Chapter Twenty-Nine
Grace
I’d been working from home in the library on the second floor. It was a nice space, and about the size of my bedroom, with the same view only a floor lower. They’d made me my own workspace. But I was also bored.
So bored.
The guys were treating me as if I were made of spun sugar, doting on my every need since I’d been released on Sunday. While they weren’t making sure someone was always home, they were sending me lunch, calling me, and finding random reasons to drop in.
While I didn’t mean to scare them, I hadn’t felt this good in some time. Not to mention they’d done tons of tests on me at the hospital, not just trying to address what had happened to me, but everything else, including the seizures.
I was okay.
“Hi.” Jett came into the library.
“You’re home early. Please tell me that you’re teaching Cam’s class and you’ll steal me, then we’ll go out for noodles. I need to get out of here,” I pleaded. Okay, I had a truck and a motorcycle. I could go anywhere I wanted.
But it wasn’t the same.
Jett laughed. “Her class is on Tuesday. It’s Wednesday. But we can go on a date. Wear those boots and the jacket I got you. You can pick the rest of the outfit.”
“Thank you.” I hugged him to me, inhaling his amber scent.
“Anytime, Peaches. I think we’re due for some alone time.”
Yes, please.
I went into my room and changed. Yes, Jett and I needed a date.
As far as I knew, no one had anything planned.
No date nights, no family dinners, no game nights.
Evan, Wes, and I were going on a date tomorrow night, even though it was Thursday.
Tomorrow was Riley’s last day of school, complete with an end-of-the-school-year dance that Evan had gotten her a new dress for.
She was going with Hiro. Okay, she was going with Marco, Hiro, and Kilroy, but I spoke subtext.
A lot of what I’d been doing while working from home was figuring out the project Hiro and Riley would do with me for their internship, as well as other activities for the special projects interns.
Okay, and helping Creed with the logistics of his moving here now that he’d graduated from Natty.
Verity and Hale were also done with classes and had been texting me a lot.
The professor had agreed to let Tru come for a week so that she could go to math camp.
Mercy would come for a different two weeks to do the Rockland Raider’s skate smash camp with Riley.
I texted Wes, Spencer, and Evan.
Me
I hope no one has anything planned for me because Jett is taking me on a date.
Wes
Are you feeling up to it? I thought we could watch movies again.
Evan
You’ve got your motorcycle test next week, so yeah, go practice with him. Have fun.
Spencer
Enjoy. Call me if you need me.
I took a picture of myself and sent it to Riley. She was done with class for the day but was studying for finals with her friends.
Me
Going on a date with Jett. Cute?
Riley
Not slutty enough.
That made me laugh. Hmmm. We’d probably take his motorcycle. I switched out the jeans for some tight black pants, and a sleeveless top, and used redder lipstick. I sent another photo.
Me
Better?
Riley
Much. Can I ask you math questions before you go?
Me
Always.
Jett came to the door as we were finishing up.
“Does that help?” I asked them.
“Yes,” Kilroy’s voice said over the speaker. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, that helps a lot. Thanks. Laters.” Riley ended the call.
I looked over at Jett, who was wearing all black and looked delicious. “Sorry, math help. Their test is tomorrow.”
“It’s fine. Wow.” He eyed me. “Very nice. This is a casual date, not a formal one. Is that okay?”
“Perfect.” I took his hand.
We went down to the garage.
“Ride with me? We’ll practice more for your test this weekend. Okay?" Jett handed me my helmet.
“I suppose I’ll make the sacrifice.” I laughed.
Jett looked at my little green motorcycle. “It’s perfect for you. The only problem is that you have to worry about it getting stolen given the brand.”
“That makes sense.” I got behind Jett and wrapped my arms around him. We took off, and I enjoyed the ride as we went to the market where the noodle shop was.
Oooh. Spicy noodles. My mouth watered. The people who worked there were so nice, too.
He parked and put an arm around me. “Come on. I’ve been wanting to take you here. This is my favorite of the outdoor markets in the city. Though the one over by Wes’ old place is fun.”
I looked around at the bustling market, which was filled with permanent and temporary stalls and shops. Right now, we were in an area full of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
“I like to buy things here when it’s my night to cook. Also, I get most of our spices here.” He pointed out a stall.
“Are you cooking for me tonight?” That sounded adorable.
He grinned. “Not tonight.”
Jett led us to a booth that had lots of colorful containers. He bought two and handed me one. “Try it, it’s lychee.”
It tasted like jello, though there was an enormous chunk of fruit in it. “That’s good.”
We turned down a street that was full of clothing stores and booths of accessories and makeup.
“Are we getting manicures?” I asked as we passed a nail shop.
“Not today.” He grinned as I paused at a place with cute hair accessories.
I held up a clip. “My hair is getting so long.”
“Is that good or bad?” Jett asked as he held up a headband with bear ears.
“I don’t like the awkward stage where it’s long enough to be a bother but not long enough to really put up.” I put the headband on and posed.
“Cute,” he told me. “We can see if they have time to trim it, if you want.”
“I… no one will be mad if I cut my hair, right?” I put it back. Growing up, I hadn’t been allowed, though later my dad, who raised me, apologized and said it was silly of them.
Jett cupped my chin with his hand. “Grace, it’s your hair. While they can have opinions, it’s your choice. Sure, I prefer Bren clean shaven but I’m not going to stop him from growing a grizzly beard.”
Oh, that hair clip was pretty. I held it up. “I think you should all grow grizzly beards. The winner gets an uninterrupted night with only me.”
No matter who won, I was the real winner.
“Don’t tempt me. I’m not good at growing a beard.” Jett snuck a kiss and paid for the barrette.
“Oh. Thank you.”
“Of course.” Leaning in, he put it in my hair, lips brushing my ear. “Perfect.”
My core tightened.
Putting an arm around me, we continued. “Honestly, Wes usually has a grizzly beard. He only shaved it because the Queen Mum got mad at him for it. I’ve never seen Spencer with a beard, but Evan looks pretty delicious in a goatee. I can manage that. We just have to be very neat about it for work.”
“We’re getting our hair done? You have such very luscious locks. I’m a little jealous.” I gave him a squeeze.
“Have you ever been to a head spa?” he asked.
“Is that where they wash your hair for an hour? No, but I’ve heard of it. Is that what we’re doing?” Giddiness rose up inside me.
He nodded. “Something fun but also relaxing. They cut and style hair too, so we can ask if they have time for you if you’d like them to trim it up.”
“Why not.” Better to let someone do it now than for me to get mad because it’s itchy and trying to chop it off myself at work using my phone as a mirror and whatever scissors we had lying around.
Not that I’d ever done that.
We walked into a little shop that smelled of herbs. Bottles and containers filled the walls, making it feel like an apothecary shop in a novel. Jett greeted the woman at the desk in Mandarin. I caught some of it as he asked if they had room for us.
She led us through a curtain and into a salon-type area. Soft music played, and everything was in relaxing greens with lots of plants.
We went through another curtain. The light was much dimmer here and very quiet as people lay in reclining chairs with masks over their eyes as uniformed staff rubbed their scalps, or water rained down on their heads from curved waterfall fountains.
We were seated next to each other, and as I laid down, he reached over and squeezed my hand.
“Hi, first time?” A young woman asked me.
I nodded. She told me what to expect and then asked me questions about my hair.
“It’s okay if you fall asleep.” She put a little warm eye mask over my eyes and got started.
Fall asleep. No, I was going to enjoy every minute.
“Wakey, wakey,” she teased, as she handed me a bottle of something.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” I drank a cool bottle of tea.
“It’s fine. It happens all the time.” She laughed and handed me some sort of little cookie crackers.
Hair wet, I was taken into the other room, and someone trimmed up my hair, dried, and styled it.
“That was fun, wasn’t it?” Jett asked, putting the clip back in my hair.
“It’s very relaxing,” I agreed.
“The hair mask they use here is the secret to my luscious locks,” he confessed. “Also, it’s a great place to decompress after a bad day. Especially when I’m not fit to be around people. Go to the gym, come here, get a spicy snack, and then I’m ready to face the world again.”
“Good plan,” I agreed as we went back out to the desk, and he paid for us. “Spicy snack time?”
“Yes,” he replied as we went back outside into the bustling market.
I perked. “Noodle shop?”
“Today, we’re going to have a delightful multi-course feast, that, while not as fancily presented as any place the others might take you, will be extraordinary. And it’s fine if you don’t like things. Just try?” He led me into an area filled with food stalls and shops.
The delicious smells made my nose twitch with delight.
We had scallion pancakes, skewers of meat, and fried tofu. He fed me big buns filled with meat and tiny ones with red bean paste, along with crispy dumplings, little rice balls, and so many other delicious things.
“Everything was so tasty,” I told him as we ate candied fruit on a stick.
“I’m having a great time. Did you get enough to eat?” he asked as we walked through the bustling market. There were lots of little lights and the occasional musician.
“I’m so full,” I told him as he led me back to his motorcycle, throwing my empty skewer away.
“Great, come on. Time for the next stop.” He patted his motorcycle, and we took off and went to some sort of…
“We’re going to karaoke?” I asked over the intercom in our helmets as we parked at a bar.
“Yes. I’ll have a beer, but I won’t drink enough that I can’t get us legally or safely home. Feel free to have a few, Evan usually does.”
“Is Evan coming?” I got off and looked around.
He shook his head. “You’re all mine.”
“Yeah?” I giggled as I took off my helmet, and he led me inside.
“Yes. Um, Bren will be here in a moment. He’s been trailing since we got food. Don’t worry, he won’t crash our date.” Jett led me inside.
I frowned. “I’m not so fragile that I need an alpha with me always.”
“I know. It’s a very normal thing in most packs. If it were me and Evan, he’d do the same. He’s just making sure we’re okay,” he assured
“We should make him do karaoke.” Hmmm, would he do it for charity like Spencer?
The place had a stage, lots of tables, and a bar.
“I’m having fun,” I told him as a server brought us beers.
“Me, too. This weekend I want to take you and Riley to the gym, and start teaching you some things,” he said.
I nodded. “I’d like that a lot.”
“You know, we should ask Brennan to add you to his fancy executive language subscription. It not only has all sorts of recorded language lessons, but you also have access to live tutors, people who will check your translations, and even coaches to do mock business meetings with you,” he suggested.
I took a sip of beer. “That sounds great. I want to practice Mandarin more. Also, I should learn Greek. You know, one of my little sisters was telling me they have language nights where they all speak another language at dinner. We could do that and all practice Mandarin and Greek?”
“I like that idea. Riley already knows some phrases in Mandarin. Okay, they’re mostly swears.” He grinned over his beer.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” I peered through the crowd trying to find Brennan. “Huh. I don’t see him.”
“You won’t. I told you because you’re still getting used to how things are here. Let me show you.” Jett pointed out couples and throuples to me, along with an alpha, or in some places more than one, that might sit at the bar or another table in order to keep an eye on the others.
“Okay, it’ll take a little getting used to.” I shrugged.
“Yeah. It will. Evan grumbles about it sometimes, too. But it’s just because we love you.”
My belly leapt. “You love me?”
Jett leaned in and kissed me. “Yeah, Grace. I do.”
“I love you, too,” I breathed.
“Good,” he smiled. Someone called his name. His look turned conspiratorial. “I hope you feel that way after I sing.”
I watched as he went up. The person there seemed to know him. Music played, and Jett started to rap. Well.
Grabbing my phone, I shot a video clip and sent it to Evan.
Evan
I’m jealous. Wes and I are at the home store.
I got a picture of Wes lying sexily on a display bed.
Me
Have fun.
Turning my attention back to Jett, I enjoyed the rest of the song.
“That was so good,” I praised.
He got out his phone. “Thanks. Here, let’s choose a song together.”
I looked at the list. “Sure. But I think I’m going to need another beer.”