I expect her to make an excuse to leave. I can’t exactly claim to have made a good impression so far after cornering her at Stella House then being in a fluster during her spike.
“Sure.” Her full pink lips curl into a shy smile, making my stomach flip. “That sounds like fun.”
“Fun’s basically my middle name,” I declare proudly. “Well, actually it’s Lancelot, ready to save you from an afternoon of boredom!”
“Lancelot? Like the knight?” she snorts. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m being dead serious. Lazlo Lancelot Maverick,” I rest my hand on my chest solemnly. “My pops is really into history, like Arthur and the round table, hence my middle name. I’m the third son, so I guess Mom caved by that point and let him have his way.”
“Really?” Her lips part in shock. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I thought you were joking.”
“My name is a bit of a joke,” I chuckle. “But my oldest brother’s name is Beckett Pomsky, because my mom loves dogs, so I got off easy.”
Faye keeps a straight face this time, which only makes me like her more. “Pomsky is a sweet name.”
“Well, lucky for Beckett, that one was a joke.”
Laughter bubbles out of her. “I’m glad for him!”
“Sometimes I think it would be better for him if Pomsky were his middle name, though. Maybe it would loosen him up a bit,” I shrug. “Beckett takes his role as oldest son very seriously. He’s a corporate hotshot these days, and I swear, I only see him smile when stocks rise.”
“So there are four of you?” Faye asks. “I remember Sabs saying she had three brothers.”
“Yes, there’s Beckett—Mr. Serious. Then there’s Forest—he’s an adventurer and probably diving in the Great Barrier Reef as we speak. I’m the youngest son—Mom’s favorite, according to the others. And Sabs is the baby of the family. Although, Sabs can hold her own and pretty much ruled the roost when we were kids, as you can probably imagine.”
“I can’t imagine having one sibling, let alone three,” she says. “Your house must have been chaotic.”
“Oh, it was!” I confirm. “Our four dads definitely added to it. Mom has a tough job, keeping everyone in line, but she lives for it. They always wanted a huge, crazy family. I never got a moment of peace growing up. We lived right on the beach, so we were always playing out there. My brothers used to wake me at the crack of dawn every morning over summer vacation to surf.”
“Even Mr. Serious?”
“Beckett was the best surfer. Back before he joined the corporate world, he was actually fun to be around. I can stand on a board, but I spent most of my time joking around and swimming. Forest was always more interested in looking at the fish, but Beckett? He could have surfed competitively if he wanted to.” I place my hand on the small of Faye’s back when we come to a crack in the sidewalk to make sure she doesn’t trip in her flimsy sandals. “Although it’s hard to believe now, when he spends every hour chained to his desk. But enough about Mr. Serious! I promised you fun, honeybee, and fun is what you shall get!”
“Where are we heading?”
“We’re not far now.”
We wander down SVU’s main street then take a left onto a quiet backstreet. There’s not much to see down here aside from trash cans.
Faye arches an eyebrow suspiciously. “Are we going dumpster diving?”
“And ruin your pretty dress?” I shake my head. “Not tonight. Now close your eyes. We’re almost there.”
“What if I fall?”
“I’ll make sure you don’t,” I promise. “Do you trust me?”
She chews her lip then nods. My heart does backflips, but I keep my cool as she closes her eyes.
“I can either talk you through where to go or hold your hand and lead you,” I offer. “It’s your choice.”
She holds out her dainty hand for me to take. “If you lead me into a garbage heap, I promise, I’ll tell Sabs.”
“My sweet omega has a feisty side.”
I hold her hand, relishing in the feel of her soft palm warming mine as I lead her to a secret door. From the outside, it looks like any other building, but as soon as we step inside, we’re standing at the top of a staircase with illuminated neon signs and lights leading down into the basement.
“Okay.” I tighten my grip on her hand. “You can open them now.”
