Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Duncan
“Are you sure this looks okay?” I asked Clay before we walked into the building that he and his brothers owned. It was where their company was, and for them, it just made sense to purchase the building rather than lease office space.
“Yes. You’ve already asked me that. Why?” Clay gave me a look.
“Well, I need to go shopping. I’m good for today, but these pants are snug.
And they are my loosest-fitting pair.” I was starting to show, but just barely, and only when I was naked.
My stomach was no longer flat and was now a bit rounded.
Basically, I looked like I’d had a rather large meal and was a bit bloated.
But my pants were all fitted. They weren’t overly loose.
Well, except for my sweatpants. But I couldn’t go around wearing those all of the time.
They were great for at home, but I didn’t want to embarrass Clay or any of his brothers by being underdressed in their place of business.
They had clients in the office, and I needed to make sure I looked presentable.
Clay stopped and stared down at me. We were just outside the door, and I was suddenly concerned that he was going to pick me up and carry me off to the nearest store to go shopping.
“Your pants don’t fit?”
“They do. They’re just snug. Like…if I eat too much at lunch, they’re going to need to be unbuttoned.
I’m not really showing, but my waist is thicker.
And my sweatpants are the only pants I have that are slim-cut.
” What could I say? I was skinny. Well, I was currently not quite as skinny as I normally was, but that would all change again once I had our little girl.
I grinned at that thought. We were having a tiny little red panda princess.
“Let me go see what the schedule is like, and when I can swing it, I’ll take you shopping.”
I sighed and shook my head. I stepped around Clay and pulled on the door.
I was tired of the morning sun beating down on my head, and I was ready to get back into the cooler air of the building.
“No,” I said. “That’s not what I was saying.
After work will be fine.” I stepped inside and was immediately engulfed in cooler air.
How was it that it was so hot outside already?
It was only just after eight in the morning.
“Are you sure?”
I smiled. “Yes.” I waved. “Good morning, Mica.”
“Duncan!” Mica came over to us and wrapped me in a hug. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”
I hugged him back. I could see why Mica was Charlie’s favorite. He was just so incredibly friendly.
“Good morning. I’m good. But thank you.”
“Are you certain?”
Clay moved closer and playfully pushed Mica out of the way. “Stop getting so friendly with my mate.”
Mica and Clay both smiled at each other.
“Seriously though, I’m glad you’re feeling better. We were all worried about you.”
“Thanks,” I told him. “It was never my intention to make anyone worry, but I honestly am feeling better.”
“That’s good to hear.” Mica looked over at Clay. “Silver is waiting for you in his office. If you want, I can show Duncan to yours and make sure he knows where the break room and bathroom are.”
“Would you? He needs to eat something in about thirty minutes, and who knows how long Silver is going to want to talk to me.”
Clay leaned down and kissed me quickly. “I’ll not be far if you need me. Just reach out through our bond.”
“Okay.” I smiled as I watched him walk down to the end of the hallway and go left.
“The place isn’t overly large, but it can be a bit confusing at first,” Mica said.
“I’m usually pretty good with remembering where things are. You mentioned a break room?” I held up my right hand and showed him the bag I’d been carrying. “I need to put my fruit in the fridge. And my electrolyte drinks.”
“Mark them,” Mica said. “If you don’t, those will go missing in a hurry.”
I sighed. “Clay warned me. He even said to make sure I put them in a cooler to keep in his office. Will the fruit get swiped too?”
“Possibly. You need to label them. Also, make a comment about a pregnant man or something.”
I shook my head. “I’ll be back. We have a cooler in the truck with an ice pack. Clay said I would need it, and I really should have listened to him.”
Mica laughed. “Did he seriously bring a cooler?”
I nodded. “And there are two ice packs in it. One on the bottom and one for on top of everything. Nobody ever bothered things at the restaurant. I can’t believe they would swipe someone’s stuff here.”
Mica wrapped his arm around my shoulders and started walking back down the hallway toward the door.
We hadn’t made it far inside, so it was a short walk.
“My brothers and I wouldn’t take anything, but we aren’t the only people who work here.
There is a camera in the break room though, and everyone knows it.
The problem is, we can’t always tell who swipes what.
Even with the cameras. They know they’re there, and they know how to avoid them. ”
“Wow. I wouldn’t think it would be an issue here, of all places.” Mica opened the door for me, and I stepped back out into the morning heat.
“It comes in waves. I think I have an idea who it is, but without actual proof, I can’t do much.”
“Have you seen those reels with someone’s camera or phone inside the fridge, and they see it and close the door and then come back and hold the cat up and have the cat swiping the cheesecake?”
Mica froze. “No. Where did you see that? And why did you mention cheesecake?”
“Sorry. I get it though. I’d love some cheesecake.
I just don’t think my stomach can handle it right now.
” Cheesecake was delicious. But dairy still didn’t exactly sit well in my stomach.
I would love nothing more than to be able to eat cheesecake, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, all the things.
But they sat heavy, and there was nothing fun about throwing up curdled dairy anything.
I opened the truck, and when I went to climb in to grab the cooler from the back seat, Mica beat me to it.
He held it in one arm and opened the lid.
“Here you go,” Mica said. I dropped my shopping bag of goodies into the cooler, and after moving the ice pack from the side to the top of the things, Mica closed it.
“I can’t imagine getting sick just from scents of things or because they sit heavier in your stomach. I’m sorry you have to go through that.”
I shrugged. “It’s all right. We’re going to get an amazing little girl out of it by the end of the year.” I froze. “I didn’t say that.”
“You’re having a girl? Really?”
I shook my head. “No. I didn’t say that,” I repeated.
Mica’s eyebrows rose. “Are you not sharing?”
I frantically shook my head. “I wasn’t supposed to mention that. Please don’t say anything to Clay.”
“He’ll know anyway, but I won’t say anything to anyone else. Promise.”
I closed my eyes. Clay was going to be upset with me. We weren’t going to share what we were having until our baby shower next month. “We were going to announce it at the baby shower, so please just keep it quiet until then?”
Mica placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle pat.
“I will. I’ll also talk it over with Clay for you if you want.
I know you didn’t intend to share the news, but I’m happy for you and my brother.
I know he’s going to love having a little one, but a little girl, yeah, I can see him loving that. ”
“Yeah? I always thought alphas all wanted alpha sons.” I sighed. I’d often wondered if my parents had seen the omega line on my stomach, and that was the reason why they gave me up. I would never know though.
“There are some that do, I’m sure. But not Clay.
And not Silver. Or me, for that matter. I couldn’t say for certain about Flint, and Slate doesn’t want kids.
At least not yet.” Mica held the door open for me, and we reentered the building.
“Even I will admit that it seems as if our days of single life are numbered. I’ll be happy when I find a mate.
I’m not actively looking, but if it happens, I’ve accepted that there is nothing I can do about that.
I’ll do everything I can to make her happy and hope for the best.”
“So you’re looking for a female mate?”
Mica shrugged. “It’s my preference. I know that we don’t really get a choice when it comes to mates.”
I couldn’t imagine being straight and then suddenly finding yourself fated to the same sex. That could be incredibly awkward.
“Well, I can’t say that I know of any single girls looking for their mates, but if you’re really ready for yours, maybe try the Mate Match app. It worked for me and Clay. And Silver and Charlie.”
Mica sighed. “Yeah, but I’m happy for now.
I’ll wait for a bit, and when the time is right, hopefully, I’ll know.
” Mica pointed to a door on the left. It was closed, but he reached past me and opened it.
“This is Clay’s office.” He walked in and placed the cooler on the floor over beside the love seat that was there.
I was surprised that there was one in there, and I was already thinking about how I could be comfortable on it for a midmorning nap.
“The bathroom is right there,” Mica said. He pointed across the hallway, the next door down. “And the break room is the room right after that. Silver’s office is two doors down on this side of the hall, and mine is between them.”
“Wow. Okay. That shouldn’t be too difficult to keep straight.” I thought about it for a moment. “Where are Flint and Slate?”
“They’re around the hall. Go to the end and turn right. They’re the first doors on either side after that. The one straight ahead is a supply room. That’s where the extra everything is. There is another bathroom down there on the left. Those are the only four doors in that area.”
I nodded. Sounded easy enough. Clay came back, and Mica started toward the door.
“You don’t have to run off just because I’m back.”