Chapter 17 Second Interview
Second Interview
Mads
It takes the rest of the day for me to get home, take my meds, eat a bread and butter sandwich, shower, and get to the Riverfront Park. My leg is behaving today, which is weird. But it might just be the adrenaline from my call with Kol earlier that I’m still riding on.
The whole way to the park, on the bus and transfers, and walking, I feel like I’m being followed. I keep looking around and I don’t recognize anyone. But I can’t shake the feeling.
I’ve got my cane in one hand and the blanket draped on my other arm.
I also have a backpack with sparkling water and some cups.
I stopped at a corner store for the drinks, crackers, and cheese.
I used my card so I would still have the $40 in cash.
I pray to god my rent clears tomorrow instead of today so I don’t get an overdraft fee.
I try to think why I’m going on a date when I’m unemployed with no car. But I’ve been delusional before, I can be it again.
I actually thought I was going to be talked into accepting the job, that’s why I asked Acadia out. I thought I’d be celebrating. But speaking with Kol only validated my fears.
I find a nice spot on the hill overlooking the docks. The movie is projected onto a screen on a boat on the water. I came here a few times with my old roommate Arnie, so I knew where I wanted to set up.
I also needed to arrive early, so I could set up without her seeing how fucked up I am. It’s why I arrived early to my job interview. Getting into a chair is an ordeal enough, I couldn’t have my potential new employer seeing that shit.
I lay down the blanket and get that prickly feeling on the back of my neck like I’m being watched. I sit up and lean on my cane as I scan the area. There are quite a few people here already for the food trucks and market. But no one looks like they are paying me any attention.
But what if someone is following me?
I shake my head, deleting any paranoid thoughts that want to take root.
I see Cadi before she even texts me to say she’s here. She is way on the other side, near the bathrooms and the aid station. Where the playground is where little kids play. She’s wearing blue jeans and a green shirt that shows off her midriff. Her hair shines in the waning sunlight.
The text comes in—
Cadi: I’m here! Where should we meet?
She scans the area for me, the crowd making it difficult. She’s taller than I expected. I suddenly lose all my nerve. Why the hell am I doing this?
I’m not the same flirty, fun person I used to be. I’m not prepared for this at all. Oh god.
But, at this point I don’t have a choice, I text her back.
Mads: There’s a big tree on a hill. I’ve got us a spot underneath it. It’s on the south west side.
She looks for the west first, then the tree. Then she puts her phone away and starts towards me.
Should I be sitting or standing? Oh god, I can’t be sitting on the ground when she gets here.
That’s so pathetic. What if she wants to hug?
Can’t do that sitting down for the first time.
Fuck. I make the terrible and awkward journey to standing.
I’m out of breath, and I’m also sweating. Fuck me. Why am I even out of my house?
I think she doesn’t spot me until I’m fully standing. I have to lean on my cane, otherwise I’ll put too much pressure on my leg and it’ll start to get inflamed. And I’d like to last the whole evening.
She is smiling ear to ear. A silver necklace dangles from her neck as she climbs up the hill to me. It’s not until she’s in front of me that my whole face falls.
Oh my god.
Cadi is an omega.
How on earth is this happening right now?
“Mads!” she greets me and comes up to me for a hug. I use my free arm to lightly pat her back and she comes into my space. It’s a fucking awkward hug. She steps back and looks down at the quilt.
“This is nice,” she says at the same time I say, “You’re an omega?”
Her face falls, matching my own.
But she fixes her face.
“Yeah, I’m an omega,” she says proudly.
I shake my head. Her cat eyes and freckles are just the same as they were on the video call, but her entire essence screams omega.
It’s the pheromones.
“You didn’t disclose that…” I say stupidly.
“No, I didn’t think my designation would be a problem.”
“It’s not a problem,” I say quickly. But it is.
“You use a mobility aid?” She’s being careful not to be offensive but pointing out we both hid something.
I look down at my cane. Then back at the omega.
“I’m sorry that I’m a bit shocked. Can I ask some questions?”
We are both standing straight as rods. She nods.
“Do you have a pack? Alphas?” I look at her neck for bite marks. Her hand goes to her neck, hiding herself from me. I know it’s invasive to ask.
“No, I’m unbonded,” she thankfully reveals.
“And are you being courted?” She’s gorgeous. And nice. And fun. I bet she has a mob of alphas after her.
I don’t miss that she hides her necklace under her shirt before saying, “No.”
I nod and we stand there in silence.
“I guess designation is important to you? It matters?”
I want to say that of course it matters, but I am no newbie when it comes to women. She’s not asking me to be so honest that I’ll end up saying something stupid. She’s asking if designation is something I’ll discriminate against her for. I shake my head.
“That’s not what I’m saying, no. I’m just shocked. I’m sorry. Do you want to know about my disability?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t care about that.”
I look at my backpack with the drinks in it.
I could tell her I can’t date an omega. That she should have told me so we could have avoided this altogether.
I could tell her that omegas are lovely people, but they have alphas behind them.
Like an angler fish, that dangles a pretty omega, but its jaws are right behind the lure.
Ready to snap your bones into a million pieces.
But I don’t.
I’ve never been one to tell a pretty girl no.
“Do you want a drink? I brought sparkling water.”
She looks surprised, like she was listening to my thoughts but didn’t realize I’d decided to be a reckless minnow making another terrible decision because of a pretty face.
I wonder if my other leg will get shattered and I’ll have to wheel myself around town by this time next year.
“Ok, let’s have a drink,” she says, and I gesture to the blanket. Here goes nothing. I make my way into a sitting position, and she doesn’t make any indication it’s as embarrassing or awkward as it is to watch me do this. I wince and hiss as minimally as possible.
I lay my cane down and pull over my backpack. I packed two stemless wine glasses wrapped in a kitchen towel. I set the towel down and put the glasses on top. Then I open one of the sparkling water cans, filling our glasses with half each.
She finally takes a seat next to me.
“So, you’ve never been here before?”
She takes the glass I offer to her.
“I’ve been to this park countless times. I was here for the Women’s March. The protest against Prop 12 last October. But never to the movie nights.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Are you politically active?”
“You could say so. I just can’t sit idly by. I don’t understand how anyone can, honestly.”
“Well, I’ve been here countless times too. For the skate park. Food trucks. Giant pumpkin regatta. Chinese New Year lantern festival.”
“Sounds like we come here often—“ she says with a teasing tone. “We should switch some time. I’ll go to the lantern festival, and you can protest the insurance company’s denial claim rates.”
I laugh, loud. Fuck. “I’ll be there. With bells on. With bells on my cane.”
She smiles.
“This is nice. I was worried. But this is easy. There’s nothing to this.”
What is she talking about? I look around. This?
“Oh…” I say and place my hand on my face.
“What?”
“You’ve never been on a date, have you?” I ask. On our call, she said she was new to all of this. I thought she meant the app. Not dating.
“Don’t tease me,” she says, but her voice is light.
“Well, this must be the worst date you’ve ever been on.”
“And the best. You can’t screw up.”
I laugh. Oh my god, she’s funny. I can’t even remember the last time I laughed this much.
She takes a sip of her drink.
“Well, I’ll take that as a challenge then.”
She smiles at me. Her smile is so warm.
I ask her about her day, and she tells me about her walk through the gardens with the omegas in her complex.
Perhaps a single omega is better than a bonded omega.
Maybe this will be fine. She asks about my day, and I tell her I was job hunting at the library.
I’m worried my employment status will be another bomb, but she doesn’t even react like it is.
Eventually, I pull out the cheese and crackers, laying them on a board I brought from home. She’s very delighted by our setup.
I take a quick glance around, and as I suspected, we have quite a few spectators. An omega and a beta on a very obvious date would do that. I just hope they don’t bother us.
She eats everything I brought and drinks all the sparkling water. I look to the food trucks. Should I get her some more? I’m not sure I can make it down the hill and up the concrete steps to the trucks and then back before the movie starts.
The park is filled with people. Our blanket is butted up against folks on all sides as the evening gets later. The sun sets soon. I adjust my leg and my sitting position and inadvertently scoot closer to Cadi.
“My favorite show, if I’m being honest, is Love Letter Home Renovations.
I know it’s silly, but I watch every episode multiple times,” she tells me after I asked what she likes to watch.
It’s a show where people write in asking for help with renovation projects.
Celebrity home designers pick the most inspiring letters and come help them renovate.
“You’re joking.”
“I know it’s cheesy, but I love hearing everyone’s stories and then how they do the renovations themselves with their own money. The show people just help them make it all happen.”
“Me too! I love Love Letters. I watched it every day while I was recovering.”
“No way! What’s your favorite one?!”
“The one where the couple always wanted a baby, but they couldn’t have one, so they turned their nursery into three rooms.”
“Oh my god,” she grabs her chest and frowns. “Yeah, instead of turning the room into like a gym or office, they demolished three of the walls and gave the space to other parts of the house. That broke my heart! I cried!”
“I cried!”
She places her hand on my knee, and I don’t notice at first, since we are talking excitedly about the show.
Eventually, I go to adjust my legs and I realize her hand has been there a while.
She also looks at her hand.
“Is this ok?”
I look up at her.
And it’s too dark to see her details. Then the movie starts up.
“Yeah, it’s ok. You’re very beautiful, Cadi. And cool. Thank you for sticking around on this date.”
She smiles and I smile back.
“Keep being cute and maybe I’ll kiss you later,” she says casually.
Oh, she’s way cooler than me.
She removes her hand from my knee, and I reach out and grab it before she gets away. I interlace our fingers. She’s sitting a bit far from me to make this comfortable, and instead of pulling away, she scoots close. So close she’s leaning on me.
Oh wow, this is nice.
This is very nice.
We watch the movie like this. Her head eventually resting on my shoulder.
I stroke her hand and fingers as the charming romance movie plays.
I’m barely even paying attention to it. Every nerve in my body is just cataloguing all of Cadi’s movements.
Her sighs. Her shifting. She’s a very beautiful woman.
She has this mature face that matches her mature personality.
It comes as a shock when she’s being fun or funny because you’d think she was above that. But she’s so cool.
An omega.
How utterly ironic.