Underdogs The First Stories

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"How'd she take it?" Ari asked.

"Pissed at first," Dale said. "But she understood why you did it. Rebecca called her and they're planning a big night out next weekend so she can get to know Alicia. The important thing, for us anyway, is that she agreed to pay us the original amount. All three days of surveillance."

Ari clapped her hands from where she lay on the waiting room couch. "Yay. Almost makes it worth eating dog food."

Dale wrinkled her nose. "The things you do for a paycheck."

"That's nothing. This was actually an easy case. Speaking of slimy things, did you get a chance to listen to any of the stuff we got from Bird Maintenance?"

"I listened to it yesterday. Interesting stuff. He wants to set up interviews, but he told his office manager to be sure they didn't get someone who might 'pull the same shit.'"

"Meaning?"

"No one who will get pregnant. He actually showed a preference for, his words and not mine, uggos and fatties."

Ari rolled her eyes. "I'm going to enjoy nailing this a*shole."

"Some things are better than getting a paycheck. We can focus on that tomorrow. You've had a long day. How's..." She tapped her forehead.

"Settled for the most part. I'm completely me again. For better or for worse."

Dale smiled and turned back to her computer. She typed a few more words and then leaned back in her chair. She looked at the frosted glass of their office door and said, "Can I ask you a personal question? About the thing you told me, about Evangeline?"

"You may ask, I might not answer."

"Fair enough." She hesitated, debating how to phrase her question. "You were a canidae most of the time. How could it have been a fully consensual relationship if you were barely in your right mind?"

"I made the agreement when I was myself. Evangeline probably did take advantage of me, but we both benefited from the arrangement. You could say that I was taking advantage of her by staying in her house and eating her food. And when I was done, I just walked away with a pocketful of her money. If anyone got used in that relationship, I'd say it was her." She pushed herself up and rested her arms on her knees. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Might not answer."

Ari dipped her chin to acknowledge it. "Why were you in a diner in the middle of the night waiting for me to show up? There was a chance I wouldn't be able to get out of the apartment until morning."

"But there was a chance you would. And it's a good thing I was waiting."

"Okay. Why did you stay in the office with me the night before last? I could have locked up. I didn't need you babysitting me."

Dale shrugged. "I was already up. It seemed silly to go all the way home just to come back in an hour."

Ari pursed her lips and said, "And how long has Lisa been gone?"

Dale's fingers froze over the keyboard and she shrugged. "I don't know. Not long."

"How empty does your apartment feel?"

Dale leaned back in her chair and looked down at the floor.

Ari pushed herself up and walked to Dale's desk. "You deserve someone better than that. Someone who will treat you better. We both do." She bent down and kissed Dale's forehead. "You're a good person, Dale. You deserve to be loved."

Dale ducked her chin lower and wiped at her cheeks. "Look who's talking." She squeezed Ari's hand and leaned back in her chair. "Go home. You deserve to sleep in your own bed tonight."

Ari took Dale's hand and pulled her up. "Only if you go, too. Come on, we've both had a lot of long nights. Time to take one night off."

Dale sighed and let herself be pulled up. She put her computer to sleep and took her jacket off the back of her chair. "Since you're dragging me out into the real world, how about we get some dinner?"

"I'm dying for some Chinese."

"Will you buy?"

Ari rolled her eyes and let Dale lead the way out of the office. "Why do I always have to pay just because I'm the boss?"

"Because you sign my paychecks. When I pay for dinner, it's like I'm just reimbursing you."

"Semantics."

"Lead the way, Dale."

Ari shut off the office light and locked the door. She followed Dale outside and breathed deep. Dale was right; it would be nice to sleep in her own bed for a change. But first, she had to settle the craving Alicia and Rebecca had given her; she could almost taste the egg drop soup. She zipped up her coat and hurried to catch up with Dale.





End





Down Girl





Ari's dreams were full of half-naked and fully-naked women, glistening body parts, and a dance. Her clothes were torn from her by eager hands, and her body was covered by soft, wet kisses that sent shivers up and down her spine. A loud buzzing jerked her back into the real world, and she woke facedown in bed, straddling a pillow with her panties rolled down to her thighs. She was dripping with sweat, aching for orgasm. She bit her lip and gripped the pillow with both hands, grinding against it until she came with a sigh of release. Then she finally reached over and shut off the alarm clock that had so rudely interrupted her.

She flopped onto her back and pushed her hair out of her face. "Shit. Not again."

Ari kicked her blankets the rest of the way off the bed, tugged her underwear back into place, and put her feet on the floor. Her cell phone was on the nightstand and she flipped it open, accessing the date book function. It was Monday the fourteenth, and she mentally blocked off the next seven days as completely lost to her.

Ari stood up and dialed Dale's number. She was standing in front of the bathroom sink when the ringing stopped. "Bitches Investigations."

"It's me. I can't come in today. I need to take some time off." She opened the medicine cabinet. She sighed; she was well-stocked to deal with her time of the month, but all the pads in the world couldn't help her now. Her period had been the first warning sign, but it had been so long... She still kicked herself for not taking the hint and put herself into a coma. A good hard knock on the head could have saved herself a lot of the grief she was sure awaited her in the next few days.

Dale was still considering the request. "Normally I wouldn't say anything and hope you felt better, but... um, how long do you think you'll need?"

"A week."

Dale laughed. "That's not going to work, Ari."

"Sure it will. It's been slow. We can shut down for a week and pick up again when we're feeling better. We don't have any outstanding cases."

"Right, it's been slow. But the bills keep coming in. We haven't had a paying client in almost a month. The coffers are running low--"

Ari went back into the bedroom. "Do we have actual coffers?"

"We have a coffee can, Ari. And when I shake it, I can hear the pennies rattling. And it's for that very reason I don't want to put off the potential client who called yesterday."

"Right. Damn, I forgot about that." Ari remembered how excited Dale had been, and relieved. Now she knew why. "Dale, I'm sorry. I didn't realize how stressed the business side of business has been for you lately. I'll come in."

Dale sighed. "No, you know, if you're really not feeling well--"

"I'm coming in. If we tell the client we have to put her off for a week, she'll just go to one of the other agencies. We need the cash. If it'll take a burden off of you, then I'm willing to suffer a little bit."

"How little are we talking about? If doing this just makes your problem worse, puts you out of commission for longer, then maybe we should err on the side of caution."

"It's fine. I'll explain when I get into the office." She sat on the edge of her bed. "Thanks for reminding me about the client meeting, Dale. I'd be lost without you."

Dale chuckled. "See you soon, Ari."

She hung up and dropped the phone on the bed. Hopefully whatever the client wanted her to do would be possible without bringing the wolf into the equation. If she just kept human form, it wouldn't be so bad. She stripped out of her nightclothes as she went back into the bathroom and pushed the shower curtain out of the way. The sweat had dried on her skin and she felt filthy. She turned on the water as cold as she could stand it and shivered as she ducked her head under the spray. It was going to be a long, long week.





#





Ari wore in a white T-shirt under a black vest and a pair of pinstripe suit pants. She liked dressing up for the clients, since she so often ended up in torn jeans and old faded T-shirts when she was working. She'd even gone to the trouble of doing her hair and putting on a pair of horn-rimmed glasses. The reflection in the bathroom mirror had been more of 'sexy librarian' than 'professional businesswoman,' but she figured the look worked for her.

Dale whistled as Ari came into the office. "Very nice, Ms. Willow. I do love when you dress up for a client."

"Yeah, yeah. What time am I supposed to meet with this person? I don't even remember her name."

Dale held out a memo slip. "Piper Robinson. She'll be waiting for you at the Pluto Bar and Grill at noon."

"Her name is Piper?"

"What's your point, Ariadne?"

Ari shrugged and stuck the note into the pocket of her slacks. Dale was examining her, a line of worry appearing between her eyebrows.

"Are you sure you're okay? You do look a little peaked."

Ari cleared her throat. "I'm fine, for the most part." She considered lying, but Dale knew everything else about her life. Why should this be different? "There is something I need to tell you, though. It's kind of personal."

Dale scoffed. "I've seen you buck-naked countless times, Ari. I think we're past that." She pushed back her chair and followed Ari into the inner office. She took a seat on the couch, obviously bracing herself for bad news. "So there is something wrong."

Ari closed the door and took off her glasses. "Not necessarily. I just can't transform for the next few days. And it would be better for everyone if I just spent this week at my apartment." Ari leaned against her desk and crossed her arms. "I haven't brought this up before because it's not exactly on a set schedule. It's been almost eight years since it happened the last time, so I was just hoping it wouldn't be an issue." She cleared her throat. "Sometimes, after my period, my canidae side goes through something similar. I go into heat."

Dale's eyes widened and she tried to hide her smile. "Really."

"It's not funny, Dale." She rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. "Okay, I guess it's not the worst thing in the world. But if I become the wolf and black out, there's no telling what I might do. The last time I wolfed out while I was in heat, I came to in a shelter with about eleven male dogs trying to knock down the fences trying to get to me. So I'm just going to stay bipedal, stay indoors, and prevent any possible mishaps."

"Wow. I've had a few regrettable evenings, but that would be a new one."

Ari managed a smile. "I can't tell you how many nightmares I've had about waking up pregnant with a litter of puppies."

Dale laughed. "So everything is okay otherwise? I mean, you're not ill or--"

"I don't know. It's basically like I'm having a two-week period."

Dale's humor faded. "Oh, God. I feel for you, hon."

Ari smiled. "Thanks. It shouldn't be too big a deal. I've gone a week without transforming before, it's just the fact that I can't change that makes it seem like an ordeal."

"Have you really gone a week without changing before?"

"Yeah." Ari was suddenly unsure. "I'm certain I have. I'll go and speak with the client and convince her that we're the agency for her. I won't need the wolf for that. Hopefully it's something we can manage as regular, mundane people. We don't advertise the wolf, so it's not like she'll be expecting it. We'll be fine."

"Famous last words. But if you're willing to work, then I'll be here for you."

"What else is new?" Ari pushed away from the desk and hugged Dale. "Thanks for always being here for me."

"Any time, Ari. You know that."

Dale was wearing a thin blouse and a black skirt, and Ari was suddenly very aware of her friend's curves. The fullness of her breasts, the way her cheek felt against Ari's neck. Ari's lips parted and she breathed in, almost tasting the sweet perfume of Dale's scent. She turned her head and kissed Dale's neck, sliding her lips up to Dale's earlobe and gently biting down on it.

"Uh, Ari..."

Ari's hands slid down to the curve of Dale's ass, squeezing it and thrusting her hips forward as she groaned.

Dale squirmed away from her and gently eased Ari's hands away from her. "Easy. I have to file any sexual harassment complaints with you, and that would just be awkward."

"Sorry." Ari retreated, putting the desk between her and Dale. "I don't know what came over me."

"Maybe a little bleed-through from the wolf going into heat?"

Ari shook her head. "No, that's doesn't happen." Usually. She remembered the unusually vivid dreams that had plagued her all night. God, like anything could actually make this experience worse. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"You don't have to go that far. Just give a girl some warning next time." She winked and went back out to her desk, leaving Ari's office door open behind her.

Ari dropped into her seat and exhaled. She rested her hands on her thighs and spun the chair to look out the window. She and Dale had been friends for a long time and, despite recently dipping their toes in the water of becoming something more, Ari wasn't sure she wanted to dive off that cliff. Girlfriends came and went, literally in some cases, but Dale was a constant in her life. If they tried something and had to break up, it would throw her entire life into a tailspin. It would be worse than starting over.

Of course, there was a chance that it could work out. But it was hardly worth calculating.

Ari realized that she was cupping her crotch with one hand, idly masturbating through her pants while her mind wandered. "Shit." She jerked her hands away and turned back toward the desk, resting both hands on the blotter. She closed her eyes and straightened her back, rolled her shoulders, and took a series of long, slow breaths. She wasn't going to let this damn biological glitch get in the way of living her life and doing her job. Maybe fresh air would help.

She stood up and put her glasses back on. She picked up her blazer as she headed out the door. "I'm going to walk to Pluto's. Hopefully the fresh air will do me good."

"Okay. Call if you need a ride."

Mm, I'll give you a ride, baby. Ari shook the thought from her head before it was fully formed. "Will-do." She waved over her shoulder as she hastily retreated.





#





A cozy restaurant made up the front half of Pluto Bar and Grill, with white walls and stark black accents. The tables were set up for lunch, but they did more business with the dinner crowd and only a handful of the tables were taken. All the booths were empty, and Ari walked past them to the dim bar that ran along the back of the building. She had left her name with the hostess and told her she was waiting for someone. The bartender smiled as she took a seat, making his way over to her before she was even settled on the stool.

"What can I get for you?"

"Just a fizzy water, please."

He nodded and filled a glass, placing it in front of her with a napkin. She sipped the drink as he returned to what he'd been doing on the other side of the bar.

She was a little early for the meeting, but she'd grown sick of walking. It was a warm day, so the sheer amount of flesh revealed by short shorts, skirts, tank tops and sundresses had been almost torturous to her. She was starting to wonder about her conviction over whether or not the wolf going into heat had some bleed-through. Maybe she was suffering from the effects even without transforming. Whatever was happening, there was no way she'd risk a blackout while in her canidae form. Too many chances for something to go terribly wrong. Maybe getting laid by a human would sate the need enough that she could function.

"Ariadne Willow?"

She turned toward the woman who had spoken, her voice tentative and unsure. Ari's eyes widened behind her glasses. The woman wore a cream-colored skirt and a blouse that almost matched the color exactly. The two items of clothing were separated by a thick leather belt. She had a purse slung over one shoulder, clutched tightly against her side like it was a security blanket. Her red hair was loose around her plain but attractive face, her green eyes wide and hopeful. Her mouth was open, just a little, in anticipation of speaking again.

Ari spread her legs unconsciously as she turned to face her fully. "That's me. Ari."

The woman smiled in relief. "Hello. I'm Piper Robinson. Uh, Piper." She held out her hand.

Ari hesitated at the flesh-on-flesh contact, but she covered it with a smile and took Piper's hand. The skin was warm and slightly clammy from the heat outside, but Ari didn't mind. She slipped off the stool, bringing her into Piper's personal space for a far too brief a moment. "Let's have a seat over here."

She guided Piper to one of the bar's tables, which stood next to a pass-through so they could see into the restaurant. Ari gently rested a hand on Piper's elbow, an innocent gesture that almost made her squirm. Piper sat with her back to the door, and Ari took the seat opposite her with a comforting smile.

"What can I help you with, Piper?"

She shifted uncomfortably and looked over her shoulder. The bartender lifted his head in a silent question, and Ari made a motion for two fizzy waters. He nodded and filled the glasses before bringing them over. "Let me know if I can get you ladies anything else."

"Thank you." Piper took a long drink and situated her glass on the napkin. "Have you ever kept something a secret for so long that it seems almost impossible to say it out loud?"

Ari smiled. "Yes, definitely. You don't have to worry about confidentiality, Mrs. Robinson. Whatever you tell me, I'll keep in the strictest confidence."

"Well, you'll still know. And even one other person knowing--"

"Might help take the burden off of your shoulders."

Piper nodded slowly, staring at the bubbles in her drink. "My husband is cheating on me."

"Is he blind?" The words slipped out before Ari could stop them. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I apologize. That was unprofessional of me."

"It's all right." She was smiling a little, at least, but it faded as she went back to her problem. "It's hardly the first time. The first time I caught him, he told me it was just a fling and didn't mean anything. It was strange. I remember thinking that it would have been better if it did mean something. But he risked what we had for... what, a quick roll in the hay?" She pressed her lips together. "He promised it wouldn't happen again. But I found the receipts for a local hotel when he was supposed to be out of town, and I've seen the text messages from anonymous numbers. After a while I guess I just decided as long as he came back home to me, it didn't matter what he did elsewhere. "

"What changed your mind?"

"He wants to leave me for someone else. I'm not a vindictive woman, Ms. Willow, but my husband has never allowed me to work. If he files for divorce, I'll be left with nothing. I'll have to leave our house and live in some little apartment..." Her voice cracked. "But if I can file first, with proof that he strayed outside the marriage, then I'll have grounds to make a few demands before I let him go. Alimony and support, that sort of thing."

"The text messages and receipts aren't enough?"

"He stopped leaving those things around once he decided to cut me loose. I need proof, Ms. Willow. However you would go about doing that..." She opened her purse and withdrew a much-worried manila envelope. The corners had been wrinkled and folded so many times that they resembled the edges of a pie crust. She placed the packet on the table between them. "That's a list of places he goes, about what time you can find him there." She brushed at her cheek with the back of one hand. "There are some pictures of him, too, so you'll know what he looks like."

Ari picked up the packet and moved it closer, a tacit sign of accepting the case.

"I didn't know how much to expect to pay..."

"We can work that out later. Is there a deadline for this?"

"I'm not sure. As soon as possible. He's been spending more and more time with his mistress, and I think he's contacting lawyers. I called someone about representing me, and he was very careful about suggesting it would be a conflict of interests."

Ari winced. "That's a bad sign. I'll get on this immediately." She figured a simply sneak-and-peek wouldn't be too terrible. She could plant a few of her listening toys and sit safely out in her car while the machinery did all the hard work. They stood up together and Ari offered her hand to Piper. They shook again, and Piper's hand seemed to have cooled since her arrival.

"If there's anything I can do in the meantime," Ari said. Like take you back to my apartment, rip off your clothes, and show you how a woman ought to be treated. She cleared her throat.

"Just agreeing to take the case has been a load off my mind. And for listening. You're right. It really did help me a lot."

"I'm glad. I'll be in touch when I have something to report."

Piper thanked her again, and Ari went to the bar to pay for their drinks. The bartender's hand brushed her palm as he handed back her change. "Everything okay? It looked pretty intense over there."

"Everything's fine." She noticed the way his uniform shirt hung, the tightness of the material across his shoulders. If he shaved and maybe let his hair grow out a little... She realized what she was doing and pushed away from the bar with a start. If she was ogling a man, then something was definitely wrong. "Uh, yeah. Fine. Thank you."

She hurried out of the bar like her tail was on fire.