To Never Forget

Chapter 3: Best Friends

Maddy

My parents grounded me. I guess coming home with hay in my shorts and smelling like alcohol wasn't really the smartest idea. But I thought for sure they would still be asleep. I was wrong. It was okay though, I was never really grounded for long. Oh sure the weekend felt like two and a half years, and mom and dad read Isaac the riot act the next time they saw him. They went on and on about how disappointed they were that he would ever allow me to talk him into going to a party, and how shocked they were that he would ever go to one himself, being Mr. Perfect that he is. They expected as much from me.

Lucky for us, my parents, like most, have short memories and I have one of those faces you can't stay mad at for long. By Tuesday I was talking to Tiffany about planning the next big thing.

"You really shouldn't, Madge."

I glared at him.

"Maddy," he corrected himself.

Isaac and I were sitting in his basement taking up two sofas. The two sofas were facing one another though, so my feet were still in his lap. I'd just gotten off the phone with Tiffany.

"And lighten up," I said. "Don't you want to have a little fun before you go away?"

"I do have fun," Isaac grumbled, tracing invisible lines on my pretty feet, "With you, and we don't have to be drinking."

Oh my puppy.

"I love you," I said, impulsively moving to sit beside him on his sofa, and touching my lips to his. "I love you and we can do whatever you want to do with your time here…after this one last party! You won't regret it!"

"I've talked to Daniel Brooks!" Tiffany squealed in the middle of the movie rental store.

"Uh huh, please by all means tell the whole town!" I rolled my eyes and flipped through the 'p' movie titles. Nothing looked particularly good.

"Whatever, anyway. Charlie Brooks says that his parents' back 40 acres isn't being used for anything. There's a huge cabin out close to Green Valley Park and nobody goes out that far! It's perfect for the party!" Whoa. Way too much enthusiasm; this is why I didn't want to sober up at Tiffany's.

"Alright, perfect, do you want to let everyone know? Will your older brother still buy the booze?" Unlike Tiff, I knew when to keep my voice down.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a deep voice teasingly scolded from behind me. Even after only hearing it up close once I instantly knew it was Giles Delvin.

No one else's voice could ever carry that much authority, demand respect, and still be incredibly sexy. I turned around to meet his blue, blue eyes.

"Uh, Mr. Delvin. Hi."

"Please call me Giles, Madge. Formality at this point seems ridiculous. I did see what you had for supper a few days ago, after you'd partially digested it."

"Right, Giles, hi, uh, hello." All my witty words …gone. I really did spend too much time with Tiffany. Isaac was right. Her stupid was rubbing off.

Tiffany, oddly, came to my rescue. "Uh, Maddy, you going to introduce me?" She nudged my ribs with her elbow.

"Oh, Giles Delvin this is Tiffany. Tiff, this is Giles Delvin, leader of the pack, and our town," I felt terribly important saying that. I had to hide my self-satisfied again.

"Pleased to meet you Tiffany," he raised his hand to shake hers.

Tiff in all of her curly blond-haired, big-chested glory preened like a bird, twisting a curl around her finger. "It's really nice to meet you! Wow you're like so young!"

"I appear so, and yet I've been around long enough to have great grandchildren your age." Giles didn't laugh at Tiffany outright, but there was a twinkle in his eye I caught before he turned back to me. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you two were scheming for another party, yes?"

"Uh, yeah, I was thinking maybe this one wouldn't end with me fainting in your arms. Would you like to come supervise? I bet the cops wouldn't bust it if you were keeping an eye out." So I flirted, but it was harmless and he had been at last week's without crashing it and calling the cops. Plus I liked the idea of him looking out for me it made me feel special, and protected. And he wasn't exactly hard to look at.

"No, they probably wouldn't , but I am obligated to protect you all, and my pack. If I can stop it before it happens…" He let his voice trail off.

"Nope. Not possible," I stepped up till I was toe to toe with him. "So you going to come or not?"

It was a challenge. Loup-garou loved and hated challenges. Their leader was no different. Giles scanned my face, like he was looking for any sign of weakness that I would back down.

"I can always alert the cops. I heard where you're going."

"I can always change the location and not invite your pack."

"I have humans loyal to me."

"My age?"

His blue eyes twinkled, "Just you."

I sighed, not realizing I had been holding my breath. "So you're coming," I gave him my best smile.

He gave an answering sigh and grinned, "When is it again?"

I gave him the new details and Tiff was interestingly silent. She never shut up long when anyone male was around. She flirted with Isaac for moon's sake!

"So trouble finding a movie?" He asked when he'd written down the details on a small square of paper and stuffed it in his wallet, which he placed in his back pocket. I'd noticed while he was writing it all down against the movie rack that his jeans had a worn square in the ass pocket from his wallet resting in the same place for years and years. He had a nice ass. It was terribly perverted of me to notice. He was ancient, and I was taken. But I noticed. If I was Tiffany I would have grabbed it anyway.

"Yeah," I drug my thoughts back to more appropriate things. "Isaac, Tiff and I are having a movie night. Any suggestions?"

He pursed his defined lips in thought. There was one freckle sitting beneath the curve of his lower lip. I looked away.

"Hmmm….p's…" His eyes perused the films in front of us. "Have you seen Pretty Woman?"

"Huh, yeah. Tiff and I skipped school to see it the Friday that it came out." It was odd how perfectly at ease I was at admitting my transgressions to him. I could never be so honest with my parents or grandparents, or anyone even close to his age. But he looked so young…it was so easy to forget.

He chuckled. "Why does that not surprise me, Madge? Though I suppose that was a terrible suggestion given that your Isaac will be watching the movie with you…"

"Oh that's okay, Isaac doesn't mind. He watches girly movies with us all the time!" Tiffany supplied and I wanted to slap her. The way she said it…was almost insulting. What was she trying to imply? Also was it necessary to thrust her chest out like that when she talked? He was a respectable man!

"How about something action packed?" I asked. "Isaac would enjoy that."

"I really liked Tremors, I'm sure Isaac would as well. And don't worry Tiffany. Kevin Bacon is in it and I've been told by my granddaughters that he is a 'dream,' so you'll have something to look at as well."

I cracked up. I couldn't help it. His tone hadn't been at all condescending, of course it wouldn't be, he's Giles Delvin, but I got it. Tiffany didn't. She looked at me like I was on drugs.

"Awesome, let's get it! One of my all-time favorite movies is Footloose!" She led the way to the 't' titles.

There was an awkward moment where I waited for him to follow Tiffany first, but when he gestured for me to move down the aisle, we both moved forward and our arms and hands brushed in the narrow pathway. My hand burned as well as my cheeks. I quickened my pace so he couldn't see, ending the contact.

"So what are you doing here?" I finally asked as I waited for Tiff to quit flirting with the boy at the check-out line so we could get our movie.

"I work here."

"Um, what?" I stopped short and turned to him, shocked. What did he need a job for, especially one at Video World?

"I like to connect with the people I lead. Our town has grown so much, it's easier for me to take odd jobs around town and catch up that way than going door-to-door. I've also gotten lazy in my old age." He smiled at my reaction.

I was a little in awe at how seriously he took his responsibilities. "That's, that's awesome!" That's it, that's all I could come up with?

"I try," he chuckled, before ducking behind the counter. "So, can I rent that movie for you since Trent is obviously otherwise entertained?"

I laughed. "Yes, sir, I would like to rent this movie. Thank you for all your helpful suggestions." I couldn't help but tease him.

"Just doing my job, miss."

"Um did you just invite a date to your boyfriend's congratulatory party?" She asked when we were back in her car.

"No, I was making sure we could still have a party," I tossed the movie in the back seat and put my feet up on the dash.

"Whatever, call it what you will but that was like watching two animals mating back there. Any moment I expected one of you to grow fur and start humping the other. And my money was not necessarily on the werewolf king."

I did not deign that with a response.

Tiffany put her car in gear and backed out. We still had snacks and pop to pick up. Isaac wasn't off work at the grocery store his parent's owned, so we went there. Tiffany cranked up the tunes and seemed content to let the subject drop, though every once in a while she would turn to me and give me a knowing smirk. Uh oh. Things as innocent enough as making friends with the town leader were not safe knowledge in Tiffany's hands.

I forgot all about it though when we stepped into the grocery store. Isaac was at the check-out line and wearing his adorable green work apron. He looked so tall and lean and handsome and smart and mine. I couldn't help myself. I wrapped my arms around him from behind while he was bagging Mrs. Walker's groceries.

"Well, hello there!" He smiled and squeezed my arms around his stomach. "Have a good time at Video World?"

"Yes, she really did. Why don't you tell him?" Tiffany gloated like a kid with her hand in the cookie jar. I wanted to smack her.

"Finish Mrs. Walker's groceries, Isaac," I encouraged him and smiled at Mrs. Walker before literally smacking Tiff in the arm when their backs were turned.

"What?" She asked as we walked towards the junk food aisle.

"You are a terrible best friend." I sighed, exasperated, but laughing a little.

"But you love me anyway!"

I just shook my head and put my arm around her waist, "I guess I have to."