20. Joey
20
Joey
Nora and I get out of Roberto's a little past ten in the evening. She's still looking just as put together as she did when we arrived, in her tight light wash jeans, a black tank top, and leather jacket. She braided her hair in two plaits, and she looked less like the sweet Perfect Omega and more like Nora, an Omega.
She was incredible tonight. It took her a bit to stop calling the customers, sir, but she was fast at cocktail making and incredibly charming. Her tips were insane. She did get recognized a few times as the Perfect Omega, but she took it in stride, confirmed who she was, and explained she was here with me since I was a part of her pack.
Hearing her claim me like that did something to me. I don't think I stopped smiling and blushing all night.
I was never sure how I would fit into the pack once an Omega came along. Many of them don't seem to want a Beta in their packs, so it's been a constant worry that the guys would lose out on a good Omega out of loyalty to me. But I was the one who met Nora first. It's a mark of pride for me that she was excited to have me in her pack after just that short interaction at the bar.
She wanted to try quite a few of the cocktails she made throughout the evening, so she's a little tipsy now, which is admittedly hilarious. She stumbles a bit as we walk to my bike, giggling. "I think I like gin!" she says, hanging off my arm.
I didn't let her drink all that much, but she's a tiny little thing and doesn't drink more than a single glass of champagne, which is a recipe for a lightweight. I pull my phone from my pocket and call Chase. "Hey buddy, you on your way home yet?"
"About to leave the restaurant, why?"
"Can you bring home some food for Nora? I don't want her to worry about cooking anything, and she, uh… she needs something in her belly." Nora giggles loudly beside me, and Chase must hear it because he swears.
"Is she drunk?"
"She's fine. Just bring something, yeah?" I hand Nora the sleek pink and black helmet I bought for her yesterday, and she pulls it down on her head. When she first saw the bike, she almost lost her mind and refused to ride it. She warmed to it quickly, and by the time we got to the bar, she was having a good time.
"Yeah, I'll be home in ten," he says, hanging up on me.
The ride to the house is quick, and when I lift Nora off the bike I pull her up my body to be face to face with me. Her feet dangle off the ground, and she squeals. "Hey, little bird," I whisper against her lips. "You alright if I kiss you?"
Instead of answering, she leans forward and connects her lips to mine. My hands slip to her ass to hold her tight against me, her she loops her arms around my neck and legs around my waist.
While we were at the bar, I dealt with another spike of if I should even be here. She's an Omega. I know I'll never be able to fully satisfy her the way an Alpha can. But every time that thought entered my mind, she did something that pushed it right back out. It was a slow night, so between her showing off her skills in making old fashioneds, martinis, and basically every classic cocktail known to man, we got to talk about ourselves and our lives.
She's got a wicked sense of humor and observational skills when she breaks out of that Perfect Omega headspace. I just hate it took a martini to do it.
When I set her down, I drag her body along mine. I'm a big dude, so I get to feel her pressed against me for a hot minute before her feet hit the ground. I take her hand and lead her inside.
Bursting through the door, it slams against the wall. "Oops!" she giggles. "Sorry, I pushed the door too hard!"
All the guys, including Chase, are waiting for us in the living room with varying expressions. Most of them have an undercurrent of judgment.
Looks like Chase told them she'd been drinking.
"Hello, sweetie," Nolan says, rising to his feet to kiss Nora on the cheek. She preens under his attention. He turns to me, eyes hard. "Did you get her drunk?"
"Technically, she got herself drunk. Well, tipsy." I shrug off my jacket and toss it over the island before helping her out of hers.
Levi places his head in his hands. "Why would you let this happen, Joey?"
"Are you guys planning on taking away her agency?" I ask, looking between them. "How about asking her how she feels?"
"I feel great!" Nora says, flopping on the couch next to Levi. He pulls her close and throws a fuzzy blanket over her lap. "Seriously, I had so much fun. I talked to so many people." Levi unties the laces of her boots and slips them off her feet.
There's a takeout container on the counter that must be what Chase brought home, I grab it and hand it to her with a fork. She opens the lid and immediately squeals, stabbing at the food and shoving it in her mouth. It's mac and cheese, Chase's specialty. As she chews, she lets out a little moan of enjoyment.
The sound goes straight to my cock, and I'm not the only one. The Alphas all struggle to maintain their composure. It's Blaine who breaks the silence. "That good, honey?"
She beams, shoveling another bite into her mouth. She doesn't eat much, so I'm glad to see she's actually enjoying a full meal for once. "So good! Is there gorgonzola in this?"
Chase peeks up from his phone. "Yeah, there is." He almost sounds impressed. "Not much, but enough to give it that little pop."
"It's a good balance," she replies, continuing to eat. We watch her enraptured, none of us wanting to speak and break the drunken food trance she's fallen into. Eventually, she polishes off the entire container, and I take it from her, grabbing beers for everyone from the fridge when I get up to toss it out. Nora takes a huge sip of hers and says. "Does the night need to be over?"
Blaine reaches his arm around the back of the couch around her shoulders and crosses one leg over the other. "Nah, honey, what did you have in mind?"
"Well," she says, her back straightening. She folds her hands over her lap. "Give me just a moment." She hops up and skips up the stairs.
"What is going on?" Levi asks with a chuckle in his voice.
"She's breaking through her programming," Nolan says with a big grin. "I think we're starting to see a little bit of who Nora actually is."
Nora leaps back downstairs wearing the smiley face lounge clothes she had been wearing when we found her in the shower. "Okay!" she exclaims, clapping her hands together. "I have been so grateful for all the wonderful dates you've taken me on so far. It's been a joy to get to know you all better. And I have learned there are so many things out there that I like that I haven't had the chance to explore yet." She sighs, tugging on the end of one of her braids. "I… I'm not stupid, you know? I can tell that I haven't exactly had the most normal upbringing."
The Perfect Omega fiddles with the bottom of her shirt, eyes downcast. "And I'm realizing that perhaps I have been taught some things that are not exactly correct."
Wow.
She's talking faster than she normally does, her mind working overtime, but she's recognizing that she's been lied to her whole life. It's more than I could have ever wished for for her. My heart swells with pride for her.
Our little Omega.
"I have an idea for a group date if all of you are amenable to it," she continues with a serene smile.
"Sure thing, sweetie," Nolan says from his spot on the hearth. "What do you have in mind?"
"I'd like to play poker."
That shocks the hell out of me and most of the others, but Blaine laughs. "She's a shark, guys, she'll take you for all you're worth."
"Doubtful," Chase murmurs, finally putting his phone away.
Her eyes widen innocently, and I wonder what she's got up her sleeve because some of this innocent act she's laying on thick right now is definitely a cover. "Blaine taught me to play yesterday, and I enjoyed it a lot." She moves to perch on the arm of the chair I'm sitting in. "However, he did inform me most games of poker require a wager of some kind."
Ah, there it is. I'm not so sure I like where she is going with this.
"I've been reading the books left outside my door about Alpha and Omega dynamics, and based on what they taught me, I think you, as my pack, would appreciate it if the wager was clothing." She clasps her hands on her lap and grins wildly.
No fucking way.
Absolutely no fucking way is she suggesting strip poker.
"Like… shopping and picking out outfits?" Levi asks, looking concerned, reaching for any idea that isn't the obvious.
"No, removing them."
"I'm in, I'm in, I'm fucking in," Blaine chants, leaning forward on his elbows. "Brilliant idea, honey. Just absolutely stupendous."
"Absolutely not," Nolan says, cutting off the excitement. "Nora, you've been drinking, I don't think this is what you really want to do. I think this is you just trying to please us."
She turns to our lead Alpha and places her hands on her hips in a bratty move that has my palms itching. "What's so wrong with just trying to please you? Blaine told me yesterday that I was pleasing him, but I doubt his hand down my pants with no reciprocation was truly just for him."
I spit out the sip of beer I was drinking. "Hand in her pants, huh, Blaine?"
Blaine just looks smug and shrugs. "I don't kiss and tell."
"What I mean is, this is very much the same. I will get enjoyment out of your enjoyment," she says quietly, ducking her head submissively. "But I can see the idea displeases you, which is okay, so we can come up with something else to wager."
I shoot Nolan a dirty look that Blaine seems to be emulating. Our pack lead groans, rubbing his hand on his face. "Okay, fine, Omega, we'll give it a shot, okay? But the moment you start to feel uncomfortable, we're going to end this, okay?" She nods excitedly, launching herself into his lap and peppering his cheeks with kisses.
"Thank you, Alpha. I think this is going to be such fun!"
Looks like we're playing strip poker with The Perfect Omega.