I’d have to look into the documents for subletting…and, I suppose, find somewhere else to live. If I’d been thinking more clearly, then I could’ve suggested a multitude of options to her, but no, I had to go and offer hermyapartment.
“Jude,” she whispered to him. “He’s friends with Charlotte’s alpha. Maybe it’s fine.”
“Maybe it is,” he conceded, not taking his eyes off me, “but I think in the name of safety, we should check in with Charlotte first. Your community should know what Tyler did, and you should have safe alternatives for where to stay.”
Madison groaned and thunked her head against his chest. “I hate all of this.”
He looked so thoroughly surprised by her touching him that I almost laughed. I wanted to know more about her story, but I refused to pry when she was vulnerable. Whoever had hurt her was obviously wisdom-deficient, if not outright evil. While I was painfully aware from my sisters that omegas could handle themselves when they needed to, society didn’t always support them. Right now, Madison needed support.
“Are the OHI apartments pet-friendly? I have two cats, though I’m not sure how to get them right now. They should be okay for a bit where they are, but they’re not the biggest fans of Tyler, and that feeling is mutual.”
The OHI apartments welcomed pets, since leaving animals behind was a roadblock to many people getting out of unsafe situations. I’d never had pets, but I wasn’t about to say no to her bringing them to my home. “Your cats are most welcome.”
“Okay, good.” With that in place she seemed to reach another emotional stumbling block by the way her brows pinched. “How am I supposed to get a job? Nothing was ever official.”
“We can get your resume shipshape,” Jude assured her. “Anyone would be lucky to have you.”
“Even though I’ve never had a real job?”
I couldn’t imagine never having had a job. I’d been working myself to the bone for over twenty years at this point. My entire family ran a variety of thriving businesses, and I was no exception.
“You still have a portfolio of your work,” Jude told her. “And sometimes, soft skills are as important as employed experience.You’d have had years of running a company under your belt if Tyler hadn’t kicked up such a fucking fuss every time you wanted to turn it into something official.”
I didn’t know who this Tyler was, but I was hating him more with every second.
“Jude is right. Plenty of companies are forgiving of omegas in your situation. The key is highlighting what you can bring to a job and most of the specific training can happen after you’re hired. What were you doing for unofficial work?”
“Nest design and interior decorating.”
Holy shit.
Was fate really smiling on me twice in one day?
“Our designer for the OHI went on early parental leave this week.” The words left my mouth before my brain could catch up. “The position is open for the next year.”
They both stared at me.
“Are you serious?” Madison asked, hope shining bright in her eyes.
“I could get you a job here, too,” Jude suggested. “I already pitched to corporate that we needed a more cohesive design in the stores.”
I blinked at Jude immediately undercutting my impromptu offer. It wasn’t irritation that popped up at him doing so, but something more akin to admiration. He was protecting her, and I appreciated that.
Madison sucked in a shaky breath. “Okay, overwhelmed now. Could we put a pin in the job stuff for a hot second and make sure I have somewhere to sleep tonight?”
“Of course,” Jude and I said at the same time. Our chorus made Madison smile.
“I’ll call Beau and see where he and Charlotte are. You wanted to meet them at the arena?”
“They don’t have to come into town if they’re busy. Could you phone him and I could talk to her if he’s with her?”
I nodded and pulled up Beau’s contact information. It rang until his voicemail connected. That was unusual. I tried again, and the same thing happened. “He’s not answering. I’ll message.”
Alve:
Is everything all right?
I waited for a few agonizing seconds with Madison’s eyes on me, but the message remained unread.
