I reached for one picture of her standing with her hands on her hips as she tossed me a playful look. The green leotard she wore really brought out the bright green color in her eyes.
“She’s our omega!” Demetrius exclaimed, picking up a picture of her balancing on her right leg. Her back leg line looked stellar with how high it lifted.
Preston and I both darted our eyes back to my pictures. “Weren’t all the new hires betas?”
“She is definitely an omega, but she seemed just as surprised as I did,” Demetrius said. “I very rudely ordered her away from me before I lost control, so I don’t know the whole story here.”
“What’s all this about?” Isaac asked with a big yawn as he casually strolled down the stairs.
“Dem says he’s found our omega,” Preston beckoned to Isaac, who slowly strolled over to take a look.
“And Lukas stalked her with his camera?” Isaac asked, gesturing to all the photos.
“I couldn’t help it! Her being our scent-match would explain why I couldn’t stop staring at her.” I picked up one of my pictures, smiling. She was cute—okay, very sexy. Her legs were long, her waist was narrow—she was a ballerina, after all. Wouldn’t have to ask me twice to date this girl. “Dem, why do you think she’s an omega?”
“I was conducting the welcome interviews, which you were supposed to be at…” Demetrius glared at Isaac. “I was complimenting a past performance I'd seen of hers when she perfumed.”
Surely he was joking about this, though that would be a cruel joke to play on us. Preston stared intensely at the pictures, seeming to analyze every bit of her. He held in his hands a picture of her standing at the barre, her fingers lightly placed on her hips as her warm, inviting smile radiated outward.
“What did she smell like? What’s her name?” I asked, inspecting one of her pictures closer.
“She smelled like roses, and her name is Ivy.”
***
Ivy
Surely I'll be fired after my disastrous meeting with the Director, I thought as I sat wrapped in a blanket in the middle of my living room, a cup of tea by my side. I felt like crap,not just physically, but emotionally too. What happened to me earlier today?
What did he call me? An omega? I was not an omega. I’d always been classified as a beta; there was never any question of my classification before.
Flipping the cold pack on my head, I slumped down into my couch with my head practically on fire. What were these symptoms? This didn’t feel like the flu or a bug. Maybe this was just first-day stress sickness, or I pushed myself too hard. I'd been doing a lot of driving lately.
My phone buzzed silently next to me. Caller ID: Unknown.
“Hello?” I meekly answered as I fought to hold back a wave of tiredness.
“Miss Ivy?” A deep, rich voice sounded across the line—Director Demetrius.
“Demetrius, sir, I’m so sorry for what happened earlier today. I think I'm coming down with a bug…maybe the flu…” The words spilled out of me.
“It’s all fine; I wanted to first call and apologize for yelling. I was just a bit startled.” Demetrius paused, articulating his words carefully. “Would you consent to the company doctor helping you right now? Dr. Laughlin is a female omega who can run some tests on you. If you’re feeling sick, she can get you some medication.”
“Oh,” I replied, a tad shocked. “Yes, that sounds fine.” He mentioned she was female, which settled my mind a bit.
“Great, she should be nearby. Are you living in the temporary housing across from the studios? Most new hires stay there for a few months,” Demetrius asked. He sounded eager for some reason.
“Uh, yes.”
“Perfect, she’ll be over shortly, then we can talk again afterwards…if you’re comfortable with that.”
“Yes, that’s fine.” I hesitated before adding. “Sir, do I still have a job?”
“Of course,” he replied quickly. “Right now, I just want to make sure you’re healthy. Please take tomorrow and the next day off if you’re still under the weather. We'll figure out the rest after Dr. Laughlin's visit. And this is my private number if you need anything.”
I let out a huge sigh of relief. “Yes, thank you, sir.”
“Please, Demetrius is fine. I’ll talk with you soon.” With that, he hung up.
