What Happened in the Forest

First Dates

Mara looked around the restaurant, thinking it was the right combination of cozy and fancy. It was more upscale than the BBQ place, but not stuffy. She glanced at Embry, once again surprised that she had agreed to go out with him. She had found herself saying yes without thinking when he called earlier, even though she knew that she had work to do. She still needed to write up the profile on victim No. 2 and wanted to look more into the other deaths and disappearances.

But she couldn't say no. She wanted to see him again.

"This is nice," she said as they sat down at a table and she began to look over the menu. "Wasn't expecting you to call so soon."

She blushed slightly, taken aback by her comment. God, was she really flirting? Embry smiled.

"Thought maybe you could use a break from all the work," he said casually, seeming much more at ease with this meeting.

"I could use a break. My boss has been breathing down my neck lately," she grumbled, returning her attention to the menu.

"He think you're onto something?" Embry asked, glancing at her.

"He's still on the fence, but I'm slowly bringing him around," she said. She then put down the menu and smiled at him. "But I'm kind of tired talking shop. How was your day?"

"Normal. Boring," he said. "Until now, anyway."

Mara blushed slightly.

"How are things out at the reservation?" she asked.

"The usual," Embry replied. "Though we're still going out to hunt a bit more than often. I've begged off a bit so I can focus on getting ready for the move."

"Right, you said that you're transferring to UW. Happens to be my alma mater," Mara replied.

"Really?" he said, as his face lit up. "I actually planned to go there right after high school, but... didn't work out."

"Hmm, so we could have met years ago," Mara mused.

"Maybe. It's a big campus," he replied.

"True, but you could have had my mother as a professor. Still might. You planning on taking any history classes?" she asked as a server stepped up.

They ordered and Mara turned her gaze back to Embry.

"Maybe," he said. "So, I should look for Professor Winslow?"

"Yea and sign up early. Her classes fill up quick. Oh, and be prepared. She's pretty tough," Mara replied, reaching for her water glass.

"You mentioned she was a writer too?" he asked, leaning towards her.

"Well, she's written papers and put out a few books on her work, but nothing that your average person would pick up. My grandmother was the successful author," Mara replied. "She used the pen name D.B. Winters."

Embry's eyebrows shot up.

"The mystery novelist?" he asked. "Shit... I have almost all her books at home. Still read them."

Yet again, Mara wondered just why things like that came out of her mouth. While she talked about her grandmother a lot, she didn't often share that she was the prolific author. To her, she was just Grams. Not the author whose collection of works rivaled Agatha Christie.

"That would be the one," she said sheepishly.

"Seems you were born to write," he replied. Mara shrugged.

"So, it would seem. Grandmother's a famous novelist, Dad's a reporter. Guess it's just in my blood," she said. "What about you?"

"Well, like I said, I didn't know my dad, but my mom is a nurse at the local hospital. Guess medicine is in my blood. Spent a lot of time around a hospital growing up," he said.