Griffin
Not only did I get roped into coming to this café in the first place, but somehow Rafael managed to convince me to get in line first thing in the morning as soon as the doors opened. At least he promised that doing this would get him off my back, but now I wasn't quite so sure if that would work. He was totally giddy with excitement, almost bouncing off the walls like a kid in a candy store.
“We’re so lucky they let us in,” Rafael muttered under his breath. “Look at all the people still waiting outside!
“That's because you were the one who wanted to come so early,” I told him. “If we had come at a normal hour like normal people, we wouldn't have been so lucky.” I paused. “Or unlucky.”
“Whatever,” Rafael said with good humor. “Just admit that you're having fun and I'll stop pestering you.”
“The last time I promised you something, you made me come to the stupid café,” I mumbled. “No more promises.”
He just laughed. Obviously, he had no time for my grumpy attitude and was just enjoying the ride.
The café was nice enough. Clean, spacious, and I couldn’t deny the scent of coffee and delicious pastries in the air was compelling enough to stay. The omegas dressed in what appeared to be cupid outfits were bizarre at first, but now my mind was adjusting to it.
I lowered my voice and muttered to Rafael, “Don't you think this is a little degrading?”
“Why?” he asked, looking genuinely surprised at my question.
“Well, they're dressing up for our entertainment, aren't they?”
“So? It's just an outfit, and it's not even particularly skimpy looking.” He raised a brow and grinned. “I've seen plenty more places where the outfits are more revealing. Look, all the shorts go to mid-thigh length, plus their stockings cover up their legs.”
I couldn't deny that he was right. He was gesturing to a nearby employee, but I didn’t want to stare, so I glanced away. “I guess so.”
“Besides,” he went on, “all the employees seem like they're having a good time!”
I didn't reply because I couldn't refute that either. All the employees had big smiles on their faces and skips in their steps. None of them seemed uncomfortable at all, which put me at a bit more ease about this. Personally, I wasn't into seeing omegas paraded around for alphas' amusement, which I had assumed was the entire gimmick of this café, but it didn't seem to be the case here. The only reason I hadn't left by now was because none of the employees seemed overtly distressed.
And because I really needed a damn coffee.
As soon as the thought popped into my head, our server arrived. His smile was bright and infectious. I instantly found myself returning it.
“Welcome to the Omega Angel Café!” he announced. “My name is Sammy, and I’ll be your server today. Is this your first time here, gentlemen?”
“Sure is, Sammy,” Rafael said. “We’re happy to be here. Right, Griffin?”
Sammy glanced over to me and I nodded, hoping that he didn't realize I was half lying. Whether I was happy to be here or not was yet to be seen, but so far the experience wasn't awful.
“Fantastic!” the server chirped. “Well, here's a menu to get you started. You to let me know if you need anything and I'll be pleased to help. After all, your wish is our command!”
Rafael seemed pleased to hear this. He shot the server a huge grin and said, “Thanks, sweetie.”
The omega smiled thinly at this comment but didn't scold Rafael. “I'll give you two a moment to look over the menu. Please call me if you need anything!”
After Sammy left, I leaned over to Rafael with a scowl. “You probably shouldn't be calling him pet names.”
He blinked. “But that wasn't one of the rules on the list, was it?”
“I didn't see it on there,” I admitted, “but it's probably not appreciated anyway.”
He looked a bit sheepish. “My bad.” His demeanor quickly changed as he picked up the menu. I had a feeling he already knew what he wanted to order. His eyes scoured the page and he grinned. With a glance at me, he asked, “Are you ordering or what?”
“Just getting a coffee, and maybe something to snack on,” I said.
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
Despite being more intimately familiar with the menu than I was, Rafael took his sweet time examining the menu in close detail. I sighed and leaned on the table, which was spotlessly clean. I was pleasantly surprised to notice how clean the entire café was, in addition to taking the safety and personal boundaries of its employees seriously. Rafael had been right before when he mentioned some other establishments that didn't quite meet this level of standard.
