Griffin
The previous day had passed like a whirlwind. One moment I was sulking alone in my office, and then the next I was playing with kittens and setting up dates.
The events had seemed almost surreal. I honestly hadn't expected to run into Jake, considering he had never once told me that he worked at the pet shop on Main Street, so I had no way of knowing. It was a pure stroke of luck - or perhaps fate - that brought us together yesterday.
Now I sat in my chair, twirling my pen in my hand, staring at the upcoming Saturday circled on my desk calendar. Inside of the circle I had written Jake’s name. It felt a bit childish to get my hopes up for something as simple as a single date, but instead of holding those emotions back, I let them run freely. I allowed myself to savor the excitement. If nothing else, it was an excellent distraction from my otherwise dark thoughts at this time of year.
What I kept circling back to in my mind was Jake's strange behavior. He was an enigma I just couldn’t figure out. One moment, he seemed like he wanted nothing more than to escape my presence, and the next he was standing practically inches from me and begging me to come over to his house - when his roommate was not present, no less. A thrill ran through me when I had realized that could only mean one thing.
I cleared my throat, trying to stay on track. That train of thought was something I definitely didn't need in the workplace.
I was just thinking that my office had been relatively quiet this morning when a familiar knock came at my door. I couldn't help but smile, knowing it was Rafael on the other side, showing up like clockwork.
“Come in.”
Rafael entered my office and sauntered over to my desk, seeming like he was in a better mood than yesterday. He apparently noticed the same thing about me, as he grinned and said, “I see you're not sulking anymore.”
“I am not,” I confirmed.
Rafael leaned on my desk, and peered over his shoulder as if to make sure nobody was watching or listening, then turned back to me. In a hushed voice, he said, “Great. Are you busy tonight?”
“No,” I replied, raising a curious brow. “Why?”
He opened his mouth excitedly, but I cut him off.
“You better not be trying to get me involved in another one of your stunts," I told him, "especially if it involves that damn café again.”
Rafael's expression instantly fell and he whined. “What? I'm not involved in any stunts! He exclaimed. I just need your help for something.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “What exactly am I helping you with?”
He shot me a sheepish glance. “Just some help," he mumbled, his eyes flicking away from me, “getting a date.”
“And?” I prompted. “There's more to this than you're telling me, so just spit it out.”
“Um…” Rafael knitted his brows like he was about to get scolded for something. “I want to ask out an omega. So I need some backup. You don’t have to say anything, or even be nearby, just hang out there while I do it. You know?”
I gestured with my hand for him to continue, because that definitely wasn't the whole story, and I knew there was something he was still keeping from me.
“And…” He sighed, then finally admitted, “It's one of the omegas from the café.”
“No,” I said instantly.
“Why?” he whined.
“You and I both read the rules there,” I told him firmly. “I thought they made it pretty clear they don't want random alphas coming around to hit on their employees.”
“But I'm not hitting on them,” he protested. “I'm just asking nicely.” He paused screwed up his face. “Oh. Now that I say it out loud, it does sound a little skeezy.”
I shrugged to agree with him.
“What if I do it when he's not on the clock?” Rafael asked.
I shook my head. “I don't think that's a good idea. If you ever go back there, he's going to remember your face. It's going to make everything awkward.”
Rafael crossed his arms. “Well, how do you know that he's going to turn me down in the first place? He might say yes.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “Do you really think that? Or is that just the fantasy in your head?”
