The "L" Word

Chapter One

Lina closed her eyes, trying to appear to be into the guy who currently had his hands under her shirt and his tongue in her mouth. The truth of the matter was, she wasn't actually enjoying his rough, calloused hands squeezing her breasts as though they were stress balls. Nor was she particularily enjoying the way his clammywet  tongue was writhing in her mouth like a misplaced eel. This, she concluded in resignation,was why she had never brought home anybody from the bar before. 

In her defense, though, if her older sister Margaret hadn't been mocking her yet again about being a virgin, maybe Lina would have been less inclined to walk into that bar and clumsily try to seduce the first somewhat cute guy who glanced her way. She sighed as the guy (God, she didn't even know his name. Kyle? Kevin?) removed his tongue and began panting heavily against her neck, his hand sliding down her stomach and into her...

"Wait," she said, halting the rogue hand's journey Down South. Kyle moaned, his booze-soaked breath fogging her face.

"C'mon, baby," he muttered, inching his hand lower. Lina frowned. The guy had looked way cuter in the smoky bar than he currently did, feeling her up on her lumpy floral couch. Briefly, she considered letting him go to town, just to be able to finally shed the cloak of virginity, but then Kevin shoved his tongue back in her mouth, unfortuantely burping a bit as he did so.

"Ugh!" Lina groaned, pulling back from him. "Look, I think we should stop."

Kyle's eyes glittered in the light of the single vanilla scented candle she had foolishly lit when they first stumbled in. "C'mon, baby, don't be a fucking tease," he slurred, trying to kiss her again. She turned her face away so that her cheek received most of the slobber. 

"I think this was a bad idea," she said. Understatement of the century. In what realm was bringing a random drunk guy home with her, to her house, where she lived alone, a good idea?

"Don't be like that," Kevin said, his hands going to squeeze her breats again.

"No, really," Lina insisted, scooching as far away as she could. "I think we're done here."

Kyle's face twisted, and Lina wondered how she had ever considered him good-looking. "Look, lady, you should be fucking grateful I'm even here. I don't usually do fat bitches, you know?"

Shame and embarrassment flared hotly, causing her eyes to prickle with unshed tears. She hated herself for it. She swallowed hard and opened her mouth to reply, but before she could a low growl drifted out of the darkness.

"What the fuck?" Kevin asked, squinting into the shadows across the room. "What is that?"

Two yellow eyes gleamed in the light of the flickering candle, and another growl filled the air. The shadow took a step forward and turned into a beast, the weak light shimmering across it's thick, shaggy coat. White fangs flashed as the creature snarled again, and Kyle scrambled over the back of the couch, pressing himself flat against the wall.

"Is that a goddamn dog?" he asked in disbelief. The shadow answered his query with three booming barks. 

"I haven't gotten him his rabies shots yet," Lina said helpfully. "But don't worry, he only bites assholes."

The dog snapped his teeth, drool dripping onto the carpet, and Kevin yelped, stumbling across the living room to the front door. After fumbling with her door knob for a few moments, he finally managed to open it, exposing the night. He paused just outside the doorway, glaring at her. 

"Fat slut," he spat hatefully, and the dog lunged toward him. He screeched and took off running down her driveway. Lina leaned out her door, the cool night air soothing her flushed skin. 

"Fuck you, Kyle!" she shouted into the night, causing the neighbor's dog to start barking. Very faintly over the din she heard him yell back.

"My name is fucking Alex!"

Lina blinked, and then shurgged, closing the door and locking it with a satisfying click. She flipped on the lights and sighed, running a hand over her face. A cold, wet nose nudged her thigh, and she looked at her dog. 

Loki was a massive animal, weighing in at 195 pounds. His coat was thick and shaggy, mottled with black, grey, and white. His tail had the strength to bruise and, in the cases of a few unfortunate coffee mugs, break. His tongue was long and pink, often lolling out of his mouth at an angle. And he had a very unfortunate drooling problem. 

When Lina had first adopted the dog from the shelter two years ago, he was an adorable fluffy bear cub of a pup. The shelter volunteer had called him a "shepherd mix" and had assured Lina he would only grow to be about 60 pounds. Yeah, right. The vet had long since labelled him an "Irish Wolfhound Saint Bernard cross". 

"Well, pal, guess it's just you and me tonight. Like always." 

The dog panted happily before rolling over and exposing his fluffy white belly, hoping for a rub. Laughing at his antics, Lina blew out the candle and straightened the pillows on the couch, yawning. 

"Let's go to bed, Loki," she called, making her way to her bedroom. Within minutes she was smushed uncomfortably on the very edge of the bed while a 200 pound beast snored lustily beside her, soaking her pillows in drool. 

She laughed softly, throwing an arm around the dog before falling asleep.