Chapter 5
“You’re sure I’m not stealing you away from anything important?” Madison asked as I helped her reach one of the display pillows so she could check the texture.
“You are the important thing,” I said with a laugh. “You’re the store’s best customer by a lot.”
“Oh, okay.”
She was so fucking cute. Her dark hair hung down her back in a single braid today, and she wore sparkly gold eyeshadow that showed off her big brown eyes. A cart full of stock trailed behind her, her smile as bright as the sun as she picked out items for her client.
Madison always came in when I worked, usually occupying a solid half of my day, which, on top of getting discounts for my sisters, was why I would never quit.
It might be a little pathetic, but seeing her smile was like a drug hit every time, and she had turned me into quite the junkie.
The corporate overlords never minded, since my time with Madison really helped me keep my finger on the pulse of what omegas in the city were looking for, which let me develop strategies to help the business grow.
She swept her hands over the fabric on a pillow I offered and retracted them sharply, shaking them out. “That’s terrible. Who approved this fabric?”
“I don’t know, probably corporate.” I replaced it on the shelf and she touched a much softer pillow to replace the sensation.
“Best of Nests has been getting unruly.” She huffed. “They’re focusing more on appearance than about texture and that’s the most important part.”
“You should file a formal complaint about bad customer experience with the products. They’d listen.” I knew they would, because I would make sure of it.
“I don’t want to get anyone in trouble, but it’s definitely a pattern I’ve noticed.
This place is supposed to be all about luxury and they’re starting to slack.
” She sighed, staring up at the wall that contained every color option available.
“They’re shifting the colors too, making them slightly off.
Do you know if they changed suppliers? Or if the suppliers changed dyes? ”
“I can find out.” No one else noticed details like that, but she did. Madison had an eye for perfection I’d always admired.
Her brows furrowed, lips dipping into a frown.
She knew every inch of the store, every item we carried, and every company that made them.
I had suggested to corporate a few times that they hire her as some sort of consultant.
They weren’t opposed, but they hadn’t taken any steps toward it.
Honestly, I should make the move on my own and beg for forgiveness later.
The store would thrive because of her and I had the authority to hire.
I wasn’t sure if she would want to, but I was confident she would love it.
And it would have the bonus of her making actual money.
It was fucking stupid she did all this work for clients and they only paid for the product.
Tyler ruined everything. She could’ve had a thriving franchise at this point if he had let her do things officially.
I took a deep breath, shoving down my distaste for his existence. Every so often I had to check in with myself to make sure that my hatred of him was because he was genuinely a dick and not because I was hopelessly in love with his lady.
“I need to find pillows I don’t hate.” She turned to me, dark eyes luminous, soft pink mouth parted. “There has to be something else, Jude.”
We weren’t supposed to bring clients into this area, but… “We got a new shipment, but I haven’t had a chance to go through it yet. We’re not putting it out for a couple more days.”
Her bottom lip jutted into a pout. The universe was testing me. She could ask me for anything and I would fucking trip over myself to make it happen.
“Wait here.” I disappeared to steal a store apron and looped it over her neck when I returned. It wasn’t strictly necessary, but at least it would look like she was an employee if anyone checked the cameras and wanted to tattle to the regional manager above me. “Come on.”
She hooked her arm on mine, trotting along at my side, and I tried not to think about a future where we did this out in public as partners. Omegas didn’t pair up with betas, especially not omegas with belligerent alphas, but that didn’t stop me from wanting it.
Madison watched me slice open one of the new boxes, and I pulled out an assortment of pillows wrapped in plastic, carefully cutting through the covers so she could check them out.
“Oh my god, this one feels like a cloud.” She glided her fingers over the plush fabric. “Does it come in purple? Cream is fine too, if not.”
I opened up a few more boxes, each one a different color, until we came to the one filled with shades of purple. I dug through it, emerging triumphant with what she sought.
She let out a little squee of excitement and locked her arms around my torso. “I know I tell you that you’re the best all the time, but you really, really are. This is going to be perfect for my friend’s nursery.”
I bit down on a pitiful whimper and locked my arms around her for the few brief seconds of contact that was certain to keep my crush thriving for another few months at least.
I almost died on the spot when she sighed softly and squeezed a bit tighter before stepping back. That was new. I was more than used to her touching me out of excitement, but she didn’t normally have any response like she regretted letting me go.
“I’ll add three of these to the order, please.”
“You got it.” I plucked two more out of the box and we went out onto the floor to put all the pillows in her cart.
Now that her work was complete, she got chatty about herself while we took everything up to the front to ring it up. She told me about her new horseback riding lessons and how she’d had to lie to Tyler so he wouldn’t be a jackass about it.
“He hates you doing such simple things. I don’t get it. I’d say yes to everything ever if it meant getting to see your smile all the time.”
That last part was supposed to be in my head.
Madison squeaked, staring at me for a long moment, and I prayed that some god would open up the floor and let it swallow me.
Eventually, she replied, “I don’t get it either. I’ve been so fucking accommodating and he always finds something new to be upset about.” She sighed, fidgeting with one of the blankets she laid on the counter. “I’m getting tired of it.”
Oh. My. God. Fucking red alert! She’d been complaining about Tyler and his ridiculousness for years, but this was the first time she’d ever gotten close to indicating she was done with his shit.
“I’m going to ask him to marry me.”
My face fell. What the actual fuck? “Um, why?”
“It’s embarrassing being a girlfriend for this long. If I’m going to put up with his silly rules, I should at least get the title of wife out of it.”
Goddamn. So close.
“Why hasn’t he asked you already?”
“I don’t know. Am I not wifey material?”
That was the cruelest question she could’ve asked, because I would wife her up in a hot second. “You would be to the right people.”
She sighed again and stared down at her purchases, nudging one closer for me to ring up. “I don’t understand. You would think after a decade he’d know if he wants to bond me or not.”
I bit my tongue, not saying that he did know and that was why he hadn’t already. Fury swelled in my gut. That asshole had this fucking goddess hooked on him and he didn’t even want her.
I rang up a few more items, lost in my own head. I didn’t want to be one of those guys trying to convince someone they would treat them better. She had to know. At the very least she enjoyed my company, otherwise she wouldn’t seek me out, but it wasn’t enough for her to break free.
Maybe Nathan would have better luck. I didn’t know him that well yet, but honestly, anyone was better than Tyler.
If she was actually happy with someone, I wouldn’t have to twist myself up in damn knots every time I saw her.
I hated knowing she wasn’t getting what she deserved in life, and the only thing I could do about it was try to make her smile on the days that I saw her.
“Do you think I’m dumb?” she asked quietly.
“What? No! Why would you ask?”
“I know that no one likes him. I mean, some people do, but no one who’s friends with me. He saved me from worse and I… I need to make it work and I don’t know how.” Her eyes shone with tears and I slipped around the counter to pull her into my arms.
“Hey, it’s okay.”
It wasn’t, but saying so wouldn’t help. Her fingers curled into my shirt and she pressed her forehead to my chest. Her shoulders shook as she sniffled away. “I shouldn’t have gone to my lesson. It’s making me think stupid things.”
“What do you mean?” I took advantage of this rare opportunity and let my cheek rest on the top of her head.
“So, you know how Tyler didn’t want me to have any men or alphas teaching me?”
“A ridiculous rule, but yes.”
“I think my instructor might be a scent match and it’s fucking with my head. He’s so sweet and patient with me, and he listens to everything I say without rolling his eyes. And then I go home and Tyler doesn’t do any of that. I don’t know what to do.”
I soaked up her words, this information rocking me down to my toes. A scent match. I wouldn’t be able to compete with that even if she did leave Tyler. “Has your scent match said what he wants to do?”
She shook her head, tucking tighter against me. “He doesn’t know. I switched from blockers to a neutralizing wash but I’ve been too chicken to see him again since doing that.”
“I can’t tell you what to do, but I want you to be happy, and it doesn’t sound like you are.”
Madison hiccuped and shifted, lacing her fingers together behind my back and pressing them against me as if she had no intention of moving anytime soon. “I wish I were. I’m happy right here.”
Oh god. My fingers twitched against her.
She couldn’t say dangerous things like that.
If she hadn’t left Tyler for me by now, she wasn’t going to.
A scent match would be good for her. They reacted a lot more to omega distress, so whoever her riding instructor was would probably treat her better due to that fact alone.
“Do you think it would be fair if I didn’t tell him?”
“Tyler or your instructor?”
She let out a groan. “Both, I guess. Tyler would lose his shit if I told him and I have no idea what Leo would do.”
I sorted through what bits of information I had tucked away, searching for connections. Did I know anyone who knew Leo so I could dig into him a bit more?
“Remind me where Leo works?”
“Night of Knights.”
Oh shit. I did know someone.
“Why don’t I clock out for my break and take you for some tea?”
She peered up at me, eyes shiny and bottom lip wobbly. “Really?”
“Absolutely. Give me a few minutes to let the team know I’ll be stepping out.”
She gave me another extra squeeze before releasing her arms. I disappeared onto the floor to chat with the supervisor so they wouldn’t be looking for me. As soon as I had done that, I pulled out my phone to message my younger brother, who worked at Night of Knights.
Jude:
Give me your unbiased opinion on Leo
Jax:
Weird way to say hello, but OK
He’s pretty cool. Never kicks up a fuss, never gets into fights, always the first to volunteer to help
Why?
Jude:
Just making sure he’s not trash
Jax:
Bullshit
Why are you asking?
Jude:
A friend was talking about him
She mentioned where he worked and I figured you would be the best point of contact
Jax:
Uh huh
So believable
Whatever
Tell me when you’re ready
Jude:
Later
Thanks
I met Madison out by the registers and helped her load the order into her car. Afterward, we went to the café across the street. She insisted on buying—spite-using Tyler’s money, as she put it—so we sat down with a tea each, and a slice of raspberry loaf cake to split.
“Are we friends?” she asked.
“I like to think so.”
Madison chewed her lip. “I wish Tyler wasn’t weird about guy friends. I feel bad we can’t hang out outside of your work.”
Lightning bolted down my spine. “You want to hang out outside of work?”
“Of course I do. Why do you think I come in to wander-shop all the time? I learned your schedule so we could hang out.”
Realization dawned on me that she had been coming to the store specifically to see me. I’d been assuming this whole time that she simply couldn’t find what she was looking for.
My crush went from campfire to inferno.
I was so fucking gone for her and she didn’t have a clue.