I caught some people eyeing the tables where the grocery items were displayed even though plastic sheets hid everything from view. Others took out reusable containers from their bags, which I assumed were to take home a second helping of the dinner. Once Bill had finished his speech, I headed toward the counter with the other servers to start filling and delivering plates.
Most of my table requested the vegetable version of the dinner, but without any salad. Obviously not meat eaters from their scents, yet not one of them seemed intimidated by me being a wolf shifter. In my past, that fact had led to some shifters purposely avoiding me. Especially when I was a teen. Yet, no one seemed to care both times I’d set foot in the Good Neighbor House. Definitely a welcome change.
At the end of the counter, I collected the garlic bread for my first two plates, coming face-to-face with the cute omega again. “Thank you.” I smiled at him, hoping for some kind of response.
He only nodded with a stoic face, not even a hint of a smile on his lips or in his eyes.
After serving two guests at my table, I headed back to the counter for two more, hoping this time to get a response from the guy. Just before I reached him, I searched for his name tag, which was hidden behind the strap of his apron. Turning my head to the side, I found a k, an a, a letter I couldn’t make out, and an e. Kale? Kaze? Kabe? None of those seemed to suit him.
“Thanks, Kage,” I said after he set the pieces on my plates for a second time.
He furrowed his brows and wrinkled his nose at me. Not the reaction I hoped for.
The next plates I filled were without the bread, giving me a chance to avoid the guy for a little longer and figure out where I’d screwed up.
The last two dishes for my table were for chicken pasta bake. I shuffled over to collect the garlic toast with some reluctance, not sure how to approach the omega.
“Kane,” he said, moving the strap of his apron aside. “My name is Kane, like a candy cane, but with a k instead of a c.”
“Oh.” I nodded in acknowledgement as I collected his offerings. “Well, thank you, Kane. I’d like to know if you’re as sweet as your name sounds.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. I wanted to stay to see if I could get anything else from him, but there was still a lineup behind me, so I had to keep moving.
I didn’t get a chance to talk to him again while serving the meal. By the time I went up to get seconds and take-home servings for my table, he’d moved to the back of the kitchen to dish out slices of pie onto plates and never looked my way.
It wasn’t until two hours later when all the guests had left and the tables had been cleared that I found him eating alone in the dining hall. With my plate of food in hand, I made my way over to him. “May I sit with you?”
He shrugged, biting off a piece of garlic toast. Not a great response, but he hadn’t told me no or ignored me.
Since he was at a square table instead of a round one, like the one I’d been assigned, I sat across from him. “So, do you come here often?”
He rolled his eyes at me. “Really? That’s all you’ve got? If you must know, I volunteer here every week. Plus, I work on the other side.”
“Really?” I wracked my brain, trying to recall if I’d seen him when I’d been there earlier. “You must have been out when I came there this afternoon to drop off a donation from Adan Records.”
He shook his head with a grim smile. “Nope. I was there.”
I thought harder, but I was sure I would remember seeing him.
With a snort, he rolled his eyes again. “I was the reindeer on camera with you. You petted me, remember?”
He said the last words loud enough for the entire dining hall to hear and a collective gasp followed.
With my hand to my forehead, I hung my head, hoping to avoid eye contact with everyone. “I’m sorry, okay. I know there’s no excuse, but I was nervous. I didn’t know what I was doing until my hand was in your soft fur and you grunted. I’m sorry for violating you like that. I should have been more aware of what I was doing.”
Another shrug. “It’s fine. I don’t know why you were nervous though. You’re probably around famous people all day.”
“Yes, but I’m not famous.” I held my fork, not quite ready to eat, feeling the need to explain myself. “They’re just like working with regular people. Only they’re the ones who are comfortable in front of a camera. Not me. It’s not something I’ve ever done before.”
“I wish I’d never been on television before,” he huffed. “I haven’t in my human form, but every December, I’m asked to shift for news stories about our Christmas Drive.”
“By humans, right?” They seemed to be fascinated by our ability to shift, not realizing how degrading it was to do it for show.
He nodded. “Yeah, but at least they’ve never petted me.”
“I’m sorry.” If I hadn’t seen the twinkle in his eye before he shoved a forkful of the pasta bake into his mouth, I would have worried he would never get over what I’d done.
“You did say my fur was soft.” He pointed his fork at me. “That means a lot from you. You’re a wolf shifter, right?”
