Wolfdale

TEN (Iselen P.O.V)

I sigh while I see the sun showing shyly behind a dark cloud through the glass door of the studio. It's stopped raining finally but it's still cold outside. It's Saturday morning and Wolfdale citizens are walking up and down while shopping and greeting happily their friends. I'm alone at the reception desk given that Denise is at the supermarket and Grey is helping one of his cousins with who knows what about the fair, but I don't care since we don't have appointments today. My boss will come back later to help me close the studio since the metal shutter is very heavy. I sigh again staring at the blank page of my sketch pad, I don't know what to draw... that's weird because I'm usually able to draw even under a lot of pressure and stress, I fact this is my favourite way of forgetting my problems. I don't know what's wrong with me today... I sigh looking again through the door.

"I wonder where she's..." Hottie mayor didn't come to visit yesterday, she usually drops by the studio late in the evening before we pull down the shutter, she greets me and asks me about my day... but not yesterday. I wonder if she'll show up today... actually there're no reasons for her to do so, she'll probably have millions of things to do and all of them more important than a social visit, she can't waste her time checking that the newest citizen of Woldafe is doing fine. She's been very kind these past days but I can't expect her to leave everything in order to come and see me, above all when it's pretty clear that I'm doing very well, I'm happy with my job and my new life. It's just that I miss her, her smile, the sound of her voice, her long legs sheathed in tight jeans... the bell ringing above the door brings me back to reality again.

"Good morning, I'm happy to see you again, Iselen."

"Yes, I'm happy to see you too..." The cop has come to visit. I smile nervously even if I have no reasons to do so since Ruby is watching my back now but I can't help it. Mark Sinclair is a tall and strong guy, with dark hair, cold grey eyes and a square jaw. He seems intimidating even when he's smiling kindly, the kind of man you wouldn't want to see upset. He places his arm on the reception desk all of a sudden showing me the inner part of the forearm while scaring the hell out of me.

"I have this space clear, what do you think about a tattoo there?" Well, he seems to go straight to the point. I like that since I wouldn't know how to have a social conversation with a cop besides talking about the weather. I stare at the clear skin I have available and think...

"Don't tell me... you want a wolf too." Mark just smiles in response. "Is that because of the baseball team? I've done tons of tattoos of wolves and I think they're too many just to pay homage to the city's name so I'd thought that maybe people are so persistent choosing those designs because of the baseball team or something like that."

"We have a basketball team and a soccer team. We're good at ball games and also fast runners so some teenagers choose to practice athletics in the high school track. And yes, all of our teams are called 'The Wolves' so probably most of the tattoos you've done where commissioned by sports enthusiasts."

Finally it makes sense to me and also explains why nobody wants a cat tattooed. I lean on the desk with both hands staring at the ceiling with my lips pursed while I think, feeling more and more comfortable in the presence of the chief inspector. He doesn't seem that bad actually...

"Would you like something more... original? Something different and not only the face of a wolf." I open my sketch pad slowly and I turn the pages till I find the one I'm looking for. When I show it to him, a smile of happiness spreads across his lips.

"I like it, it's different. However, I don't know why they insist on pointing at the poor animal accusing it of being the bad guy in every story." He stares at the design that shows a wolf in shades of blue that is hovering over a kneeled down Little Red Riding Hood.