Griffin
My body was embarrassingly sore.
I frowned as I faced the decision of how to get to work - stairs, or elevator. Normally, I would have taken the stairs, but the uncomfortable ache in my muscles steered me towards the lazier option.
As the elevator whirred, I thought about Jake - the wiry, smart, sharp-tongued omega from the bar. I didn’t know what I was thinking that night. I wasn’t a big drinker in the first place, and I definitely wasn’t the type of man to jump into bed with a stranger at the first opportunity. Something about Jake pulled me in, though, and refused to let go - like getting my hand stuck in a glue trap.
There was no use thinking about him. We shared nothing except a night of passion. No numbers or addresses. It was better that way. Part of the reason I’d let myself sleep with Jake was that I sensed he didn’t want a commitment, either - and that was just the way I wanted it.
I was done with promises.
Still, the stiffness in my body was an unpleasant reminder that I hadn’t had sex in a long time. Not since -
I frowned at the direction my thoughts were taking. I refused to let them lead me into sour territory. Instead, I focused on my own reflection in the elevator mirror.
When I reached my floor, I promptly assumed my spot in my office. There was plenty of work to be done, with tax season on the way, and I was glad for it. I didn’t want to think about the date any longer. Thankfully, numbers and figures were easy enough to get lost in.
By the time lunch rolled around, all thoughts of omegas and complicated feelings had disappeared from my mind. My stomach growled and I leaned back in my chair with a stretch.
A knock on my half-open door drew my attention. “Hey, Griff.”
My friend and coworker Rafael leaned against my door frame. “You still working? Half the office cleared out ten minutes ago.”
“Yeah.” I rolled my neck, getting the kinks out. The action felt good against my sore muscles. “I got caught up in this work.”
“Well, leave it, man.” He grinned. “Every lunch place is gonna be packed if we don’t get there soon.”
I bit back a wince as I stood and gathered my coat. “All right, keep your pants on…”
Rafael watched me like a cat, with his intense green eyes. He raised a brow at my slight stiff motions but didn’t say anything until we reached the elevator to head back down.
“Now, Iknowyou’re not into sports,” he said. “What happened?”
Despite being close friends with Rafael, this was definitely not a conversation I wanted to have, so I tried to play it off. “What do you mean?”
“You’re walking like you have a stick up your ass,” he said bluntly.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m trying to increase my fitness goals this year. Ran ten miles yesterday.”
Rafael didn’t seem convinced, but the doors opened and we joined a loose stream of people leaving the building for the lunch rush. Unfortunately, when everyone had gone off in their own directions, he sidled up beside me and pushed it again.
“Tell me the truth, Griffin,” he said. “Did you get l-a-i-d last night?”
I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and scowled at him. Realization dawned on his face and he gasped.
“No way.”
“Drop it,” I growled, the way you might say to a dog with underwear in its mouth.
“Really? No details at all?” Rafael sighed. “Not even a little one? A tiny one?”
I shot him a smirk. I wasn’t going to tell him anything, but his attempts to pry the information from me were amusing. “The less you know, the better.”
“You’re no fun,” he complained.
We passed a plethora of restaurants. The office building stood conveniently in the center of a major shopping district, so despite Rafael’s insistence on leaving early, we had plenty of options. I was particularly drawn to the smell of grilled meat coming from the local pub.
“Burgers?” I suggested.
