Rafael shook his head. “Nah.”
We kept walking.
“Seriously, though, man,” Rafael said after a moment. “I’m glad you found someone.”
I paused, then continued. “I didn’tfindanyone.” I lowered my voice. “It was a one time deal.”
Rafael’s eyes went wide. “You? Griffin? Really?”
“Why is that so shocking?” I grumbled.
“I dunno,” Rafael admitted. “I guess I always thought of you as a mates-for-life kind of alpha, you know?”
Dread turned my blood to ice. I stopped walking and stared at him. Rafael realized what he’d said and instantly looked apologetic. “Sorry, man, I didn’t mean it like that…”
Don’t think about him. Do not think about him.
I shut my eyes, repeating those words to myself. Instead I focused on the scent of mirin and fish coming from the sushi restaurant nearby.
“Sushi?” I asked Rafael.
He winced. “Shellfish allergy.”
“Right.”
We forged ahead on our quest for lunch. Thankfully, Rafael had seemed to drop the questioning. But for some reason, leaving him hanging like that made me feel bad. I sighed and decided to give him one morsel of information, and hoped it was enough to sate his appetite.
“Jake,” I said.
“No, buddy. It’sRafael.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I meanhis namewas Jake.”
Rafael’s eyes lit up in excitement, like a kid being told hecouldhave a cookie before dinner after all. “Omega?”
“Yes.” I put a hand up. “Don’t get too enthusiastic. I told you, it was one time.”
Rafael grinned. “Still. I’m glad to see you’re on the market again. A hot accountant alpha like you? You’ll get snapped up in no time.”
“How many times do I have to tell you?” I said with a sigh. “I’m not interested in beingsnapped up.I like my job and my friends. I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need a relationship. Okay?”
Rafael studied me carefully, and for a moment it felt like he was seeing something I couldn’t. Then he smiled, shrugged and looked away. “Whatever you say.”
My stomach growled again, loud enough for Rafael to hear. “Hurry up and pick a place. I’m starving.”
“Okay, okay. Look, how about that Italian place down the street?”
I didn’t enjoy loading up on carbs, but at this point I was too hungry to pass up a plateful of pasta coated in creamy sauce. “Fine by me.”
As we approached the doors, we saw something strange and paused. A young man in a curious outfit stood in the middle of the sidewalk, smiling brightly and handing out flyers to anyone interested.
Rafael leaned in and asked, “What’s up with that guy?”
I shrugged. “Probably selling something.”
When we got closer, I noticed the outfit was a costume. It was frilly, mostly white with blue and gold lace accents, and a cutesy pair of angel wings sprouting out of the back. To top it off, a halo was attached to the man’s head.
“Come and visit the Omega Angel Café!” he announced. “Sweet omegas and amazing coffee are waiting for you!”
