Great! What time and where would you like me to pick you up?
I considered how much work I still had to do and how long it would take me to get home and ready for our date.Pick me up at my place at six?
I’ll see you then.
Excitement zinged through my veins. I really wanted to see him again, making all my wariness from earlier disappear. It was hard to keep it all from my co-workers, especially when they asked why I was smiling so much since I returned from lunch.
***
After Desmond parked in the lot on the far side of Vista Park, we strolled along the north path. Normally the walkways were lit up by lanterns all along the way, but with the holidays, the city added white lights strung through the trees to give the park a more festive feeling and to provide more light during the darkest time of the year.
The snow from earlier in the month was still around, but we hadn’t gotten any new snowfall since when I’d first met Desmond. It was cold, though not enough that I wanted to go somewhere else. I enjoyed walking with the alpha. Janice had said he was depressed earlier in the day, but I hadn’t seen anything but a smile on his face since he’d picked me up. I probably wore the same expression, as butterflies fluttered through my stomach. I didn’t know when an appropriate time would be to invite Desmond to my parents’ house for Christmas or even if it was a good idea. Would he think I was moving too fast? I’d already met his grandparents. Would he even want to? I’d asked my dad for permission on a whim after feeling sorry for the alpha, but that didn’t mean it was a good idea.
When Desmond reached for my gloved hand, I gasped and jumped.
“Sorry.” He moved his hands behind his back. “I thought…”
I reached for his closest hand. “It’s okay. I was just thinking, lost in my thoughts.”
“Good thoughts?” he asked, intertwining his fingers with mine.
“Yes. About you.” I leaned into his shoulder as my cheeks warmed. “I really enjoy your company.”
“After Saturday, I was worried I’d done something wrong.”
“No.” I squeezed his hand in both of mine, standing in front of him. “The party was overwhelming for me. A world of people Inever expected to ever spend time with. I needed time and space to recover. I’m sorry if I made you believe anything else.”
“I get it.” He let go of my hand and rubbed his palms up and down my arms. “I still don’t feel like a part of that world after the decade and a bit since I learned my grandfather was the CEO of Adan Records. The naked omega and alpha in the hall was quite the shock for me, too.”
“But you work with these people. It’s not as if you were only invited because you were family.” I rested my hands on his hips, needing to touch him, too.
Leaning forward, he kissed the top of my toque. “It’s a little more complicated than that. I don’t work directly with any of the artists. Not when I still deal with the shame of what my father did.”
“Why?” I gripped his shoulders and stared into his eyes. “He obviously hurt you and your mom. And you weren’t involved in what he did.”
He glanced away. “But I’m only there because of what he did and who he hurt.”
I snuggled against his chest. “I doubt your grandfather would have hired you if he didn’t think you were qualified for the position. And both of your grandparents seemed very proud of you at the party.”
Wrapping his arms around me, Desmond released a heavy breath. “Sorry for dumping all my trauma on you. Let’s keep walking and decide what to eat.”
We held hands as we continued, passing the outdoor ice rink where many families, friend groups, and couples both young and old, skated with varying degrees of success.
“Do you skate?” Desmond asked.
“Oh no.” I shook my head. “Not since I was in elementary school, and I wasn’t that good then.”
He shrugged with a soft chuckle. “Good. That way, I don’t have to pretend to be any good on those things. It’s been just as long since I’ve been on a rink, too.”
We walked on and I felt the most comfortable I’d ever been around any alpha who wasn’t family. There was something about him that pulled me in, that felt right.
When we arrived at the food trucks, he looked at me. “You pick. Whatever you want.”
Even if this was a date, I’d fully expected to pay for my own meal. I hadn’t wanted to make any assumptions yet wouldn’t refuse Desmond’s offer. “I’ve heard the grilled cheese place is really good and has something for everyone.”
“You got it.” Desmond rested his hand on the small of my back as we headed toward a black food truck with Mac’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese in gold script on the side. There were ten sandwiches to choose from on the menu, including predator and prey options. I chose the Spinach Pesto Swiss Grilled Cheese, while Desmond picked one called ABC, which had apple butter, bacon, and cheddar cheese. They were quick in getting our sandwiches to us and even provided little cups so we could get a selection of the dipping sauces from the pump bottles on a table beside the truck.
Desmond found an empty table, and we sat to eat. I had to take off my gloves, but the warm sandwich helped my fingers from getting too cold.
