10. Maisie
maisie
It starts with a knock on the door as I’m leaving the bathroom. I was probably taking longer than I thought I was, most of it with my mental breakdown, not getting changed.
But when Greer opens the door, it’s a grinning Lain standing at the threshold, sans kilt. He notices right away when I glance down at his legs.
“Ah, no show of thigh for you tonight, I’m afraid. Here’s your change of clothes. Wild how you fell into a loch and all,” he says with a smirk, tossing Greer pants, that has me blushing wildly.
“Just give me a moment,” Greer says, heading to the bathroom.
Lain takes a step in and hums under his breath. “You still smell like him,” he says softly.
I clear my throat, curiosity getting the best of me. “What does he smell like?”
The Alpha looks me over, like something is clicking, like he gets that I’m not just hiding my scent. I’m hiding away from every scent possible.
“Now, where would the fun be in telling you that? Unless you’re going to divulge your scent?” he asks hopefully.
I see the hypocrisy now and sigh.
“You know, you do still owe me dinner,” he says as I lean against the dresser.
“I do, don’t I?”
“I’ll even let Greer come along,” he says, acting like he isn’t just adding himself into the equation.
Both of them are handsome, flirting with me incredulously, and it will be two on one.
“We’ll be very respectful gentlemen. Even if my pack mate over there wasn’t earlier,” he says.
“He was a gentleman,” I quickly say back and Lain’s smile widens.
“Aye, I imagine he was. Haven’t seen you in a few days,” Lain quietly says, like not seeing me was difficult for him. It makes me want to please him, make him smile again.
“Birdie and I spent some quality time together. I think we’re headed on a trip this weekend, but I have some weekdays free, if that damsel discount is still in play.”
“It is. Fergus has been downright gutted he hasn’t had a pretty Omega to sit next to on the bus.”
“Oh, and he told you this?” I ask, not able to contain my smile around Lain.
“Aye, you can see it in his eyes. Poor lad is going through it.”
“Well, I can’t have Fergus upset, can I?”
The bathroom door opens and Greer comes out with a fresh set of pants on.
“I’m coming to dinner too. Maisie said it would make her highly upset if I wasn’t included,” Lain says and Greer waves a hand at him.
“You think I didn’t know ye’d tag along when I asked for a change of clothes? I already texted Grace to hold us a table for three.”
“This is why he’s pack lead,” Lain says simply, and I glance over at Greer.
It makes sense, and it somehow only makes him more attractive.
“Let’s get a move on then,” Greer says, another soft touch at the bottom of my spine, leading me out of the Heather Beag.
When we reach the foyer, we’re greeted by a grinning Effie.
“Oh, and where are you three off to?” she says, overly excited. “Have you two been together since the market?”
“Nan,” Lain chastises, and the older woman shakes her head.
“Very well. Have a good night then. Maisie darling, would you like me to have anything ready for you for when you get back?”
“No, thank you, Effie.”
“Have a wonderful evening,” she says as Greer rushes us out of the B it feels too damn good and don’t I deserve to feel good for a change?
The restaurant has a more romantic vibe from Greer’s. There’s only a small bar and most of the people here seem to be on dates or having more intimate conversations. We’re led to a table in the back, and I can’t help but notice a few people turn to look at us.
I clear my throat as Greer pulls back my chair.
“People are staring at us,” I mumble, trying to hide behind the menu.
“Very nosy locals I’d say,” Greer says louder than necessary.
That has people turning their heads.
“Dinnae fash. They just haven’t seen Greer or I with a woman in a long time. I’m sure before the night is through, the town will be humming and hawing about the bonnie American Omega we’re having dinner with.”
Greer nudges Lain.
“What?” Lain complains. “I mean. It’s not a big deal, Maisie. Ignore the townsfolk.”
“You have nothing to worry about, sweet girl,” Greer says.
Lain’s ears perk up at the term of endearment and he’s now hiding his face behind the menu.
“It’s all the better that none of the town Alphas get any ideas anyway,” Lain suggests and Greer looks like he’s trying to find some patience.
“Oh, and what idea is that?” I ask Lain.
“The idea that you’re interested,” he says easily.
“And what if I was?”
Lain grins, that one little dimple showing, and damn, he’s cocky. I didn’t think I found that attractive, in fact, I hated most of the Alphas at my—previous—job because they were overconfident pricks. But Lain is different. He has an easygoing confidence that isn’t abrasive or pushy.
“Then I’ll need to go home and put my kilt back on, so I have a fighting chance.”
I shake my head at him, feeling charmed.
The server seems familiar with the guys and gives me a warm smile as she takes our orders.
“You’re the other twin staying at Effie’s?” she asks, her words thick with a light Scottish brogue, just like my mom’s.
“Oh, you’ve met my sister?”
“It appears all the lads are rather smitten.”
My brow furrows and I’m ready to ask a follow up question when she smiles. “I’ll go get this right in.”
Huh, what’s Birdie up to?
“So, what tours do you have going on this week?” I ask Lain, putting the server’s words in the back of my mind.
“Well, we have another hike tomorrow, where Fergus will be, and then the coos on Thursday, which my old boy can’t go to. Wee sod likes to herd the coos, pisses Jamie off,” Lain muses.
“Who’s Jamie?”
“Owner of The Kilted Coo. He’s a few years younger than us. Grew up with Callum’s brother,” Greer says.
I clear my throat, taking a sip of my drink. “And how old is that, exactly?”
“Thirty, but I’m the youngest of all of us, clearly,” Lain says and Greer gives him a side eye.
“Mate, you’re a week younger than me.”
“Still younger than you,” Lain retorts.
“And you’re twenty-six?” Greer asks and I furrow my brows at him.
“How did you know that?”
He scratches his beard. “Effie might have said something,” Greer replies and I can appreciate the honesty.
“Is my lovely host usually in all of her guests’ business?”
“Nae. But she doesn’t usually have two unmated bonnie Omegas staying with her either,” Lain says.
They’re both flirting with me endlessly, and fuck, I like it. I like it too much and the thought of leading them on, of them thinking that this is something that it isn’t is overwhelming.
“I’m…I’m not looking for anything serious,” I blurt out. I need to make that clear here. If anything, I should have said this blatantly before I even kissed Greer.
He doesn’t look mad when I glance at him, just gives me a small smile.
“We know. You leave at the end of the month, we know what this is,” Greer says and while I take a breath of relief, there’s also something else…but I don’t dwell on the feeling.
When I glance at Lain, he’s just simply nodding. I feel like I just ruined the mood.
“I just made dinner awkward, didn’t I? I’m not good at this.
I don’t date or go out with Alphas. I have a life in Chicago, I have Birdie.
This is a vacation and I should have said something before earlier today, Greer.
But it just felt so nice that I wasn’t even thinking about this stuff and it’s always important to be upfront about things and, well, now I’m just rambling. ”
I glance up at Greer through my lashes. He reaches out and squeezes my hand.
“This is your holiday. We both get that. I knew what I was doing earlier, and I’d do it again.”
I take a deep breath and nod. We skirt around that conversation for the rest of the night, thankfully. The rest of the evening is filled with drinks, laughter, and my favorite, them bringing up moments from their childhood.
“He was being a right show off, Maisie, saying that he could easily pick up a grown ram at sixteen. Wasn’t as big as he is now,” Lain says, and Greer shakes his head, taking a sip of his beer. “He tried picking up the tup, and he fell backwards, landing right in a pile of shit.”
I’m laughing as they go back and forth and things feel easy, light, comfortable in a way I’ve never felt around men before. Nothing is sexually driven even if they do get more and more handsome through the night, but that could be more because of the wine more than anything.
Both of the men muse about their youth, and how much they still love this place.
It makes me wonder about how I feel about going back home.
I don’t talk about Chicago in the same way they do, hell I don’t even have a semblance of the same roots that they do.
Everyone from high school moved on, and I lost track of my college friends.
I’ve spent so much time focused on success that I haven’t been living my life.
I haven’t let myself feel anything. I knew there was going to be a point where everything would bubble over, where I couldn’t control how I was feeling, so naturally the universe chooses this moment to overwhelm me completely.
“Remember when you fell off Mr. Caffrey’s fence and your underwear got stuck on the picket?” Greer jokes back and I’m trying to hold a smile, though I know I’m failing epically right now.
Failure.
The word implants itself right in that dangerous self-deprecating part of my brain that I can’t seem to shut off.
My heart rate is picking up and my palms feel sweaty.
Run.
It’s like my flight or fight response is ticked on and the only thing I know how to do is run away from my problems.
“Excuse me for a moment,” I say, avoiding eye contact with the men, and head toward the bathroom without a reply from either of them.
There are just two gender neutral private bathrooms and I enter the vacant one.
I splash my flushed cheeks with water and I try to tone down all these emotions I usually repress.
What would it feel like to just let it all out?
Even crazier, what would it feel like to let someone shoulder some of this anguish with me?
What if I allowed myself to not feel so alone?
A soft tap breaks me out of my spell.
“Just a moment,” I call out.
When I open the door, Lain holds the top of the door frame, looking at me with a worried expression.