Under a Bear Moon by Carrie S. Masek Read Free Book Online Page A

with Ellen until she returned in street clothes.
    He stopped talking and stared.
    Lynda knew her dress was a big change from the jeans and T-shirts she normally wore. The intense shade of blue brightened her pale eyes. The slinky cut emphasized her long legs. The gauzy fabric draped her hips and swirled when she walked.
    “You look ... incredible.” Greg walked over to Lynda and tentatively put his arm around her. “And smell good, too.”
    The tingling in her stomach turned to full-fledged flutters. She tried to shrug them off. “That's just the cold cream.”
    “No, it isn't,” he said quietly. “You smell like happiness.”
    Before Lynda could think of a reply, Keisha stuck her head through the side door and beckoned. “Let's go. Ellen called ahead for the pizza. It'll be ready soon.”
    Surprised, Lynda looked around the empty theater. She hadn't noticed the others leave.
    “Be there in a bit.” She turned back to Greg. “Want to walk, or take my car?”
    “Let's walk. I prefer walking, especially with you.”
    For a moment, she couldn't speak. Licking her lips, she squeaked, “Forgot my coat.” Running back into the dressing room, she threw on her blue striped windbreaker and ran back on stage.
    Greg stood next to the exit with nothing over his cotton knit shirt. She'd seen the shirt before—it was tan and had a brown bear on the pocket instead of an alligator. Lynda thought it was cute, but not warm enough for mid-November. “Get your jacket. It'll be chilly tonight.”
    “Don't worry, I'll be fine,” he said, holding open the door. “Come on, we're gonna miss the pizza.”
    Lynda walked out into the autumn evening. The brisk air felt invigorating after the stuffy theater, and Lynda un-zipped her windbreaker.
    Leaving the building, they followed a tree-lined path to 58th Street. Their feet crunched through a carpet of fallen leaves.
    Greg glanced past the nearly bare branches to the cloudless sky. “Chicago's weather's really not that bad. It gets cold like this in Santa Cruz all the time.”
    Lynda shook her head. “Wait a couple of months. Compared to a day in January, this is a heat wave.”
    “That's what I like about it here,” Greg said after they left the path and started walking along the street. “The weather keeps changing. The day we flew in from California, it was ninety degrees and raining.” Lynda giggled at the incredulous tone in his voice. “I can't wait to see what winter's like.”
    “Don't worry, winter will be here before you know it.” As if on cue, the sun dipped below the horizon, dropping the temperature ten degrees. The breeze that had seemed so refreshing, twirled leaves off the tops of their piles and raised goose bumps on Lynda's arms and legs. She paused to close her windbreaker, but the zipper jammed. “Shoot,” she muttered, struggling to free it.
    “Here, let me.” Before Lynda could refuse, Greg bent forward, unsnagged the clasp, and pulled the zipper closed. “It's easier to do from the outside.”
    They stood, almost touching.
    “Thanks,” Lynda finally said and a shiver that had no-thing to do with the temperature raced across her shoulders.
    “Still cold?”
    Lynda shook her head. “A little chilled, maybe, not cold.” Ignoring the way her heart hammered against her ribs, she looked up at him and smiled.
* * * *
    THE TEMPERATURE dropped throughout the evening. By the time the cast left the restaurant, the wind off the lake had turned icy. It ripped through Lynda's windbreaker and gusted up her skirt, chilling her arms and freezing her stockinged legs.
    Ellen pulled on thick, winter gloves. “Matt drove his dad's car, tonight. He's giving me a ride back to school. Want to come?”
    Lynda tried to look warm. “No thanks.” Shrugging, Ellen trotted after Matt.
    A moment later, Greg stepped outside. He paused by the door. The sky was the pink-gray of a cloudless night, and the streetlights left large sections of the sidewalk in shadow.