I turn to Buckle. “Oh! I missed the sign for drag queen story hour the other day. How fun! And I don’t remember a Valentine’s Day festival or dance last year, or any year since.” I think through the last seven years and nothing comes to mind.
“Maybe it’s new? Aaron does love coming up with fun things for the town. And Valentine’s Day is the Aaron and his siblings’ birthday.” Buckle opens the door to a bunch of screaming children and a line looping around the main room.
We both clock Abel at the same time. He’s squatting by the main desk chatting with a child clutching a stuffie. It melts my heart to see him so… calm. At least compared to the last time we saw him.
Buckle tugs my hand and I lean in. He whispers, “Goddess, he looks so good. I wonder what he’d look like on his knees.”
I playfully swat at him. “You’re such an Alpha. We can’t scare him by saying sexy things like that. But I agree. He’d look damn fine on his knees begging to suck our cocks.”
Buckle groans and moves the picnic basket in front of him. “Okay, maybe we should keep our inside thoughts inside.”
I laugh, a little too loudly admittedly, and smash my hand to my mouth.
That’s when Abel finds us watching him. He blushes, and it’s so endearing I want to just plant a kiss on his sweet face. Buckle grabs my hand, and slowly we walk towards our Beta. The child must be done talking because Abel pats them on the head and helps walk them towards the drag queen story hour.
Abel hesitates on his way back to the desk. It’s as if he can’t decide if he wants to greet us where we are or if he wants us to come to him. I don’t mind.
Abel doesn’t hesitate for long before walking towards us. My breath hitches at the same time Buckle’s does. Abel’s choosing us.
“Hi,” he gives us a tiny wave. His gaze goes to our joined hands, then to the picnic basket in Buckle’s free hand.
“Hey, babe,” Buckle says, making Abel’s cheeks go adorably pink.
“Hello, sweetness,” I say, and Abel goes pinker as if that’s possible.
He takes the smallest step closer. “Riley—” He waves to someone behind us. “My boss, said I can take lunch whenever. But there are a ton of people here. And I don’t think he realized how busy we’d get.” Abel nibbles his bottom lip as he looks around at the crowd.
“Go to lunch,” someone, I assume, is Riley, says behind us before he’s in our line of sight. “We’ll be fine Abel. Enjoy.”
“But—”
Riley holds up his hand. “In fact, if you’re back before one, I’ll be cross. You always get here early and stay late. Take a long lunch today. You deserve it.”
Abel ducks his head and nods.
“I’ve got you in the nice conference room.” Riley gives us a wink before he’s back out on the floor directing new people to the story hour.
“Come on, babe, let’s settle in. I’ve got a lot of food.” Buckle lifts the basket. “I’m starving.”
My and Abel’s stomachs rumble together.
Abel’s eyes go wide. “I forgot to eat breakfast. I was so into a book on the history of Mink Hollow I couldn’t take my eyes off it.” He leads us down a small hallway. “I do that a lot.” He’s chewing on his bottom lip again when he turns to us after opening the door.
The conference room isbright. The far wall is red, the table blue, and all the chairs are yellow. The carpet can only be described as neon green. Which is miles better than the puke green it could have been.
“Whoa,” Buckle says. “I like all the color.”
Abel bobs his head. “Riley doesn’t like dull things. I like the other conference room better, but this one is bigger.” He looks around and waves us to follow him. He presses a finger to his lips as if we’re sneaking around. Abel opens another door. This room has a pastel pink carpet, and all the accents are shades of pink and purple. “It’s like Valentine’s Day threw up. I love it.”
Buckle gives him a cute little smile and my heart does a happy dance.
“I think I like this one better too,” I say.
“You’re just saying that,” Abel mumbles.
“Sweetness, you’ll find out real quick I don’t say shit I don’t mean.”
He flinches and shakes his head. “Sorry.”
