WITCHES & WEREWOLVES

h school in June, he spent the summer ramping up the odd jobs business he and his best friend, Bruce, had started in grade 7. Though they lived in a very affluent community, Jake’s parents did not

ipation of this weekend, they had actually ordered a second bin. All trucks had two person crews, since it expedited loading and unloading of garbage. Today, one guy had called in sick, so he was working with Bruce. Bruce didn’t live right on the ridge, but was only one street over. Though they started the business together, Bruce never wanted the leadership or management role. He hated doing business development, administration and sales. So he would step up and take control if Jake was sick or gone, but solely to manage crews. He was happy to just be an employee. Fortunately, since the company was expanding so fast, new customers were calling them and they weren’t having to go out and drum up new business. Although Jake did meet with the new customers to write up the contracts. All the full-time employees in the company were friends from school. Now that they had graduated, two of the full-time guys switched back to part-time so they could go to post-secondary schools. So Jake just partnered them together and scheduled garbage hauling jobs for after their classes. To celebrate the end of summer and the official start of their full-time business, they had gone out to a bar with the crew. It was a common event after a busy Saturday. They’d convene down at the neighbourhood pub and enjoy a beer and a steak sandwich. Steak sandwich Saturday, as they called it, went down just as usual. People arrived straight from their last tasks for the day and they all gathered at their usual table to enjoy a meal and a drink. After the meal though, Jake, Bruce and Mario were going to a nightclub because Mario had recently met this girl, Kate, from across the park and she had planned to go out with a couple of friends on Saturday night. So Jake and Bruce were going as Mario’s wingmen. They were all single with fit, athletic type bodies. Jake was the youngest at 18, but he was also the tallest at 6-foot-2, with dark brown hair that was buzzed short, brown eyes and tanned skin. Bruce was heavier set, but still in great shape. He was roughly 5-foot-9, with red hair buzzed short. He was the oldest at almost 20 since he had to repeat a year in elementary school—it was that repeat year when Jake and he became best friends. Mario was the stereo-typical tall, dark and handsome. He was 19, an even 6-foot, with black hair, brown eyes and dark skin, partially tanned from working outside all the time, but also from his Mediterranean ancestry. He was always the ladies’ man and was rarely ever single throughout high school or since graduation. Mario had moved to the community in grade 10, so while he didn’t have the history Jake and Bruce did, they considered him a close friend. The three amigos, as Jake’s dad always called them. He was also the main reason Jake and Bruce ever met women. For the last few years, Jake was always working when he wasn’t in school and Bruce was usually helping him, plus Bruce was quite shy, which is likely why he didn’t enjoy doing sales. It was usually friends of Mario’s latest squeeze that Jake and Bruce hooked up with. They left the pub after their meals, and went home to shower with plans to meet at Jake’s at 9PM, since everyone was within walking distance. They would then call for a ride to the bar, so they could all enjoy themselves and no one would drive drunk. Around 8:45, the two friends arrived at Jake’s place. Jake had already ordered a lift for 9, so they had a few minutes to talk. Mario had been texting Kate. Then, as the girls arrived at the bar, she video called him and told him where they were going to be. Her friends leaned in to see who she was talking to and Mario then panned to show Jake and Bruce. The girls were definitely attractive—maybe the change of scene wouldn’t be so bad tonight? As their ride arrived, they disconnected the call, promising to see them soon. Minutes later, they were arriving at the bar and Mario texted Kate to say they had arrived. Kate actually came and met them at the door and led them to their table at the back. It was slightly quieter at the back, but Jake still couldn’t figure out why people go to nightclubs. They’re just too loud and all you do is yell at the person you are trying to talk to. Fortunately, the DJ took a break after the current song ended, allowing everyone to introduce themselves. Kate was a dance instructor and model, which fit Mario’s type. He always went for the tall, skinny models. She was 5-foot-8, maybe 100 pounds, with A-cup breasts, brown hair that flowed down over her shoulders and hazel eyes. Jake guessed her measurements to be around 33-23-35. Jake had always been good at estimating weights and measures, which was helpful when trying to price the size of a driveway or lawn for service and for estimating the size of a garbage load. Sofia was a busty, hispanic