Free Sex Symbol by Tracey H. Kitts Page B

‘motherfucker’ as loud as possible before I meet new people.”
    She rolled her eyes jokingly and we all laughed.
    “I’m not easily offended,” he assured her.
    She opened the paper bag she was carrying and as we dumped the potatoes inside said, “Good. You’ll fit right in around here.”
    “I never should have left them in that flimsy plastic bag,” Justina grumbled as we made our way inside. “Stupid checkout girl overstuffed it.”
    Eramus helped carry in the rest of her groceries, listening quietly to her bitching about the world like he was used to it. When I gave him a questioning look he said, “I have two sisters,” as if that explained it all.
    Justina started pouring the potatoes into the sink.
    “I thought you were going to cook at home,” I teased.
    She started looking around for a pot to fit them. “I’d much rather mess up your kitchen. Besides, I didn’t want to be by myself.”
    That wasn’t like her at all. She normally didn’t want to be around anybody, sometimes even me.
    “Why, is something wrong?”
    She shrugged. “I kept hearing weird noises last night. Just creeped me out, that’s all.”
    Before I could tell her what I saw the night before, someone else knocked at the door.
    “It’s me, I’m early,” Ozzy yelled.
    By the time I rounded the corner he was making his way through the foyer with a bag full of corn and an ice chest full of booze. I took the corn and hugged him.
    “I hope you don’t mind me being so early. I wanted to make sure you were all right after last night.”
    “What happened last night?”
    We turned to see Justina in the doorway with Eramus right behind her, arms crossed as if he too were waiting for an answer. Thankfully, Ozzy spoke up because I surely would have given something away.
    “I drove Lucy home last night and we saw something in the yard.”
    “What was it?” Justina asked.
    Oz and I exchanged a look. Neither of us were ready to start throwing around the word “werewolf”.
    “Like a big dog,” he said. “He probably got loose from one of the farms around here. Anyway, I didn’t get a real good look.”
    But the wolf sure did. He must have been watching us the whole time. I shivered at the thought before remembering I hadn’t introduced Eramus.
    “Oh, this is my friend Ozzy,” I said.
    Eramus stepped forward and the men shook hands as he introduced himself.

Chapter Nine
Sleeping dogs
    “Eramus Creed,” Ozzy repeated. “That’s a pretty famous name.”
    The two men exchanged a look that clearly said they knew something I didn’t. What the hell was going on? I was lost.
    “Only in certain circles,” Eramus replied.
    Ozzy raised an eyebrow. Then as if to further confuse me, Eramus supplied, “It was my grandfather’s name.” Well, I already knew that, but had no idea what difference it made.
    “Ah.”
    Even though they were both carrying the ice chest through the house now and the subject had changed to the weather, there was a palpable tension in the air. Justina came to stand beside me and we both watched the men walk out of sight. She didn’t speak until we heard the back door close.
    “What the hell was that all about?”
    “I have no idea.”
    “Is Eramus famous?”
    I shook my head. “Your guess is as good as mine. I’m sure if he was a celebrity, I would remember a face like his.”
    “And that ass,” Justina said, rolling her eyes like she was going to swoon.
    I turned toward her, laughing. “I know, right? Did you see how good he looks in those jeans? I have never wanted to be woven into cotton so bad in my life.”
    I thought my comment was pretty clever. In fact, I was waiting for her to respond with a whoop or a catcall of some sort. Instead she looked kind of…embarrassed.
    “What? Are you going to say that wasn’t funny to you?” I shrugged.
    Justina pointed at what I thought was my hair.
    “Is there something in my hair? Something wrong?”
    I took a section of my red locks in one hand and