Wait! Werewolves Exist?
Chapter 17

AMBER.

Arriving at the restaurant, I let Becky know I was meeting someone and asked if Ellie was around. She told me that her mum would be in a little later and showed me to a table. Becky seemed a little bit unsure how to speak to me today. As if she was choosing her words carefully. Strange, she had been really friendly and easygoing yesterday. I didn’t have time to dwell on that, though, as Mr Daniels arrived and came over to join me. He ordered a coffee and politely refused the menu that Becky offered him.

“Miss James, It’s lovely to see you again.” He began taking a drink of his coffee. “It’s nice to see you too, but it’s Amber” I reminded him. He smiled and pulled a thick, padded envelope out of his briefcase. “Well Amber, I was left very strict instructions to follow in the event of Ms James’s passing.” He began to explain “If you had stayed in the city or gone somewhere else, i was never to deliver this to you. However, if you were to find your way to Lakeside, I was to deliver it by hand. So here I am.” I took the envelope that he was now holding out to me. He finished his coffee and asked me to walk him to his car. “There is a second part to the delivery you see.” I let Becky know I would be back shortly, and we left.

As we walked to the car park together, he asked me how things were going and if I liked it here. I assured him that I did, that I was already feeling at home here. He seemed pleased to hear that. We reached his car, and he pulled a sealed box from the back seat and handed it to me. We said our goodbyes, and he drove away. The box was pretty heavy. I was glad that I’d decided to drive down as I wasn’t sure what the delivery would be. I locked my car back up after putting the box inside and headed back to the restaurant to eat.

Ellie was there when I returned. “Back again?” she joked “you’ve been here more often than Becky, and she gets paid to be here.” She gave me a big cheery smile. I laughed but made a mental note to go food shopping tomorrow. I couldn’t just eat out every day, as good as the food was. I decided to wait until I got home to open the envelope. Relaxing into my chair, I gazed around at some of the other customers. The group of men from last night were in again, but they were less rowdy this time. They were just laughing and joking. There were two older women who were deep in what seemed to be an intense conversation sat at a table on the other side of the restaurant. A young family was sat in a booth. I smiled watching the couple play with their young child while they waited for their food. The mum looked up, and our eyes met for a moment. She looked away nervously. I didn’t mean to make her uncomfortable.

Ellie was there when I returned. “Back again?” she joked “you’ve been here more often than Becky, and she gets paid to be here.” She gave me a big cheery smile. I laughed but made a mental note to go food shopping tomorrow. I couldn’t just eat out every day, as good as the food was. I decided to wait until I got home to open the envelope. Relaxing into my chair, I gazed around at some of the other customers. The group of men from last night were in again, but they were less rowdy this time. They were just laughing and joking. There were two older women who were deep in what seemed to be an intense conversation sat at a table on the other side of the restaurant. A young family was sat in a booth. I smiled watching the couple play with their young child while they waited for their food. The mum looked up, and our eyes met for a moment. She looked away nervously. I didn’t mean to make her uncomfortable.

Ellie came and took my order. She thanked me again for helping out. “It was no problem” I told her before asking “Ellie, could I ask you a huge favour? Would I be able to bring some photos that I found to show you? Or maybe when you have time, you could stop by the house for a coffee and take a look at them for me. I was just hoping you could tell me a little bit about them.” Ellie smiled kindly. “Of course, sweetheart, it would be my pleasure, and coffee sounds lovely. Would tomorrow lunchtime be OK?” I nodded eagerly, and she left to seat a group of teenage girls that just come in.

I could hear the girls talking excitedly about some event that they were clearly all looking forward to. I smiled a little, hearing them talk about what they would wear and how they would style their hair. I was reminded of the nights Kim had slept over during high school, and we’d sat up all night talking about clothes and boys, etc. I felt a pang in my chest. I hadn’t even heard from her. I had blocked Chris’s number days ago but hadn’t bothered blocking hers as she hadn’t tried calling. I had thought we were friends, best friends, and she had betrayed me. Worse than the actual betrayal, though, was that she had never apologised or tried to explain.

I was startled by a man setting a plate down in front of me. “Sorry miss, I didn’t mean to scare you.” His voice was soft and warm. I looked up, and my eyes met his. “You didn’t. My mind was miles away” I smiled. His green eyes narrowed slightly, and he had a puzzled look on his face. “I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Adam.” I held out my hand for him to shake. “Hi, I’m Amber. I’m new to town.” He shook my hand, and his body stiffened slightly. He seemed to be waiting for something. I wasn’t sure what to say next. Ellie called him, and he left. That was a little awkward, I thought as I tucked into my food.

I was startled by a man setting a plate down in front of me. “Sorry miss, I didn’t mean to scare you.” His voice was soft and warm. I looked up, and my eyes met his. “You didn’t. My mind was miles away” I smiled. His green eyes narrowed slightly, and he had a puzzled look on his face. “I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Adam.” I held out my hand for him to shake. “Hi, I’m Amber. I’m new to town.” He shook my hand, and his body stiffened slightly. He seemed to be waiting for something. I wasn’t sure what to say next. Ellie called him, and he left. That was a little awkward, I thought as I tucked into my food.

The girls were still talking loudly, but the things they were saying were making less sense. They were talking about dancing, and then one said how she was looking forward to the moonlight run but was nervous about shifting for the first time. The others were reassuring her that they would help her through it. One told her it would hurt at first, but once she relaxed into the transformation, the pain would stop. I couldn’t make sense of it. Maybe I should ask Ellie about that tomorrow, too.

Yawning, I paid the bill and told Ellie I would see her tomorrow. I noticed Adam looking at me strangely as I left. He was hot but odd. I thought as I walked back to my car. Getting home, I went straight to bed. The package could wait until morning.