Hunter woke up with a small groan. He rubbed his eyes and sat up a little using his good arm. He felt Arabella shift next to him slightly and he raised an eyebrow. She was curled up with her back to him and she seemed to be squirming a little. They had, at some point, moved from the ground floor to their bedroom and that was where they fell asleep. He carefully slid next to her and laid on his side, draping his arm over her and around her waist. She snuggled into him, but stayed asleep. Hunter buried his face in her hair and kissed the back of her neck softly before closing his eyes and putting his head back down.
Arabella was walking down a street with Tyler and Hunter. The boys were laughing and having a good time. Arabella smiled lightly to herself and looked around them. Arabella thought that she heard foot steps from behind them, so she turned around. In the distance, she could see a hunched figure but she couldn't see what it actually was. It gave her the creeps. "Hey, Hunter..can we go home soon?" Arabella asked but suddenly, everything went black and arms wrapped around Arabella from behind. She let out a scream as she felt something slice at her side.
The screaming was still ringing in her ears from the dream. She felt arms around her and a warmth from behind her. Still half asleep, Arabella was more in her dream world then real life and because of that, she yelped and tried to pull herself out of the arms that were holding her.
Hunter held her tightly. "Ellie! Ellie!" He shouted, shaking her slightly. "Ellie! Wake up!" He rolled her onto her back and looked down at her. She must have been having an awful nightmare. He hated that she couldn't be in her head to keep her safe." Ellie! Come on! Wake up!"
Arabella's hands flew up to cover her eyes and she squeaked, waking up when she heard Hunter's voice. She took shallow breaths, trying to calm down. It had been a dream. It was all a dream. Arabella slowly lowered her hands and with tired eyes, she looked up at Hunter. "M-morning" She whispered.
Hunter looked down at her with worried eyes. "Ellie, are you okay?" He asked quietly before placing a small kiss on her forehead. "That must have been some dream." He said with a nervous chuckle. He ran his fingers up and down her arm, hoping that it would help her feel more comfortable. He sat up with his back against the wall and pulled her up next to him with his arm around her. "Talk to me." He said, kissing her cheek.
Arabella curled up to his side, closing her eyes for a moment. Having Hunter there was helping her a lot. She knew that if she had a dream like this and she had been alone, she would not be calming down at all and she'd probably be having a panic attack for the rest of the day. Arabella took deep breaths and she opened her eyes again. "You..you were there and Tyler was there. We were walking then everything went dark and I felt something grab me from behind" She told him in a whisper. The dream had felt so real. Her hands were shakying lightly so she twisted them together and placed them in her lap.
Hunter held her tightly. "You're okay." He whispered, kissing her head. "Nothing is going to hurt you. I'm never going to let anything hurt you." He said, putting his cast in her lap, using his fingers to wrap around her and pull her closer. She felt so small against him, but he wanted her to know that she was safe. He was going to protect her no matter what. "You're okay."
"I know" Arabella breathed and she looked up at Hunter, a small smile on her lips. She knew that Hunter was going to be by her side, no matter what and she knew that she would do whatever it took to do the same for Hunter. Arabella rested her head on him, yawning lightly. "Thanks for everything, Hunter."
"Mmm...My pleasure." He said, putting his head on hers. "Now, you stay here. I'm going to make you a very large breakfast. You take a shower." He said, kissing her on the forehead. "It'll help you wake up." He smiled and stood up out of bed. He glanced back at her and laughed. "Don't make me come in after you." He said with a wink before heading downstairs and starting on breakfast.
Arabella watched him walk away with a smile on her face before laying back on the bed. She stretched out her limbs, moaning softly. After a few moments, Arabella rolled out of the bed and grabbed her clothes for the day then walked to the bathroom. A shower sounded so wonderful at that moment and she dying to get under the hot water. Arabella peeled off her clothes and stepped into the shower. After her shower, she got dressed, pulling on a pair of clean shorts and a t-shirt. She didn't really plan on going anywhere and if they decided to go out then she could just pull on her jeans. Arabella walked back to the bedroom and flopped, face down, onto the bed.
"Biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, bacon, OJ, and a fresh cup of coffee." He said as he walked in with the tray of food. The small flower that Kyle had made at camp was on the tray and as he sat down, he set the tray down next to her. She sat up and looked down at the food with a smile. "Breakfast is served." He said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. He smiled and slipped the flower into her hair and watched as it changed into an orchid.
Arabella smiled, touching the flower lightly. "Remind me to tell Kyle that this was the best idea, ever" She said with a giggle and she looked down at the tray. "Wow, Hunter. You're really....wow" Arabella grinned up at him and she pulled him closer to kiss him tightly. "Mmm..Happy Halloween" She said and kissed him once more before going back to her food and taking a big drink of the coffee. "Perfect"
"You're pretty perfect yourself." He said with a smile as he took a bite of bacon. "It was actually my idea though. I just lacked the..." He waved his hand in the air in the same fashion that Kyle did when he used his powers. "Power to make it." He said with a chuckle, putting his hand on her cheek and kissing her lightly on the forehead. "That flower will go great with your costume." He stood up off the bed. "And to go with my costume..." He grabbed his pendant and transformed it into a bow, slinging it over his shoulder felt like seeing an old friend after a long time apart. He sighed and smiled down at her. "What do you think? Very...Robin Hood?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
Arabella looked up at him and she bit her lip. It was like seeing the Hunter that she knew at camp again. She looked at his smile and she grinned. It was nice to see him smile like that. "Robin Hood. For sure. It's also very Hunter" She said and she put her hands on his sides, pulling him closer to her. "You're going to make an amazing Robin Hood" Arabella told him with a nod and she lifted his shirt a little bit so that she could place a kiss on his chest.
Hunter laughed and wrapped an arm around her. "You're going to make the most beautiful Maid Marian ever." He said with a grin, kissing her cheek. He ate another piece of bacon and perked up when he heard her phone ring. "I...will hand your phone to you because I still don't know how to use it." He said with a laugh as he walked over to the dresser and unplugged it. He sat back down next to her and handed it to her before putting an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek,
Arabella sighed and took the phone. She didn't really want to talk to anyone. Especially not someone who ruined her time with Hunter. Arabella leaned into Hunter and answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Arabella! How are you my dear? I was going to call earlier but you said that if I called you before 10am you would gut me, so..." Daniel sounded happy and Arabella smiled a little bit.
"This is true" Arabella said and looked up at Hunter with a shrug. "What's up, Danny?"
"I just wanted to call you to say hello and tell you about the office party tonight. You're more then welcome to come along and bring Hunter with you" Daniel said.
While she was talking, Hunter thought he would make things difficult for her. He pressed his lips to her cheek and smiled. As he brushed his lips down to her neck he heard his name through the phone. "Where am I being brought?" He asked quietly as he brushed his lips down to her shoulder. He felt her breath for a moment before putting the phone on speaker. Hunter sighed, knowing that his affections would have to stop unless he wanted Daniel squealing in his ear. "Hey, Danny." He said as he leaned back against the headboard.
"Hunter! You and Arabella are coming to the office party. Tonight." He said with an audible nod. Hunter glanced at Arabella with a raised eyebrow.
"We were going to go Trick-or-Treating, Danny." He said with a sigh.
"You can come by later! The party will be going until tomorrow morning, I'm sure" Daniel said with a chuckle. Arabella gave a thoughtful nod and turned to Hunter.
"Last Halloween, I did't get home until 8 in the morning, the next day" She said then turned back to the phone. "We'll be there, Danny."
"Oh, goody! I hope I see you in some very skimpy costume, Hunter!" Daniel said with an audible wink. Arabella rolled her eyes.
"Bye, Danny" Arabella said and hung up the phone.
"Sounds like it's going to be a long night." Hunter said, putting his head back against the headboard. He sighed and looked over at her. "8 in the morning, huh? You were very drunk, I'm assuming." He said with a small smile. Honestly, he didn't like drinking. He didn't like drinking and he didn't like anyone drinking. Not that alcohol was bad, but the last time Arabella drank...It was one of the worst nights of Hunter's recent life. "Hey, uh...I think that it would be a good night if we didn't get drunk tonight?" He said quietly, without looking her in the eye. He was nervous about how she would respond. He really didn't want her to think that he resented her or anything.
Arabella looked up at him, not really sure what to say to him. She wasn't a huge drinker, not really. There was only a handful of times when she was actually really, really drunk. Arabella cleared her throat and she nodded lightly. "Yeah, that's okay with me" She said and she crawled over, straddling him. Arabella ran her fingers down his cheeks then kissed him. "But just so you know, a couple drinks isn't going to get me totally wasted. So try not to dump out my drinks tonight, yeah?" She asked him with a teasing smile.
"Well, just don't make me drink and we'll be okay." He said quietly, putting his good arm under her butt. He looked up at her and smiled softly. "I still have flashbacks to being drunk. Ugh...I didn't even drink that much." He said quietly, pulling her forward and pressing his lips gently to hers. With his cast he gently ran his fingers up and down her back, making to not let the cast drag.
Arabella laughed and she leaned into Hunter slightly, shivering at the feel of his fingers on her back. She remembered the day that he had come home drunk. At the time, she didn't find it very amusing. However, she now thought that it was hilarious. She was only jealous that she couldn't have been there when he was actually drinking. "I thought it was pretty funny" She said with a giggle and she kissed his forehead.
"You were the only one." He said with a chuckle. "I still don't know what I said to Kyle, but it got him down the aisle." He kissed her and smiled. "We'll have to ask when we see them on our trip." He said quietly as he brushed his lips to her shoulder. He trailed kisses from the base of her neck all the way down her arm before planting a small kiss on her palm and smiling at her.
Arabella watched him as he trailed kisses down her arm and she shivered lightly. She still didn't understand why Hunter would want to be with someone like her. It blew her away. It baffled her. She always pictured Hunter with a smart girl who was the outdoorsy type. Arabella was nothing like that. "Mmm...should we get some archery practice in before you have to be Robin Hood?" She asked him with a giggle.
Hunter scoffed. "The bow is for decorative purposes." He said with a smile. He sighed and put his forehead against her shoulder. "And I don't see myself firing well with this hunk of plaster." He said, lifting his cast and letting it fall back down on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her. He was warm and he was comfortable. Not to mention he was with the most beautiful girl in the world. Hunter was happy. He placed a kiss on the hollow of her neck before hugging her again. "I love you." He said, pulling her closer.
"I love you" Arabella said softly and she nuzzled in close to him, taking a deep breath. Everything about him was perfect. Perfect for her, at least. If she didn't believe in soul mates before Hunter, she certainly believed in them now. How could she feel so strongly for someone and it not be something destined? Something drawn up by the Fates themselves? Arabella brushed her fingers down his chest and kissed him then gasped. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She squeaked before rolling off of him and walking towards the closet. Arabella dug through a pile of clothes until she found what she was looking for. She took a deep breath and walked back to Hunter. "So, I don't think that you've ever had a stuffed animal. Which, I know, isn't very manly. But everyone needs to have had a stuffed animal when they were a kid. It's like...a part of being a child. And I saw this in a store the other day and I couldn't not get it for you. It reminded me of you so much" She explained then held out a little stuffed wolf.
Hunter looked at the wolf. He didn't take it at first, but eventually he took it gingerly in his hand. As he examined it, he almost cried. The wolf looked exactly like Orion. Down to the moon shaped marking over his eye. He was unsure what to do with it at first. It made him realize how much he missed Orion. He reached over and opened the drawer to his nightstand. He reached around for a moment before pulling out Orion's collar. He ran his finger over the tag before putting it on the stuffed wolf. He looked at it for a moment before hugging it tightly. "We need to get a dog." He said quietly.
"Stop reading my mind. I was about to say that" Arabella teased with a smile and she leaned into him slightly, kissing him. She placed her hands on his sides and looked down at the stuffed wolf. Arabella had a dog a few years ago, but she had passed away. Arabella missed having a dog around, she missed having that constant friend. "We should get a King Charles Spaniel. I've always wanted one of those" She said with a nod.
Hunter set the wolf on the bed next to him. "How about this?" He said, standing up and putting his hands on her hips. "Let's go to a pet store, right now. We'll grab lunch. Then we'll go to another one and we'll just look." He said, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Once things settle down a little bit, then we'll buy one. Or two." He said with a smile. "Or three." He said before kissing her again. "Does that sound like fun?"
"Is the sky blue?" Arabella asked and she jumped out of bed and ran towards the closet. Not bothering to close the door or anything like that, she yanked off her shorts and dug through her drawers for a pair of skinny jeans. She walked out of the closet with her jeans in her hands and she looked at Hunter on the bed. "Could you plug in my hair dryer for me?" She asked with a smile.
Hunter looked over at her and blushed, but didn't look away immediately. He let his eyes linger on her long slender legs for a moment before shaking his head and turning away. "Oh, uh...yeah. Is it in the bathroom?" He asked as he walked in and looked toward the sink. He saw it and picked it up. "Oh, never mind. Found it." He said as he examined it. He finally plugged it into the wall and walked back in. He slipped off his athletic shorts and his shirt before going to his dresser and pulling out a pair of jeans. Two can play at this game. He thought to himself as he glanced back at Arabella.
Arabella gasped lightly when he took off his shorts. She let her eyes run over his muscular legs, shamelessly checking him out. Arabella let out a low wolf-whistle and winked at him before pulling on her jeans. Quickly, she walked to the bathroom, making sure to smack Hunter's butt on the way past. Giggling to herself, Arabella dried her hair and ran some product in it. "I miss having a dog" She said casually to Hunter while she looked in the mirror, debating on what to do with her make up.
Hunter looked over at her before grabbing a shirt out of his dresser. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist with his shirt in his hand. "Me too." He said quietly before running his hands down her stomach and finding her hips. He swayed a little and kissed her cheek "What are you doing?" He asked with a sigh. "Are you ready yet?"
"Hmm? Am I ready yet? Gods, no" Arabella said and she shifted though her make up bag. She let out a huff and started taking everything that she would need for her make up. Primer, cover up, foundation, powder, blush, eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow and finally, lip chap. She leaned back into Hunter slightly, swaying with him. It was comfortable to stand with him like this. "You know..I'm never going to actually be ready if you keep distracting me with a topless you"
"Oh?" He said with a chuckle. "Here. Let me see." He said, taking her make up bag away. He kept an arm around her and put everything away, putting all of it back in her make up bag before tossing it on the bed and turning his attention back to her. He wrapped his arms around her, placing a kiss on her neck and putting his hands on her hips again. "There. You're ready." He said, turning her head and kissing her. "And don't you look beautiful." He said with a smile as he pulled her closer again.
Arabella giggled softly and she looked at the bag on the bed for a second before looking at the time. She really did want to leave right away. Arabella kissed Hunter lightly. "You better put a shirt on. Or we're going to be here a lot longer than we planned on" She breathed and ran her fingers down his chest. When he complimented her like that, it was the best feeling in the world. It made her feel beautiful and amazing.
Hunter smiled and kissed her again. He finally let her go and sighed. "I'm still tired from last night." He said with a chuckle as he slipped his shirt on. He smoothed it out and grinned before taking her hand and walking out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and out to her car. "Alright. So where to?" He asked as he slid inside the passenger seat.
Arabella shrugged as she drove and she glanced over at Hunter briefly. "We'll go to the big pet store first. There's the one that has all rescued animals and doesn't get puppies from puppy mills" Arabella said with a nod and she turned on the radio, turning the volume down a bit so it wasn't blasting out at them. "What kind of dog do you want to get?" Arabella asked, looking over at him for a second.
"Oh, I don't know." Hunter said quietly. That was a lie. He knew exactly what kind of dog he wanted. He wanted Orion, his wolf. Hunter missed Orion. He always would. "I'm not even sure what the options are, honestly. What kind did you want?" He asked, looking over at her.
"Hmm..either a King Charles Spaniel or a Chihuahua. I had one of those when I was younger and she was the sweetest thing in the world. She was only 7 inches long" Arabella said with a nod and a small smile. She looked at the road and sighed a little bit. "Maybe you should look at a Husky" Arabella suggested. She was never one for big dogs but she didn't hate them either. She just didn't have the patience to deal with the walks and the food and all of that.
"Maybe we'll just get two. You can get your tiny little dog that you can put in a purse." He said with a teasing chuckle. "And I'll get a dog that I can throw a frisbee around with or wrestle with. A man's dog." He said with a laugh. "We'll just have to see." Hunter felt a little nervous. He didn't exactly know what to expect. He knew that this impulse to get a dog might have been somewhat thoughtless, but he didn't care. He missed Orion.
Arabella smiled at Hunter and turned into the parking lot of the Petsmart. She used to love going to that store. She would run around and look at everything. She'd pet the dogs and the cats, study all the fish, whistle back to the birds and hold all of the bunnies. Arabella grabbed her purse, a big smile on her face, and she headed towards the store with Hunter. "Where do you want to go for lunch after this?"
"Unless you want a list of soup kitchens or fast food places, don't ask me." He said with a small chuckle as he took her hand. He tapped his fingers on the back of her hand as they entered the store. Immediately, Hunter smiled a little. The store was loud with yapping dogs and cats meowing and birds whistling and tweeting. Hunter always loved animals and animals always loved him. Unless you're talking about a hellhound. Those tend to have a problem with him. He walked over to a cockatiel and stuck his finger out. "Hey." He said quietly to the bird before making a quiet clicking noise with his tongue. After giving a small test nip on his finger and hand the bird hopped onto his finger, using it as a perch. "Ellie, Ellie! Check it out!"
Arabella walked over to Hunter and she grinned at him. She turned her eyes to the little bird then kissed Hunter's cheek. "Are we going to leave the pet store today with one of every animal?" She asked him in a teasing voice and she walked over to the bunny cages. A small smile spread across her lips and she stuck her finger inside to stroke a white one gently. "Awwwh! Hunter! Look!" She squealed as the bunny nudged her finger to keep petting him.
Hunter put the cockatiel back after scratching him lightly under the wing. The cockatiel let out a squawk and lolled his head back. Hunter laughed and stopped before patting it on the head and walking over to Arabella. "Here." He said, before reaching over the top of the cage and pulling the rabbit out. He held it in his arms and pet its head with his fingers. "Here you go. You hold him." He said before carefully handing her the bunny.
Arabella grinned and she gingerly took the bunny out of his hands, holding him close to her chest. "He's so adorable" She breathed and looked up at Hunter with big eyes. She had always loved animals like this. Pets. Animals in the wild made her a little bit nervous because she couldn't tell what they were going to do. If they were going to bite her or love her. Arabella petted the bunny gently before gingerly handing it back to Hunter. "We need a pet. This much is clear" She said with a small laugh.
Hunter nodded and put the rabbit back not before receiving a small love bite from the animal. He scratched behind its ear for a moment before snaking an arm around Arabella's waist. "We came here for dogs, Ellie. Dogs." He said, kissing her temple before looking around the store for the dogs. He saw a sign hanging from the ceiling and perked up. "Oh. There." He said before taking her hand and leading her over to the dogs.
Arabella squeaked when she saw all of the dogs and she quickly walked over to them, pulling Hunter along with her. When she got over to the dogs, she nearly started bouncing she was so excited. She saw so many dogs that she loved but her eyes fell on a King Charles Spaniel and her heart melted. "Oh, Hunter..look" She said softly, pointing to the brown and white puppy.
Hunter smiled and picked the dog up out of the cage. The dog squirmed and panted in his hands as he walked over to Arabella. "He's a sweetie." He said with a smile as he handed the dog to Arabella. "Careful. He's kind of fidgety." He said with a chuckle as he rubbed the dog under the chin. Hunter smiled at her and the dog. He already knew that they were going to get that dog. Hunter loved it already, but he didn't want to show it. He was looking for Orion. Hunter kissed Arabella on the forehead and looked back at the dogs.
Arabella sat down on the ground, holding onto the puppy. The puppy wiggled in her hands but not like it was trying to get away, more like it was excited and having fun. She smiled down at the puppy, petting the top of it's head lightly. Arabella let out a giggle when the puppy started licking her face. She was head over heels in love with that dog. It was perfect and wonderful and too cute for words. Turning her eyes over to Hunter, she let out a soft sigh. She hoped that he would find the dog that he was looking for.
Hunter looked around the dogs. All of them were so adorable and playful and funny, but that's not what he was looking for. He knew that finding a wolf in a pet store wasn't logical, but he wanted something close. He didn't see anything. All of them were small lapdogs or very luxurious dogs. All of the dogs that were bigger weren't what he was looking for. He sighed and looked into the cage of chihuahuas. He grabbed a white one that had big floppy ears, big feet, and a crooked tail. He was quiet, but when Hunter picked him up he perked up and squirmed a little. Hunter smiled softly and held him on his back like a baby before rubbing his belly. The dog fell asleep in his hands. Hunter sighed and put the dog back before walking over to Arabella. "Do you want that one? It looks like he loves you." He said as he sat down next to her. "Not as much as I do though." He said with a laugh before kissing her cheek.
Arabella smiled softly up at Hunter then down at the puppy that was now lounging in her lap as she scratched behind it's ears. Did she want this puppy? It was the most perfect dog for her, really. It was adorable and small and was so full of love. Arabella looked up at Hunter and she nodded. "Yeah..I do really want him" She said with a smile then took a deep breath. "Have you fallen in love with a dog, yet?" She asked him with a giggle.
Hunter sighed and let the dog lick his hand. "No. None of these are uh...They're not for me, you know?" He smiled as the dog nuzzled his hand. "Alright. Except this one. I like this one." He said with a sigh as he put his forehead on Arabella's shoulder. "You want to get him? Like today?" He asked quietly. "We can get him and then while we're gone we can leave him with Daniel or your dad." He said with a shrug. "Or we can maybe even take him along." He said, taking the dog from Arabella. He put the dog belly up on his lap and was surprised to see a girl. "Oh! Well, looks like he is a she." He said before scratching the dog's belly.
Arabella giggled a little bit and she held one of the puppy's hind paws in her hand, petting it softly. After a few moments of thinking about it, she nodded. "Are you sure Hunter? I mean...it's a big responsibility" She said softly and looked up at him again. "We'll find a dog for you. I'm sure of it" Arabella said with a nod and leaned over to kiss him. She giggled when she felt a warm tongue licking her cheek and she turned to smile at the puppy.
"I know." He said with a chuckle. He playfully tapped the dog on the nose and it snapped at him. He laughed and tapped the dog again, getting a love bite in return. He finally scratched the dog's neck and it leaned into his hands, closing its eyes. "This is your dog though. He's YOUR responsibility." He teased, handing the dog back to her. "Let's come back after lunch and after we look at the other pet stores though." He said as he stood up. He helped her up. "We'll come back for her. I just don't want to carry the dog around to the other shelters. Is that okay?" He pet the dog behind the ear and sighed.
Arabella nodded and she gently put the dog down, scratching behind her ears. With a small groan, Arabella pushed herself into a standing position and she brushed her hands on her pants and looked over at Hunter. She really did want Hunter to find the right dog for him. A dog that he could take with him on a run or down to the water or to play around with outside. Arabella took his hand and headed back to the car with him, looking back briefly at the puppy she had fallen in love with. "I'm sure that there's some kind of doggy hotel or something like that where we could drop her off while we're gone" she said with a nod.
"They might even start training her." He said with a nod as they reached the car. "Alright. Take me to your favorite restaurant in the whole city." He said, looking over to her. "Like....Favorite restaurant. Of all time." He said as they pulled out of the parking lot.
"Of all time? Hmm..that's a tough one" Arabella said with a sigh. She had grown up eating at restaurants because of her father's lack of cooking skills. Tyler's mother was never a good cook either. She was just crazy. Arabella had many favorite restaurants then, because of that. She drover the car in silence, thinking it over. What was she craving in that exact moment? With a small smile on her face, Arabella drove down a street and parked in front of what looked like a small dive restaurant. She slid out of the car and looked at Hunter with a big grin on her face. "Best burgers and fries in the whole city" Arabella said with a nod.
"We'll see about that." He said with a chuckle as he took her hand. "I'll have you know that the First Presbyterian Church of Christ on 5th and Lexington makes the best burger I've ever had." He said with a smile. "It's the only burger I've ever had, but I stand by my statement." He said with a chuckle as they entered the building. Immediately the smells and sounds flooded his brain, causing him to let out a small "Wow..."
Arabella grinned up at Hunter and she walked over to the counter, quickly ordering two of their lunch specials and she walked over to a table with Hunter. She lowered herself into a chair and smiled at him as he sat across from her. "I am so excited to go Tick-or-Treating tonight. It's going to be so much fun" She said with a giggle.
Hunter nodded and took a sip of water. "I am too. I'm not really sure what to expect, so it'll be interesting, at least." He dripped the condensation on the table and drew a little heart in it before laughing and wiping it away. "We've got the office party after that. What's that like?" He asked with a sigh.
"Office parties a ton of fun" Arabella said with a nod and she ripped her paper napkin into a perfect square. "There's a lot of drinking, to be honest. But it's not dirty or gross or anything like that. Just people having a lot of fun. It's also a clothing company so everyone always goes all out on Halloween with their costumes" Arabella told him as she started folding her napkin into a paper boat. She looked up when their food got there and she grinned, thanking the server. "Mmm...I am craving one of these burgers so bad" Arabella moaned and looked down at her plate. There was a big, juicy burger with french fries on the side, both of them were home made, not the frozen kind. There was also a side salad and a couple of cut up carrots and celery.
Hunter raised an eyebrow at the food and took a deep breath. "Well, it smells good." He said with a chuckle as he picked up a few fries. He ate them and smiled. They were salty, but not too much so. They were a little greasy, but in a good way and had a slightly spicy aftertaste. "Not bad." He said with a smile. Arabella gave him a look like he was crazy. "Okay. They're really good." He said with a chuckle as he slightly rolled his eyes.
Arabella giggled at Hunter before taking a bite into her burger and letting out a happy moan. It was juicy and full of flavor. The burger wasn't too think and the bun wasn't too thin. It was perfect. She swallowed and looked around. "Tyler's mother lived with us for a pretty long time and she was totally crazy. A terrible mix of anger management issues, a first degree black belt in Taekwondo and bipolar disorder. Whenever she would get really angry and start breaking things, I would take Tyler on the subway and we'd come down to this place for a burger and fries" She told him with a smile before eating a couple of fries.
Hunter bit into the burger and smiled. "I can see why." He said with a mouthful of burger as a line of juice dripped down his chin. He set it down and wiped his face with his napkin. "So, Tyler's mom. Did your dad...I don't know. How did your dad respond to running off?" He asked quietly as he ate a few fries.
"Uhm..not to well, actually. I mean, he had to keep his composure about it all because he didn't want it to be all over the New York papers, but I could tell that he was a mess. I saw it coming and when she left, I was pretty excited. So was Tyler, honestly. But I think that Dad always kind of thought that he would be able to fix her, you know?" Arabella explained and shrugged "He hasn't even looked at another woman since then..." Her voice trailed off and she took a bite of her burger.
"I can imagine that." Hunter said as he took a sip of water. He took another bite of burger and chewed slowly as he thought about how her dad must have felt. "If you left or died or something..." Hunter started before swallowing his bite of food. "I probably wouldn't be able to move let alone look at another woman." He said quietly as he took another bite of burger and wiped his hands and face with his napkin again.
"Yeah, well...she wasn't nearly as awesome as me" Arabella said in a slightly teasing voice and she finished off the rest of her burger. She knew that if Hunter had left her like that, she would be a total mess. Her heart was so tangled up with him and if he left her, it would totally shatter her. Arabella cleared her throat and finished off her fries then stood up. "I'll be right back" She said before walking over to the counter and quickly paying for their food.
Hunter nodded as he finished his burger. He ate his last few fries and as soon as she was back he stood up and took her hand. "That was good. I could have done better though." He said with a chuckle as he kissed her cheek. They got back into the car and started down the road. "I think I might have more luck with a shelter, not a store. I was always more of a wild animal kind of guy anyway. I'd get a bear, but I'm not sure how easily those are housebroken." He said with a chuckle as he put his hand lightly on her knee.
"Mmm...not that easily" Arabella said and she glanced at Hunter briefly. "Besides, a bear would probably think my puppy was an afternoon snack. So, sorry but no bear" She added in a teasing voice and she drove towards the animal shelter. "I'm sure that you'll find some kind of active, manly dog here" She said with a nod and parked in the parking lot. She slid out of the car, grabbing her purse and she walked towards the building, pulling her hair up into a loose bun.
Hunter smiled and took her hand as soon as it was down from her hair. He picked up the pace a tiny bit and when they walked inside, he was surprised at the number of animals. Everything from poodles to Persian cats. He even spied a few rabbits. He immediately walked to the dogs and looked. There were so many small dogs or dogs that were fully grown. Hunter wanted a puppy. He didn't want any puppy. "That one." He said quietly. He crouched down and looked into a cage where a small puppy slept soundly in the corner. He reached in and carefully pulled him out.
"He was attacked by a bigger dog. His mom actually. He never had a name, so he's good if you want to raise him. He's about 7 weeks old." Hunter turned to see someone smiling at the dog and him.
"What kind of dog is he?" Hunter asked as he ran his hand through the fur that reminded him so much of Orion. Hunter finally reached his ears and found something odd. One of the dog's ears was missing. Not completely, but it was bitten in half.
"That happened in the attack. He's a Utonagan-wolfdog mix." The man said with a nod. "I'm not sure what his temperament will be. Utonagans are wonderful family dogs, but wolfdogs are completely unpredictable." He said as he pet the dog's head. The puppy's eyes blinked open and he yawned before looking up at Hunter. Hunter smiled back and rubbed the dog's belly. "He's been her for 3 weeks. He could really use a good home. Why don't you step over there and you can get to know the dog a little?" He said, pointing to an area that was cleared out with a couple of toys in it. Hunter nodded and started toward the area.
Arabella folded her arms across her chest and she followed Hunter towards the area. It seemed like a wonderful puppy and Arabella could already tell that Hunter loved it. However, she was slightly nervous about the wolfdog part of it all. The last thing she wanted was to have her little puppy get eaten by a big wolfdog. She tried to calm herself down a little though, reminding herself that if anyone could deal with a dog that was part wolf, it was Hunter. "You love him, don't you?" Arabella asked Hunter in a knowing sort of voice.
"We'll find out, won't we?" Hunter asked nervously as he sat down he stretched his legs out and put the soles of his feet together, creating a makeshift pen for the small puppy. He set it down in front of him and looked at it. The way it sat on its hind legs and stared up at Hunter made Hunter want to cry a little. It was identical to Orion. Hunter smiled gently and slapped his hands down in front of the dog who jumped back and took an attack position. Hunter did it again and this time the dog pounced, giving playful lovebites to Hunter's fingers. Hunter laughed and rolled the dog over onto his back before rubbing vigorously, causing the dog to open his mouth and let his tongue hang out. Hunter again was amazed by how similar he was to Orion. Hunter rubbed his side and the dog let out a happy bark. Hunter laughed and turned to Arabella. "Ellie, come here." He said with a chuckle as he patted the ground next to him. She hesitated a moment before sitting down next to him. Hunter sat the dog between them and immediately the dog got to his feet and eyed her. "Hey." Hunter said quietly as he picked the dog up. "She's nice. She's good." He whispered into the dog's ear before leaning over and kissing Arabella on the cheek. He set the dog down and it growled a little. Hunter shook his head and put his hand around his muzzle. "No, listen, buddy. She's good. We like her." Hunter leaned over and kissed her cheek again. He noticed a small bowl of treats on a table nearby and he took one. Feeding it to the dog, he let go of the dog's muzzle. "Now, you." Hunter watched as the dog crawled over Arabella's leg and put his front paws on her stomach before reaching up to lick her face. Hunter smiled and pet the dog's back. "He's smart. Just a little reluctant. He'll be fine." Hunter said with a nod.
Arabella giggled and she scratched under his chin. "He's adorable" she said in a soft, loving voice. She looked down at the puppy with big eyes and she took a deep breath. "You need to get this dog, Hunter. He's perfect for you. In fact, there is no way that you're not getting this dog" Arabella nodded at him then looked down at the dog, petting his head softly. She hoped that this dog would be good with other dogs, especially her tiny little Spaniel. "The only question is, are we getting him now or later?" She asked Hunter with a smile on her face.
"No. This dog is coming home with us. Today." Hunter said with a chuckle as he scooped the dog into his arms again. He laid back and the dog walked around on his chest a moment before curling up on Hunter's stomach. This dog was perfect. He sat up again and the dog ran around a little bit on the ground always running back to him and then running off again, tongue out and ears perked up. "Jason." Hunter said to the dog. He kept on running. "Well, that name's out. Umm...Ajax!" Hunter said with a smile as the dog turned and ran at him. Hunter scooped him up and held him out at arm's length the dog squirming in his hands. Hunter laughed and held the dog in his arms again. "I love this dog." He said with a chuckle as they walked toward the front. Hunter paid for the dog and got a carrier to put him in, but Hunter carried him out to the car. "Alright. Let's go pick up your dog and some stuff for the dogs and head home. Then we get to go Trick-or-Treating. Then the office party." Hunter said as Ajax ran around his feet. "Best day ever." He said with a chuckle as he picked Ajax up and put him on the seat between them.
"I can't believe that we're getting dogs.." Arabella said, a little bit blown away but totally excited. She felt like this was the first step in their relationship. It felt so real now. They had dogs. They had a house together. They had a life together. Arabella drove to the first pet store, hardly able to contain herself and her excitment. She parked infront of the Petsmart and looked at Hunter. "I'll be really fast. You should stay here with Ajax" She said with a smile and she leaned over to give Hunter a big kiss. "I'll be back!" She said excitedly and she slid out of the car and walked towards the store.
Hunter smiled and turned his attention to Ajax. Hunter knew that Ajax was going to be a little bit of a pain to train, but it was going to be worth it. This dog was perfect for Hunter. As perfect as he could get. Ajax barked up at him and rolled onto his back, waiting for Hunter's reaction.Hunter put his forearm on the dog's belly and scratched under its chin while the dog gnawed at his fingers. Hunter laughed just as Arabella came back in. "That was fast." He said as he took her dog from her. Immediately, Ajax looked up at the dog in Hunter's arms. He didn't growl, but was definitely hesitant. "Ajax..." Hunter said in a warning tone. Hunter put his hand lightly on the dog's muzzle and set Arabella's new dog on the seat next to him. "She's nice. She's good. We like her." He said before finally letting go of his muzzle. The two dogs immediately started smelling each other. Hunter laughed a little and turned to Arabella. "What did you name her?" He asked, petting the two dogs.
"Jolie" Arabella told Hunter and she looked down at the dogs with big, loving eyes. There was almost a motherly affection there. This is what they needed. This is what she needed. Arabella scratched behind Jolie's ear lightly then looked up at Hunter. "I also go a bunch of food and bowls and a couple of beds and some toys and a whole bunch of other stuff" Arabella told him and looked up as a man that worked at the pet store pushed a cart out that was full of bags. She rolled down her window and grinned at him as he started placing the bags into her car. "Thanks, so much!"
"It's not a problem" He said with a nod and a returned smile. Once he was done packing it all up, Arabella waved to him and started the car.
"I can't believe we have dogs..." Arabella said, slightly under her breath and she glanced down at Jolie, who had forgotten all about Ajax and was nuzzling into Arabella's leg, trying to climb onto her lap.
Hunter smiled and picked Ajax up and put him on his lap. "Come here, Jo. Come on, Jolie. Ellie is trying to drive." He scooped up Jolie who let out a series of small barks before trying to bite Hunter's fingers. Hunter laughed and set her on his lap with Ajax who proceeded to sniff Jolie again. Jolie growled at him and barked, causing Ajax to flinch backwards and fall off Hunter's leg. Jolie walked in a circle and then curled up on Hunter's lap. "Wow, Ajax. Way to stand up for yourself." He said with a chuckle before scratching Ajax's head.
"Real tough dog you got there, Hunter" Arabella said with a giggle and she started to drive towards their home. Luckily, both of the dogs were good in crates so they would be able to leave them in there for the night while they went Trick-or-Treating. It was going to be a wonderful night. Trick-or-Treating, new dogs, office party...it was going to be perfect. Arabella had even forgotten all about her dream. She pulled into their driveway and parked the car, stretching out her arms and her legs with a small yawn. Arabella reached over, patting Ajax's head lightly.
"I'll bring in Princess here. You can bring in Ajax. Then I'll come back out and get the stuff." He said as he gingerly picked up Jolie. The dog squirmed and barked a couple of times before starting to snap at Hunter's fingers. "This dog is evil." He said quietly as he slipped out of the car and started toward the house. He walked in and set her down. "Okay. You watch the dogs. I'm going to bring in the stuff." He said, kissing her cheek and walking back out.
Arabella smiled and she sat down on the ground with the dogs. They were just too adorable to resist. She scratched under Ajax's chin with one hand and with the other hand, she rubbed Jolie's belly, who was nuzzled right beside Arabella's leg. Arabella giggled at Ajax, who had his headed tilted back at her touch and his tongue was hanging out. She spoke to the dogs, but didn't really say anything. She was just making little, affectionate cooing sounds. Arabella let out a soft, happy sigh and countinued to pet the dogs who looked like they were in doggy heaven.
Hunter smiled as he brought the last bag in. He let out a small sigh as he sat down right next to Arabella, leaning on his hands. Hunter put Ajax in front of him and slapped the ground, causing the dog to pounce forward then back off. Hunter pretended to fight and wrestle with the dog before being interrupted by Jolie climbing up Hunter's side and barking at him. "What do you want? What do you want?" He asked Jolie. "Go bother Ellie." He said, nodding toward Arabella. He sighed and picked up Jolie, placing Ajax in front of Arabella. Jolie walked in a circle and stretched a moment before staring at Hunter. She barked and jumped on Hunter causing him to laugh and scratch her behind the ear.
Arabella laughed and she stood up, patting Ajax's side. "Come on Ajax, let's go get some coffee. Hunter needs some alone time with his new girlfriend" She teased and looked down at Ajax, who was looking up at her and panting slightly. He stood up, placing his front paws on Arabella's legs then pushed himself off, bouncing around excitedly. "Maybe I'll just get coffee for myself then..." she joked and winked at Hunter before walking to the kitchen, making sure to wiggle her hips for Hunter. Ajax jumped around her legs, his tongue hanging out.
Hunter smiled at Ajax and turned his attention back to Jolie who was gnawing on his fingers. Hunter scoffed and gently pushed the dog over. Jolie barked and stayed on her back, giving Hunter a look that said, 'belly rub?' Hunter picked her up as he stood up and held her like a baby. Jolie lolled her head back as Hunter rubbed her belly. He set her down on the counter next to Arabella and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Your dog is evil." He teased with a laugh as he kissed her cheek. Jolie barked and sat on her hind legs, staring at Hunter and Arabella. "My dog is fine. Your dog is a hellhound."
"My dog is adorable and sweet. Don't hate" Arabella teased and she leaned up to kiss Hunter, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leaned into him, kissing him tighter. Arabella couldn't believe how lucky she was to have met someone like Hunter. Once she left Brian, she was convinced that she was just going to be alone for the rest of her life and put all of her energy into her company. But now she lived in a big house with the man of her dreams and two very adorable dogs. Arabella heard a tiny bark and she looked over to Jolie who was looking either annoyed or hurt. She let out a small laugh and pulled away from Hunter, scooping Jolie into her arms. "Now, Jolie...Hunter here seems to think that you're a hellhound. You're going to have to convince him other wise."
Hunter smiled and sighed, picking Jolie up again. "Are you or have you ever been a hellhound?" He said, looking the dog in the eyes. Jolie blinked a few times before barking and licking his face. Hunter laughed and handed her back to Ellie. "Okay. I guess she's not a hellhound." He said before looking down to see Ajax with his paws on Hunter's leg. He caught the dog's gaze and Ajax howled briefly in response. Hunter picked Ajax up and sighed. "What do we set up first? Should we get their crates ready, you think?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
Arabella nodded, looking down at Jolie with loving eyes. "Yeah, we probably should. I'm going to have to start getting ready for the night pretty soon" She said with a nod and she looked over at Hunter. A smile spread across her lips and she gingerly put Jolie on the ground then walked over to the crates, pulling out the crate cushions that she had gotten for them. She took a breath and started setting up the pink cushion in Jolie's crate.
Hunter put Ajax in his crate after he had set it up and the dog seemed reluctant at first. Hunter laid on his stomach and looked in. "Come here." He whispered. "All of this is yours. You're going to live with us now, is that okay?" He asked before taking a treat out of the bag and holding it out. The dog wobbled over on his paws that seemed too big and licked Hunter's face. "Welcome to the family, buddy." He said before leaving the treat in the crate and looking in as Ajax ate it and made himself at home. "How longs does it take for you to get ready? I'll be ready in 30 minutes." He teased, still watching Ajax.
"Long enough" Arabella said with a little laugh and she reached over to take a treat from the bag. She broke it in half and slipped the one half to Jolie, who was curled up in her cushioned crate, looking as happy as can be. Arabella smiled softly at Jolie then pushed herself off of the ground and stretched. "I'll be upstairs" She said and walked past Hunter, putting her hand on his shoulder for a moment as she walked. Arabella climbed the stairs, walked to the bedroom and started to set out her costume.
Hunter raised an eyebrow for a moment and debated 'walking in' on her again. He smiled at Jolie who was smiling and let out a happy bark when Hunter passed from the small cushion throne that she had tugged into place. Hunter climbed the stairs and sat down against the door. "How am I supposed to get ready with you being all naked in there?" He asked with a chuckle.
Arabella looked back at the door, tugging off her jeans. She smirked a little "You could join me" Arabella suggested and looked back to her costume, lifting it up off of the bed. She loved her costume. For one, it was going to look amazing on her and for another, it wasn't going to make her look like a skank. Arabella picked up the remote for her iPod dock and pressed the play button. Humming along to Oasis, Arabella started to pull the slip over her head. Once that was on, she started to pull on the dress.
Hunter waited for a moment before doing a little mental math. "If she went up there....then she'll put on music...Now....and now she'll be..." He stood up and quietly opened the door to see her with the dress halfway on. Hunter laughed quietly at his accuracy and stepped forward. As soon as the dress was all the way on, he put his hands on her hips, pulling her close. "Doth my fair maiden ever the more fair?" He said before taking her hand and spinning her out to look at her dress. "She doth look more fair." He said with a chuckle before pulling her back in and kissing her.
Arabella giggled softly against his lips and she ran her hands down his chest. "Get your costume on. I want to see my Robin Hood" She said with a wink and pulled away from him to go to the bathroom. She left the door open, turning on her hair curler. "I figured that we could go Trick-or-Treating until about 9 or 10 then head over to the office party. Most of the Trick-or-Treaters go home around then"
"That sounds good." Hunter said as he slipped off his shirt. He stood near the door of the bathroom and kept his back to her while he opened his costume. He intentionally flexed and made sure to put on a show for Arabella. "How long are we doing this, then?" He asked as he slipped off his pants. "I mean, how many houses?" He turned around and smiled at her openly gawking at him. "Ellie. Eyes up here." He teased as he slipped on his costume pants.
Arabella laughed and she turned her eyes up from his lower half just a little bit to look at his chest. "My man is one sexy beast" She said and looked up at him, giving him a wink. She smiled softly before turning back to the mirror, using the curling iron to form loose spirals in her hair. Once there were perfect curls all over her head, she pulled her hair to the side and pinned it like that, so all of her curls fell over her left shoulder. Arabella dug though her bag for a moment before she found the bronze hair clip, shaped like a flower and she placed it in her hair. She looked down at herself then turned to Hunter. "What do you think?" She asked him, looking for his opinion.
Hunter raised an eyebrow and smiled at her. "Beautiful. Lovely." He said as he slipped his shirt on. He looked for a moment and found Kyle's flower on the dresser. He walked over and put an arm around her waist. "Wondrous. Magnificent." He said before slipping the flower in her hair next to her ear. He kissed her forehead. "Belle. Gloria. Piacevole." He said, pulling her close. "Alright. You ready to go?" He asked as he put his hat on his head.
Arabella leaned into him, totally melting. When he talked to her like that, it threw her for a loop. Part of her wanted to scrap the plans for Trick-or-Treating and stay home with Hunter in the bed that she could easily have pushed him onto. She shook herself and nodded, putting a smile on her face. "I'm ready when you are" She told him with a nod then headed towards the door with him. As she walked out, her eye caught onto something on her bedside table that was sparkling in the light. Her bracelet. Arabella froze for a moment, feeling like she needed to take that bracelet with her. She took a breath and grabbed it, slipping it onto her wrist then followed Hunter down the stairs.
Hunter smiled as he hit the bottom step. He turned around and put his hand on her hip. "We just have to wait for Tyler to-" Ding dong! Knock knock knock. Jolie started barking and Ajax howled at the bell and the knocking. Hunter sighed and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I'm so glad we bought dogs." He said with a chuckle as he kissed her again.
"I can see you guys!" Tyler said, peeking through the window on the door. Hunter sighed again and walked over to the door.
"Hey, Tyler." He said as he opened the door.
"You got dogs?!" He asked, ignoring Hunter and walking inside.
"Yes, Tyler, we got dogs" Arabella said with a roll of her eyes, but she had a smile on her face. She was so proud of their dogs. All she wanted to do was walk down the street and tell the world that she got an adorable puppy names Jolie.
"Where are they?" Tyler asked, looking around. Arabella sighed and pointed out the crates to him. Tyler knelt down and looked in them. "Gee. Is the tiny lap dog yours, Hunter?" He asked in a slightly sarcastic voice and he chuckled, standing up again.
"Is everyone ready? Can we go? I want candy!" Arabella said, bouncing slightly like an excited 10 year old.
"Let's go." He said with a nod. He grabbed a pillowcase out of the linen closet and slung it over his shoulder. He waved goodbye to the dogs before stepping outside. "Now for the coup de grace." He said, grabbing his pendant. He drew the bow and gripped it before quickly notching an arrow and taking aim, causing his arm to ache. "Ouch..." He said as he put the arrow over his shoulder and put the arrow back. "Well, as long as I don't have to rob a carriage or fight some minstrels, I think we'll be okay." He said with a laugh as he took Arabella's hand and started toward the first house.
---------
After a few hours, Arabella had a heavy bag of candy and she was starting to get a little bit tired. She was looking forward to getting to the office party, where she could sit and have a drink and have a good time with Hunter. "I would say that was a pretty awesome night. Even if too many mothers were checking out my favorite Robin Hood" She said and smiled up at Hunter, leaning in to kiss him.
"You two are so gross. Can you go more than 5 minutes without some kind of a kiss?" Tyler muttered, looking in his candy bag and pulling out a Mars bar.
"One of these days, Tyler...We're going to be telling you and some girl to get a room." He said, patting him on the arm. Hunter pulled Arabella closer and kissed her temple. "There were plenty of guys making eyes at my Maid Marian." He said with a chuckle when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Excuse me, sir." Hunter turned around to see a woman in her 30s or 40s. She was slender and had a familiar arm structure. She was an archer. She was dressed in a suit of armor of sorts. Standing next to her was a much younger girl around 16 or 17. She was dressed in a toga and had a gold band around her head.
"Please. I'm no sir." He said with a scoff. "I'm Hunter. This is Arabella. This is Tyler. And you are?" He asked, extending his hand. "Wait! Let me guess...Uh...Joan of Arc?" He said, pointing to the older woman who smiled and nodded. He turned to the younger girl. "And you are..."
"Helen of Troy." Tyler said, stepping forward a little. "Hi. I'm Tyler." He said, introducing himself to Helen.
"Guinevere, but you can call me Gwen." She said, shaking his hand. "Hercules, I take it?" Hunter turned his attention away from the two and looked at Joan.
"Sorry about that. What did you need?" He asked, remembering that she had gotten his attention. She looked at him for a moment before nodding.
"I wanted to tell you that your bow is umm...Well, it's wrong." She said with a smile. "Sorry. I'm insulting you and you don't even know my name. I'm Janet. Gwen is my niece." Hunter laughed a little and took off his bow.
"No. It's okay. This bow is Greek. I know it is." He said, handing it to her. "It's the bow that I used when I fou-" Arabella elbowed him in the side. "When I...was a hunter." He said with a nod.
"You're an archer?" She said with a raised eyebrow. "I teach archery myself. Gwennie here is my student."
"I told you to not call me that." Gwen said with red cheeks.
"He's the best archer that I have ever met" Arabella said to Janet, nodding lightly. It was the truth, really. Hunter had always impressed her with his archery skills and it blew here away even more when she remembered that he's a mortal. He was better then most of the Apollo kids. "He keeps telling me that he's going to teach me something, but has that happened yet? Nope."
"You're, uh..you're costume looks really good" Tyler said nervously to Gwen, his cheeks just as red as hers. Gwen smiled at him and looked down at her costume for a moment before looking back up at Tyler.
"Yours is really good too" Gwen told him and Tyler's cheeks became redder then a cooked lobster. Tyler took a breath and he chewed on his lip for a second.
"So..I uh.." Tyler said awkwardly, trying to think of something to say to her, anything.
"You look a little familiar..do I know you from somewhere?" Gwen asked Tyler, brushing a piece of auburn hair out of her face. Tyler looked at her and cleared his throat. He opened his mouth to say something but decided to just shrug instead. "Did you go to Amber Charter? Grade 4? Mrs. Bucci's class?" Amber looked excited but Tyler was trying his hardest not to look like a total dork.
"Yeah, I did. Did you go there too? Well, of course you went there too, other wise you wouldn't be asking me and I'll just shut up now" Tyler said but to his surprise, Gwen giggled.
"I think I remember you. I was in grade 6 at the time and we used to have reading buddies in the grade 4 class" Gwen said with a nod and Tyler let out a little sigh of relief. At least she hadn't seen him every single day for the full day. "You didn't go to that school for very long, did you?"
"One year" Tyler said and looked around, slightly nervous. "So..ugh..your aunt teaches archery?"
"Yeah. I'm in her class, but she says that if I'm good enough then she'll let me teach my own class. She owns the rec center down on 43rd." Gwen explained. Hunter raised an eyebrow at Janet. He needed a job. Good an opportunity as any.
"You own the rec center?" He asked. Janet nodded and smiled. "That's wonderful! I've been looking for a job. The only things I know how to do are archery and knife fighting." He said with a chuckle, regretting the addition of knife fighting.
"I'm not just going to give a stranger a job." She said with a chuckle. "Just because your girlfriend says that you're good, doesn't make it true." She handed Hunter his bow back and stepped past him. "Umm...how about this? You see that pumpkin?" She pointed to a pumpkin at the end of the road. It was a classic Jack-O-Lantern.
"Okay..." Hunter said cautiously as he stepped next to her. Janet put a hand on his arm.
"You fire arrows into the eyes, nose, and mouth, you've got a job." She said before folding her arms across her chest and grinning. Hunter sighed. He knew that his arm wasn't going to be helpful for this. He drew and arrow and notched as he took aim. As long as he had his arm locked the pain was just a dull ache. Hunter aimed and fired. The arrow zoomed through the air and planted a little crooked in the pumpkin's nose.
"Alright. One down." He said with a chuckle. He was used to it now. Hunter smiled as he quickly drew another arrow and fired, having taken a new aim. He drew and fired 4 more arrows in quick succession before rubbing his arm.
"From here, I can tell you're last arrow missed, but let's get a closer look, shall we?" She said, coming off a little arrogant. Hunter looked at Arabella a moment and gingerly put his bow back on his shoulder before taking her hand and following her toward the pumpkin.
"I didn't miss." He whispered to Arabella with a wink. They finally reached the pumpkin and Hunter looked at his handiwork. "Nose. Left eye. Mouth. Right eye. Finally, as a little bonus, the stem." He said before walking over and grabbing the arrow stuck in the stem, taking the top of the jack-o-lantern with it.
Arabella smiled at Hunter with a proud smile. She was happy to see him like that, to see him doing something that he was incredible at doing. Arabella felt a small twinge of worry in her stomach though. She knew that doing that was probably not the best thing for his arm. She looked up at Hunter and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before looking over at Janet, who looked impressed.
"I think Janet liked it...it can be hard to tell wither sometimes, though" Gwen explained to Tyler in an undertone. Tyler was looking at Hunter like he was a god or something.
"That is the coolest thing I have ever seen in my life!" Tyler said excitedly.
"Well..." Hunter said quietly, rubbing his arm again. "When do I start?" Janet shook her head and looked at him.
"Here. This is my card." She slipped him a business card with her phone number on it. "As soon as that arm heals and as soon as you're ready then give me a call. We'll get licensing and proper equipment and all that stuff taken care of. That okay with you, Robin of Loxley?" She said with a laugh. Hunter tucked the card into the brim of his hat and shook her hand vigorously.
"I cannot thank you enough for this. I will call you." He said with an excited nod.
"It's getting late, Gwennie. Let's get home." She said, putting a hand on her niece's shoulder.
Gwen looked up at Tyler with a big smile and he nervously smiled back at her. She was beautiful and she made him nervous and shy. She raised a hand and waved at him. "I'll see you around, Tyler" Gwen said. Tyler cleared his throat and he nodded, waving back at her.
"Bye, Gwen..." Tyler said in a slightly nervous voice. Arabella watched Gwen and Janet walk away then she looked at Tyler.
"so...Gwen is pretty, huh?" Arabella said with a giggle. Tyler looked at her with pink cheeks.
"Shut up"
"You want to love her, you want to hug her, you want to kiss her" Arabella teased in a sing-song voice and Tyler's cheeks turned from pink to red.
"Be nice, Ellie." Hunter said with a chuckle as he walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "He just wants to kiss her and hug her and love her and stuff." He said with a smile before kissing her. "Alright. Who's ready to go home and eat ourselves to death?" He asked, holding his bag of candy up, being forced to use his good arm due to the sheer weight of the bag.
"I'm exhausted, so I'm going to call a cab to take me home" Tyler said with a nod and he dug around for his phone. Arabella looked up at Hunter and she gave him a small smirk.
"We have an office party to go to, remember?" Arabella said and kissed his cheek. "If you still want to go, that is..." she quickly added, her voice trailing off.
"Yeah. Yeah. Let's go." Hunter said with a chuckle. "We should check on the dogs, though. Jolie is probably torturing Ajax at this point." He said with a nod as he slipped an arm around Arabella's waist. He looked over at Tyler who was calling a cab. The three of them walked back to the house and immediately heard barking. Hunter looked into Jolie's cage and saw her sitting on her throne barking endlessly.
"My cab is here. Bye, guys." Tyler said with a wave as he walked out. Hunter waved and turned to Ajax who was curled up on a blanket, asleep.
"What do you want, Jo? What is it?" Hunter said as he opened the cage. Jolie left her throne and ran out of the cage and immediately to Arabella's feet.
Arabella laughed and she picked up the small puppy. Jolie started licking Arabella's face and Arabella turned to Hunter with big, happy eyes. "She might be a diva but I love her" She said with a giggle and she turned Jolie over in her arms so she was holding her like a baby. "The party is probably just starting now, so we got some time to get over there. No rush." Arabella said with a nod and she rubbed Jolie's belly, who looked like she had a smile on her face.
"Look at Ajax." He said, pointing to the dog who woke up at his name. He walked to the side of the cage and Ajax looked up at him with a happy bark. Hunter bent down and opened the cage. Ajax wobbled over to Hunter's feet and put his paws up on his legs. "Alright. Let's take them for a walk. Then we can go to the office party." He said with a nod as he found the dog harnesses in the bags. He put one on Ajax and stood at the door. "Is Princess ready?" He asked, nodding toward Jolie.
"Just about" Arabella said, slipping the harness on Jolie. She had to bend down to tighten a little bit, because it was loose on Jolie's tiny frame. Arabella clipped the leash on and kissed Jolie's head before standing up and walking to the door. "Alright, we're good" She said with a smile and together, they walked out of the door and down the street. It was a beautiful night. The air was cooling down but it wasn't too cold. It was also quiet, not a soul was on the street and the sky was clear. Arabella looked over at Hunter and she smiled. It was a perfect night and she was with the most perfect man. Life was good.