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Three months later...
“Yes. I packed enough underwear. The matching bras too. Hold on, Mom, I have another call,” Cora grunted as she juggled her carry-on suitcase, laptop bag, purse, travel coffee mug, and cell phone down the steps of her apartment building in Weehawken, New Jersey where she’d been renting a studio for the past several months.
“Hello?” She said as she reached the bottom step. Now if she could only make it to her tiny, compact car without incident.
“Cora, it’s me. Won’t you reconsider leaving? What about us?” The sound of a familiar tear-filled voice reached her ears and she rolled her eyes. Why today of all days?
She sighed and closed her eyes. Despite what everyone said, Cora was not one of those women who gushed over men who cried in relationships. Darren was a crier. Not a soulful, teary eyed sexy crier. A snot dripping, mouth open, whiny man baby crier who gave her the heebie-jeebies.
“Darren, for the last time. There is no us. We had dinner. That’s all it was.”
“Twice, Cora, we had dinner twice, and I was ready to move forward, to take you to meet my mother. Doesn’t that mean anything?”
Yes, she thought to herself. It means you’re nuts.
Two dinner dates, one where they split the bill and the other she’d completely paid for when he conveniently forgot his wallet. That wasn’t even what put her off.
She’d realized immediately that behind his big blue eyes was a giant baby man who was looking for a surrogate mother since his decided he should leave the nest at the ripe old age of thirty-eight. Yikes.
“I need to go now, Darren. Please don’t call me again,” she clicked the line over to her own mother before she could even respond to his sputtered wait.
“Cora? Who was that?” Demanded her mom.
“Nobody, Mom. I’m getting in the car now.”
“But what about chewing gum? Did you pack any for the plane?”
“Yes, Mom. I’ll call you when I land, okay?”
“Okay, sweetie. Be safe. And if the client you’re going to meet happens to be nice and single maybe say yes to dinner before you shoot him down?”
She couldn’t resist rolling her eyes at the hopeful notes in her mother’s voice. Matchmaking was her mother’s new favorite hobby and it was driving her nuts.
“Mom, I told you I want to concentrate on my career. Merlin Banking Solutions has been great to me and I’m on track to get a good promotion if I do well with this account.”
“I know, but your father and I were so happy, I just want the same for you,” her mother’s voice took on that whispery sentimental quality like it always did when she talked about Cora’s late father.
Carmen and Viktor Tesouro had a great marriage. Full of love and laughter. They were childhood sweethearts, married right out of high school. Fated Mates.
They’d told her a million times about that special bond that sometimes occurred between two Shifters. Rare and treasured in the supernatural world, Cora understood how lucky her parents had been, but she also knew the devastating effects losing one’s mate could have on the surviving partner.
Her Dad had died at the hands of an illegal hunt ten years ago and Cora’s mother had lived in a comatose-like state for months after his death. She’d clung to life for her daughter alone, but even then it took eighteen months before she had finally left the house. A teenager, unable to deal with her mother’s absence or heal her heartbreak, Cora had been sent away to school.
Now, Carmen was almost back to her normal self, but it was a bit late to be the worried parent. Not that Cora held any grudges against her beautiful, frail mother. She was happy to see her succeed. She just didn’t have time for it all right now.
Besides, Carmen had her women’s groups and Church. And Cora. She fussed and worried over her only daughter to the point of making Cora nuts, but she tolerated it. Just.
Parking her sensible four door sedan in the long-term lot at Newark international airport, Cora locked the doors and grabbed a trolley for her things. She’d packed for a week but knew full well she could be gone for twice that.
This was one of the perks of her job as an account specialist. Traveling around the globe on the company dime! Not that she took advantage. Cora had worked hard to earn her position by utilizing her mastery of mathematical algorithms to help keep the bank’s customers accounts happy and healthy.
After a few years in the pits, as they called the first two floors where lower level employees worked, she’d been promoted to specialist. Travelling to far off destinations she’d never have the opportunity to visit otherwise was something she had only ever dreamed about.
Now she did it about once a month. At first, she’d taken a job in their London office, but after realizing she’d be globetrotting, she decided to keep the states as her home base. So far the things she’d seen and places she’d visited had been awesome.
Last month, she had gone to Romania to help a recently revived Ancient, a Vampire who’d been asleep for over three hundred years, get his accounts in working order.
He was a wonderful older gentleman and she’d thoroughly enjoyed working for him and getting to know his grandchildren. The three youngsters were coming into their Vampirism and needed guidance since their parents had perished in a plane crash caused by a terrible engine fire.
Vampires were nearly indestructible, but with her limited knowledge, she knew fire was one of the few things that could permanently kill the reclusive supernaturals.
Gregor Lazar’s grandchildren had followed his instructions for his reawakening to perfection. They were surprisingly kind and not at all out for their grandfather’s money as she’d suspected upon her arrival.
After teaching him to use the highly advanced computer system, with all its magical firewalls courtesy if Draco Fortis, Mr. Lazar was able to access and control all aspects of his vast fortune.
The trip had taken all of the expected seven days she’d designated. Cora had left with that satisfied feeling of a job well done. It was the coming home to an empty apartment that was getting tougher to swallow.
Leaning back into her business class seat she opened her laptop and started perusing her emails. Mrs. Grayson, her coworker, had been late in sending her the files she’d needed to acquaint herself with her new assignment.
Not that she minded. No one could be angry with Mrs. Grayson! The half Sugarplum Fairy was a delight to work with. Always friendly and encouraging. She’d been with the bank for going on two centuries at least. There was nothing she didn’t know about the comings and goings of Merlin Banking Solutions’ top clientele.
Sighing, Cora flipped through the emails downloading the documents to her tablet. It would be easier for her to read them on there. A loud ding sounded from her laptop and she grimaced as she turned down the volume.
A new email from her old roommate Stephanie. That was odd. She had not heard from her in a long while. Four months to be exact.
Cora’s frown lines gave way as she recalled her time at Mrs. Parker’s School for Girls, the small, private institution in nowhere Pennsylvania had been her home for all of her high school years. Followed by college at Penn State with her two BFFs, Stephanie and Leandra.
She clicked the email, eager to hear from her normally shy friend. Her eyes bugged out of her head as she read the following words, surprise and concern at war within her:
Dear Cora and Leandra,
Hello girls!
It has been such a long time since we last talked! I miss you!! I have so many wonderful things to share with you!
First, I’m sort of, well, kind of, okay, I AM ENGAGED! As in to be married!
He is the most amazing man. I know you will love him! We’re going to be on vacation for a few weeks, but when we get back, we want to have you both over with his grandmother for a small, private ceremony!
Please say you’ll come!
Love you both to bits!
Xoxo,
Stephanie
OMG! Cora sat up straight and blinked her eyes a few times trying to comprehend the news. Her best friend since high school was getting married.
Stephanie Decatur is engaged. Her shy little normal best friend was going to get married. Whoa.
She sent a reply for more info. Like what was the guy’s name? His stats? Where they were going to live? Stuff like that.
Eek! She hit send before she could talk herself out of it. She was happy for her friend. Truly she was.
Then why am I frowning.
Growling to herself she powered down the laptop and stored it under her seat. Taking her tablet in hand she began to read the notes on her client.
Better think about work and forget about why you’re jealous of your bestie, the sound of her Lynx inside her mind’s eye was common, but Cora ignored her inner beast. She was so not jealous of her best friend.
Besides it was easy for Stephanie. She was a normal. She didn’t have to worry about Fated Mates and what that meant for a rare Shifter like Cora.
She was better off alone. Determined, she took notes and began pouring through the long and complicated accounts of one Rei Dorado.
Hmm. Nice name.
