The Shadow Wolf

Two

Ezra:

    You should get off your phone. You're going to get a call soon. the text read and just as I was going to reply it began to ring in my hand and I answered it quickly.

    "Good afternoon. I'm looking for a Ms. Ezra Powell," the man said at the other end of the line.

    "This is she," I answered nervously. My heart pounding in my chest.

    "This is Kaine Summers. I'm with Penguin Random House. I have a copy of your manuscript here and we are very interested in investing in you," I didn't know what to say.

    "Okay?" I squeaked out. He chuckled.

    "We'd like to arrange a meeting with you and your manager,"

    "I don't have a manager," I shuddered.

    "Pardon, but it says here you do. A, Ms. Audrey Cunningham. She was the one to recommend you. Her and Ms. Rip Hemingway. Ms. Cunningham is very persistent. We were honored to know that you were working with them,"

    "Right yeah," I blurted out.

    "Very well I will set up an appointment with her. Have a nice day Ms. Powell we look forward to meeting you," the line went dead and I just sat there with my phone to my ear.

    "What just happened?" I asked my cat, Jodie. She jumping on the bed purring to get my attention. My phone scared the hell out of me.

    "Hello?" I asked still dazed.

    "So, how did it go?" she asked excitedly.

    "Who is Audrey Cunningham?"

    "She's the crazy ambitious girl. She kind of made me who I am," she beamed. Her tone is happy now. "I told her about you and she wants to help. She gets a little crazy when it comes to working, but believe me when I say she will take you places, Ezra. She won't charge you until she knows you've made it,"

    "Why?" I asked.

    "She has this code of honor thi..."

    "No. no why are you helping me?" I asked.

    "You know what people do when they see me?" she asked. I have a feeling that it's something not worth repeating. People can be cruel. "They laugh. Everybody laughs at the stupid artist that was left at the altar or they're afraid. You see me. No one ever just sees me."

    "Look at the bright side," I smiled.

    "There's a bright side?" she asked.

    "Duh, two actually. Your pain is a new window to unlimited creativity for a canvas and him being someone else's problem means he doesn't have to waste any more of your time," she let out a little sigh.

    "Like I said, Ezra. I'm keeping you around. Want to come over or I can go over to your place I can Uber,"

    "Umm yeah come over. I'll make dinner?"

    "You cook? Yeah, I needed you in my life Ezra," she laughed. The way she says my name makes me feel special.

    "I'll send you my address. Let me know when you're here so I can buzz you up,"

    "Sweet. Do you need me to pick anything up? There is a market place right outside my apartment building,"

    "Not unless you don't like chicken stuffed Ravioli with an alfredo sauce and salad,"

    "I'm getting wine then," she laughed excitedly.

    I text her my address and began to make dinner. I am excited about this. Rip is the first friend I make in a very long time. Lina is on her way home and I need to tell her. What better way than to tell her than with the woman that made it happen?

    "Hey, look who I found outside," I turned to find the two of them walking into my loft.

    "You guys are sisters how f*****g cool? I'm an only child. I've always wanted a sister," Rip laughed. "I was given a brother,"

    "I thought you were an only child," Lina laughed.

    "Yeah, he doesn't count," she shrugged, holding out two gift bags. "I didn't know what kind you liked so I brought two. Red and white,"

    "OH MY GOD, THANK YOU!" Lina shouted hugging Rip. She looks uncomfortable. I doubt anyone ever approaches her that way. 

    "You're never going to believe what Rip did," I smiled at my sister. 

    "She's painted a portrait of you," 

    "Oh, that's not a bad idea," Rip laughed. 

    "She gave my manuscript to her agent and I have a contract offer," 

    "What?" Lina looked over at Rip. "Are you serious?" 

    "Yes," Rip confirmed. "Which reminds me, Ezra. Your appointment is on Tuesday at ten in the morning. Audrey will be here Monday. She's going to take you shopping, clean you up squeaky clean make you look like a hotshot,"

    "Ez this is crazy. That must have been one hell of a margarita," Lina finally beamed. The three of us laughed.

    "It was. I find it awesome how you own a bar. Like you own a bar, Lina. I own a car I never use and some furniture,"

    "And a bunch of galleries," I added

    "I own the paintings in galleries. I rent the places or they rent my work," she one shoulder shrugged with a smile. "I want to get my own shop. Ceramics, like plates, mugs, and stuff. Where I can just sell everything I've ever tried to make," 

She said that with uncertainty.

    "Why haven't you done that already?" Line asked stuffing food in her mouth.

    Rip has this sort of really proper posture. She's sitting straight with her legs crossed at her ankles. The way she eats is elegant and proper. She would take and bite and place her fork back down never leaning over the table. The way she drinks out of the wine glass is super cute.

    "He didn't like the fact that I wanted to turn my hobby into a day job," the way she said 'my hobby' is mocking.

    "That's not a hobby. It's your career," I blurted out, angrily.

    "My parents don't see that way and neither did he. Parents are the worst," she scoffed. "At least, mine are,"

    "Then you're better off without him," Lina reassured her. "Parents are just parents. They thing they know everything,"

    "Yeah, people come to New York to work on their dreams, not someone else's," I added.

    "Thanks, you guys have been really nice to me," she smiled looking down at her plate.

    She hadn't eaten much, but she started to with a small smile playing on her lips. It kind of reminds me of the girls at school when they had gotten dumped and lost their appetite for life. I'd never had a boyfriend I wouldn't know that kind of heartbreak if it hit me in the face. I've been so caught up with my life and Lina's that I never really ever thought about love outside of my stories. 

    "How did you end up in my bar anyway?" Lina asked.

    "I walked from my brother's apartment for a while. My brother was looking for me. He had rounded the corner in his car and I ran in there to hide, to be honest," we both laughed.

    "Lucky us," Lina smirked, serving herself more food.

    I feel a little ashamed of our crappy manors. I take some comfort in the fact that Rip seems oblivious to it. If she took notice she isn't showing it. I, on the other hand, notice everything and up until now, it's never bothered me. I want to be properly mannered. Maybe I can take a class somewhere. 

    After a few hours of telling stories about our childhood, and lounging around our lift, she said she had to go. There's something in me that responds to what she says. She gave me some advice and I had to excuse myself to the restroom where I wrote it down. I've never taken advice before but for some reason, I want to take hers. Something inside of me is responding to her. I feel more enthusiastic about everything. It's something I'm not very familiar with.

   Rip is very close to her brother. She has been avoiding him. I tried to convince her to call him, which was why she left. She said she's convinced that he'd be stalking around the city looking for her. He sounds overprotective. It's probably the reason why they fight so much and why they're both so attached to one another. Lina and I used to be close that. We live together and work together but at the end of the day, she has her own things to worry about. If we didn't work together, we would have large gaps of awkward silence in between our actual conversations. We're all we know, yet Lina is still a bit of a stranger to me.