Page 5 of Bear Necessities

“Oh, yeah, we got this.And a tour would be smart.When can we visit?”

“My brother here has to meet with one of our suppliers, but I can bring you right now if you two are free?”Bernie says, looking directly at me.

“Sure!”I say, I think too cheerfully.

“Oh crap, Enid, remember I have my dentist appointment in an hour?”Ray says, opening our work calendar.

“That’s OK, I can tour with Mr.Hinkley and text you later?”I say, silently hoping he agrees.

Ray gives me an arched eyebrow, opens his mouth, but then shuts it again.I try to communicate to him with my eyes that I am thrilled to go somewhere alone with this Bernie fellow.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, it’s just a quick visit.Probably a good idea to get this started sooner than later, don’t you think?”

Bernie stands up, saying, “Sounds great to me.I’m game.”

I look over at Barrett, who I swear is smirking at his brother.He then stands up and slaps Bernie on the back.

“Alright, let me know how it goes.”

* * *

I pull up behind Bernie’s black pickup truck, in front of the future Dark Wings Manor.While we walk up to the front door, he warns me about the broken chandelier that’s right when we walk inside.

The hotel lobby is silent, but colder than outside.My skin prickles as I avoid the smashed chandelier on the floor.We walk side by side, toward the direction of the rooms.

“This is farther than Barrett and I got last time,” he says when we walk by two rooms.

Suddenly, an icy feeling, like a breeze but different, sweeps up my body from the floor and trips me into an open room.I see Bernie’s surprised reaction as the door slams shut.Scrambling to my feet, I grab the door, but it won’t open.

Standing in the empty room, I look around to see if there is anything to help me.It’s empty and quiet.Too quiet, in fact.What happened to Bernie?

Yanking on the door again, it flies open, causing me to fall on my ass.Looking up, I see the hallway is empty.I jump up, run out of the room, and look wildly around.

“Mr.Hinkley?”I call out, obvious fear in my voice.“Bernie?”

A loud growl startles me from behind a closed door.I hear a thud and a crack, followed by another loud thud.I jump out of the way just as the door crashes down into the hallway and a large brown bear roars on top of it.Screaming, I turn, trip over my own two feet, and fall to the floor.The bear comes toward me and I scream again.

Before my eyes, I watch the bear shift into human form.Bernie’s form.Bernie’s knockout gorgeous form.

“I’m sorry, Ms.Vaida.I forgot I shifted for a moment.”

I burst into a nervous laughter.

“I am so sorry, Mr.Hinkley.I didn’t realize you are a shifter.”

“Please call me Bernie,” he says.“And have you seen enough?I’d really like to leave.”

He pulls me up to my feet and we stand there for a long moment, staring into each other’s eyes.An electric vibration radiates between us and I lose my breath for a second.There is an intensity between us I swear is not just from my end.Bernie then gestures for me to lead the way to get the hell out of this hotel.

On the way back down the mountain, I call Ray to tell him we have a doozy for a job and will need to pack everything for our sleepover.

4

Bernie

I arriveat work an hour earlier than usual.I couldn’t sleep, knowing that Enid was at Dark Wings Manor all night.Alone.