Donning my favorite giant t-shirt, I realize I have nothing to eat but still go looking for food. Starting with the fridge, because it’s the obvious place, I tug open the door.
“Holy shit.”
Every shelf is full. Prepared meals, fresh fruit, vac-sealed meat and chicken, along with bottles of milk, juice, and wine are neatly lined up and labeled.
Using the light from the fridge, I tear open the welcome envelope, and a note falls out.
Our home is your home.
We’ve taken the liberty of filling the fridge and pantry with everything we think you’d like because you’re important to us.
Feel free to send us an email if you need more or want something particular. The next delivery is in seven days.
Everything is pretty easy to use, but if you’d like one of us to show you, drop us a line.
P.S. Your smart windows are currently OFF. To activate them, just use the bottom button under each light switch.
P.S.S. There’s a manual in the top drawer for the rest of the appliances, plus a step-by-step guide for the voice-activated central heating.
Youre Ár gceann-na Enterprises
“Probably should have opened this before my shower,” I say, talking as if someone’s here with me.
My stomach rumbles in agreement.
Throwing the note on the counter again, I turn to choose what I’m going to have for dinner. Then, while it’s heating, I sip on a beer while walking around to where the switches for the fancy windows are and switching them on. Properly.
And now that I've activated them, I can see the difference. The glass has a slight smoke through it when the smart glass is activated. When it’s off, it’s crystal clear.
Once I’ve done it a few times, to make sure I never miss the telltale signs again, I rearrange the living area, turning one of the single sofa chairs to face the view.
The sparkling skyline and the constant flow of the cars below is more appealing than watching television. I crave quietness after the shock of earlier, but also to enjoy the lingering aftermath of my stolen orgasm. It’s not odd. It’s natural as an Omega to hold on to those endorphins. They’re as comforting and almost as necessary as breathing some days.
Being in this apartment also makes me feel comfortable. It feeds a peace that settles into my bones. I don’t know how I scored this booking or why the owner accepted my open-end booking at the cheap rate they did, but I’m not one to waste a moment arguing if I should or shouldn’t mention their oversight.
Ah, who am I kidding? I probably will contact them. Because as much as I love being here, I feel terrible they’re not getting paid properly for it.
It doesn’t take long for me to act on it, either. After sitting on their furniture, eating the food they so kindly arranged, enjoying the tranquility of their property, I send an email, letting them know.
As I’m snuggling down under the luxury sheets on the insanely comfortable bed, I get a response. Two words that make me stupid happy.
We’re aware.
Chapter Nine
TALLY
The next couple of days pass with little to report. At the same time, me doing nothing out of the ordinary is what needs to happen. It will help me become someone Walsh, and Walsh’s bosses, can trust. I need to blend in with everyone else working paycheck to paycheck.
Walsh and Johnny are often at the pub together. I haven’t done a complete shift yet when both of them aren’t there. And while there’s nothing obvious happening, there are too many surly looking Alphas visiting them for it to be considered normal.
“Tally,” Walsh calls from the customer side of the bar, which is where he usually sits when he’s working. And I sayworkinglightly.
Waving, so he knows I heard, I finish serving two women and drop their food order into the kitchen before making my way over to him.
His eyes are on the women.
I twist around to check if it's them he’s staring at.
