by Aria Grace
“Employment laws are usually made on the state level.” Jackie cocks her head slightly to the side as if in thought. Then, she looks back down at her phone and makes another note.
“This wouldn’t exactly deal with amending any laws, though that would be ideal.” I’m suddenly feeling very excited by this entire proposal. “All we’re going to do is set up a branch of the employment office that will give omegas an avenue to dispute unlawful termination. I’m hoping the rest will sort itself out once the tools are in place.”
“I think it sounds great,” Rubin says from behind me.
I turn and look back to find him standing in the kitchen entryway, looking like he just rolled out of bed. He’s wrapped in one of my large, fluffy bathrobes that looks even larger and fluffier on his smaller frame.
My heart swells at the sight of him. “Good morning,” I say with a slight smile.
Rubin stifles a yawn and shuffles uncertainly into the kitchen. His eyes dart around the room at everyone nervously, probably wondering whether or not I’m still as certain about my feelings as I was last night.
“Did you sleep well?” I ask as I open my arms and offer him a hug.
“Yes.” Rubin darts toward me and slides his arms around my torso. I give him a gentle squeeze to reassure him nothing has changed.
His body instantly relaxes against mine.
Having him there next to me feels so natural, so perfect.
When I look up at everyone else, I’m surprised Jackie hasn’t even looked up from her phone. She seems completely unaffected by anything else going on in the room. Then again, she did walk in on us making out last night.
Molly is beaming with pride. She’s become quite the mother hen toward Rubin, and I think on some level, he’s like the son she never had.
I know she just wants him to be happy.
“Would you like anything special for breakfast?” Mason asks Rubin with a delighted grin. More than once, Mason has offered me relationship advice. He’s generally been right on the money as well. He’s also become fond of Rubin, treating him like a long lost nephew.
Judging by the look on his face, he’s nothing but happy for us too.
I hadn’t realized it before, but Rubin has worked his way into the middle of my life. Mason, Wells, Molly, and Paul are all more protective of him than they are of me. They’ve all been extremely involved in helping him recover from his injuries, and I’m absolutely certain they would go to any lengths to make sure he’s taken care of.
He’s won them all over just as surely as he’s won me.
“Okay,” Jackie says abruptly, tucking her phone away and draining the last of her coffee. “I think we should take over one of the offices you’ve got here. I’ve got a couple aides making their way over. We’ll get started on drafting the rebuttal for the rumors while I try to figure out who at the employment office is amenable to your idea.”
She takes a deep breath, easily jumping into her normal role of getting shit done. “From what I can tell, it looks like the first wave of reporters might be on their way over here right now. I suggest you call the Police Chief and get him to send some units over to make sure things don’t get out of hand. Unlike city hall, which is a public building, this is your private residence, and the reporters have no right to be on your property.”
“Right.” I nod in agreement, furrowing my brow. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, and it’s going to get more difficult before it gets easier.
“Is there anything I can do?” Rubin asks.
“Get dressed,” Jackie replies without missing a beat. “You’re going to want to look your best in case anyone from the press sees you. Once we’re ready to release all the documents confirming your injury and refuting the rumors, we’ll have you stand with Marius while he makes a statement. It’ll be your first public appearance as an alpha-omega couple.” She bites her lip and scans us both. “Actually, I should probably get some stylists over here as well.”
“Stylists?” Rubin sounds a little uncertain about the whole thing. “Isn’t that a bit much? I’m not some rich, upperclass omega. I’m just...me.”
“Remember what I told you, Rubin,” Molly says with a reassuring tone. “Do you want to be the mayor’s omega?”
My heart stops pounding in my chest, waiting for his response. I already know what his answer will be, but hearing it out loud in front of others for the first time makes me feel like I’m in high school, asking someone to a dance for the first time.
“Yes. Of course, I do.” Rubin doesn’t even hesitate.
Molly claps her hand together in front of waist. “Then you need to look the part.”
13
Rubin
Dozens of strangers are buzzing around the main floor of the house. Standing on the second floor by the stairs, I lean against the banister and watch them. No matter where I go downstairs, I feel like I’m in the way.
Everyone down there has a job to do and they know how best to help out. Jackie is commanding everyone like a military general dishing out orders. They do what she says without question. Even Marius follows her orders.
Molly disappeared somewhere a little while ago, and Mason, as usual, has retired to the little cottage he and Wells share away from the main house. Fortunately for Paul, he’s off visiting his grandchildren in another city and doesn’t have to deal with this circus.
Despite having more people in the house than I’ve ever seen, I’ve never felt more lonely. I don’t know what to do with myself. Quite frankly, I don’t completely understand what it is they’re working on. I mean, I understand what they’re trying to accomplish, I just don’t get all the political details. I assumed the mayor, the most powerful man in the city, could just write up something and put it into action. Seeing all this flurry over something that sounds extremely simple to me, kinda puts things into perspective.
With a deep breath, I glance toward the second floor windows above the entryway. From here, I have a clear view out the front doors toward the driveway. There are a bunch of cars parked outside, all belonging to the people Jackie summoned to work.
A couple hundred yards beyond that, barely visible behind the massive hedges that Paul so carefully cultivates, are the news vans. A crowd of reporters is standing at the end of the driveway, almost completely cutting it off from being accessible. If it wasn’t for the police standing in their way, I’m certain they would’ve charged the front doors by now.
I’ve known Marius is the mayor for a while now, but I don’t think I ever really understood just how much of the public eye is focused on him. We live in a large city that has a population numbering in the millions, but somehow, I hadn’t fully processed exactly what it meant to be mayor.
Or what it would mean to be the mayor’s omega.
Constantly being examined, scrutinized by other people, sounds kinda awful. Something as simple as me not leaving the house for two weeks has caused this massive uproar. It just feels overwhelming for someone who was, until recently, living in an omega shelter and trying to figure out what life even meant.
As I stare out the window, I see a pair of cars approach the police barricade. One of the officers talks to whoever is inside the first one. A moment later, the barricade is moved aside and the two cars are permitted passage. I recognize the first vehicle as belonging to Molly, but I’ve never seen the second one before. It’s a sleek, bright red Corvette with the top down. Inside are two men I’ve never seen before.
They follow Molly’s car up the driveway and park just behind her. I lose sight of them as they walk below the window, but I shift my gaze toward the front door with interest.
Something tells me these guys aren’t here to help with Marius’s political issues.
As soon as they enter the house, I can feel the energy wafting off them. The two omegas are blonde, buoyant, and smartly dressed. What’s more, they’re twins. Each of them is dragging a large, rolling, multi-tiered case that reminds me of something a makeup artist might use.
Their eyes sweep the room for a moment before they both fix on me. Grinning from ear to ear, they charge up the stairs, lugging their cases with them.
“You must be Rubin!” The first one extends a hand as soon as he’s in front of me. “I’m Denver, and this is Dallas.” He nods toward his twin.
“N-nice to meet you,” I say as I shake each of their hands. The two of them have this bubbly, effervescent quality that catches me completely off guard. I don’t think I’ve ever met omegas who were quite as perfectly put together as these two seem to be.
“We’re from Omega for Hire,” Dallas explains after shaking my hand. “We’ve been brought in to help get you cleaned up and ready for your big debut as the mayor’s sweetheart.” He smiles slyly.
“Oh...that’s nice.” I’m completely at a loss as to what to say. I’m out of my element here and feel like I’m drowning. Is this what omegas are supposed to look like? Are they supposed to be heavily made up, perfectly pressed, with straight teeth, blonde hair, and joyful smiles.
“Okay, you two, give him some air.” Molly’s voice gives me something to latch on to as she pushes past them unceremoniously. “Can’t you see you’re overwhelming him?”
“We’re just so excited.” Denver happily bounces on his toes with his hands clasped under his chin. “We’ve never had such a high profile client before. This could really make or break our careers.”
“High profile…” I shake my head slowly. They must be mistaken. I’m not a high profile client at all.
“Well, if you could please maintain a little bit of professionalism?” Molly chides them gently.
“Yes, of course. Don’t worry.” Dallas nods in agreement. “We want nothing more than to deliver the highest quality service we can.”
“Thank you. If you two want to go ahead and get set up, it’s the room at the end of the hall just down there.” Molly points toward my bedroom. “The two of us will be along shortly.”
Dallas and Denver nod politely before dragging their cases down the hall and disappearing into my room.
“I’m sorry about that. I meant to talk to you before they ambushed you.” She sighs. “They’re good boys, but they can be a little overbearing sometimes. Especially when they’re excited about something.”
“It sounds like you know them pretty well.” I look back at her and see her eyes shining with adoration.
“They’re my sister’s sons,” Molly explains. “I was there when they were born. Their mother died when they were teenagers, and that’s only made their bond that much stronger. For a few years after high school, they lived with me in my cottage. When Marius found out they wanted to go to beauty school, he helped fund their tuition. They’ve been eager to find a way to pay him back ever since.”
Their happy story makes me smile as I glance toward my bedroom door again. I can hear the muffled sounds of the two of them talking excitedly while they unpack whatever it is they’ve got in those cases of theirs.
“I know you’re apprehensive about this whole thing,” Molly continues without missing a beat. “None of this will change who you are underneath. You’re not going to have to be absolutely perfect all the time, or maintain the perfect wardrobe with the latest fashions, with perfect makeup, and perfect skin and hair. Unless you decide you want to, of course.”
“It’s not that. I’m just still trying to adjust to this all, I guess. A few days ago, I was no one. Now, everyone’s calling me the mayor’s omega. But really...we haven’t even said ‘I love you,’ yet. I just feel like maybe this is all too much.” It pains me to say it, but I know if anyone will understand, it’s Molly.
“I know...” She wraps me in a motherly hug. “I know this is all too much. If the press hadn’t tried to blow things out of proportion, you’d have been able to adjust to everything more slowly. Eventually, you two would’ve been able to announce your relationship in your own time, in your own way. I’m sorry you’ve been robbed of that opportunity.”
“I think I really do love him though,” I whisper as she steps back and looks me in the eye.
“Good, because he’s going to need your support through this. This sort of thing can make or break a mayor. If he survives, it will only be because he has someone strong standing by his side.” She smiles at me sincerely. “Now, let’s go see what those two troublemakers have in store for you.”
In my room, Denver and Dallas have already begun unpacking their supplies. Makeup, hair styling tools, various accessories, and other items I don’t recognize at all are strewn across every available surface.
I’m probably not the most well-groomed or classy looking of omegas, but I personally don’t think I’m that bad. I find it unlikely they’re going to need everything they brought with them.
My biggest surprise, however, is that Denver has yanked open my closet and my dresser and is digging through my clothing.
“I had them go shopping with me when I picked up the rest of your wardrobe.” Molly nudges me into the room.
I’ve really enjoyed most of the clothes Molly bought for me, so that brings me some level of relief. They’ve all been comfortable, fit nicely, and looked good on me.
“Thank you. I’m actually really grateful. If I’d gone shopping for myself, I would never have known where to start.” I look at each man and thank them individually.
Denver exits the closet with several different items draped over his arms, and a huge grin aimed at me. “We were happy to help.”
“Any excuse to go shopping!” Dallas agrees gleefully.
“Besides, Auntie Moll shared a little bit of your situation with us. We’re always eager to help out fellow omegas,” Denver continues. “Not to mention the fact that you’re kind of like our cousin in a way.”
I chuckle at that thought. They’re exactly the sort of crazy cousins I’d expect to see in a sitcom. A little over the top and larger than life, but well meaning underneath it all. With that thought in mind, I’m a little more comfortable entrusting my appearance to their judgment.
“Okay, then. What do you guys have in store for me?”
* * *
The twins immediately get to work on making me look good. It doesn’t take long for me to completely relax under their gentle care. Molly comes and goes throughout the process, bringing snacks or drinks from time to time.
She and Mason are probably struggling to keep up with the needs of all of the people who have suddenly descended upon the house. I feel a little guilty for not doing anything to help out, but I don’t know what else do it.
Instead I’m just contributing to the workload.
Still, it’s nice to be pampered.
Denver and Dallas give me my first ever mani-pedi. My nails are trimmed, filed and covered in a thin layer of clear lacquer. Then, my hands and feet are massaged with aromatic oils that leave my skin feeling soft and smelling amazing.
Next, Dallas starts cutting my hair while Denver continues picking through my clothes. I’ve always tried to keep my hair trimmed up and looking nice, but I guess I’m at least a week overdue for a cut.
There’s a hair stylist who comes to Omega House a few times a month and offers free services to the omegas there. Priority is given to omegas with job interviews in order to give them an added edge. I was pretty happy with my last cut, but according to Dallas, it’s completely wrong for the shape of my face.
He pulls up some images on his phone and shows me the type of cuts he’s thinking about but lets me make the final decision. I’m still not sure I can picture myself with hair like the celebrities he’s showing me, but I decide to trust him.
And damn, I’m glad I do.
By the time the cut is done, I feel like I’ve been transformed. It’s not like I’ve been changed into someone new or anything as drastic as that. Instead, when I look in the mirror, I see myself, only better.
As soon as my hair is finished, Denver takes over and starts doing my makeup.
I’ve never worn makeup a day in my
life, but apparently it’s important if you want your features to photograph properly. They assure me Marius will be wearing makeup as well in order to look his best for the press.
“We’ve been doing Marius’s makeup for years now,” Dallas says as Denver gingerly applies eyeliner to my eyes while I sit in a chair in the middle of the room. “It’s our way of paying him back for sending us to school. But since he’s not a paying customer, we haven’t been able to claim him as our client.”
“I think I understand.” I focus on trying not to blink, even though eyes itch like crazy, and I’m terrified Denver is going to slip and jab me. “That’s why you were so excited when you first got here. You get to add me to your client list.”
“Exactly, now you get it.” Denver steps back to examine his work. “I think we’re just about done here. Don’t want to go too heavy. Just enough to enhance your natural features.” He holds up a hand mirror so I can see his work.
“Oh...wow...” I’m a little surprised by the difference. It’s subtle. Personally, I wouldn’t know I was wearing makeup just by the look. But the effect is striking. My eyes, which I think are my best feature, really stand out. “Amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Denver beams, looking like a proud papa. “Dallas, what do you think?”
“Perfect,” says Dallas, looking over from his task. “I think he looks fabulous. Now, for the final touches.”
Between the two of them, they’ve cycled through my entire wardrobe. Thankfully, they put everything back as they went and eventually found something suitable.
The selected outfit is laying on my bed, waiting to be put on.
“Go ahead and change in the bathroom.” Dallas nods to the clothes as he picks everything up. “We can make any adjustments, or help you with things like your tie, after you’re dressed.”
I rise from my seat and wordlessly take the clothing from the bed. For some reason, I feel most apprehensive about this part. Maybe it’s because I realize the process is almost over, and once it is, I’ll have to face Marius. I’ve liked everything they’ve done so far, but I’m a little worried he won’t.
