Chapter Nine
Kane
“Look, you’re in another picture. This one posted by Troy. He’s so dreamy.”
“He’s an omega.” I shook my head as I grabbed my coat and messenger bag, anxious to head out into the cold just to get away from the comments and questions.
My co-workers had spent the last day and a half grilling me about all the social media posts they saw me in since Saturday night.
Not exactly something I wanted to talk or even think about around those who came to us to collect their toys and food for Christmas.
It felt like two different worlds. Part of the reason I’d wanted to leave the party when I did and hadn’t yet texted Desmond back.
While he never seemed to flaunt his money around, he blended into that world the same way he seemed so comfortable in mine.
I couldn’t fault the partygoers. They’d been so kind to me, and with their after-party donations, Good Neighbor House had exceeded our goal for the drive.
We had extra money to get through January and maybe into February when donations always dropped.
Yet, most of those people at the event simply didn’t know how those in need of our services lived.
“I’m heading out for lunch,” I called to Rechie and Cynthia.
I had to return to the world of celebrities once again.
I needed to give back the jacket Desmond had leant me.
Maybe seeing him again would help me figure out whether I wanted to continue our relationship.
I liked him on his own or in environments familiar to me.
I wondered if I could ever blend into his world.
Didn’t know how much I was willing to try.
Both of my siblings were already mated. At Christmas, I knew my parents would bring up the topic of me finding someone to settle down with. It would be nice to tell them I had started seeing someone. And Desmond seemed like a good guy compared to any other unmated alpha I’d met.
I hopped on the bus that would take me to Shifter Towers, finding an empty seat in the middle, an omega on either side of me.
As soon as I got on, I could feel the gazes of the alphas on board.
They made me feel dirty, like they didn’t see me as a person, just a body.
Desmond had never made me feel like that.
I knew that shouldn’t count for much, that it was a low bar to expect from an alpha.
But he’d always been kind from the moment I met him.
Even if he did pet me. His texts since the party had been out of concern.
Not demanding, like he expected something from me because I’d been the lucky one he’d invited to the party.
I would have thrown his jacket in the trash if I’d have received a text like that.
At the terminal to the side of Shifter Towers, I got off the bus and headed toward Tower Three.
I didn’t know what floor he worked on, and there was no directory in the lobby as there was in Tower One when I went to the market there.
Instead, I saw a gift shop for the recording label, and, on the other side of the lobby, a desk with someone standing behind it wearing a headset.
I walked up to him, hoping he could help me.
“Welcome to Adan Records,” he said, before I’d reached the desk. “How may I help you?”
With his automatic response to my presence, I paused for a moment to be sure he really was a person and not a hologram or a robot. “Um, I’m looking for Desmond Banks. I have to return something to him.”
The cheeriness left his expression and a slight crease formed in between his brows. “Can I get your name, please?”
“Kane. Kane Northrop.”
He didn’t reply to me but dialed a number. “Hello, Janice. I have a Kane Northrop here to see Desmond. What should I do about him?”
Surprised by his sudden aggravated tone, I glanced around, unsure if a security guard would appear out of nowhere and pin me to the ground.
“Ah, okay. I’ll send him up.” The attendant glanced at me, his smile having returned. He pointed toward a narrow hallway at the back of the lobby. “Take the third elevator on the right to the fourth floor. I’ll unlock it for you. Janice will help you from there.”
“Thank you.” I hurried to the elevator before anyone changed their mind about me.
As soon as the elevator doors opened on the third floor, a woman with curly red hair, whom I recognized from the party, smiled at me. She stood and came out from behind her desk. “Kane, it’s so good to see you again.”
I gave her a slight nod, feeling more anxious seeing her here than at the party. “You, too. Is Desmond here? I came to return his jacket.” His scent was faint, as if he’d been there, but I didn’t know if he worked nearby or if Janice acted as a secondary screening.
“Unfortunately, no. He said he was going to get lunch, but I know he’s at the cemetery visiting his mother.
The poor guy has been sad all morning. Probably because he’ll be spending Christmas alone this year.
It’s his second Christmas since his mother’s passing, and he refused his grandparents’ invitation to go on a cruise with them.
And, well, we don’t talk about his father here. ”
I stared at her, stunned. I never expected to learn that much about Desmond from a near stranger. I certainly hoped my co-workers wouldn’t share that much information about me. Even if it did help me understand the alpha a bit better. “So, can I leave his jacket somewhere? With you?”
Shaking her head, she pointed down the hall to an open door. “That’s his office. You can leave it there. There should be a stack of paper and some pens on his desk if you want to leave a note, too.”
“Thank you.” I hurried toward his office, pausing in the entranceway. Would he want me to go in when he wasn’t there? The door hadn’t been closed, so I assumed there was nothing top secret in there. Though, it wasn’t as if the public could easily get access to this place.
As quickly as I could, I left his jacket over the back of his chair then wrote a short note asking him to call me. I was ready to talk to him. But not right away. I rushed out of his office and waved to Janice on my way past. “Thank you. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” she called as I launched myself into the open elevator.
My heart raced on the ride down, and I clenched my fists, unsure what to say to Desmond.
I rushed out of the building and to the bus terminal to wait for a ride back to work.
We still had to get everything organized for our last day of handing out food and toys before the holidays.
Thinking about that as well as the time off I would have until the new year, helped ease some of my anxiety.
By the time I arrived at my bus stop, I felt calm. Yet not quite ready to go back to work.
I took out my phone to check if Desmond had texted. Nothing.
Then I called my parents.
“Kane, is everything okay? I thought you were at work.”
The concern in my dad’s voice startled me. “Um, yeah. I’m just on break.”
“Oh, okay. I’m not used to hearing from you at this time of day.”
“I, um…” I switched my phone to my other, more steady hand. “I wanted to ask you something. Before I forget.”
“What is it? You’re still coming over tomorrow evening, right?”
“Yes, and I’ll be staying over for Christmas, too. I was just wondering if I could… You see, I’ve gone out with this guy a couple times.”
My dad gasped loud enough, I was sure everyone from two blocks away could hear it through my phone. “You’re dating someone and you’re just telling me now?”
I cringed, regretting having called, but I couldn’t hang up now. “It’s not really official. I mean, I don’t know if—”
“Kane Northrop, do not doubt yourself. You are a beautiful and kind omega. Any alpha should be lucky for you to pay them any attention. Now, tell me about this guy.”
“Um…” My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn’t grabbed any lunch while I was out. “He’s one of the donors. The one who was on TV with me. From Adan Records.”
“Okay, he’s handsome. I’m sure he has a stable income if he works there.” I heard the hesitation in my dad’s words. “But does he treat you well?”
I shrugged even though he couldn’t see me. “We’ve only been out twice. Both times, he was a perfect gentleman.”
“That’s good to hear. So, you called to tell me about him now. Why couldn’t you wait until tomorrow night? What’s happening between now and then?”
“I found out from one of his co-workers that he’s going to be alone for Christmas. He doesn’t know that I know. But I wondered—”
“If you could invite him to our home.”
“Just for Christmas dinner,” I blurted out as I switched my weight from one foot to the other. “I haven’t asked him yet. I don’t even know if he’ll agree. I just wanted to ask you first before I said anything to him.”
“Of course.” My dad’s calm tone relieved the anxiousness that had built over the course of the call.
“You know we will never turn anyone away over the holidays. Even some of the bad choices your siblings had decided to date before finding their mates. If you think he’s worthy of bringing to meet us, he is welcome in our home. ”
“Okay, thanks, Dad. I’ll let you know what he says when I ask him.”
“I’m happy for you. I’ll talk to you later. Love and hugs.”
When I hung up, I noticed a new text message. From Desmond.
I opened it right away, needing to know if he ever wanted to see me again after I’d ignored him.
Would it be possible to meet up tonight? Maybe we could go for a walk and get dinner after?
That sounded like the perfect date after our first two were at Christmas parties with a bunch of other people. It was cold and would be dark, but I knew a place that would be well lit.
I would like that. Vista Park is a nice spot and has food trucks there.
Great! What time and where would you like me to pick you up?
I considered how much work I still had to do and how long it would take me to get home and ready for our date. Pick me up at my place at six?
I’ll see you then.