Page 7 of Romanced by the Rat (Ghostlight Falls #3)
Chapter six
Ramsay
I stand outside Ratcliff’s entrance, my stomach in knots.
Jeremy should be here any moment, but my mind can’t stop whirling with worst-case scenarios.
What if he forgot to set his alarm clock?
What if he gets into a car accident? He’s a grown man who spent his entire life without my guidance, but after last night, I don’t know how he made it so far without me.
To give him credit, he’s not completely incompetent. I don’t think he realizes how wound-tight he is. His nerves heighten and completely take over all of his cognitive reasoning. Thank God he decided to pursue bodybuilding instead of joining the military. He’d find some way to bomb the whole town.
We spent four more hours together last night.
Not only did he secure a date with Charlotte because of me, but he also had his best night of serving yet, walking away with 300 dollars in his pocket.
The guy is anything but ungrateful. He wouldn’t shut up about how much easier the night was with me guiding him away from mishaps.
He seemed so excited to use his money to help fund his future bodybuilding competitions.
We talked about our hobbies; I with people-watching, and he with working out and letting others judge him.
We’re nothing alike, but we make a tolerable company.
He offered to share half of his earnings with me, saying he wouldn’t even have made ten dollars without me.
I declined, because what the fuck am I going to do with money as a rat?
But I appreciated the gesture. I can’t deny that the night benefited not only Jeremy.
I crawled back to my makeshift nest in the attic above the refrigerators, feeling fulfilled and excited for a new day.
I can’t remember the last time I fell asleep so easily—not even as a human.
We made plans to meet at the entrance of the restaurant, where Jeremy would pick me up before his picnic date with Charlotte.
I gave him a detailed list of what to pack, but I have little faith in his ability to follow it.
I would have insisted on coming home with him so I could ensure the shopping and packing went smoothly, but we had just met.
I didn’t want to sign up to be this guy’s pet yet.
I enjoyed the ounce of my independence I still had.
Just as I’m about to start yanking my fur out with worry, I catch Jeremy pulling up in his beat-up Volkswagen.
He swerves in the spot closest to the entrance and stumbles out, an avalanche of water bottles following him.
I shake my head as he grabs the picnic basket from his trunk and walks toward me, stopping once he realizes he forgot something and turning to retrieve a baseball hat from his back seat.
His face lights up after searching the ground near a tall flower pot and catching me.
“Hi! Sorry, I’m late. I couldn’t figure out what to wear. ”
I size him up. His cream button-down, paired with tan shorts, was a good choice, except that the buttons don’t line up and the hem is crooked.
We don’t have time for adjustments, so I remain silent as he picks me up and shows me his hat, which he stayed up late last night to cut out the black canvas in the front and replace it with a tight mesh.
From the outside, it’s completely indistinguishable, and I’m surprised when he places me on his curly locks and covers me, and I can still make out the outside in front of me.
I suppose the guy is skilled in arts and crafts. Who would have known?
“Where are you meeting her?” I ask as Jeremy starts toward the pebbled road leading away from the restaurant and to the crashing water in the distance.
“Near the entrance.”
“Nice.”
“Was that sarcastic?”
“I mean, you could have offered to pick her up, but by the state of your car, I’m guessing that wouldn’t have been a good idea.”
“Fuck off,” he says, shaking his head.
“Oh, hi!” Charlotte calls after we walk past a bend shaded by a large tree.
Jeremy’s body tenses underneath me. “Oh! Hi! Sorry, I didn’t see you.”
“Calm down, dip shit,” I whisper, cringing at the rapid cadence of his voice.
His shoulders roll back, and he takes an indistinguishable breath.
He does well with direction—never fights me and calms the moment I give an order.
It makes my rat dick hard, but that’s probably just because it’s been centuries since I’ve gotten laid.
It’s not like I’d ever consider coupling with a female rat.
I’m a man, regardless of whatever fucked-up form I’m in right now. The thought turns my insides out.
Most of all, being near Charlotte has an erotic effect on me.
Honestly, it’s probably the main reason why I’m agreeing to this date.
Even if it’s just for a moment, I can pretend it’s me who’s charming her, making her panties wet.
Well, it is actually me. God, I hope he can’t feel my balls tightening against his scalp.
She smirks, brushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “It’s okay. I just got here, so perfect timing.”
An awkward beat passes, and I whisper, “Ask her to follow you. Talk about your picnic.”
He clears his throat. “Well, should we head to the falls?” I pull the hair that controls his arm (no, I don’t know how I know that) and have him motion toward the entrance. “I packed cheese, crackers, and some fruit. I hope that’s okay?”
Good. I suspected she was a vegetarian after all the ratatouille. He listened to my advice.
“That sounds wonderful!” Charlotte beams at him, her eyes bright, brown saucers. For a second, I swear they're looking at me.
They fall into step next to each other, and I lead him closer until they’re brushing arms. God, I almost feel the friction. “Ask her about how long she’s lived here,” I order.
“I haven’t seen you around before. Are you new in town?” Nice, good spin.
“Yeah. I just moved here a week ago.”
“What brought you to Ghostlight Falls?”
“It was kind of random.” She appears nervous. “I knew I couldn’t afford living in a big city, and I wanted to be somewhere far from home. I sort of just closed my eyes and stuck my finger on a map, and here I am.”
“Running from something?” he asks.
“No! Too serious and probing. Make it lighter,” I whisper through gritted teeth.
He laughs. “I’m just kidding. I get wanting a new start. I think about getting away and starting over all the time.” We reach the pool at the bottom of Ghostlight Falls. The two stop, and Jeremy subconsciously begins setting up the picnic.
“Really?” she asks. “This town seems so wonderful. And Ratcliff’s seems like a great place to work.”
Jeremy sits on the white and red checkered blanket, folding his legs underneath him.
Charlotte sits next to him. “Yeah, it’s nice, I guess.
I grew up here, so the quietness, Bigfoot, and aliens are all normal for me.
But I haven’t found my purpose yet. I’m pretty sure it’s bodybuilding, but it’s an expensive hobby.
That’s the reason I started working at Ratcliff’s, but so far I just suck at my job and haven’t been able to make enough money for a competition. ”
“Okay, trauma dumping much? Slow down. Ask her about herself,” I whisper after his monologue.
“You do bodybuilding?” she asks. Great. Charlotte seems like an intellectual, someone who can sit for hours alone and just people-watch.
I don’t think the idea of oiled, beef cakes would be her thing.
It’s a practical question, though. No offense, but Jeremy’s form isn’t exactly macho meat head.
More props to him for pursuing something despite his lean figure.
“Yeah,” Jeremy says with a chuckle. “I know I’m not the most jacked, and it sounds weird and vain, but I don’t know. I just enjoy giving myself a challenge and succeeding at something without having to open my mouth.”
“Open your mouth?” she asks.
“I’m not the best with my words. I usually make a fool of myself.”
She scoots in closer, her skin nearly grazing his. “I happen to like the things that come out of your mouth.” Yeah, the things I tell him to say, I say to myself.
Surprisingly, he doesn’t tense. He moves closer, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“What a coincidence, because I like the things that come out of your mouth too.” The two are so close.
The unopened picnic basket sitting next to them, their breath heavy.
Are they going to kiss? This is going so much faster than I anticipated.
Something sours in me, maybe it’s jealousy, anger that I’m not the one who set this up.
A part of me wants to stop it, demand their first kiss be on my orders so I can feel like I have a part, but the moment’s too thick, sucking me in.
I can’t help but lean forward as well, eager for the taste of her lips on mine.
But then thunder shakes the ground around us, and Charlotte pulls back.
Sloppy, wet raindrops fall all around us.