I reflected on Adrienne's comment with Lukas and me. She was clearly threatened when she saw Preston and me together. I shook my head as I thought about her second warning to me as well. Unlike Sunday, her comment didn’t faze me as much. Preston was a nice guy, but his body language was very clear. Why couldn’t Adrienne see it? What would happen when Adrienne found out about us? Glancing down at my watch, I realized my break was over, and I needed to return to rehearsals.
***
By Tuesday afternoon, mental fatigue was setting in. Not only was I learning a ton of new choreography in a short amount of time, but I was also very tired from getting little sleep. After my date with Preston and Lukas yesterday, we stayed up late, texting jokes to each other. As the night wore on, Isaac joined in with far more explicit jokes, which I secretly liked. Eventually, Demetrius had to tell us all to goto bed so we could get enough sleep, not before sending off one last joke to end the night himself.
I stood in rehearsals, listening to Steven and trying my best not to yawn as he worked with the boys' corps parts. At the front of the room, Lukas was sitting on the floor with his camera, though he was no longer taking pictures. His head rested on a chair, propped up by one elbow as he shut his eyes. If he started snoring, I knew I would laugh.
At the five-minute break, the dancers cleared out of the room, chatting and rushing to use the restroom. I reached into my bag and pulled out a hair tie, then discreetly aimed it and sent it flying toward Lukas, missing his ear by a few inches. He jerked awake with a startled snort, then looked around, finding the hair tie. As his eyes glanced over to me, I shook my head and wagged my finger at him. Grinning, he mouthed,What?
Rehearsals resumed and eventually ended, bringing the Tuesday workday to a close. Eager for a nap, I walked down the hallway when a warm hand wrapped around mine and pulled me into an empty alcove, out of sight. I gasped as I looked up to see Isaac smirking at me before he gently swept his nose against my neck.
“Don’t worry, nobody saw me,” he whispered, clearly sensing my apprehension. “I just need to get your scent on me. I don’t like you on beta blockers, by the way. I can hardly smell your scent anywhere.”
I tried not to laugh at him tickling my neck as he intertwined our fingers together. Should I push him away? He certainly took what he wanted and was the most forward when it came to physical boundaries, yet I didn’t hesitate.
Somehow, this boldness felt right, and if the omega literature was telling me one thing, it was to trust my instincts with my pack. I’d need to set firm boundaries, but avoid resisting what my body desired. Easier said than done.
“I heard you had fun with Preston and Lukas last night. Ready for a date with Demetrius and me?” he asked.
“Sure," I replied. "What did you have in mind?” A tiny voice in my head still questioned if I should pull away, but my body was already leaning in more and more—traitor.
“A new art exhibit opened up at the Worley Interactive Museum this past weekend. Demetrius and I have a few free tickets to attend this Thursday. They have a food stand too, so we can have dinner after.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun, I’d love to,” I said, enjoying the sensation of his touch, not to mention that enticing scent of his. It was subtle through the beta blockers, making me want to lick…No, I wouldn’t picture it.
“Perfect. Go get changed, and I’ll walk you home.” He released my fingers and turned me around, nudging me slightly to go.
“Meet you by the front door in ten minutes?” I asked, not quite ready to leave him yet.
“Faster than that, love. I’ll miss you too much,” he smirked as he motioned for me to go.
I rushed to the room and changed as quickly as possible, reflecting on Isaac’s personality. Unlike Preston or Lukas, Isaac didn’t hide his dominant alpha personality from me. He took what he wanted and preferred to command. It was probably why he was such a great choreographer, but as a future mate, I’d have to let him take the lead, most likely. Lukas and Preston seemed more content to follow my lead, while Demetrius…I had no idea what Demetrius needed. Maybe this date would shed some light on his actions as well.
Rushing to the front door, my eyes spotted Isaac, who was waiting impatiently for me. As soon as he saw me, his demeanor lightened up, and he tossed me a cocky smile, making my stomach flip. The long side of his black hair playfully danced across half his face before he tossed his chin to the side. Holding the door open for me, we left the building and set out for my apartment.
“Are you enjoying my naughty jokes?” he quietly asked me, intertwining our fingers again as soon as we were clear of others seeing us.
“They make me blush. So yes, I’m enjoying them,” I said, playfully swatting at his arm.
“Excellent, I’ll send you more.” He held the apartment building door open for me. “I need you to send me one, too.”
I laughed at his suggestion. “I don’t know any dirty jokes.”
“Make one up. There’s also this thing called the internet, where you can learn and explore information. I’ve heard it’s a great resource for these kinds of jokes,” he mocked as we reached my door.
“We’ll see, maybe…” I teased, turning my head away, pretending I didn’t care. Teasing him made me a touch nervous—would he view this as playful…
He captured my chin with his hand and turned my face back to his, letting his thumb slide along my bottom lip. The feeling of his finger was divine, sending butterflies through my stomach. I could see lust building behind his eyes, which made me tense slightly. Was he going to kiss me? My heart beat faster as my mind said to pull back.
As if reading my reluctance, he replied, “Soon, Ivy, but not tonight. When you’re ready. Good night.”
“Good night,” I managed to squeak out, savoring that wicked smile of his before quickly rushing inside. My bottom lip still tingled pleasantly from the heat left by the touch of his thumb.
Setting my dance bag down, I reached for my phone as a few cheesy jokes popped into my head.
How’s this:You must be a stretch I haven’t mastered yet…Because I’m always reaching for more! -Ivy
I poured myself a cup of tea, waiting for his response. Quickly enough, I got a reply back.
