2: Easily Fooled

She had run for about half an hour when she decided to take a detour to the town's flower garden. It was a vast clearing where many town folks came to plant flowers every other month, and the city council ensure the place was weeded and watered occasionally. That spot was initially a showground, before the wild attack that happened, claiming more than five hundred men, women, and children. Kelly's brother being one of them. According to the records, a group of wild wolves had raided the town. But to Kelly's parents and other hunters, they knew it was a pack of wolves that did the massacre. Kelly came there when she needed to think of her big brother.  Not a day goes by,  that she doesn't blame herself for his demise. She had been a spoilt eleven-year-old who forced her brother to take her to the annual show. And Richard being a typical teenager, fifteen years old, dragged his girlfriend Liana along. As luck would have it, Liana had taken Kelly to the washrooms when the damn wolves raided the showground killing everyone in their view. 

Kelly shook her head trying to dispel the painful memories. She walked to the spot where she had last seen Richard alive. At what used to be a condog parlor. She bent and picked one of the many tulips she had planted over the years in his memory. She sniffed it absentmindedly, staring at nothingness. Just then her phone began ringing it was her mother inviting her and Timothy over for a late dinner. Kelly sighed thinking it was about time she told her mother what an undeserving prick Timothy was. No doubt she will be disappointed with Kelly being  once again, and it probably won't be the last time.

Kelly turned to leave and bumped into someone. A familiar someone. "You," she hesitated thinking there was no way it was a coincidence. She narrowed her watchful gaze. "Are you stalking me?" Charles' breath hitched but his facials didn't betray him.

"Of course not!" He feigned offense taking a few steps back. "Why the hell would I stalk you?" He asked incredulously, wrinkling his forehead. Kelly just stared without batting an eye waiting for an explanation. 

"I was visiting someone," he offered softly making Kelly raise her brows. "I was born in this very town, you know?" 

"No  I don't," Kelly retorted as a matter of fact. Afraid to blow his cover, Charles concocted a story of his imaginary family who died during a wild attack. He had definitely done his homework on the small town's history. He told her that his father was among the circus players in the show. Of course, there were people like that in the show which made Kelly believe him.

"I am sorry," she apologized. Charles shrugged it off claiming he understood her wariness and if he was in her shoes he would have behaved the same. That got them talking and he asked what she was doing there and she surprised him by saying her brother was among the victims also. Charles took in a rushed breath. It would explain why Kelly's father went feral on his pack. It had hit close to him. But what none of the hunters knew, was that it was a rogue pack that did the unthinkable. And it definitely didn't warrant the retaliation on the innocent werewolves who fall into hunters' traps. 

"I gotta go," she announced. 

"Why the rush?" He quizzed lightly. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her security just a short distance away. He reminded himself to be patient against his beasty nature.

"Dinner with folks," Kelly replied with a sigh. 

"Oh oh.." He chuckled, 

"What?" She frowned.

"Your tone suggests it's a dinner you would rather not partake in." He responded. 

"You couldn't have been more right." She told him of her parents' expectations and surprisingly he offered to be her plus one to get her mother off her back. He claimed he was having the same problem with his grandmother who doesn't want to die before she sees him settle down. That of course got him gaining points with her. 

Unknowingly, Kelly had invited danger to her parents' doorstep.

*******

Kelly was surprised at how easily taken her parents were with Charles. Unlike the disappointment she had expected from her mother after hearing about Timothy,  Martha couldn't have been warmer. She spared no praises for the dashing fellow that is Charles. Kelly had never seen her that way around any of the men she had dated before and had no difficulty pointing it out.  Martha shrugged saying it was because of Charles' effect on Kelly. Both Robert and Martha swore Kelly had never looked more radiant. 

Feeling that she owed Charles one for saving her ass, Kelly agreed to go on a date with him come the following day. Charles couldn't contain his happiness. Just not for the reason Kelly thought. She ended up giving him her cell contact for easier coordination.

***********

The first person Kelly met at work the following morning was her noisy best friend Liana. After the horrors they had both witnessed at a young age, it wasn't surprising the two stuck with each other. Coming out of the toilets to find a bloody bloodbath with human flesh scattering everywhere can bond two people for life.

"You look different," Liana observed with a thoughtful stare. "Cheerful even." Kelly just smiled mischievously giving nothing out.

"I guess we are over Timothy then," Liana let out a relieved sigh drawing a rich full belly laughter from Kelly. 

"Timo who?" Kelly milked it making her friend more curious. But Liana didn't push. She knew at her own time Kelly will blurt it out without a qualm about it. If there was someone who truly knew how Kelly's mind worked, then it was Liana. 

As cliche as it could get, the two women worked together in the bank. Liana had taken a day off the day before.

 They both came from well-to-do families and they felt the need to give back to society. Partially because they were among the few survivors. And the bank is owned by the town people, for the town people. The employees who take jobs there work with little to no pay. It's almost like volunteer work. That particular bank is the reason many businesses are standing in their small town. From lending loans to buying shares, all to help the town folk build better infrastructure. In return, more and more tourists kept flocking to the town to enjoy the vast undisturbed nature and the rooted tradition. 

"Not her again," Kelly grumbled watching their most difficult customer approach the counter. Apart from the fact that she was old, Mrs. Donatella was a stubborn creature of habit. Not that she was rude or anything, just that she likes her things done in a certain way and with a certain pace. "Mrs. Donatella," Kelly plastered her baby-kissing smile in place. 

"Kelly my dear,"  she called warmly. "How are you?"  Kelly returned her salutations with the same energy before Mrs. Donatella turned to Liana with the same demeanor. And then the long-stalling-on-a-simple-task bullshit began. After what felt like an eternity, Mrs. Donatella left a very happy woman. Like usual.

"I swear you are taking her next time," Kelly threatened with a mock growl. Liana just smirked knowing very well she would fake a heart attack to get out of the torture, that is assisting Mrs. Donatella. 

Hours dragged by and their shift came to an end. As is their habit, the two women dropped by Madras Café for a whip-creamed latte and the infamous chocolate chip cookies. They had barely sat when Kelly's phone began ringing. She begrudgingly put the delicious pastry down and fetched her phone from the handbag. It was a new number but she had an inkling of who it might be. A small smile curved at the corners of her mouth as she picked it up.

"Kelly speaking," her whole face brightened at the sound of the velvety voice on the other head of the phone. Liana paused in her munching and just stared at her friend. Whoever she was talking with must have made an impression, for Kelly to sprout that simpleton grin. 

"Mmmh, I can not complain," Kelly answered followed by a loud chuckle at Charles' observation of their small town having little to no privacy. He told her how he had caught his new neighbors spying on him shamelessly. 

"Just tell me where to meet you," she insisted after Charles said that he wanted to know where to pick her up for dinner. After agreeing on the venue and time, Kelly hung up. She froze wide-eyed to find Liana staring at her expectantly. "That is… it was… mmh…"

"You don't have to tell me if you are not ready," Liana laughed. In as much as she was dying to know the man behind her friend's cute blushes, Liana understood the concept of being entitled to one's privacy. 

"I promise I will tell you," Kelly argued earnestly. "I am afraid it's still too early to tell, I might jinx it up." She added quickly. 

"It's okay, El," Liana assured with a kind smile, making Kelly feel bad for withholding Charles' identity. "This is our first date," she continued. "I am not sure if the guy is interested in me that way." 

"Of course, he is," Liana exclaimed, seemingly offended by Kelly's doubt in herself. "You are a trophy, gal." 

"If there is a second date then you will definitely hear about him," Kelly promised with conviction.

"I don't doubt that," Liana laughed. "I am sure you will be dying to share tonight's deets and we both know you can't stand anyone else." She sassed picking up her cookie and continued munching making the suggestive noises. 

Kelly realized that her heart was beating faster than usual. She was nervous and anxious at the same time. Perhaps because she didn't know what to expect. After Timothy, she had kinda stopped jumping with both feet in.