by Ava Beringer
The Met was one of the swankiest, most upscale lounges in Chicago. A bottle of wine cost as much as some peoples’ rent. All of Portland, Co. milled around, standing at the shiny dark oak bar with neat whiskies in their hands, their sleeves unbuttoned and their hair let down from another intense day at work.
It was the same for me. After two hours, I was three double Glenfiddichs in and feeling myself. My tie was haphazard and my hair a little ruffled, my gold cufflinks out and glinting on the table next to the maguro sashimi on a white porcelain plate.
“Barkeep! Another round,” Pat yelled playfully, making a “hurry up” motion with her hand. The bartender grinned and shook his head, knowing she was joking and that he’d be getting a hefty tip this evening.
“He’s got a flight tomorrow morning, kids,” Jane said with a laugh.
“Don’t worry, Jane. At our age we live on Red Bull and gas station hot dogs,” Skip said. “He can barely feel all this liquor. He’ll be fresh as a daisy in the morning.” The next round of drinks arrived at our table.
“You gotta down that one first,” Pat said, pointing to my craft beer-back.
“Chug! Chug! Chug!” Skip started.
“Chug! Chug!” Pat added. Soon all of Portland Co. was in on it. It was only three-quarters of a pint of a crisp IPA, but everybody got a kick out of watching me drain the glass. Jane laughed and held up her hands.
“This is my cue to leave. I’m too old for this kind of crap.” She fixed me with her serious stare. “Hustle back after PK, Preston. You’re gonna be consumed with these fancy promises for the foreseeable future, so forget about having a life.” I shrugged a shoulder.
“Nothing new there. You know I’m up for the challenge.”
“I don’t have to tell you what to do. Hit it out of the park and bring me good news back.” Even close to drunk, I schooled my face into business mode.
“I won’t let you down, boss,” I replied with gravity. Jane slipped out, and it was only her underlings left.
“The boss is gone. Now we can really party. We’re gonna scope you out the hottest O in this place,” Patty crowed.
“I have an early flight, guys,” I said with a crooked grin.
“Yeah, we know, we know,” Skip waved a hand at me.
“As long as you keep that in mind, let’s do this.” I tipped back another double.
“The interns are loving it. They get to see superboss let loose.”
“I’ll show them how it’s done.”
“We’re in for it tonight,” Skip said. He looked around the room and his eyes stopped in a far corner. He elbowed me and made me look. There was an attractive woman with a blunt, dark bob and burgundy nails eyeing me. Her blood-red lips curled up in a hint of sexy smirk.
“We sure in the hell are,” I said, smoothing a hand down my head. “If you both will excuse me.” I threw them a wink and crossed the room to the beautiful woman.
“How are you this evening? I thought you might like some company.”
“I would. I’m glad you could put two and two together, heavy hitter.” She traced a dark nail around the rim of her glass and looked at me from beneath heavily made-up eyes.
“You look stunning tonight.”
“I do, don’t I?” I wasn’t sure if she was joking. It came off cocky. Something about the energy here was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“You do. Even after what I assume was a ten-hour workday.”
“Try thirteen,” she said with a cackle. “I’m a litigator with Johnson and Brown.”
“Impressive.”
“I know.” Her attitude rubbed me the wrong way. She appeared self-assured, but her whole personality had an edge of cockiness and conceit. I had no doubts she was just as great at her job as she said, but the way she said it repelled me. She sensed that immediately.
“Hmm. We don’t have the chemistry I hoped for, don’t you agree?”
“Yes, I do agree. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll head back to my coworkers over there.” I jerked my head toward my table.
“Yes, that sounds good. It was a pleasure making your acquaintance.” She handed me an embossed business card between two lacquered fingers. “If you’re ever in need of the city’s top litigator, don’t hesitate to call.” She smiled again. We shook hands and I took my leave.
That conversation was normally how things went with high-powered Chicago business omegas and I’d always loved it, so why the problem now? I think I had some nerve. Her cocky attitude was the same one I put on, both at work and with omegas. I was starting to think it’s who I was as a person. If I came off like that, I needed to check myself.
As I edged sideways between other tables and patrons, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Patty leaned forward on her elbows as I sat down, her dark skin brushing the condensation on her glass.
“What the hell happened, Reid? That O was ready to have you in the bathroom. You can’t tell me she shot you down.”
“You kidding? Nobody shoots me down.” I tried to put my own cockiness back on, but the conversation had been unnerving.
“Then what’s wrong, Preston?” Skip said, looking concerned.
“You guys think something’s wrong? You’re crazy.” I wrapped my fingers around my cool, damp glass. I brought it to my lips and pretended to take a sip just to do something with my hands and cover my face. I needed to slow down. I really did have a flight to catch tomorrow.
A soft hand landed on my shoulder. I twisted around and saw the hand belonged to an omega at the next table, who looked both feminine and masculine at the same time, with soft eyes and a square jaw, broad shoulders and dainty hands.
“I think you struck out,” they said, giving me a saucy half-smile. I turned around in my chair, entranced by their striking features.
“Am I getting a second chance at bat?” I asked with a grin of my own. The omega covered their mouth with a hand and laughed.
“I haven’t heard a line that corny since middle school.”
“Made you laugh, didn’t it?” I said, sliding from my chair and standing next to them, leaning my elbow on their table.
“I suppose it did. Let it never be said I’m not easy for handsome business alphas who drink good scotch. I’m D.” They held out their delicate hand.
“Lucky me. I’m glad you reached out and touched me.” I brought my lips to their hand. They made a face at me.
“It isn’t 1955. No need for the outdated chivalry,” D said, laughing.
“I can’t kiss an attractive omega’s hand?” I asked incredulously.
“Not mine. I’m a modern person and I like things fifty-fifty.”
“I can respect that. As an alpha, I still like to do nice things for my omega. Can I buy you a drink?”
“No, thank you, I can get my own.”
“Independent omega, huh?”
“That’s right,” They said with a smile and a nod.
“I respect that,” I said it again because I wasn’t sure what to say. We sat there in a strained silence for a few moments, them staring at me expectantly.
“You seem uncomfortable,” they said.
“I am,” I admitted. I think it was all the scotch. “I’d like to do something nice for an attractive omega and they won’t let me. I busted my ass for all this money, I gotta spend it on somebody, after all,” I joked, then I cursed. “That came out wrong. I sounded like every alpha you want to avoid, didn’t it?” D nodded, clearly disappointed. “Listen, I don’t want to use chivalry or money to control you or belittle you. I just want to take care of the person I’m dating.”
“Who said anything about dating?”
“It looks like that won’t be us.” D looked down at the table and smiled a tight, rueful smile.
“I think not. I should let you get back to your friends. Have a great night.” I gave D a little salute and returned to my table.
“Are you dying, Reid?” Pat held a hand up to my forehead. I swatted her away. “What’s going
on? It’s not that they don’t want you. You’re rich, handsome, charming. What’s not to like?” Skip choked on his drink.
“You putting your bid in, Patso?” He said. It was even funnier because Patricia was an alpha, too. She winked at me.
“Should I?” She asked in a husky voice. I snorted.
“You’d be a horrible lay and we both know it. We’d argue about how many shares to sell the whole time. No, guys, I’m just…” I ran my fingers through my hair, messing it up all over again. “There are some great O’s here. Hot, talented, accomplished, witty, tough as nails.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” Skip said, giving me a look. It was easy to forget he was one of those hot, talented, accomplished, witty, tough as nails omegas because he had to do battle with alpha idiots like me every day.
“Of course not, man. It’s great. I admire them, they’re just so…” I trailed off, the words escaping my scotch-muddied brain.
“Mind if I cut in, big boy?” A hot male omega with green eyes and olive skin stepped up to my side, only inches from my body. He plucked my glass up from the table and took a sip of my drink. My jaw dropped.
“I’m not gonna tell a man like you no.” He giggled.
“You’re smarter than you look.” Skip hid a grin as Pat grabbed his shoulder.
“We’re gonna go grab a couple more drinks at the bar, and we’re gonna take our sweet time about it,” she said.
“How convenient. Just the two of us,” the omega said. I shuffled forward in my chair to get closer to him. He sat in Skip’s vacant chair. “Mind if I sit?”
“You love asking questions you already know the answer to.” He laughed again.
“Thank you. So, fired or promoted. Which is it?”
“You’re sharp. Promoted.” It wasn’t official yet, but it was absolutely coming.
“I’m not sitting in this exclusive lounge with you for no reason.” He crossed one leg neatly over the other, sitting up tall and poking his chest out. He radiated confidence, power, and sex appeal. I was mesmerized and I showed it.
“What are you drinking?”
“Manhattan, please.”
“Manhattan it is.” I signaled the bartender, grateful I wasn’t forbidden from buying this captivating omega a drink.
“I’m Jai, by the way.”
“Preston. Glad to meet you.”
Our conversation flowed well and we clicked. He was funny, sharp, and clever. A lesser alpha would have been intimidated, but I wanted to know more. In the back of my head, something nagged at me. The mosquito buzzed in my ear, but I didn’t know what it meant. Here was a smoking hot, powerhouse of a man in front of me. He was intriguing and smart as a whip, and the way his fingertips were running up and down my arm hadn’t escaped my little alpha’s notice. I wasn’t about to pass up getting to know him.
“Let me take you to dinner,” I said.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said, at the exact same time. We stared in silence for a second, then Jai lowered his eyes and chuckled. I cursed, surprised when heat rose to my face.
“Uh oh,” Jai said. “Doesn’t look like we’re on the same page.”
“I’m supposed to be the conquering alpha, all about a roll in the hay.”
“That’s what I pegged you for.”
“Usually, I’m focused on sex and don’t have real connections with the omegas I date. We’re always too career-focused to focus on each other.”
“Has something changed?”
“I-I don’t know,” I said honestly. Jai sat back in his seat, still smoking hot and intriguing but no longer on the prowl for me.
“It’s obvious what you want.”
“Oh, yeah? And what is that?”
“Intimacy.” The mosquito got louder, bells and whistles and buzzers sounded in my brain as Jai continued. “You need a caring, dare I say loving connection, with a partner. You need someone who’s soft, open, vulnerable. We executive omegas don’t have the luxury of being as soft as the person you’re looking for.” He took a sip of his Manhattan, letting the cherry play on his shining lips.
“I’m sorry. It’s not fair that you have to trade off.” I meant it. It wasn’t fair that being tough was encouraged and respected in alphas while omegas had to be twice as tough and were still condemned in many arenas of their lives.
“It is what it is,” Jai said with a little smile. “I love my career, and I love being the shark in the water. I’ll just have to find an alpha that can handle me.” He winked and I laughed. He had me there. “You need someone softer, and you’re in the wrong dating pool. Maybe even the wrong city. Find yourself a sweetheart and settle down, big alpha. I have another victim in my sights.” He kissed me softly on my cheek. His sophisticated cologne lingered and I thought about changing my mind, but he was right. I couldn’t handle him.
“Thanks, Jai.” He shrugged.
“I’m a man of many talents. Good night and good luck, Preston.”
I’d had enough for the night. I said goodbye to Pat and Skip and got an Uber home. I stumbled into my penthouse apartment, the panoramic view of the skyline glowing behind me. I fumbled into my walk-in closet looking for my overnight bag, which I kept packed at all times for moments like this. I was less coordinated than I thought, and when I reached to the top shelf for my favorite pair of brown Oxfords, four more pairs of shoes volunteered to come on the trip with me. They dropped down on my head with a crash.
“Ow!” I snapped, rubbing my head. One more thing, something soft and pliable, fell down and bounced off my head, landing on the floor with a barely-audible thump. “What the…? Oh.”
In the shadows lay a still form made of worn cotton. It was a stuffed koala, hand stitched by my grandmother when I was small. I picked up the gray-blue koala and held it up to my face. My grandmother’s scent was long gone, which broke my heart.
“I slept with you every night since I was five,” I told the little koala, who I simply named Blue. He listened intently like always. “I can’t believe I hit seven years old and thought I was too cool and too mature for you.” Grandma died not long after, right after my eighth birthday, and all I’d really had was the bear to comfort me. “You know, Grandma always told me not to lose my gentle spirit, no matter how I presented.” It was clear I was an alpha from a young age. “She said I should never hide that part of me. She was right. I love my career, I love the people I work with and meet, but being a macho alpha all the time just isn’t me. Not anymore. Sure, I’m tough, but what about the part that wants to care and be cared for? I’m not gonna let that die.” I put Blue on my bed as a reminder, and for good luck. As soon as I got back from Primrose Keep, I’d start looking for an omega I could bear my soul to. Someone I could be open and vulnerable to, who I could commit to, who would carry my children.
It hit me then. My grandmother told me Blue was made to last, and to pass him down to my child. I want a baby. More than one. It was a foreign feeling, but I wasn’t a kid anymore. I had everything else I ever dreamed of; all that was missing was someone to share it with.
Sober now, I grabbed my bag and left for the airport.
I got some sleep on the flight, shaking off the effects of the alcohol. When I landed in Primrose Keep, the sky was gray and raindrops streaked my window as the sun rose.
“I thought it didn’t rain in California,” I mumbled. I found my Uber through the driving rain. I got checked into my hotel, cleaned up, and headed out immediately to meet with Kaplan’s personal team. The entire time, I thought of the hole in my life and how I needed a special mate to fill it but had no way to find them.
Kaplan’s team was impressed. They didn’t know how dazed I’d been throughout my entire presentation and the initial plans for the new changes. I stumbled onto the street that evening, starving and without an umbrella. The rain was still coming down in sheets as I walked the block looking for the neighborhood grill the administrative assistant told me about. The rain was so strong I could barely see. I was soaked
through.
“Forget this,” I snapped, wishing I could throw my briefcase up against a wall. “I’m going into the first open door I see.” When I lifted my head, the storefront one door down had a warm glow coming from the windows and doors. “Grand opening party!” read the pink and green sash across the green awning.
“Miguel’s Fabulous Flowers,” I read aloud. A sign advertised coffee and dessert. Good enough. I jerked open the door and slid in, not expecting much, just grateful to get out of the rain. I had no idea what I was walking into.
3
Preston
I wasn’t expecting to see omegas dancing on the checkout counter. These employees were partying, twerking to “Get Low” with bottles in their hands. I stood there, amused and admiring the view, then I saw him.
There in the middle was a slim, pretty omega, medium height, smooth pale skin and cutting eyes, moving his body to the music, dancing with…were those boxers on his head?
A deep-skinned omega in a bright pink boatneck shirt, embroidered with oversized roses, waved his hands above his head and screamed to the music.
“To the greenhouse, to the boughs, til the sweat drops down my-”
“Ahem,” I said. They all looked at me, but no one was impressed. Except him. The pretty young omega ground to a halt, his mouth hanging open in mortification. He slid the underwear off his head, blushing and gaping like a fish. It only made him more irresistible. I had to know his name.
A handsome, muscular Latin omega jumped down from the counter. The others started dancing again. My omega stood stock still, staring back at me like a deer in the headlights. My omega. I was already calling him mine, which meant I was in serious trouble.
