty put the shakers on the table, grabbed a glass of brandy and started to head out to the back yard where most of the guests were mingling. No Dirk or Graydon in sight. She found a bench under the back trellis and curled up on it.

People were bringing in more food and Jessie was beginning to fret again. Marty just sat and ignored her. She could just stew for a bit. Marty was still not feeling very party friendly, but the brandy was helping. Somewhere between the kitchen and the bench, She'd lost her scrunchy and her hair was doing it's best to take off on it's own in every direction except down. One curl kept falling right between her eyebrows. Marty tried tucking it behind her ears and it wasn't working. Her glass was empty, and the food was beginning to smell good. Marty left the bench and ventured forth for provisions.

When she returned with a full plate of food and more brandy, Marty found her bench occupied by two giggly blondes and a couple of guys from Jessie's office. She turned to try and find a new place to sit out of the way and almost ran face first into Graydon who had a plate in his hands.

"Oh! Sorry."

"No problem. I didn't mean to startle you either. Is there some place we can sit and talk?" he asked.

Although it was the last thing she wanted to do, Marty didn't feel she had much choice at that point. Marty looked around and saw that the compost bin had a decent sized lid on it and pointed in its direction.

"I think we can sit over there if you don't mind grass cuttings and apple peelings," she said.

"No, I don't mind. It looks like a table to me." He moved to set his stuff down and then took her plate as well while she settled down on top.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Marty, I wanted to apologize about earlier," he started.

Marty took a deep breath. Jessie must have ratted her out. "It's okay. I just have a bit of a temper, and I'm tired of people trying to set me up with dates." Marty took a drink of brandy and then picked up her plate.

"I understand. I'm the 'new guy' and everyone is trying to match me up too."

"Hadn't thought about it that way. Frustrating isn't it?" She took a bite of a burger.

"Yes. Almost as much as getting all the shitty jobs so that you can prove you know your stuff."

"What?" Marty asked around the half chewed mouthful.

"I don't know where you work, but when you are the new guy in the tech pool, you get all the stupid routine jobs just so that everyone can see if your resume really represents you," Graydon said.

Marty laughed. "All my jobs are 'shitty jobs' and it doesn't matter if you're the boss or the newest person there."

"What? Where do you work?" Graydon had a puzzled look on his face. He obviously thought that she worked in a cubicle like most of the people here. Dirk worked in the computer industry with a huge telecom/Internet company.

"I work at Greenwold Acres. It's a boarding kennel and stable," she said with a smile. As Marty took a drink, that unruly curl pulled free of her ear and plopped back between her eyebrows.

He laughed. Marty wasn't sure if he was laughing at her choice of work or that curl. Marty didn't care, because his laugh was infectious. She laughed too. "You really do have the shit jobs. I didn't think that any of this crowd knew anyone who actually worked outside of an office."

"That's me. Marty the oddball." She blew air up at the curl to try and move it off her face. It didn't work.

"I don't think you're so odd," he said as he reached forward to take the curl in his fingers. Graydon tucked it behind her left ear. His fingers were warm as they touched the curve of her ear.

Marty smiled. "It's okay, I'm use to being the odd one out, especially at Jessie's parties."

"Then why do you come?"

"We've known each other since high school. We use to have a lot more in common," Marty started to add something and then just let it go. She didn't need to vent her frustrations on a guy she'd just met.

"Ah, that would explain a lot. Is that why you were determined to get drunk this evening?" he asked as he pointed to her glass.

"Guilty as charged. Most people come here to find someone to screw around with if they don't have a partner. I just come for a bit of company that doesn't bark or neigh and to end up sleeping on Jessie's couch for the night," Marty said as she picked at the food on her plate and ate a bite of salad.

Graydon sat there for a minute while he ate some of his burger. Marty could tell he was trying to figure something out, but wasn't sure where he was going. She looked up towards the house and noticed that someone had turned on the stereo and people were dancing.

"How would you feel about leaving a bit early?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Marty looked at him, trying to figure him out.

"You don't want to be here. I don't want to be here. However, I'm new in town and don't know where else to spend a Saturday evening. How about you show me around. No strings, just friendly companionship."

"Yeah, but Jessie will see us leave and figure we've done exactly what she hoped for. Then I'll never live it down," Marty said in frustration.

Graydon looked around. The party had forgotten this end of the yard existed. He looked at the back fence and then turned back to Marty.

"Care to climb over the fence?"

"What? No. Besides, my coat is in the house, along with my car keys."

"Hmm... Well then. You go through the house and I'll go over the fence. What are you driving?" he asked.

"A Volvo. Why?"

"I don't have a car yet. I caught a cab over here," Graydon explained.

"Oh. Blue Volvo sedan. 240 series. I'll see you there in a few minutes," she said as she stood up and headed towards the back door. She left her plate of half eaten food on the compost bin. Rather ironic she thought.

Graydon watched Marty walk up the yard, and as she moved through the dancers, he hopped the fence. Trotting down the alley he was out onto the side street and rounding the corner before Marty had a chance to walk through the house. Graydon liked her and figured it might be easier to get to know her away from the party. He never did like crowds. Too many pretentious people. She was the first person he'd met in weeks that seemed real. Most of the women around the office reminded him of fashion dolls. All plastic, makeup and idiotic clothes. Marty had a personality that interested him.

Inside the house, Marty almost made it out the door when Dirk walked up to her.

"Where you off to Marty?" he asked.

"I'm going home. Just don't feel in the party mood. Tell Jessie I'll come by and help her clean up tomorrow," she yawned to try and make her excuse convincing.

"You two had a bit of a spat earlier. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired." Marty reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Give her my love and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye Marty," he said as he held the door.

Marty ran down the steps and headed towards her Volvo. She almost hoped that Graydon had changed his mind and she could just go home. However, there he was, sitting on the hood of her car, arms wrapped around his knees.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

"Dirk stopped me at the door and I had to give an excuse."

"Okay."

Marty fumbled the keys as she tried to unlock the door. She realized that she should have eaten more. The brandy was hitting her way too fast.

"Are you going to be okay to drive?" Graydon asked with a tinge of concern in his voice.

She looked at him, a bit annoyed that he had noticed her being a klutz with the keys. Then she thought about it. "No, I'm probably not okay to drive. Too much brandy and not enough food. Can you drive?" she asked.

"Yes. I didn't have any alcohol."

"Then you drive and I'll give directions," Marty said as she tossed him the keys. Marty headed around the front of her car and the wind caught her hair, dumping it in her face. Marty brushed it out of her eyes and realized that he'd been watching.

"There once was a girl, who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead," he started.

"And when she was good, she was very very good, and I think that I'll just be horrid," Marty finished out the rhyme.

Graydon smiled and got in behind the wheel. She was feisty and that intrigued him. The car started up for him on the first turn of the key.

Great, she thought. The car liked him. Marty got in and buckled up.

"So, where do you want to go first?" she asked. Marty was racking her brain for places to take this guy she hardly knew. Where do you take a geek on a date?

"How about someplace to eat?"

Marty looked at him like he had two heads. "What? We just left a party with enough food for thirty and you want more?"

"I didn't eat much, and neither did you. Where to?" He was stopped at a corner waiting for her to give him directions.

"Fast food or a sit down place?" Marty asked. She didn't have many choices to offer as she usually ate at the same place all the time. Marty just hoped he wasn't too picky.

"Sit down food, but nothing fancy."

"Okay, turn right and take a left at the first light."

Graydon turned and realized that the first light was probably a mile off. They were heading out of town as far as he could tell. He turned at the light and slowed down, waiting for her to speak.

Marty was thinking too hard about how he must have read her mind and spaced out until he slowed way down. It suddenly dawned on her that he didn't know where he was going. "Oh! Sorry. We have about two miles before we get to the Dirty Spoon." Marty felt herself turning red.

"The Dirty Spoon?" It was his turn to give her weird looks.

"Yes. It's really called that. It's a Mom & Pop diner that serves good food. They have a warped sense of humor, so be prepared. Oh. Turn left here." She'd almost missed the turn because she was too busy talking and looking at Graydon. Gotta slow down those thoughts....

"You weren't joking about the name," he said as he looked at the diner. It had a large spoon for a sign with what one hoped was gravy dripping off of it and the words 'Dirty Spoon' on the handle.

As they opened the car doors, smells from the kitchen wafted across the parking lot. It made her mouth water and she realized just how hungry she was. They walked up to the entrance and Graydon opened the door for her. Marty saw that the place was packed. Her normal corner was occupied. Vicky, the waitress waved them over to a booth on the far side.

"Here ya go hon. Haven't seen you in a bit. Been busy with the ponies?" she asked as she put a menu down in front of Graydon. "Gonna have yer usual?"

"Yes, it's been busy at the stables. The usual would be fine." Marty ate there often enough that they usually had her food ready before she cleared the door.

"What is your usual?" Graydon asked. "I take it you eat here a lot?"

"Oh yeah. She eats here three or four times a week," Vicky said before Marty could open her mouth.

"The usual is chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans and gravy. Iced tea to drink," Marty said once she managed to find the words. Why did she feel so odd? Must have been too much brandy. She couldn't be reacting to Graydon. He was nice looking and polite and she had just met him.

"Hmm... That sounds good. I'll have the same," Graydon said as he handed Vicky the menu.

Vicky smiled and turned towards the kitchen. "Two cluckers covered, with whips and sticks!" she shouted.

Graydon just looked at her and started to laugh. Marty was turning red in the face, because although she'd warned him that they were odd, it was still embarrassing until you got used to it. Vicky breezed by with iced teas and silverware and was gone again before they could even say thanks.

"You said they were different. I just didn't expect to warp back into the Fifties. I take it you don't bring Jessie and Dirk down here too often," he said as he looked around. The diner was a Naugahyde, chrome and neon dream. The Henry's had refitted it to look like the diner had when it was first built in the early Fifties.

"Oh no! They love the food, but would never be caught dead in here. It just isn't posh enough. They have been known though to have me pick up food for them and bring it over. Especially breakfast. Ma Henry makes the best biscuits and gravy." Marty dunked her lemon slice into the tea and took a sip.

"Alright. Next question. Why do you eat here so often? Not the domestic type?" he asked.

"Well, I try to be, but I'm always running late. So, it's easier to stop here and eat and then head to work. And most nights by the time I get done with the horses, I'm too tired to cook. If I don't eat here, I stop at a pizza place near the house. I can cook, just never have the time." As soon as Marty said it, she knew it sounded daft, but it was the truth. "I'm organized at work and around other people, but when I get home, I turn into a grade A space case."

Graydon just smiled. "We all have to have our down time. When I get home, I park in front of my computer and the next thing I know, my tea is cold and the clock says 2am."

He was about to say something more when Vicky came with their plates. Right behind him was Ma Henry. It said so right on her name tag.

"Well, I guess I owe you a dollar Vicky. I didn't believe you when you said our Marty brought a date in with her," Ma Henry said with a smile.

"He's not a date Ma, just a friend," Marty said trying to salvage what was left of her dignity.

Ma Henry gave Marty that look that said she thought Marty was full of it and then smiled at Graydon. "You just make sure you take care of our Marty. She's a good girl. Best person I ever saw with a dog or horse. Keeps our Kenny every summer while we go on vacation. Wouldn't leave him with anyone else." Ma Henry looked back at the door of the kitchen and let out a whistle that would stop a train. From the kitchen, they could hear the click of nails on the floor. The door bucked and a brindled Great Dane came loping out into the dining room. He saw Marty and woofed. Next thing she knew, he was up in the booth with Marty, dropping his head on top of hers with a sigh.