Red/Wolf (Working Title)

Chapter 12: Bad Boy Randall

Chapter 12: Randall

It was now a running joke how predictable Kenyon was becoming, although I had to admit, it was beginning to be a bit disturbing, when this young woman, who he had never really known, became all he thought about. This was more than the crush I had thought he had before, this was more of an obsession.
In the beginning it was just something to take his mind off of what was happening to our dad, and of course Aunt Talya. Kenyon was convinced, that what we had was some sort of curse. It was some sort of life sentence inflicted on us through our ancestors, and Sorrell was the light at the end of the tunnel.
For a while I struggled to make sense of it. The best answer I got was from, our mentor Satordi. Satordi's tribe was taken centuries ago, as far as we know he is one of the last owl shifter of his tribe. Satordi said that all like us in extreme circumstances, every single cell in our body craves one thing…survival.
Satordi did something unheard in his tribe for a thousand years. He imprinted on a mortal. The imprint was rare enough, but on a mortal was double rare. Satordi, admitted that he wasn't totally sure about, if this was true with Kenyon, but it seemed like a viable possibility, perhaps Kenyon imprinted.
Ro's Yukon pulled up on the dirt and gravel drive way of a small antique looking building by the banks of a river. The rose colored building that sat beside a big weeping willow seemed like something that would be in a brochure. Maybe it was the French style architecture that just made it scream Louisiana.
The sigh just below the porch steps read "Miss Charlotte's Cajun Cuisine". I did not know what we were doing her, but because we let Kenyon decide where to go for breakfast, I knew that this had something to do with Sorrell. As soon as the car stopped, I got out and ran inside. I had to see this girl with my own two eyes.
When Kenyon realized what I was doing he tried to come after me but it was too late. I already shot through, the door, but looking behind me, I ran into a hostess carrying a bunch of menus.
"I am so sorry!" I immediately rushed to help her pick up the mess that I made. As I look up, all I saw was a sparking and mesmerizing sea of brown, soft creamy caramel skin and luscious ruby lips. I felt my heart skip a beat as her sweet peachy aroma tingled in my nose. I then realized my mouth was hanging open, and I must have been drooling. I shook my head trying to come back to my senses.
"I am really sorry, ma'am."
She flashed me a sweet smile. "It is fine. " She looked away and blushed.
I had to smirk at my charming effects on her."I'm Randy, but you can call me Mr. Wonderful!" I offered my hand both in greeting and to help her back to her feet.
She smiled, then turned away and blushed again. I'm on fire today! I thought. "I know! You and your brother go to my school."
"Really?" I ran through the nameless faces of girls I'd met last week at school on my head and wondered why she didn't look familiar. "What's your name?"
"I'm Sorrell!" My heart dropped.
I heard her but I was in disbelief. "Excuse me? What did you say your name was?"
"Sorrell!" Her voice sounded more masculine this time. I thought it was her, I looked up and realized that Kenyon had just walked in.
I quickly dropped my hand from hers.
"She fell. I knocked her over. I'm going to sit down somewhere." I sounded like a monotone robot. I must have turned six shades redder.
"Wow! Sorrell, I didn't expect to see you here!" Kenyon lied.
I just held my head down and sat in a booth close to the back of the restaurant. Ro went passed them and sat across from me.
"You okay?"
I struggled to keep a straight-face, over the embarrassment. I smiled. "Yeah, I'm good!"
He rose and eyebrow. He didn't look like he bought it but changed the subject. "Nice little place here. What's good here?"
"I have never been here." I admitted. "You are going to have to ask Kenyon."
We both looked up and Kenyon and Sorrell were on their way to the booth we were at. Kenyon sat next to me. Sorrell set out a menu in front of each of us.
"So what can I get you guys to drink?"
I looked around and realized that we were the only people in the restaurant, so that meant Sorrell was our hostess and our waitress. I struggled not to keep eye contact, feeling really ashamed that I was checking her out earlier. It could not have been worse than if she was my sister.
I began staring needlessly out the window across the beautiful water and then over to the woods where I began following a jittery squirrel with my eyes and thought of five different ways to trap him and eat him for breakfast. My skin started to itch, I wanted to shift sp bad. Only then did I realize how hungry I was.
"Randy!"
Sorrell voice cut through my thoughts and sent my hear fluttering. "Yes?"
"What are you drinking?"
"Same!"
"Great two coffees and a cream soda. I will be right back with your drinks."
"Wait!" Kenyon looked at me as if I was conspiring against him. "I'll have a coffee two."
"Three coffees coming up." She said and disappeared around a wall in the back of the restaurant.
"Since when do you drink coffee, Ken?"
"Since when do you drink coffee, Randy?"
We looked at each other curiously and the busted onto laughter. It was a well known fact the neither one of us like coffee, and it was clear that I had ordered coffee by mistake, and Kenyon ordered it because he thought I was trying to impress Sorrell.
Thought out the course of the meal I kept nudging Kenyon for staring too hard at Sorrell. Not that I could blame him, but she even asked him about his girlfriend. She didn't see that he was in love with her, all she would have seen was just a guy that would two time his girlfriend and I couldn't let her think that about my little brother.
I then told Kenyon, to call Liv just to tell her that he was thinking about her.
"I don't want to!" he protested in a whisper.
"Just do it and make sure she hears you."
Kenyon dialed his smart phone agitatedly.
"And be happy about it, she supposed to be your girl."
Kenyon flashed a sarcastic smile and then, put the phone to his ear.
"Hello."
I could hear Liv's muffled voice on the other end.
"Why haven't you called me this weekend?"
I looked up and saw Sorrell walking toward us. "She coming, talk like you love her.
Kenyon grit his teeth. "I love you too sweetheart."
"What, you are going to take me on a date tonight!"
"Of course, dear! What time should I pick you up?"
"You had better be here at seven!"
"I would love to!"
"Are you mocking me?"
"I love you two, baby! Bye!"
When he hung up I almost wanted to laugh. Kenyon saw that and gave me a nudge with his elbow. Sorrell was standing over our table as he hung up."
"That was Liv, she says hi!"
She frowned discustedly. "I'll believe that when I see it!" She then looked at me, then back at Kenyon, then to Ro. "Can I get you guys anything else?"
"Well you could let me talk to the chef." Said Ro dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "The food was delicious."
"I'll go tell Charlotte." She nodded and left again.
Sorrell came back with a petite plump woman with short brown curly hair. Besides her hair it was hard to tell that she was really that old. She wore a black apron with large spots of flour stains, under a navy blue, white polka-dotted dress, besides the apron she did not look like a chef.
"Good mornin' fellas!" He thick Cajun accent, was refreshing.
"Sorrell, didn't tell me her sister, was back there putting her foot in the food."
I laughed at the typical remark. Ro was way old fashioned when it came to pick up lines. All I thought was, That woman would chew you up spit you out!
"Thank you."
"I'm Roland! But you can call me Ro."
The woman blushed.
My mouth dropped in shock. She actually bought it.
"I am Charlotte! I own this establishment."
"The food was delicious. You have to give me the recipe."
"Oh, it is a family secret. You cook?"
"Well I've known to burn a bit." Ro smiled politely. "You and your husband should come out to Satordi's ranch when we have a cook out."
"My husband died four years ago. Of a heart attack, bless his heart. He was a highly decorated war hero. We built this place together." She looked around the room proudly in a reminiscing trance. Her eyes began to water but there was a smile on her face.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"I get by! Sorrell helps me run this place. She is like a daughter to me."
My eyes caught Sorrell's beautiful smile. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight beaming in from the window, I looked over at my brother, he was also in daze staring at Sorrell intensely, he had a look of admiration, and love, there was also something I had rarely seen, and that was happiness.
I remembered my duty to my pack. Unfortunately, most of that pack took turns beating me into a bloody pulp, while my future wife stood there and watched. My future looked bleak, but for the greater good it was what I chose. I decided that as long as my brother was happy, then everything would be worth it. Right now I would live it up, until duty crippled my life. I was going to do all I could to make sure Kenyon ended up with her or whomever he so desired.
Ro paid the bill and we headed to the door when a delectable aroma hit my nose. It smelled savory. It was coming from the near the cash register. Sitting next to it was a plastic barrel of what look like beef jerky, but no kind of jerky I had ever smelled before. This had a more gamey smell like fresh chipmunk. I looked over at Kenyon and then at Ro, both of them had their complete attention on the small dried up sticks of meat.
"Would you fellas like to try some? I am not sure if you guys will like it though. A friend of mine makes it. I think it is what might be driving our business away, because of the smell."
Charlotte, took the jar off of the counter and hand each of us a strip. We bit into it. It was delectable, the mixes of spices and even the natural flavor made it incredible.
"Do you like it."
Ro sighed in ecstasy. "With all due respect ma'am that is the most delicious jerky I have ever tasted in my life. How much do you want for the whole jar."
Charlotte handed Ro, the entire jar, but Ro pushed it back. "Please, I wouldn't feel right." He pulled out his wallet.
"Honey, you would be doing me a favor. In fact, there are boxes in the back. I personally hate the smell. I am begging you to take them all off of my hands."
Ro, Kenyon, and I loaded up Six boxes of jerky in the Yukon. Ro paid Charlotte $200 for all of the boxes. It was all the money that he had, and he insisted.
"We had better get home.'"Said Ro to Charlotte, can't let Casanova here be late for his date. I watched as Kenyon cringed a little.
"Why don't you bring her here?" Sorrell suggested.
"I couldn't do that. I know you are Liv-"
Sorrell cut Kenyon off. "Please, we need all the business that we can get. I promise I will be good." She held her had up in oath.
Kenyon laughed awkwardly.
"Great, idea." I jumped in. "I'll just go through by black book and we can do the double date thing."
"Two for the price of one."Charlotte smiles proudly. "My Sorrell can really reel them in."
"I guess I will see you tonight!" Kenyon seemed to be happy, although I wasn't sure how to take it. I had made the spit decision to go with Kenyon trying to make keep the gawking at Sorrell in front of Liv to a minimum, not to mention the distaste between Liv and Kenyon, as well as Sorrell and Liv, the night craved a third wheel, to go off without a hitch.
When we left to go back home, Kenyon and I finished large box of jerky each and took one each home with us. It was fuel for me, because I had a date night to plan. So needless to say I had my work cut out for me, but first I had to find a date. I pulled out my phone, closed my eyes, scrolled and dialed.