While Rafael mumbled to himself and studied the menu, I let my eyes wander. The architecture of the café was simple, yet the decorations, bright colors, and use of mirrors made the space look much larger than it actually was. Soft string-and-vocal music played from the speakers, not like the loud droning music they often played at restaurants these days, which I appreciated. The whole place was filled with the warm scent of coffee and chocolate, and I had to admit I found myself enjoying my time here already.
But as my eyes wandered, I landed on something I never expected to see here. At first I didn't realize who it was, because the person at their head down in the crook of their folded arms, as if they didn't want to be seen.
My mind didn’t register it at first, because I had only seen this person in the dim light of the bar, and then the darkness of the hotel room.
But there was no mistaking it. The person sitting across from us at the other table was Jake.
I sucked in a sharp breath. Rafael was too busy with the menu to notice.
I quickly looked away from Jake. Thankfully, his face was turned away, so I was pretty sure he didn't notice me either. That was a confrontation I really didn't want to have. Not here, not now. Possibly not ever.
What the hell is he even doing here?I thought.Isn't this a place for alphas?
I realized that was kind of a backwards thought, and that obviously an omega could go anywhere an alpha went. He had every right to be here. After all, this was just a café - a place to have coffee and eat something, and judging by the plates in front of him, that's exactly what he was doing. So why was I so worked up about it?
Probably because I haven’t seen him since we fucked the other night.
A tingle ran down my spine at the thought, and I forcibly thought about something else. This was so not the time or place for those memories. Maybe if I wished hard enough, Jake would get up and leave early.
But of course that wasn't going to happen. Instead, Jake turned to meet my eyes.
A spark of electricity ran through me. If I wasn't imagining things, I would assume the same thing happened to him, judging by the wide look in his eyes.
“Okay!” Rafael shut his menu loudly, jerking me out of my daze. “I'm finally ready to order, and you better be too, because I'm starving.”
“What? Oh, right. Yes, I'm ready.”
Rafael had barely lifted a finger to summon Sammy before he reappeared. I wasn't paying attention while Rafael rattled off his order, but judging by the amount of time he spoke he was ordering a hell of a lot more than I was.
Meanwhile, Jake and I were doing some strange dance, with both of us pretending and failing like we were not trying to look at each other. But every time our eyes met even in passing, that same spark returned.
It flustered me, and finally I wrenched my gaze away, refusing to let it happen again.
“And you, sir?” Sammy asked me.
I was glad for the distraction. With new enthusiasm, I picked up the menu and pointed out each thing that I wanted. “Just a latte and a chocolate croissant please.”
Sammy chuckled. “That's funny! Somebody else just ordered the exact same thing before you.”
As he said that, he glanced over his shoulder towards Jake's table. Jake was avoiding my gaze, but I could tell he still looked mortified - and now, so did I.
What are the chances we ordered the exact same thing?With an internal groan, I thought.Does he think I copied his order, since his are already on the table in front of him?
“What a coincidence,” I said, trying to smile.
As Sammy took our menus, he asked me, “And what kind of design would you like on your latte?”
In my confused daze, I had no idea what he was talking about, until Rafael helpfully picked up the back of his menu and pointed out the gallery of fancy drink designs on the back of the page. Right now, a design on my drink was the least of my concerns, but with the server waiting on me, I had no choice but to pick something.
I furrowed my brow and said, pointing at no particular design, “That one.”
Sammy smiled. “Birds and hearts seem to be a popular design today, too,” he commented in a knowing tone.
I didn't know what he meant by that until I saw Jake's jaw drop at the other table. He glared at me with unhidden animosity.
What the hell is his problem?
As the server left, Rafael furrowed his brow and leaned over to me. “Dude, do you have some sort of problem? You keep scowling at the guy at the other table.” He paused. “Do you know him or something?”
