Spoiler alert: It sucked.
Nathaniel and I sat tucked away at a table near the corner, which gave us an air of privacy, but also shielded us from view of the waitress, who didn’t exactly seem overjoyed to serve us. More than once, I caught her side-eying Nathaniel, like she didn’t approve of the glitter flawlessly painted on his eyelids, or the fact that he sported a light ochre matte lipstick.
Screw her. Nathaniel was his own person, and damn if he didn’t own it.
The waitress sauntered back over nearly forty-five minutes later with two covered platters. She set the first one in front of me, whisking the lid away before doing the same with Nathaniel’s meal. Then she plastered on a fake smile and said, “Enjoy your dinner, sir,” before hurrying away.
We’d both ordered the Swiss steak, which looked more like mystery meat than anything else, with a grayish gravy oozing over the top of it. The baked potato, encased in tinfoil, was overcooked and tough, and the grilled asparagus was wilted. It smelled okay, butokaywasn’t good enough.
Nathaniel nudged at his food with the very tip of his fork. “It kind of looks like something out of a high school cafeteria, not gonna lie. Like, one of those meals that kids write about in bathroom stalls—Beware the Mystery Meat.”He wrinkled his nose and set his fork back down.
I grimaced. He wasn’t wrong. “I’m sorry, Nathaniel. This is… It’s unacceptable. I promised you a nice dinner and this is…” I gestured at the puddle of goo congealing on my plate. “Disgusting.” Disappointment welled up inside of me, making me go all droopy.Damn it.“I’m sorry?—”
“Hey.Hey,it’s not your fault their food sucks,” Nathaniel said firmly, resting his hand atop mine. “Though I suppose we should’ve seen it coming. This place is a literal ghost town. How the hell do they stay in business selling this slop?”
“I have no idea,” I muttered. “But you can bet your ass I’m leaving a nasty review.” I sighed. “Kind of ruined the mood, though.”
He grinned at me. “Mac,babe, chill. So what if this place is a dumpster fire? Screw it, let’s go eat somewhere else. It doesn’t have to be fancy, you know. I would’ve been perfectly happy to eat fast food. Our Lord and Savior McDonald’s is always open, always there for you when you need it the most, and no offense,but I would trust their burgers over this,” he pointed to the gelatinous blob on his plate, “Any day.”
I blinked, taken aback. “You’d seriously be okay with fast food?”
“Well noteveryday, but you know, now that you mention it, I’m kind of hankering for some McNuggets and a large fry in all of its greasy, salty glory. And a chocolate milkshake, because I’m extra.” He waggled his brows, biting down on his lip. “What do you say, Big Mac?”
If I had a quarter for every time someone called me that... Normally, the nickname drove me nuts, but coming from Nathaniel? I found myself grinning. Two could play at that game.
“You want a Happy Meal, Natey-poo?” I teased.
He didn’t miss a beat. “Only if you promise that I can have the girl toy,Daddy,”he replied, batting his lashes innocently. I almost choked on my drink of water. Pleased with himself, Nathaniel leapt to his feet and pranced towards the exit, his hips swaying with each and every step.
I’ll admit it, I stared. That boy was fine as hell.
We ended up going through the Drive Thru and buying a fifty-piece Chicken McNugget with extra dipping sauce, two large fries, a Coke for me and a milkshake for him. With the heavenly aroma of fast food wafting up from the bag, I drove to the local park and parked near the baseball diamond, so we could eat. Not exactly the most romantic date in the world, but…
“I’ve got an idea,” Nathaniel said, kicking open the passenger door. A bitter cold wind blustered in to wage war against the heat pouring out through the vents, but not before it nipped at my cheeks.
“It’s like thirty degrees outside!” I barked, just as the door slammed shut behind him.
A moment later, he climbed into the backseat. “Duh. Grab the food and get back here. And slide forward, would ya?” He thumped his knee against the back of my seat. I did as he asked and joined him in the back a minute later.
I flopped down beside him. “Better?”
Nathaniel smiled and snuggled against me, resting his hand on my chest. “Much.”
He snagged the brown paper bag off the center console and we nestled in together beneath the blankets I kept in my car, in case of emergencies. I doled out nuggets while he browsed Netflix on his phone, and we cuddled in the backseat and watched an old episode of The Office while chowing down.
This—this little moment in time—felt like the easiest thing in the world. Spending time with Nathaniel just feltright.It’s like we were kindred spirits, two halves of a whole…or at least we could be if I could figure out how to tell him the truth. The secret I kept buried deep. Because even though we’d only just met, I couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing this Omega.
But how could I be the Alpha he deserved if I couldn’t even give him a child?
Just as I thought my worries might drag me down the rabbit hole, Nathaniel stole my breath away. His soft lips met mine and all thoughts fizzled out. His mouth caressed me in a kiss that was both gentle and timid, and I finally tasted him.Trulytasted him.
I ran my tongue lightly along his bottom lip. He responded by sighing softly and parting them for me. Unable to help myself, I dipped inside. He tasted of chocolate and whipped cream, of wintertime and happiness. He whimpered and thrust his tongue into my mouth. I grabbed the front of his coat and dragged him closer, and just like that, time stood still.
By the time we parted, my blood felt too hot and my pants were a little too tight.Wow.I’d almost forgotten what it was like to be kissed, to be wanted. Because there was no doubt thatNathaniel wanted me. Good thing, too, because I wouldn’t have been happy with just this.
I needed more. More kissing. More touching.More.
“What do you think about coming home with me tonight?” I asked, a little breathless.
