Even though he didn’t seem satisfied with my reply, Skylar backed off and put up his palms in a non-threatening gesture. “Fine, fine.”
“So are we done? Can we both pass out now?”
“Actually,” Skylar began with a smile. “There was something I wanted to tell you. I was kind of too excited to sleep, so I was glad you came home when you did.”
“What?” I gasped. “Oh my god, don’t say you’re pregnant. I will totally move out.”
Skylar groaned in exasperation. “No! Geez, Jake.” He chuckled. “Why do you hate babies so much?”
I pointedly ignored the question. “Tell me your big surprise, Sky, or I’m going to bed right now.”
“Okay, okay.” He took a moment and breathed in. “So, you know the job interview I had today?”
My eyes widened in excitement for the direction this was already heading in. “Yes?”
Skylar bit his lip and smiled. “Well, it went really well and… the manager wants me to come in for training this weekend.”
My jaw dropped. “Holy shit, Sky!” I threw my arms around him in a hug. “That’s awesome!”
“I know!” Skylar said. “I didn’t think they’d like someone like me, but I guess I was wrong. I mean, Idohave experience in the service industry, so I’m sure that helped…”
“Wait,” I said with a tinge of guilt. Earlier today I’d been so eager to run out that I hadn’t even asked Skylar where his interview was taking place. “What kind of job did you say it was again?”
Skylar hesitated. “It’s at a coffee shop.”
Why was he looking at me like that?
“Okay. Is that it?” I chuckled. “You sound like that’s not a good thing. Which one?” I elbowed him. “Is it the green siren?”
“No,” Skylar said with a cautious smile. “It’s actually a locally owned business, run by omegas. Most of the employees are omegas, and they donate a portion of proceeds to omega charities, too.”
I nodded. Skylar already knew my opinion of most alphas was less-than-stellar. “Well, that’s good.”
His smile widened, encouraged by my words. “Yeah. I’m excited to start. The benefits are supposed to be good, and the manager seems pretty fair.”
I gestured to the fridge, where an unopened box of coolers sat. “Then why aren’t we celebrating right now?” I searched his face, knowing he was hiding something from me. “Skylar, there’s something you’re not telling me.”
He grimaced. “Because I know you’re not going to like it.”
“Oh my god,” I muttered. “What? You’re freaking me out. Do you have to have sex with strangers while serving coffee or something? It’s anormalcafé, right?”
“No, no, nothing like that!” Skylar said quickly. “Well, I mean… I wouldn’t really say it’s a normal café, but there’s no sex involved, I promise.”
“You are going to give me an aneurysm,” I told him with a scowl. “Just say it.”
Skylar sighed. He picked up his phone and searched something, then showed me the screen.
“Omega Angel Café?” I read. “What does that mean? I won’t get mad, Sky, I just want to know what’s going on in your life. Okay?”
He nodded. “Do you know what a maid café is? Like in Japan?”
“Vaguely,” I mumbled. “The servers dress in maid outfits, right?”
“Yeah. It’s kind of like that.” Skylar smiled, looking a bit more hopeful. “We wear a uniform with little wings and a halo on it. Isn’t that cute?”
I tried to return his smile but it turned into a grimace. “But you have to serve alphas, right? That’s the target audience for this schtick?”
“Well, yeah,” Skylar admitted. “I guess omegas would like the attention, too, but most of the people I saw in there today were alphas.”
