Zach opened the door and juggled his phone to wheel in the cart of food left outside. The desk already had orders to bill him all expenses with a twenty-five percent tip. He always got excellent service.
His boss wasn’t quite done. “We need to find that box, Zach. If you can get her to tell you anything…”
“Yeah, we’ll see about that. She’s not talking much yet.” But he kept seeing hints of confused comprehension. He had a feeling civilization would help her.
“Keep in touch.”
“Yup.” Zach put his phone away and began moving the trays of food to the table. Once he’d covered the surface, he crouched down, lifted the skirt, and saw shadowed carpeting, replete with dust bunnies. No Fluffy. But once more, he could scent her.
“Stop hiding. I know you’re there.” When she didn’t appear, he growled, a firm sound that had her shimmering into view, meaning the ability to hide in plain sight could be turned on and off.
That was so freaking cool.
She blinked big eyes at him, all innocence and trepidation.
He wasn’t about to succumb. “Out from under the bed. Now. And don’t you dare wreck it like you ruined yours!” He wagged his finger.
She moved fast enough that she nipped the tip of it before then sliding out the other side.
He blinked. Well, shit. He’d never seen anyone, or anything, move that fast.
Fluffy used that speed to go after the meal just delivered, sniffing a dome before tipping it and diving onto the first thing she saw. The handful of French fries went into her mouth, and her other hand fisted some more.
“You’d better save me some!”
Chapter Four
Zach joined her, and apparently, expected to share. She didn’t want to share. The first thing she grabbed and stuffed into her mouth because it smelled so good tasted even better. Salty. Crunchy.
French fry. Her mind supplied the name. The change in her environment was terrifyingly new and familiar all at once. The more she saw and experienced, the more it was as if her mind unlocked. Things started coming back to her.
Now, if only she could turn off her flight or hide instinct. It coiled inside her, twitching and restless. She was inside a secured space; she shouldn’t be so jumpy. Yet she kept diving for cover.
It made Zach so mad. Which was part of the reason she kept those crunchy sticks of goodness away from him. She really wanted them all for herself. They were delicious.
She slapped his hand when he went to grab one. When she wouldn’t share, he arched a brow and lifted a metal bowl to reveal a—a—her mind stuttered before blurting—burger!
She dove for it, just as he did. She managed to only tear off a piece before he brought it to his mouth.
He took a bite and chewed with extreme relish.
She might have drooled.
He didn’t take any pity or share.
She frowned at him and went after more of the dishes. She found a steaming bowl of something that had her gulping and slurping as she tilted it into her mouth, missed it because she leaned it too hard and it slid down her face to drip into her lap.
Only as she finished did she see him staring at her. She wiped her mouth.
He cringed.
She noticed that he wasn’t wearing any of his food. He also wiped every so often with the white fabric square he kept in his lap.
Even odder, he ate…slowly. Rather than quickly gulping, he took his time chewing. And chewing. He used his fingers for some of the food, and chose a pronged metal thing for others. As for the liquid in the bowl, he used a rounded thing with a handle. It was curved and held the soup as he lifted it to his mouth and ate it in small sips.
Seemed impractical to her. She lifted the bowl and drained some more. But this time, she didn’t let it spill down the sides of her mouth.
When she set it down again, there was no more food, and her tummy started to protest. Not out of hunger, more just plain sensory delight. She ate fish mostly. Red meat depending on what she could hunt. And it was all raw. This, she knew to be cooked. It added a crunchy and tasty aspect to it.
Cooking, a term that conjured up so many images. Cakes. Cookies. Steak. Roast. A torrent of menu choices flooded her brain.
She began to name off what they’d eaten. “Burger. Fries. Soup. Toast.” She grabbed a little plastic square and crunched into it, releasing something salty, delicious and creamy. “Peanut butter!” Ambrosia, which she sucked out of the container before going for the next one. Which was jam. She blended the last two and was just finished licking them clean when Zach rose from his chair and headed for the door. She clutched the armrest as he answered and brought in another tray. Her expression brightened.
“More.”
This time as he revealed the plates and bowls, he named the foods for her. She recognized pizza and wings. He also had a bowl of green stuff smeared with white cream and crunchy bits.
She enjoyed everything but the leaf. She spat it out. “Ugh.”
“It’s lettuce.”
“Don’t like.” She reached for more meat.
“Fair enough.”
She understood him and froze. Chewed slowly.
He kept talking. “I don’t usually eat like this. I’m more of a protein shake, low-carb kind of guy unless I’ve gone furry. Then I need to eat. Lots.”
“Eat.” She nodded in agreement. She’d hunted every day, making sure she always had some backup in case she got hungry.
“You need a name.”
“Fluffy.” Which made her happy. It was a nice word. She knew it. Wanted to hug it.
“No, we can’t call you Fluffy. It’s demeaning. You must have a name. Jane?”
Her nose wrinkled. That word did not make her happy.
“Sarah? Melanie? Joleene? Betty? Abigail?” He kept naming, and she kept shaking her head.
Finally, she blurted, “Fluffy.” Smiled for emphasis.
He sighed. He did that quite a bit.
“Fine. Fluffy for now. But if you change your mind…”
The last of the food gone, he pointed to her. “Let me see your wound. I should have checked it before we ate.”
She glanced down. “Boo-boo gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?”
She lifted her shirt and showed him how it had begun closing once they got the object out.
“You’re healing nicely. Good.”
“Good.” She agreed. She wasn’t happy about being injured. Those bad men had come to her cave and shot off many noisy things.
“You understand me a bit, don’t you?”
She rolled her shoulders.
“Do you know about the box and the key?”
Yeah, she knew. She flattened her lips. “Missing.”
“Yes, missing.”
She’d had one job. She failed. She’d let the box be stolen. “I find.”
“You can find?” He tilted his head.
She nodded. Yes, she could locate it. Even now, she felt it tugging at her. Demanding that she protect it.
“Where is it?” he asked.
She stood and twirled until her hand pointed.
“I am not following your pointed finger.”
She frowned at him. “Find.” Did he not grasp that they only had to go in that direction?
“I need an address, Fluffy. A city name, at the very least.”