"Ira Gianopolous, at your service. And you're welcome," he said pompously. "You're Lana and Raya Loveridge, no?"

"Okay, lets say we are. What's it matter?" Lana replied.

The tall man, light on his feet, glided closer to Lana, so that he stood above her and her face was even with his chest. "Because, I am to find a Lana and a Raya Loveridge and watch over them, that's what it matters," he said.

"Says who?" demanded Raya.

"My dear friend, their late grandfather," he said surely, as though he'd been challenged. "Last time I came to visit-"

His reply seemed too mechanical to her. She got the inkling that he'd prepared to give that very answer before he'd been asked.

"Excuse moi? Gramps never informed us about anyone coming to visit, let alone anyone coming to 'protect' us. Are you drunk? High, maybe? Please don't tell me you're a crack head," Raya scoffed.

Lana chuckled then lifted her index finger to her lips to indicate a hush motion at Raya. Raya shushed her taunting, but crossed her arms with a determined glare at Ira.

Where have I seen you? she wondered.

Lana dug into her pocket removing a wadded up five dollar bill.

"Here. It's all I've got on me," she said holding it out to him.

"Who are you really?" Raya piped up again.

"I'm not a bum; I dont want your money," he murmured. "Nor am I drunk or high."

The girl's grew uneasy as he sauntered toward them, even though he locked his hands politely behind his back to show no ill will.

Lana seemed to grow courage once she realized he wasn't much of a threat at the moment. She advanced on the stranger, penetrating his metaphorical bubble of personal space. She sized him up with her shoulders back and her chest puffed out like an alpha chimp. He didn't budge or flinch, as she had hoped. Instead, he smiled looking down at her...way down, with a taunting, alluring gaze. His smirk was maddening. It made lana want to rip his face off, as though removing a Halloween mask.

Raya snorted. "Come on, Lana, let's get out of here. Let this wacko roam the woods and rave alone." She flipped her hair and strutted off like a baney rooster, giving a tiny "hmph," as she slung open the driver's side of the big truck. Blue suede met with her bottom as she flopped in the seat.

Lana poked two dainty fingers into the handsome giant's solid chest, and tried her best not to show her surprise at his fitness. "Stay away, you hear? I don't want no trouble."

She gave him a tiny sniff, wiggling her nose the way Samantha always did on that witch show.

"Damn if you don't smell like trouble - among other things, but I won't go there, because I am a lady," she added with a slanted smirk.

It was hot sex wrapped in a tall, blonde, black eye-lined, hard-as-a-rock package that she smelled, but no way was she porking another weirdo. She'd had her share of that type.

Having grown bored of making doodle designs in the blue suede while waiting on Lana, Raya laid both of her hands on the horn.

"Let's shake a tail," she yelled.

It took three more honks, with the third blow lingering before Lana started to back toward the truck. Still in a steamy stare-off with mister stranger all the way.

He finally broke the I'm-more-bad-ass-than-you trance to speak. "Lana, we need to talk it's important," Ira pleaded.

"Stay away! I mean it." Lana turned and trotted to the truck. Fighting the urge to get one more look at Ira Gianopolous, she hopped in the ride.

Lana was jolted back as the metal beast accelerated. Both girls kindly gave the stranger a twinsy middle finger through the back window as they drove off in Raya's newly acquired Dukes of Hazard-like fashion. Ira had to shield his eyes from flying dirt and gravel.

"What was up with that guy?" Rays asked, trying not to slide on the wet gravel.

"Slow down, Sparky, and you won't swerve so much," Lana cautioned. "Beats me. How did he know our names? I don't ever remember Grampa mentioning any majestic pals."

Lana buit her lip and ran her finger over the journal.

" Maybe he's in here," She said thoughtfully. "this is all so nuts! You know, I don't think people can even dream up the kind of shit we're going through. Someone should write a book about it someday."

"I'll leave that up to your bookworm ass," Raya told her. "What are we going to do if he's there when we get back?" She gave Lana a quick peripheral glance.

"Don't worry. I'm sure I can take him."

"Take which part of him? Big Ira, or little Ira?" Raya teased.

"Oh come on, he's a stranger-danger!"

"Didn't stop you from giving him the eye," Raya laughed.

Lana was entirely mortified.

"You're lying. I totally didn't give him the eye... did I? Oh my God, do you think he noticed?"

"Oh yeah. You weren't the only one, though. He was into you."

For a ridiculous moment, Lana allowed herself to be flattered. A sexy hunk of eye-candy was checking her out, but she couldn't lose her mind over a pretty face and a banging body.

"That's crazy," she said aloud. "Still, I can't help but to be a little curious about what he wanted. Who just shows up saying shit like that? D'ya think Bruce sent him? Maybe to throw us for a loop?"

Raya pondered, tilting her head. Seconds passed before she responded with a simple shrug of her boney shoulders.

"Who the fuck knows?" Lana went on. "Fuck Bruce-bastard. I wouldn't put it past him; he's a sadistic fucker."

Something had to give quick, or Lana was going to blow her top. All of these wolfy emotions were worse than being on the flow. On impulse, she stuck her head out of the window and let the cool air caress her face. It helped a great deal to calm her down and she sunk back into the seat, satisfied.

"Where are you taking us anyways Raya? I hope somewhere with food and wine."

"I thought we would go to The Sock," she answered with a snicker and glee in her cerulean eyes.

"Whaaaa?" Lana replied with an "o" face. Her cheeks went red and, with wide eyes, she resembled a blow up doll.

"Welp, to hell with it. We always wanted to see what was inside the "naughty place" when we were teens, now we're old enough. I figure, why not?"

"True, true. Alcohol and nudity sounds pretty good to me; it would take my mind off things for a while anywhoo. I'm about ready to pull curtains on this fucked up night."

"Not so fast, sister. I'm on the prowl. I haven't been laid and I'm used to it on a regular." Raya pouted while squirming in her seat. "I'm drying up over here and I can't stand it! My wallet is drying up as well. When we get back home - if we make it home," she said rolling her eyes, "I've gotta get back to work fast, and so do you. We've gotta get some green. Until some random person offers to pay us to watch us chase our tails and fetch newspapers, we will, alas, have to do what we've gotta do."

"I know, I know. It's all good though. Things will work out," Lana reassured Raya. "Hmm. What am I going to do with the journal? It doesn't seem like a good idea to leave it lying around. I have to hide it somewhere."

"Mmmm... hide it in the seat."

"Huh?" Lana asked with a squinty face.

"You know... just cut a slit and slide it down in there." Raya motioned her hand in either a slicing gesture or a karate chop.

"Erm, thanks for the visual directions raya," Lana smiled.

Her sister was so silly sometimes, yet, given the slim choices in a pick-up, it seemed legit. Lana used her sharp-as-glass were-nail and made a hairline slit in the blue suede. A few tiny blue fibers frayed and made the cut visible, but not so much noticeable, not to human eyes anyway. She slid the book inside pushing deep down, pulled her hand back, then worked at masking the slit as best she could. The seat had swallowed the book, concealing it rather well.

Raya's tummy roared and rumbled. "Shew," she whined. "I'm so hungry I could eat a-"

Lana interrupted loudly, "COW! Cow, cow, cow," slapping the dash board like a fool.

Sure enough, there was a damned cow ahead, blocking the road. Raya slammed the breaks.

"Don't cows go to bed?" she huffed.

"Apparently they like to hang out in the middle of the road and annoy me," Lana complained.

"Oh damn. You know you're in the country when. . ."

"I'll get it."

Lana slipped off her seatbelt and hopped down from the cab of the truck.

"Shoo, now." She waved the large animal off, but it wasn't budging. "Go on. Mooooove," she said, now waving her arms in the air like she was directing traffic.

"Are you a werewolf or what?" Raya called out the window.

"Oh, yeah," Lana said.

She haunched over, imagining her wolf peeking out of her human surface. A low growl began in her throat. That was really all it took. Miss Daisy, sensing a predator, got spooked quick and high-tailed it out of dodge.

Straightening herself, Lana complained, "you know, I'm getting fed up with people and animals underestimating me because of my size. It's like they don't even acknowledge me until shit starts to go down."

Raya waited for Lana to slam the truck door shut before she shifted back to first.

"Well, you know what they say about dynamite and small packages," Raya told her.

"People don't underestimate dynamite."

"You really don't worry about it unless the fuse is lit, though."

"Good point."

They pulled up to a cement building with a neon blue sign above the door that indicated they'd arrived at The Sock. Cars littered the lot and a tough guy stood at the door checking IDs.

Lana and Raya queued up. They must have heard the bouncer demand "ID" twenty times before it was their turn. He pulled off his dark glasses (who wears shades at night anyway?) to get a good look at Lana.

"You sure you're old enough, sweetness?" he asked.

"Look at the ID, Bub. It says twenty-five," she bit back.

He glanced down, then back at her, seeming to linger on her waist with a raised brow. Oh no, did she get something on her again? Lana looked down. Crud! She might have aged, but the clothes left at Grandpa's had not, and at that very moment, she was wearing over-all shorts and a fucking butterfly cluttered top. No doubt, she looked young in the outfit. No wonder Ira hadn't taken her seriously. Her face grew warm as she realized Ira had actually seen her wearing that, then she got angry, because for some reason, she cared what Ira's impression of her was.

"My other shit's at the dry cleaners," she spat, snatching back her ID and passing by the bouncer.

Raya eased up and handed the guy her card, daring him to challenge her stupid denim romper. Her eyes said, "Yes, it was old-school. They call it vintage, M effer." Yet, she felt a tad disappointed when he handed her ID back without a word.

"Do I look old, Lana?" Raya asked when she caught up with her sister.

"No, that guys a-" Lana froze.

Heck, Raya froze, too. There were naked people, sweaty people, people walking around in bondage garb, flashing lights, pumping music.

"Douche," Lana finished half-heartedly.

A waiter wandered by.

"Can I help you sexy ladies?" he asked in a sultry voice.

A stunned Raya caught herself and shook her senses back to life. "Uhm, whiskey. Two shots. Any brand," she said.

They watched in awe as he turned a bare bottom in their direction while he went to retrieve their drinks.

"Okay. He had a sock on his cock," Raya stated.

"Is this really a good time to rhyme?" Lana teased.

The girls giggled. Tonight might turn out good after all.