That same afternoon.
The door chime dinged as Rosie came through the door. Now that I knew she could be our potential mate, I looked at her with a different perspective. She had wide, childbearing hips that were just the right size for her slender frame. Her chest was another set of curves that caught my interest. No doubt they would be perfect for feeding a future child. Plus, I imagined they were plenty of fun to play with too.
She caught me staring and pulled her jacket firmly across her torso, cheeks turning a bright shade of red.
“The usual?” I asked before things could get awkward.
“Yes please.” She quickly eased back into her normal stance and waited patiently for me to whip up her drink. As I took her credit card, I dared another look at her, this time concentrating on her face. It had a nice round shape to it that made her incredibly easy to look at. And then there was that button nose and I’m such a sucker for cute noses. I just wanted to lean across the counter and kiss it.
She was about to walk away when I reached out and placed my hand over top of hers. It was the first time I had touched her skin. And, oh baby, let me tell you. It was like I had just been shot with a defibrillator. For a second, my mind went blank and I forgot how to function.
“Y-Yes?” Her eyelashes fluttered as she asked the question and it was like a bullet straight through my heart. How could anyone be so damn cute? There had to be a law against it or something.
“Um?
?? do you mind if I have a word with you. I’ll be off in a half hour or so. Mind if I join up with you then?”
She knitted her brows together in an expression of confusion. “Sure. I guess,” she finally agreed.
“Alright, see you then.”
***
Those last thirty minutes seemed to drag into an eternity. Every time I looked at the clock, it refused to budge. Finally, I saw my co-worker walk through the door. I waited until he joined me in the front before punching out for the day. I threw off my apron and tossed it into my locker where it would stay for a while.
Then, I dropped by the bathroom and checked out my reflection in the mirror. As an omega, I was inferior to Myles in almost every way, except of course, where looks were concerned. We liked to argue about this from time to time but I didn’t care what he said because I knew I was right. With this thought in mind, I ran my fingers through my hair before putting on a beanie. They were one of the best human inventions in my opinion. Stylish and yet practical. They were a definite win-win situation.
Anyway, I eventually came out of the bathroom and joined Rosie at her booth. She was hard at work, sketch pad propped on her knees. I only caught a glimpse of her work but that was enough to tell me that she was drawing a dragon – most likely, Myles.
“Just give me a sec…” she said, her tongue poking through her lips in concentration.
Jeez, this girl couldn’t be any cuter even if she tried.
“There.” With that, she closed her book and offered me a smile. “Now, what was it that you wanted to talk about?”
“My roommate, Myles.”
Her eyes widened at the sound of his name.
“I know you two spent the night together and while I admit that Myles is a pretty nice guy… I’m much better.” I winked for emphasis.
She blushed a deep shade of crimson. “Err… about that… it was an honest mistake. I’ve been an emotional train wreck since Jake left me and I guess you can say I’ve been a little lonely but I’m not really looking for a relationship or anything…” She gnawed on a hangnail and then stopped when she realized what she was doing. “No offense to your roommate or anything… he was…” She paused trying to find the right word. No doubt she was trying to figure out whether her experience with Myles had been real or not. It took quite a bit to convince humans that dragons were real even when they saw us with their own two eyes. “I think I just need some space for the time being.”
“I don’t blame you. Jake was such an asshole – he still is.” I growled, bile building at the back of my throat. “I saw the way he treated you and he honestly doesn’t deserve a girl as pretty and hardworking as you are.”
Somehow, her cheeks became even redder. “Oh… um… thanks…” She bashfully hid her face behind her scarf.
“And, if you’re feeling down about your ex-boyfriend then I have the perfect way to cheer you up.”
“Thanks…” she started, about to reject my offer but I quickly interrupted before she could have the chance.
“I’m really not going to take no for an answer. Besides, I’m not trying to make a move or anything. We’ll just go as friends. How does that sound?”
“Um… what exactly would we be doing?”
“Hiking. I know the perfect trail. It’s not on any of the maps so it has that untouched feeling, you know? It’ll be great for your sketches. There are some really beautiful scenes up there,” I took her hand and squeezed it ever so gently. “I know that you don’t have girlfriends to cheer you up so just consider me your honorary girlfriend for the day.”
She giggled.