SCOTTISH ROMANCE: My Sinful Surrender to a Highlander Werewolf (Scottish Werewolf Pregnancy Romance) (Historical Medieval Shape Shifter Paranormal Science Fiction Short Stories) (67 page)

So it seemed she had gotten everything in order and she only had a nagging feeling of needing to get more done because it was in her nature.  She decided on an omelet so she pulled out three eggs and some veggies, washing and cutting them before cooking everything.  As she stood watch over the sizzling skillet, she ran her coursework through her mind.  She had not missed any assignments and nothing was due in the near future.  All efforts were being focused on the practical leg of the coursework and she had already gotten everything ready for that as well.  Aubrey was as ready a student and future counselor as could be.  But she felt something off, something she decidedly tried to ignore as she cut up her omelet and ate it piece by piece accompanied by her piping hot mug of coffee.  She took her time over breakfast in an attempt to savor it but her mind was too full of thoughts about the upcoming week.     

“It’s normal to be nervous and preoccupied with it,” Mila, her best friend, casually mentioned later that afternoon over lunch.  Aubrey had called her in a panic, a downright state of an almost meltdown, and Mila had succeeded in soothing her over the phone but thought it would be a good idea to get together anyway.  So she picked up some sandwiches from Aubrey’s favorite deli and brought them over with a couple jumbo pickles and some raspberry iced tea.  It was the perfect lunch and Mila made sure Aubrey would enjoy it without constantly freaking out about Monday.  “It’s a big step, really.  And you can’t know what to really expect.  I mean, this isn’t something you’ve ever done before.”

Aubrey nearly spit out the bite of pickle she had just bitten off.  She hurriedly chewed and swallowed it before gasping out for air.  “Is that supposed to be helping?”

Mila burst into laughter and replied, “I guess I’m not doing as good a job as I did earlier.”  She took a gulp of her drink and set her glass back down gingerly on the coaster resting atop the table in front of her.  “Really though, just take a breath.  You’ve prepared for this to the max and I’m confident you’ll be great!”

“I wish I shared your confidence,” Aubrey muttered as she poked the bread of her sandwich.  Mila groaned and rolled her eyes.  “I know, I know.  Okay.  I did all the preparations beforehand so now I should really try to relax.  I have a big week ahead of me.”

Mila raised her glass and the two cheered to that before finishing up their meal while chatting about more trivial matters.  They ended up joking and laughing so much Aubrey’s cheeks hurt.  She had not had that much fun in so long given how busy she was with school.  She had always been swamped in schoolwork even throughout her undergraduate studies but graduate school was on a completely different level.  She was driven, very much so, and she was so close to earning her Master’s degree she could practically feel that hard-earned piece of paper between her fingers.  But she was all too aware there was still quite a ways to go before she earned it and she had to prove herself more than she ever had in the past.  But of there was one thing she was confident in was her perseverance.  For the time being, it was nice and very welcome to actually spend the afternoon with a friend and just have some relaxed fun. 

They cleaned up the trash and Mila wiped down the table, knowing how neat and clean Aubrey liked to keep her place.  They then settled on the couch and flipped through the movie guide for something to watch.  Aubrey was really grateful to have a friend like Mila who she could call during her worst moments and always count on to help her through it.  It was also great to have such a close friend who could come over without scheduled plans and they would end up just spending the day together and having such a great time.  She did not think it was altogether that common or easy to find and she wondered how she got so lucky.  In fact, she often wondered how she got so lucky in life despite the odds being against her.

“You aren’t lucky, you’re blessed and you work hard,” her mother had always scolded her.  Her mother had always been Aubrey’s number one supporter and had inspired in her the confidence necessary to be successful.  What she did count as luck was being born and raised in a decent neighborhood thanks to the hard work of her parents.  Though she was not the only person of color in her district growing up, she vividly recalled still being very much in the minority in addition to being the only non-Asian and non-Latino person of color.  On her first day of school, she had come home completely confused as to why everyone looked so different from her but she soon came to realize it did not negatively impact her life.  It was not until she began taking sociology classes in high school that she was exposed to the harsh realities many other people of color had to face in different parts of the world, even in the same city as her.

“I feel so sheltered,” she confessed to her mother one day.  Her mother always listened so patiently to everything Aubrey had to say and never failed to answer any of her questions.  Her mother went on to tell her, in great detail, about her own experiences growing up.  Aubrey’s mother had grown up in a neighborhood and environment completely different from her own.  She had grown up in the type of place where crime rates were high, income was low, and most people ended up living in that same cycle rather than getting out and bettering their lives.  “When I met your father, we both wanted a family.  We both knew that was not the kind of life we wanted for our kids.  So we worked harder than you can imagine to get out of there and here we are.”

Learning about her mother’s experience in such great detail and coming to the full realization of how privileged she was to have lived in a better neighborhood and attended school in a better district, Aubrey knew what she wanted to do as a career.  She wanted to give kids who felt they had no other options hope and help to better themselves.  “You just need one person to believe in you,” her mother had once told her.  And Aubrey firmly believed one person’s support could really boost a person’s confidence to help them succeed.  She wanted to let kids of rough neighborhoods know there were options and they deserved to make that choice.  So she was earning her Master’s in a sociological field of study to work with the youth from disadvantaged areas.  Come Monday, it would be her first day out in the field. 

Mila tapped her on the shoulder and waved a hand in front of her face.  “You there?”  Aubrey smiled sheepishly and nodded.  She turned her attention back to the television and the two settled on a comedy they had wanted to watch when it was in theaters but were unable to due to Aubrey’s hectic school schedule.  She willed herself not to think about the upcoming week and focus instead on the movie and having a good time with her best friend. 

It was nearly 10pm when Mila finally said good night and left Aubrey’s place to go back home.  Aubrey finished tidying up, keeping the television on for background noise and still working not to focus too much on her upcoming practical coursework.  “That is going to be
all
you focus on for the next few months so give yourself this free weekend,” Mila had advised her before heading out.  Aubrey knew she was right.  If she thought school had consumed her life up until now, she had a feeling she would soon think that was easy compared to what was coming up. 

She walked into the bathroom and took time with her facial scrub and brushing her teeth, thinking of pleasant things to calm herself and clear her mind of her responsibilities.  She was the type of person to focus entirely on what she had to do and neglect anything else that included relaxing and fun but she knew that was something she needed to put a stop to.  People had always been concerned and said it was not entirely healthy but now she wanted to help the youths from her assigned neighborhood, she wanted to be in top shape for it.  And that included being happy and well rested.  She started at her face in the mirror for several minutes until she was zoned out with a clear mind.  She walked slowly to bed and crawled in, pulling her comforter over her body and feeling completely at ease.  She would not have thought she could feel this way just a couple nights before the big day and she felt even more grateful for having such a great best friend.

“Come on,” Mila pleaded over the phone with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice.  “This is probably the last time I’ll be able to drag you out for ages anyway,” she said quite convincingly.  Aubrey groaned.  She was not really in the mood for such a big, social brunch even but she knew Mila would be thrilled if she actually went.  Plus, her best friend had actually made a really good and valid point.  There was no telling when Aubrey would actually have the time or energy to go out like this again.  Besides, after how well Mila had handled the situation yesterday Aubrey felt this was the least she could do.  “Fine, I’ll go.”  Mila practically squealed out of glee on the other end of the line and promised to pick Aubrey up so she would not have to worry about driving or parking. 

So Aubrey walked into her bedroom and rummage through her closet to find an outfit.  It was an outdoor even and it was springtime so she thought one of her nicer sundresses would be ideal for the day.  She settled on one of her favorites she rarely got to wear and pulled it on.  She really loved how the pastel colors contrasted against her dark skin but not as much as she loved how it draped over her curves.  She was of a small frame and quite thin and fit, but that did not prevent her from having an hour-glass type figure with full breasts and firm, round butt.  She slipped on her favorite wedge sandals, which happened to look great with the dress, and pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail.  She had just finished getting ready when her phone buzzed with a new message from Mila who was now downstairs waiting for her.  Aubrey grabbed her purse and phone before heading out and down to the parking lot.

“Wow,” Mila said with shining eyes, “You look so pretty!”  She flashed a bright smile before shifting the gear of her car and pushing down on the gas pedal.  They zoomed off in the direction of the event.  Aubrey knew where it was located but she had never actually been there.  It was a community garden type of place and she had always admired the photos and glimpses she caught of it but had never been given a reason to attend any even held there.  This actually gave her some excitement for the afternoon and she was silently grateful, once again, for her best friend.  She always managed to convince Aubrey to do things she was not particular keen on but ended up loving.  At the very least, she ended up being glad for the experience even if it was not something she would ever want to do again. 

“How did you get invited to this,” Aubrey said a bit absentmindedly as they pulled into the long driveway of the Cheshire Gardens and Halls.  As soon as they passed the security gates, she was completely wowed by how beautiful the place was.  Even the shrubs and flowers lining the driveway were perfectly arranged with a very relaxing aesthetic.  It was unlike any other place she had ever visited and the perfect location for a spring brunch party.  “Do you remember Dot?  We ran into each other last week and grabbed some lunch.  She invited me and a friend!”  Aubrey hummed to indicate she had heard Mila but was too busy admiring the surroundings to continue the conversation.  They pulled into an open, round parkway and she almost drew in a breath at how astonishingly beautiful it was.  There was a large fountain in the middle with beds of flowers around it and neat, little path leading up to the center.  She had known it was a beautiful place but she could never have guessed it was
this
gorgeous.  It made her wonder how the rest of the place looked if even the driveway and parkway were this lovely.  A valet driver stepped up to the care prompting Mila and Aubrey to step out.  They stood and looked admiringly at the main entrance of the grand lobby before walking toward it.

“Have you been here before?”

“No.  I had the chance a couple times but I had to miss those events,” Mila grimaced.  This was exactly the type of place she loved to be and these were the types of events she most enjoyed.  She ran with a very specific circle of people but, somehow, managed to not be at all snobby.  If anything, Aubrey often came off as being the snobby one of the two.  She knew how annoyed Mila must have been to have had to miss those events but at lest she was here now, by a completely random twist of fate.  They walked up to the information desk and Mila handed over a card invitation.  The man smiled and stood up to escort them to the area in which it was being held.  It was, of course, an outdoor even and Aubrey could not help the small gasp that escaped her lips when they stepped out into the garden.  The beauty that met her eyes here almost paled in comparison to what she had seen coming up to the place.  The gardens were intricate, bright, and filled with imported flowers and greenery.  They made patterns that were simple and pleasing to the eye.  Even the tables and chairs were carved of a fine wood and draped in expensive-looking table cloths.  The spread of the buffet table caught her eye and her jaw dropped.  She had never seen such an expanse of delicacies and her mouth immediately watered.  This was the type of thing one saw on television, not the type of thing one ever expected to really experience. 

“Wow,” she said under her breath.  Mila turned to look at her with shining eyes and cheeks tinted pink with excitement.  Or they could have been tinted pink already from the sun exposure given how very fair and sensitive her skin was.  “I’ve never been to something like
this
,” she whispered to Aubrey.  She stood up straight and scanned the area, wondering where to go or what to do.  Aubrey knew Mila had grown up in a relatively wealthy family but given the scale of this event and place, she was not all too surprised she had never attended an even quite like this one.