A Classic Alpha for Christmas

by Shani Greene-Dowdell

She sounds excited when she asks, “Oh, did the coaches throw a big party this year?”

  “Yes, it was last Thursday and even bigger than last year. I think I ate enough spinach dip for everyone there.”

  “Stalia, you know better than that. You have to watch your waistline. You’ll never get the man to marry you if you keep eating like that.”

  “Mom, you’re riding the fine line of fat-shaming, and Omega isn’t superficial like that,” I slip up with mentioning his name while defending myself. Now, I’m going to regret it big time.

  “Omega, so that’s his name?” Let the regrets begin.

  “Yes,” I respond only because I have to say something.

  My slip up has everything to do with the fact that he has been on my mind so heavily today. I can’t be doing that; I have to keep in the forefront of my mind that ultimately, we are an arrangement—nothing more, nothing less at this point.

  “Well, does Omega have a last name?”

  “It’s Johnson, but don’t go trying to figure out his family lineage, Mom. Let this happen naturally,” I request, knowing it is no use in trying to reason with her. Now that she has a name, she is about to turn into a private eye. Despite what she thinks, Omega and I are not ready for her prying.

  “Oh, hush, Astalia. I’ll talk to you later,” she says, rushing me off the phone. “I have to go shopping for the ingredients for my sweet potato pies.”

  Sweet potato pies? Right.

  “Goodbye, Mom.” I hang up, already knowing she is about to call up every one of her friends to try to figure out who Omega’s parents, grandparents, uncles and cousins are. I grin and bear it. This is only the beginning of the torture that will happen on Christmas Day when she meets him.

  With all the good feels of watching a good movie sucked away with Mom’s call, I get up to go take a shower before heading back to Omega’s. My phone rings when I reach the bathroom. This time, it is Jayne.

  “Hello, Jayne.”

  “Hey, so you know Aunt Sky just called me, trying to get me to tell her about Omega. How did she find out his name? I thought you weren’t going to tell her his real name.”

  “I don’t know. I was talking to her, and it just slipped out.” I don’t mention to her that Omega and I have come deathly close to making love or that mere hours ago, I woke up yelling about how he’s mine. A small part of me wants everything I’ve said to my Mom to be true, but what I fear most is he’s only out to get what he wants, then he’ll be gone. He’s tall, dark-skinned, a professor, but he’s not madly in love with me and ready to give me a wedding ring.

  “Well, she’s trying to find out everything about the man, including his pant size,” Jayne brings my attention back to the call. “I guess she’s trying to buy him something for Christmas.”

  “If only that was all she was doing. Lord. Mom is too much.”

  “And you already know this!”

  “How are things going with the accountant guy you met at speed dating?”

  “Who, Russell? I told him to stop calling me this morning. He’s fine, medium-build and caramel brown like I like them, but he kept asking me math questions, and I was like, bruh, if you don’t get off my phone with that bullshit.”

  I know how Jayne is, but my mouth still falls agape with shock. “I absolutely can’t with you, Jayne. I know you didn’t do that man like that.”

  “Girl, you know I have zero patience for boring men. Xander might not be giving up the D, but at least, he keeps things interesting.”

  When she brings up Xander, I want to hear more about the man whose name keeps coming up in conversation. There is more to their relationship that she has not told me. “Oh, how so?”

  “Girl, Xander keeps me laughing and talking about something. He is fun and spontaneous; we never have a dull moment. It’s nothing for us to turn on country music and sing until midnight, then go walking in the park like it’s noon instead of midnight. We dance, we talk about everything, we...”

  “Go on,” I urge her when she pauses.

  “That’s all.”

  “You forgot to add that you love him. The sooner you realize it, the sooner you will stop playing with other men’s emotions. Probably broke that math scholar’s heart.”

  Jayne huffs. “Once the accountant calculates how many women he can talk about math to before he has to stop and actually be interesting, he’ll know the answer to his love problem. But enough about that, how are things going with you and Omega? You talk to him today?”

  “Omega...” I breathe in a slow breath then let it out. “Things are going good. He’s still coming to Christmas dinner.”

  “Yeah, but what was all that deep breathing about? You sure all he’s doing is coming to dinner? Are you sure he’s not coming somewhere else?”

  “Yep, coming to dinner. That’s all.” In reality anyway. My dreams are a different story though.

  “Uh-huh. Well, I’ll be there too. Front and center.”

  “Can’t wait,” I say sarcastically.

  As Jayne laughs, my phone beeps indicating I have a call coming in.

  “Oh, speak of the devil, and he shall call. I have to go; this is Omega. See you Christmas.”

  “Wreck him, sis. Make him feel you,” she speaks in an encouraging cheer.

  “Bye, Jayne.” I click over to Omega with a huge smile on my face. “Hey…” I manage to get out before he starts talking.

  “What time are you coming back? I’m waiting on you. I cooked dinner, and I’m about to hop in the shower.” The deep tone of his voice rattles me as he speaks. Why does he have to sound so delicious?

  “Give me about an hour. I came home to drop my gifts off and ended up falling asleep on the sofa. I guess I can’t hang anymore. Those few hours of sleep last night caught up with me fast.” The spicy remnants of my dream invade my mind, and I instantly get wet thinking about it.

  Omega laughs. “Glad you got some rest. You will need it for tonight. We’re playing spades again, and this time I’m going to be the one spanking you.”

  Oh, I have something for him to spank. Of course, I don’t say that because I’m not completely ready for all that. “Oh really? We’ll see about that.”

  “Good. Listen, baby, be careful driving over here. Make it back to me in one piece, okay?” he impels, the caring in his deep tone carrying over clear as a bell. The sound of Omega’s voice mixed with memories of that dream have me ready to hit the highway, going 100 miles per hour just to see him again. My resistance was low last night. Tonight, it is approaching zero. If I’m not careful, my dream will become reality. At this point, my libido is not against it at all. My past with men demands I go slow. The conflicting emotions will be the death of me.

  “I will. See you soon, Omega.”

  I hang up the phone and gasp. My hardened nipples poke through my shirt and thin bra material. Worse, my womanhood is throbbing with a vengeance on top of every other part of me that is aroused to the max. So many signals tell me I should not be heading to the shower and getting ready to go back to Omega’s apartment, but I’m moving on autopilot. I want to be where he is.

  Besides, I have to hold up my end of the deal, to spend every night with him until Christmas, right? For that, I need changes of clothing… and a whole lot of moments to calm down my desire before it gets me into something with no way out. Whether that’s good or bad still remains to be seen.

  Chapter Ten

  Omega

  I Want You Here

  December 16, 2019

  While grading my student’s work before heading to the gym, I notice I have a lot of frustration to work off in Astalia’s absence. I would much rather take it out on the object of my affection, but she won’t be back for hours. After getting rid of some of the pent-up stress at the gym, I arrive home and decide to cook her dinner. Pulling up my grocery app, I order everything needed to prepare two steaks then wait for it to be delivered.

  Once the groceries are here, the next two hours are spent whipping up steak
, potatoes and asparagus for two. A bottle of red wine is used as the centerpiece for the table I set for two. Then, I call Astalia to see how long it will be before she returns. She’s at home about to take a shower and head back this way soon. I go to the bathroom to take a quick shower and then get dressed as well.

  Walking back into the living room, I hear the doorbell ringing. Smiling as I walk to the door, I’m anxious to greet her again. “Do you know how much I missed you, girl?” I say upon opening the door, but my smile is stripped away when I see who is on the other side.

  “You missed me?” Rosae Buchanan, my busty and arrogant ex, says with a huge smile spread across her eager face.

  “Rosae,” is all I can get out as I rack my brain, trying to figure out why this woman is standing on my doorstep. I am sure my irritation with her is written on my face because I am not happy seeing her again. Astalia is due here at any moment. The last thing I want her to walk up on is Rosae in my house. “Why are you here?” I gruffly ask.

  “Oh, Omega. Why are you being so crass?” She pushes her way through the space in the door, takes off her white fur coat, and walks inside. She tosses her fur onto the lounge chair in the living room. Dressed in white pants, white fitted sweater, and black boots, she walks around my apartment as if she owns the place.

  I run my hand down the waves in my hair and let out a ragged breath, giving my hands something to do instead of manhandling her. “What can I do for you, Rosae?”

  “I came by because I knew you would be missing me, Omega. It’s Christmas, and you need someone to be with just like I do. Look, you haven’t even put up your tree,” she acknowledges.

  “That’s where you have it wrong, Rosae. I don’t need anyone or anything. I’m good,” I bark, but she waves me off as if what I’m saying is malarkey and walks into the kitchen.

  Sighing, I follow her pushy ass into the living room. I don’t have time to deal with her emotional demands tonight. When I broke it off with her months ago, she came by here for weeks before she finally got it through her head that we’re done.

  “Wow, it smells good in here. What are you cooking? And is that my favorite wine on the table?” she squeals at the sight of Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon sitting in the middle of the table.

  “Rosae, you need to leave,” I speak plainly and forcefully so she can understand that I’m not playing with her.

  Ignoring me again, she walks into the kitchen and starts snooping around in the pots. Her mouth gapes slightly when she looks back at me. Bewilderment is present in her eyes. “You’re cooking for two?”

  “I am.”

  She crosses her arms over her chest and glares at me. “Well, call her and tell her to stay at home. I’m here now.”

  “That won’t be happening, Rosae.” I walk over and pick her jacket up off the lounger. “You need to go.”

  “Really, Omega? After the great times we shared, you just throw it all away because you think I don’t care about you because I talk to other men? It’s not like I’m doing anything with those men. We’re just talking.”

  “Well, go and talk to them now. I have plans tonight.”

  “Why can’t I have other friends?”

  I hold her fur out to her. “You can have whatever you like, Rosae.”

  “You were probably dating other women too, Omega. Stop acting like you are so innocent.”

  Rosae is the type to think her needs come ahead of everyone else’s. She sees no problem in her having a stable of men ‘friends’, but the first time she thinks I’m looking at another woman, she goes psycho. Apparently, now I can add delusional to her list of issues if she thinks she can walk up in my apartment when she gets ready and demand I spend time with her.

  “Actually, I never cheated on you, but that’s neither here nor there. Like I said, you can do whatever you want, Rosae. I don’t care. Now, take your coat and leave peacefully. I don’t want to have to put you out, but you know I will.”

  She runs over and flings herself into me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Don’t do this, Omega. We work well together. I mean, look at us. With power and class; we were made for each other.”

  At that moment, there’s a knock at the door and then it opens. “Oh, hey. It was open, so I—” Astalia pauses, stopping in her tracks to stare at me and Rosae. “—came on in.”

  Rosae peeks around my shoulder to look at Astalia. She tries to grab ahold of me as I step away to go over to greet the woman who I actually want here. Astalia’s face shows her discomfort as she stares at the interloper, and she looks as if she’s about to back up out of the foyer and leave. Shit! I can’t allow that to happen.

  “Come on in, Astalia. Rosae was just leaving,” I assure her.

  “No, I’m not leaving. Get rid of her, Omega!” Rosae says with an attitude.

  Astalia looks at Rosae and then back to me. By this time, I’m moving in Rosae’s direction. “You have always overstepped your boundaries. All you can see is what you want. But in case you have any confusion about who I want, that would be Astalia. I will not be getting rid of her, ever.” I grab Rosae’s arm and pull her to the door.

  “Omega! Stop this!” She starts out resisting, but once I drag her through the living room area, she knows this is real. She has to get out of here, one way or the other.

  Once on the other side of the threshold, I push Rosae’s coat toward her, which she refuses to take into her arms as if that will stop me from making her leave. I release it from my hand, and she dives to catch it before it falls to the ground.

  “Don’t come back here, Rosae!” I say sternly. If she didn’t know before, she should know now that we are done.

  “Omeg—”

  Slamming the door in Rosae’s face, I stalk over to Astalia and look into her eyes. She looks more confused than hurt.

  “I’m so sorry about that, Astalia. She should have never come here. I asked her not to come back here.”

  Astalia takes a tiny step back as if she’s unsure whether to stay or go. “How do I know that won’t be me in a few months?”

  I look into Astalia’s worried eyes and feel crushed that she has to ask me that question. “It won’t be you, but there’s no way for me to prove that to you right now. You will just have to trust me.”

  “Trust…” she laughs. “I don’t trust easily. But I digress, I shouldn’t feel any type of way about her being here, Omega. It’s not like you owe me an explanation for it, but I have to admit that seeing her arms wrapped around you upset me, and I don’t understand why it did.”

  That she felt something for me was all the encouragement I needed to cover the ground I lost with her figuratively and literally, taking a step forward myself. “It’s because the chemistry growing between us is something we both recognize. Once you wrapped your soft and warm arms around me, I knew they would be the only ones I wanted on me from then on.”

  A smile dances on her lips before she consciously wipes it away. “But she came over here. Why did she feel comfortable enough to do that?”

  At that moment, I wanted to really strangle Rosae for causing this dissension between Astalia and me, as if we didn’t have enough hurdles to cross. “I haven’t talked to her in months. She said she was lonely, and because it was the holidays, she wanted to spend some time with me, but I don’t care about that. What I care about is you…us.”

  “What about us? We’re just two people who just met.”

  “Do you really believe that?”

  She swallows hard as if torn, or just doesn’t know what to say. Leaving the question unanswered is better than a flat out yes.

  I still have a chance to prove the thing growing between us is so much more than a fling, and I grab the opportunity while it’s available. “Listen, you agreed to spend every night with me until Christmas, and I need you to know I wouldn’t do anything to make you uncomfortable. Truth is, my main goal is and has always been to bring a smile to your face. I also don’t want to spend the holidays with anyone but you.�
� The magnetic draw I feel to Astalia is magnified by a thousand at this moment. I want to take away all of her doubts and make her understand I only want to be with her.

  I palm the sides of her face into my much larger hands, and her eyes draw to mine. I may not be able to get through to her with words, but looking into my eyes, I want her to see the commitment staring back at her.

  “Omega, you don’t have to pretend this is more than what it is. I fully understand why you want me here every night. And at this point, I’m extremely attracted to you, and I’ve had feelings that I haven’t had in years when I’m with you.” God only knows what it took for her to admit that.

  “Do you really understand why I want you here?” I ask, continuing to hold her face as I gaze into her eyes.

  “You want what every man wants. Sex. No commitment. Freedom. I mean, let’s be honest. I came to you with a proposition, and you agreed to it, then countered with a proposition of your own for me to spend nine nights with you. You don’t have to pretend that you don’t want sex. It’s obvious.”

  It bothers me that she thinks I only want her for sex. I have to shut this idea down immediately. “You’re the only one pretending, Astalia.”

  She steps away from me and out of my grasp. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I have spoken my truth to you. I want to spend the holidays with you, every minute of it. But you want me to pretend to be something I’m not to your mother because you are uncomfortable with letting her know exactly who you are—a beautiful, single woman who is sad, frustrated and nervous about the things you’ve told her. So don’t get me wrong. I wanted you from the start, but after hearing your situation, I want to be here for you, Astalia. I’m man enough to say that I want you like crazy, but we also don’t have to have sex, ever. If you prefer I keep my hands to myself, I will.”

  “Omega, you don’t know how much I needed to hear that.” She steps back into my arm’s reach. “I—” She pauses and stares at me as if there is a war going on inside of her. It’s obvious which side wins when she grabs ahold of my face and kisses me like there’s no tomorrow, showing me rather than telling me that she’s all for at least a night of fun. “When I walked through that door, all I wanted was to kiss you like that again.” Her admission gives me some relief, but I need her to be sure, have no regrets about us because I’m not in it just for a night. I want a lifetime with her.