The rowdy alphas realized the tables had turned. Most of them glanced away and shut up, except for one who muttered, “It’s just not sanitary.”
As long as you’re not eating off the floor where the dog is laying, I’m sure you’ll live, I thought bitterly.
But I noticed that Elijah had lowered his head. He let out a deep sigh before he stuffed a forkful of chocolate cake into his mouth.
Guilt flooded me. I hadn’t intended to cause such a scene at his expense - I was only trying to stand up for him, not look like a hero.
“Excuse me,” I murmured.
I walked past Sammy and back to the kitchen, where I comped Elijah’s order. It was the least I could do to make up for this mess.
When I returned, the alphas’ table was empty. Sammy walked back in, wiping his hands together like he’d come back from taking out the trash.
“Hate people like that,” he grumbled to me. “Anyway, now that they’re gone, it’s back to business as usual!”
When I went back to Elijah’s table, my cheeks felt warm with shame. “I’m so incredibly sorry about that.”
“It happens all the time,” Elijah said with a shrug. He wasn’t smiling or looking in my direction any longer. “I’ve learned to ignore people like that.”
Was he annoyed with me? I bit my lip, thinking that he had every right to be. As the adrenaline wore off, reality set back in and I realized that maybe Elijah didn’t appreciate my display. Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut and asked for help privately instead of taking things into my own hands.
“Not just them,” I said quietly. “I didn’t mean for it to become a big thing. I wasn’t trying to be a hero or anything. It just frustrated me that they were being so cruel to you, and I was afraid the alphas wouldn’t take me seriously unless I had backup . . .”
Elijah put his fork down. He’d only had a few bites of cake. I felt horrible for ruining his experience.
“You must go through this sort of thing a lot.” I sighed. “Sorry if I made things worse. I shouldn’t have tried to stand up for you.” With an appreciative glance at his muscles, I added, “You can obviously do that for yourself.”
Elijah paused, mulling over my words.
“I appreciate that,” he finally said, a hint of a smile on his lips. “But if you’re feeling guilty, don’t. It’s not your fault, you know. Most people don’t know how to react in those types of situations.”
I stared down at the table. “I don’t want to make excuses for my ignorance. I should have called a manager instead of intervening myself.”
Elijah rolled his shoulders. “Maybe. But to be honest, I’m glad you didn’t. I was content to ignore those men until they grew tired of it. Schoolyard bullies always do.” He smirked. “Either that, or a quick punch in the mouth usually shuts them up.”
I snorted in laughter. I would’ve liked to see that, but I didn’t admit it out loud.
“Still,” Elijah said. “It was brave of you to stand up to--how many were there? Three?”
“Four.”
“Four alphas all by yourself, especially ones as immature as them. And judging by the sound of your voice, you don’t sound like a particularly large omega.” He grinned with sly amusement. “No offense.”
“None taken. And no, you’re right. I’m a whopping five feet four inches tall.”
Elijah smiled again, and it warmed my cheeks.
“A tiny bit smaller than me, then,” he teased. “You wouldn’t know it since I’m sitting down, but I’m six feet tall. Typical alpha, right?”
I hadn’t really noticed his appearance beyond a passing recognition of his attractiveness, but when he said that, I took stock of his form. He was well-muscled and firm, the toned nature of his body evident even beneath a light sweater. His arms were thick and his hands large. He had a jawline that was both strong and gentle, with some uneven stubble that added to his gruff aura. He looked like a movie star.
“Are you a model or something?” I said. “Er, if you don’t mind me asking, I mean.”
Elijah laughed. “A model. That’s a funny one.”
“What’s so funny about it? You look--”
I blushed and bit my lip. Technically, there were no rules about employees complimenting customers. Even though I’d never done it myself, I’d heard my co-workers doing it. Maybe it was time to stop hiding behind my anxiety and tell Elijah how I really felt.
