Waxing Love

Waxing Love 7: "Have you ever actually been in a real relationship?

            In about an hour, Meredith and the others came home. Apparently they carpooled to and from work together. As soon as he saw her, Luke jumped up and went over to talk to Meredith in hushed tones that I couldn’t hear, despite how I strained my ears.

            Meredith nodded and went into the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine and three glasses. On her way back she gestured to me and tilted her head down the corridor in the direction Luke had gone. I got up to follow her. She led the way to an office, with a desk on which a computer sat, and a small sofa. Luke sat in the swivel chair, although facing the sofa. Meredith set the wine and glasses down, pouring some for each of us. Luke waved his away and gestured for me to sit on the sofa.

            Meredith sat down next to me with a sigh, kicking off her shoes, obviously drained from her day’s work. But she pulled herself together, took a sip of wine, and took control of the situation. “Luke tells me that you’ve heard a lot about werewolves today.”

            I nodded.

            “And how are you feeling about everything?” she asked gently.

            I raised an eyebrow. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve heard a lot about a different culture from my own and have been told I have to assimilate to it.”

            “It’s not so different,” Meredith assured me. “There are merely a few traditions and mannerisms that you’ll get used to in time. No one expects you to assimilate immediately.”

            “But eventually,” I said.

            She smiled at me. “Eventually it will come naturally.”

            I was silent for a moment. “Did you study psychology?”

            She looked surprised. “No. I didn’t go to university.”

            I nodded absently. “Do any of you?”

            “Not really,” Luke answered. I had almost forgotten he was there. “Our condition makes it difficult to lead a normal life in the human world.”

            “Well, I did a double degree in Psychology and English Literature. And I can tell you that I probably will never fully assimilate, not least because you will all always see and treat me as an outsider – as the human.”

            They were both quiet for a moment. Then Meredith tried to change the subject a bit. “What work did you do with those degrees?”

            “I was a copy writer at an advertising company. You know, writing the taglines and slogans for campaigns,” I answered, if a bit dully. It all seemed so remote from reality now. 

            “Do you want to call your workplace, to tell them that you’re not coming back? Or rent that you want us to pay?” Meredith demonstrated her considerate and practical side that no one else seemed to really have.

            As much as I appreciated the thought, I laughed bitterly. Sam’s confession really did coincide perfectly with this whole thing. On the other hand, I suppose if Sam hadn’t cheated, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place.  “No. No job, no apartment.”

            They looked at me curiously. “How can that be?”

            I sighed. “Because I just recently lost my job and was kicked out of the place I was living in.”

            “Where were you living?”

            God, did I not want to tell them all about this. “With a boyfriend. We broke up. He cheated on me.” Luke’s fists clenched, but I ignored that.