Jessica Husky was startled to see Naomi's name on the caller ID of her personal phone. One thing Naomi wasn't was chatty, and if she needed to talk to Jessica, her opposite number pack leader at Transformation Park Canada, she called the business line.
"Jessica Husky here."
"Jessica? I need to ask your advice on something."
OK, this was weird. Not only was Naomi asking for personal advice, but she sounded hesitant and unsure, another first for the Transformation Park USA husky leader in Jessica's experience.
"Sure, Naomi, what can I help you with?"
"Well, I met someone, someone special."
Jessica squeed. Along with Zack and Harry, she was a charter member of the "Naomi needs to get laid" club. "That's wonderful! Another husky?"
"No, a guest, a she-wolf. Her name is Charlotte and she is so wonderful."
"Great! So what's the issue?"
"She's leaving the park tomorrow, and she wants me to come with her."
"Oh, wow. So are you going to do it?"
"C'mon, Jessica, you know the management will go crazy if I just up and leave. It's not like when you were running things here."
"Can't she wait a month for you to give notice?"
"If I make her wait, I might lose her."
"Just for waiting a month?"
"Jessica, it's kind of complicated. But she says if I don't leave with her she's going to go back to her old body."
"Oh, human?"
"Worse. Male human."
"What about your accumulated leave?"
"What?"
Jessica gave a sigh of exasperation. Sometimes Naomi's dedication to the job seemed like a form of insanity. "Naomi, you didn't take a day off the whole time I was running things. How many have you taken since?"
"Well, a couple, to be with Charlotte."
"OK, a couple of days. I believe that probably leaves you with six months. You can spend that time with Charlotte, and then you can decide whether or not to come back. I still have a little bit of clout with the management, so I'll call first thing tomorrow and make sure they don't make any trouble. Harry can take over the pack, unless you've got someone else in mind."
"No, Harry is the obvious choice. If only he would upgrade. . ."
Jessica shook her head. Naomi's crusade to get every male in the universe to "upgrade" to female was a constant source of amusement to the other huskies.
"Naomi, Harry likes being male. I know it seems weird, but just be glad Charlotte doesn't!"
Jessica put a little bit of the authority of "pack leader Juanita," her previous human identity and Naomi's immediate superior, in her voice.
"Thanks, Jessica. That sounds like the right thing to do."
"OK, then. And I want to see a picture of you and the she-wolf in my inbox stat! Preferably kissing and being all mushy together." Mushy Naomi, Jessica thought. I'd pay to see that.