Page 11 of Claiming Her Cougar
My parents take the news of the split much better than expected.Maybe they saw things I didn’t, or just their greater life experience served them well.I’m relieved when there’s no drama in that quadrant and they move on to focusing on other things wrong in the universe, like my career choices and single status.
I guess Valerie gets a free pass on being single since she’s a marketing diva up in New York City.It’s okay to be single if you have a career to fulfill you.At least for a while.Once she hits thirty, then they’ll start in on her finding a nice man and starting a family.If he’s a shifter from a good pack, even better.I don’t even think they care if I’m with a man.A woman would be fine too, as long as she was a shifter from a good pack.They just want us paired up and settled and happy.
“So, Mallory,” Mom begins while I chop up celery for the stuffing we’ll have with the turkey tomorrow.“How is work going?”
At least she didn’t call it my “little job.”That’s progress.“It’s going okay.They’re going to close the department I’m in, so I’ll be moving over to the main legal department.I don’t know if I’ll work on leasing or something else under the legal umbrella, but we’ll discuss that in the coming weeks.”
“Why are they closing it down?Is the business in trouble?Maybe you should start looking for something more stable.Law school is still an option.”
I put down my knife, mostly so I don’t get distracted and cut myself, but also because I talk with my hands when I’m agitated, and that’s just a potential felony waiting to happen.
“They’re moving in another direction.I’m excited by the change,” I assure her.“I much prefer working with contracts and leases than court pleadings.Litigation isn’t really my thing.”
“As long as you’re happy, Mallory.That’s what matters most.”
If I didn’t know better, I’d swear aliens abducted my mother and replaced her with a pod person.
She sighs.“I guess it’s good that there are followers.Not everyone is a leader.”Yep, there it is.Genuine Mom, no pod person there, and she’s just going through her checklist for preparing dinner.She’s made close to thirty years’ worth of holiday dinners, but she insists on having a checklist to make sure she doesn’t miss anything.One of her favorite sayings is, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
I love my family, but I wish I had stayed home and done a Friendsgiving meal or gotten some Chinese food and binge-watched something mindless on Netflix.My younger brother Trevor had the right idea of going over to his friend Kennie’s for the holiday weekend.
“Will you be okay with the boys while we do the Shifter Sprint tomorrow?”Mom asks.Part of the reason my parents moved to Florida is their weird love of theme parks, which the Orlando area has in abundance.All the parks host events catering to the shifter community throughout the year, and the event my family loves most is a race through the park in their wolf forms.Shifters of all shapes and sizes come to take part, and tomorrow is the predator class.They learned to have separate races for predators and prey after that grisly scene in 2013.Emphasis ongrizzly?I snort to myself and then realize Mom is waiting for an answer.Since I don’t shift, nor do I think running thirty miles at one time sounds like a fun little jog, I happily babysit my nephews.
“Yeah, it’s no problem.We’ll have fun.You’ll catch up with us when you’re done, and then we’ll come back here to have leftover dinner.”I love spending time with my nephews, and we’ll have a blast in the park, riding rides and watching the racers.My favorite part is when some of the more goofball shifters wear tutus and mouse ears.There’s something so whimsical about a giant grizzly bear in a pink tutu racing past the castle.I know my nephews are eager to be old enough to shift and take part in the race.I guess then I’ll be riding the rides by myself.Oh well.
Being alone is nothing new.My asshole exes have taught me it’s better to be alone than to be with the wrong person.I’m not making that mistake again.I’ll find a fuck buddy when necessary, but never again am I risking my heart in a relationship.
My mind drifts to Liam.I know he’s an awesome hookup, but if I went back for seconds—who am kidding, thirds and fourths at least—would that give him the wrong idea?My plan moving forward is one-and-done when my need is greater than my vibrator and a fresh pack of batteries can satisfy.
No feelings, no risking my heart.Just some mutual pleasure.Keep it casual.
* * *
Of course my family all received medals in age, gender, and animal divisions in the Shifter Sprint.Again.
Dinner after was quiet.Well, as quiet as it could be with two little boys that I filled up with sugar at the park.Shifter kids are more energetic, but when you sugar them up, it’s a whole new level of hyper.Turns out the boys are going back to the hotel to spend the night with Aurelia.Oops.
“Promise me you’ll never date a coworker, Mal,” Valerie says over her mimosa as we enjoy our pedicures.It’s Sunday morning, and while everyone else is at the parks again, my sister and I treated ourselves to mani/pedis.
My thoughts drift to Liam, the hunky maintenance man who rescued me in the ladies’ room —and banged my brains out in Vegas.Since he works for the building maintenance company and not Morgan Development, we aren’t coworkers, and although I’d love another opportunity to do dirty, sexy things with him, I wouldn’t consider that dating.“Okay, I promise.But there’s a story, and I need to hear it.”
We’re soaking our feet, so there’s no one to hear what we discuss, but Valerie still leans in close to say, “I’d been seeing this guy when we worked in the same place for the past year.He works in the Chicago office.They were hookups—no promises, no commitments.We were both single.”
I nod and look over at her.She’s chewing on her bottom lip, which is her tell for when she’s reluctant to say something.It doesn’t show itself often because it’s rare Val doesn’t let whatever she’s thinking or feeling fly.
“Turns out we weren’t both single.He has a wife and child.”
“Ouch,” I say.“Maybe they’re separated?”
“A pregnant wife.And from what I saw, they have a very affectionate relationship.I was in Chicago earlier in the week.I arrived Sunday.”
She stops speaking, and I wait for her to continue.I’m uncertain if she’s trying to hold back tears or control her anger.Maybe both?
“Apparently her family was visiting and staying in the same hotel I was because when I arrived to check in, they were all in the lobby, being obnoxiously cheerful, discussing where they were going for dinner.”She takes in a deep, shaky breath.Holds it for a moment and lets it out in a whoosh.“He had his arm around her and was resting his hand on her stomach.There was so much love and adoration in the look he was giving her.Their little girl is around five and looks just like him.She was holding her mother’s hand and gazing up at him like he was her hero.”
I take Valerie’s hand to lend her strength.It’s ice cold and trembling slightly.
“He didn’t see me.I made it to my room before I vomited.”She turns stricken eyes to mine.“I was the other woman, Mallory.I was sleeping with someone’s husband.”
