Panther

Chapter Eleven

"I don't know what he's thinking, giving her that many clients, she'll only..." My cubicle neighbor Amanda is droning on about some new girl that the boss likes more than her, definitely because of her ass and not because she went to business school and actually shows up to work on time. We're sitting at one of the round plastic tables in the break room, both of us relaxing for a moment after eating our lunch and before returning to our desks.  I'm barely listening to her though. I'm stuck on Ike's Instagram again, just like I had been since our date. 

"Holy shit, are you smiling?" I hear Amanda exclaim suddenly. I look away from my phone then to meet her bright blue eyes. I think for a moment. Amanda and I aren't exactly bff's, but we eat lunch together every once in a while, and sometimes go to the gym together. She was nice to me from the very beginning, showing me where the "good" coffee pods were when I first started here and telling me who not to trust in the office. She's human, so we'll never get closer than we are right now, but I honestly wish she was a shifter sometimes. It'd be nice to have a friend, and seeing how she never once acted nervous or scared around me like even wolves did, she was on my good list.

I don't say anything, instead I pull up a selfie of Ike. Beautiful lips stretched over perfectly white teeth. Black eyes that somehow still manage to sparkle.

I slid my phone across the breakroom table. Her filled-in eyebrows shoot up towards her hair line, and her mouth forms an O shape.

"Holy shit, Cleo. You've bagged some hotties in the past... but damn." I can see her backing out of the selfie to explore his pictures more. As I expected, she flipped the phone around to show me the shirtless picture, as though I hadn't already stared at it for hours already.

"That's inappropriate for work." My eyes shoot up to glare at the office bitch, Hannah, who has suddenly appeared across from me and behind Amanda in the doorway leading out into the cubicle area. Tall, skinny. My eyes scan over her version of a slutty outfit. Skintight pencil skirt, maroon in color. A dark gray knitted turtleneck stretched over her surgically enhanced breasts, and her signature sky high heels that made her six inches taller than she already was. Her judgy eyes glare at my phone that Amanda still holds.

Amanda spins around, kissing her teeth and puffing up at Hannah. I smile a little. God, I wish she was a shifter. She's my favorite type of person, unafraid and unfiltered. "Says the woman wearing stripper shoes to work." Spits back Amanda, locking my phone and sliding it back to me. I grab it, almost protectively. Like Hannah is going to take Ike's soul through my phone screen.

"Really, Cleo. You shouldn't be showing off your one night stands at work. It's disgusting, quite frankly." I eye her, never breaking eye contact. Her confidence is fake, she and I both know it. I can see the crow's feet beginning to form around her muddy green eyes. Grey hairs are threatening to pop out of her ever slicked back ponytail, and her too sharp hips bones stab through the fabric of her skirt.

I don't say anything.

Last time I went at it with her, I was written up. If I get one more write up, especially for something as serious as threatening, I'll be fired. And I can't afford to lose my job.

"I hope you have a lovely weekend." I say, flashing her a shit eating grin.

"Oh I will. Because I won't be out whoring around like you." My grip on the edge of the table tightens, and I hear Amanda suck in a breath as a chunk is broken off into my hand. Hannah's eyes go wide, then narrow in on me.

"Gary will be hearing about this." She says, spinning on her heels and stomping out of the breakroom.

I lean forward, burying my face in my hands. "Shit." I whisper. She's going to report me. I'm going to get fired.