Chapter 18 Laz
EIGHTEEN
Laz
Okay, Sabs had only briefly mentioned she needed a whistle to keep some of her teammates in check, and it could have totally waited, but knowing where Faye was and not seeing her was killing me.
Initially, I’d only planned on walking past, perhaps stealing a glance at her through the window.
But I hadn’t banked on walking into her and Ren’s steamy make-out session.
Holy hell, seeing them together was about the hottest thing ever.
Instead of feeling jealous—as is often the case with alphas—I was happy to stand back and watch.
It’s the first time I’ve seen Ren with a woman before, and the way he looked at her when they pulled apart was priceless.
Faye doesn’t know how special she is or the effect she has on us.
Thankfully, Ren is diplomatic. He knows how desperate we’ve all been to see her again.
Since we helped her through her heat onset, it’s been hard to do or think about anything but her.
The urge to be close and protect her from other alphas is all-consuming.
I know the others feel it too. Even Damon, not that he’ll admit it.
He’s been taking on extra security work— probably to avoid facing his feelings—coming home with more grazed knuckles than usual.
“That must have been some kiss,” I murmur, watching Ren bounce away. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him walk like that.”
Faye giggles shyly. The noise is so cute that it makes me want to kiss her little button nose.
“So, honeybee…” It’s a fitting nickname because of her hair color, the way she smells of flowers, and because I’m like a bee drawn to her like a honeypot. “Did you have a good date with Ren?”
She falls into step beside me. “I did.”
I notice an alpha staring at her from across the street as the breeze catches in her hair, delivering a waft of her scent.
Faye remains oblivious as I glare at him, teeth slightly bared, making it clear that she’s mine.
I quicken my pace then slow when I realize Faye has to take two steps to every one of mine because she’s so short.
“What do you have planned for the rest of the day?” I ask, watching the alpha slink into a nearby store out of the corner of my eyes. “Hanging out with the Stellas?”
“Actually, I think the girls are out this afternoon. Sabs has volleyball, Delilah has a cooking class, and Kady’s at the Valley Voice office, finalizing the next edition.” She peeks up at me from beneath her long lashes. “I haven’t joined any clubs or societies yet.”
I perk up, having an idea. “How do you fancy hanging out with me, honeybee? I can take you to one of my favorite places on campus.” I hold my hands up. “No talks about heat, bonds, or anything serious, pinkie swear!”
I expect her to make an excuse to leave. I can’t exactly claim to have made a good impression so far after cornering her at Stella House then being in a fluster during her spike.
“Sure.” Her full pink lips curl into a shy smile, making my stomach flip. “That sounds like fun.”
“Fun’s basically my middle name,” I declare proudly. “Well, actually it’s Lancelot, ready to save you from an afternoon of boredom!”
“Lancelot? Like the knight?” she snorts. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m being dead serious. Lazlo Lancelot Maverick,” I rest my hand on my chest solemnly. “My pops is really into history, like Arthur and the round table, hence my middle name. I’m the third son, so I guess Mom caved by that point and let him have his way.”
“Really?” Her lips part in shock. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I thought you were joking.”
“My name is a bit of a joke,” I chuckle. “But my oldest brother’s name is Beckett Pomsky, because my mom loves dogs, so I got off easy.”
Faye keeps a straight face this time, which only makes me like her more. “Pomsky is a sweet name.”
“Well, lucky for Beckett, that one was a joke.”
Laughter bubbles out of her. “I’m glad for him!”
“Sometimes I think it would be better for him if Pomsky were his middle name, though. Maybe it would loosen him up a bit,” I shrug. “Beckett takes his role as oldest son very seriously. He’s a corporate hotshot these days, and I swear, I only see him smile when stocks rise.”
“So there are four of you?” Faye asks. “I remember Sabs saying she had three brothers.”
“Yes, there’s Beckett—Mr. Serious. Then there’s Forest—he’s an adventurer and probably diving in the Great Barrier Reef as we speak.
I’m the youngest son—Mom’s favorite, according to the others.
And Sabs is the baby of the family. Although, Sabs can hold her own and pretty much ruled the roost when we were kids, as you can probably imagine. ”
“I can’t imagine having one sibling, let alone three,” she says. “Your house must have been chaotic.”
“Oh, it was!” I confirm. “Our four dads definitely added to it. Mom has a tough job, keeping everyone in line, but she lives for it. They always wanted a huge, crazy family. I never got a moment of peace growing up. We lived right on the beach, so we were always playing out there. My brothers used to wake me at the crack of dawn every morning over summer vacation to surf.”
“Even Mr. Serious?”
“Beckett was the best surfer. Back before he joined the corporate world, he was actually fun to be around. I can stand on a board, but I spent most of my time joking around and swimming. Forest was always more interested in looking at the fish, but Beckett? He could have surfed competitively if he wanted to.” I place my hand on the small of Faye’s back when we come to a crack in the sidewalk to make sure she doesn’t trip in her flimsy sandals.
“Although it’s hard to believe now, when he spends every hour chained to his desk.
But enough about Mr. Serious! I promised you fun, honeybee, and fun is what you shall get! ”
“Where are we heading?”
“We’re not far now.”
We wander down SVU’s main street then take a left onto a quiet backstreet. There’s not much to see down here aside from trash cans.
Faye arches an eyebrow suspiciously. “Are we going dumpster diving?”
“And ruin your pretty dress?” I shake my head. “Not tonight. Now close your eyes. We’re almost there.”
“What if I fall?”
“I’ll make sure you don’t,” I promise. “Do you trust me?”
She chews her lip then nods. My heart does backflips, but I keep my cool as she closes her eyes.
“I can either talk you through where to go or hold your hand and lead you,” I offer. “It’s your choice.”
She holds out her dainty hand for me to take. “If you lead me into a garbage heap, I promise, I’ll tell Sabs.”
“My sweet omega has a feisty side.”
I hold her hand, relishing in the feel of her soft palm warming mine as I lead her to a secret door. From the outside, it looks like any other building, but as soon as we step inside, we’re standing at the top of a staircase with illuminated neon signs and lights leading down into the basement.
“Okay.” I tighten my grip on her hand. “You can open them now.”
“Woah!” She blinks several times, taking in her surroundings. The faint buzz of machines hum from below us. “What is this place?”
“Follow me.”
We make our way down the staircase to another door, where I punch a code into the keycard.
The door swings open to reveal an underground arcade, the sounds of pinball machine flippers and tinny tunes greeting us.
Faye looks around in awe. “I didn’t know they had an arcade on campus.”
At this time of day, we’re the only people in here, having the entire place to ourselves.
“This is an exclusive, members-only club. Not many people know it exists, and for good reason. Many of the machines cost a fortune, and while membership is pricey, it’s worth every cent, considering how much time I spend down here.
Gaming is my way to kick back and relax,” I explain.
“Now, how about we play a game of Dance Dance Revolution, so I can show you my moves?”
She seems hesitant, her eyes downcast to where she’s playing with the hem of her dress. Have I fucked up somehow without realizing it? It wouldn’t be the first time.
“Or we can go,” I suggest. “I know games aren’t everyone’s thing. We don’t have to stay—”
“No!” Faye cuts me off. “It’s not that.”
“What is it, honeybee?”
“I’ve never actually been to an arcade before.
” I have to force myself to focus on what she’s saying when her top teeth sink into her pouty bottom lip.
“I mean, I’ve seen them in movies, but there’s nothing like this in Clover Hollow.
And we were so busy with the teashop that we’ve never been able to take a vacation before either. ”
Now it’s my turn to look stunned. “You’ve never played video games before?”
Faye laughs at my look of horror, shaking her head.
“Well, you’ll be losing your arcade virginity tonight.” I declare. “Lancelot will guide you. I’m going to show you how to play everything, starting with Dance Dance Revolution!”
It turns out that it doesn’t matter that Faye hasn’t played before. She’s surprisingly good at hitting the notes at the right times, and even though we start out on easy mode, we quickly level up.
“So?” I ask after our fourth song. “What do you think?”
“I love it!” She’s practically glowing, her previously immaculate braid now a little mussed with loose hairs flying out. “What next?”
“We could play Air Hockey?” I suggest. “Or something more old school.” I point to the row of ’80s machines. “My favorite is Galaga, but there’s also Centipede, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders.”
“Let’s start with that one!” She scampers over to the blue and pink Ms. Pac-Man game.
She isn’t quite as good at Ms. Pac-Man as she thinks the ghosts are too cute for her to eat.
“I can see why you like gaming.” She stomps her foot when she dies yet again, making it hard not to get distracted by the soft curve of her calf. “Do the other guys come here with you?”