Page 2 of No Harm No Howl

“Will you text me occasionally to let me know how you’re doing?” Melissa asked.

“I will.” Gia gave her one last hug, grabbed her box of personal items, and left.

Gia trudged into her home and set the box on the kitchen table. She had no idea what the hell she was going to do now. Proud that she’d managed to hold it together, not only in the office but on the drive home as well, Gia finally gave into the tears that had been threatening since she saw the pop-up on her monitor, informing her that she no longer had a job.

“Great! Just great!” Her head ached at the thought of having to get her resume ready and trying to find a new job.

You know we can go take those assholes out for this bullshit if you want. Just sayin’… her wolf, who had been quiet all morning, finally voiced her opinion.

Yeah, I’m going to have to pass on that. Black and white prison jumpsuits would not look good on this curvy body.

Fine. Plus, it would suck to be locked in a cage for the rest of our lives,her wolf sighed dramatically.

Exactly.

The stress of the morning wore on Gia, and she let out a loud yawn, feeling like a nap would be the best thing right now.

Grabbing a cup of water, she took a sip and then changed into her favorite yoga pants and tank top before climbing under the covers and closing her eyes.

“I just need to get rid of this damn headache. Then I’ll start looking for a new job and figure out what the hell I’m going to do with my life.”

* * *

The soundof her cell phone vibrating on the nightstand woke Gia from her much-needed nap.

“Hey, are you just about ready? I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Shit! Shit!” Gia shouted, suddenly remembering that tonight was the concert.

“Girl! Tell me you didn’t forget about tonight? We’ve been planning this for eight months,” Kendall replied.

“Ugh. I had a really bad headache and laid down for a bit.”

“Well, get your shit together and quick.”

Kendall called out the second she walked into Gia’s apartment ten minutes later. “Come on, Gia. We’re going to be late.”

“I’m coming. Geez, woman. Hold your damn horses.” Gia threw on her shoes and ran as if her life depended on it, knowing damn well that Kendall would make her life a living hell if they were late because of her.

“I don’t know what it is with you and being late for everything. I swear you are going to be late for your own damn funeral. You know that, right?” Kendall joked.

“Whatever. I don’t even want to hear it. It’s not like we’re going to be late anyway, thanks to your plan to be there super early,” Gia grumbled. She was really not up for this crap tonight. But she had promised Kendall she’d go with her for moral support.

“The show starts in two hours. We need to make sure we’re there and in our seats long before it starts. I don’t want to miss a single second. Oh, and Gerri is meeting us there since we’re running late.”

Gia rolled her eyes, wishing like hell she could find a way out of going to the show, but she had promised Kendall and Gerri months ago that she’d go. The plans had been made, and the tickets were purchased. All she wanted to do was to put her yoga pants and tank top back on and curl up in bed. Maybe see what’s on the television. Crying her eyes out had been at the top of her list as well.

Somehow, she had to find a way to paste a smile on her face, pull up her big girl panties, and get the night over with. Though, in Gia’s defense, she had no idea that she’d be laid off between purchasing the tickets and the actual show.

“Okay, I’m all ready. Let’s go,” she sighed, finally ready. Well, as ready as she was ever going to get.

“Yay! Finally. I’m so excited. Aren’t you? I’ve always wanted to see this,” Kendall gushed.

“Yeah, me too,” Gia said, trying to keep her voice as cheerful as possible. The last thing she wanted was to tip Kendall off that something was wrong. Her night was already ruined. She didn’t want to ruin it for Kendall and Gerri too.

The drive to the theater was quicker than Gia had expected. Probably because she had been lost in her own miserable thoughts. She’d had to push back the tears threatening to break free a number of times. She could not … would not … let Kendall see her cry. Not tonight. Tomorrow would be fine, but she would not break down tonight.

“We’re here,” Kendall chirped as she steered into a parking spot and turned the SUV off. “I don’t know how you’re not bouncing out of your skin right now. I know this show is on both of our bucket lists. Are you okay?”

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