Chapter 21 - Randy
“What do you think of this?” Kerry asked as he pulled a shirt from the rack and held it up to himself.
“Hmmm…” I hedged. “It’s not really your style.”
He snorted. “No shit, Sherlock. But there aren’t exactly a ton of options in pregnancy clothes.”
“What about online?”
He scrunched his nose. “Everything I’ve seen so far is cutesy shit. Like… come on. Just because I’m an omega doesn’t mean everything needs a cartoon animal or cheesy phrase.”
“It can’t be that bad.”
He tilted his head down and stared. “Just you wait until Craig gets you pregnant. It’s damn near impossible to find something as simple as a button-up shirt without it having some weird micropattern or being some soft pastel color.
A plain white shirt. Plain white… like you’d wear under a blazer.
I found one, and the price was outrageous.
I understand that pregnancy clothes will have a premium, but the basics cost five to six times more.
Like I can afford it, but I’ll only be able to wear it for a month…
maybe two, before I’ll have to buy another. ”
“Thrift or resell?”
He shook his head. “No luck. There’s a vintage consignment shop I like that I’ve asked to call me if anything comes in. But so far, nothing.”
“Ugh, that sucks.”
He nodded, put the shirt back, and pulled down a soft gray sweater vest. “Better?”
“Maaaaybe? What’s that pattern on the edges?”
He lifted it, inspected the edges, and scowled. “God damnit. One… just one. I want one article of clothing I can wear to a client meeting.”
“So what was it?”
“Fucking little nests.”
“The nests were fucking?” I teased.
He shoved it at me, and I accepted the offending garment. Sure enough, small nests with tiny eggs decorated the edge.
“I guess this is supposed to tell the world that we’re nesting?” I asked as I handed it back.
“I don’t even know.” He huffed and set it back on the rack.
“I’m about to ask around for bespoke omega clothier recommendations.
Yeah, it’ll be even more expensive. But the quality will be better, I can save them for when Callum and I want another since they won’t scream ‘last season’, and I’ll be able to wear them around clients. ”
He shrugged. “Hell, it’s probably time to go bespoke anyway.
Off-the-rack suits were fine when I was mainly dealing with seven and eight-figure clients.
Mix and match with vintage elements and fun fabrics, and I could make things look curated.
But I’m starting to get referrals to people edging close to that billionaire mark.
There’s only so much upstyling I can do with what most people consider luxury brands before that crowd views it as cheap. ”
I snorted. “Then you go sell them my bowls while I’m comfortable in heavy jeans, t-shirts, and flannels.”
“Are you complaining?”
I laughed. “No. I just think it’s funny that you have to look perfect, while I’m usually covered in sawdust.”
“Yeah, yeah. Ass,” he chuckled.
I looked around and spied a hoodie with the phrase ‘Papa in Progress’ with a loading bar printed on it. I snagged it. “Sure this one won’t work?”
“Oh, fuck off!” he snapped, but I could see him hiding a chuckle.
“I’m totally getting this one for you for Christmas,” I teased.
“Don’t you dare,” he laughed.
I raised an eyebrow at him, which made him laugh harder.
I put the hoodie back, but filed it in the back of my mind to get as a gag gift. I knew he’d wear it around the house, even if he swore he wouldn’t touch it.
“Come on,” I urged. “Let’s get out of cutesy hell.”
“Don’t have to ask me twice.”
We left the pregnancy boutique and meandered around the small galleria until Kerry decided that he had to try something he smelled from a small restaurant that had tables spilling out into the wide aisle.
“So,” he started as soon as the waitress had taken our order, “you excited to have your first Thanksgiving with Craig?”
“Ummm…”
He leveled me with a stare. “No. You’re not doing this.”
“What?”
He sighed. “You were so good at the party. I thought you were finally ready to start being more public.”
“I just…”
“No,” he interrupted. “It may be faster than you’d like. But first holidays are big milestones, and he’s already met your family. I know for a fact your mom and papa would invite him. Hell, the only reason I’m not invited is because we always go visit my grandparents, so they don’t have to travel.”
I scrubbed a hand down my face. “I want him there, but I’m worried they’ll get attached, then things will go sideways,” I admitted.
He let out a long breath. “I get it, but are you really going to wait for a mark on your neck or a ring on your finger?” He paused.
“Craig is a good one. He’s taking things at your pace.
But how would you feel if things were reversed and he was always hiding you?
Hell, you don’t even need to think too hard, you’ve been there: the dirty secret. ”
I swallowed, and my eyes flicked down and back up as I thought about it.
“Hmph,” Kerry said. “I saw that. Exactly. Eventually, you’d wonder, wouldn’t you? That’s because it hurts to be hidden.”
I sighed.
“Trust us?”
I blinked. “Huh?”
“Trust us: me and your family. We want to see you happy, and we’ll protect the shit out of you. But that also means we want to get to know your alpha.”
My alpha…
Kerry sat back as the waitress set drinks in front of us. “Oh, this pumpkin spice latte looks incredible. It’s just too bad it had to be decaf.”
She chuckled and asked if we needed anything else before wandering off again.
“Where was I?” Kerry muttered. “Damn pregnancy brain,” then, “Oh, yeah. Thanksgiving. Don’t shut him out. Let everybody else handle their own attachments. Let him feel welcome before he starts feeling like a dirty little secret.”
It was probably only a few seconds, but his words ate at me for what felt like forever. “Ok.”
∞∞∞
“Come in!” welcomed an alpha with a booming voice as he opened the door.
Craig leaned in for a side-hug with the other man—who was careful of the pan of stuffing in Craig’s hands. “Thanks for having us! Aaron, this is Randy. Randy, Aaron.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
He grinned. “Likewise. I’d offer to shake your hand, but I see you’ve got food. What did you bring?”
I shook my head. “Nothing fancy, since I didn’t know what everybody else was bringing. Just a meat, cheese, and crackers board.”
“Is that one of your own boards?” he asked, eyeing the charcuterie board.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Excited to see your work!” he replied with a grin. “Joey says his sister loves the piece he bought from you, and Craig’s always talking about what you show him.”
“Oh… um…”
“Come on,” he said, motioning deeper into the house. “Nate and Robbie haven’t arrived yet, but Spencer and Joey are here.”
I followed him to where he had space at an appetizer table. I set the board down and quickly laid out the food on it, then was led to a spacious living room where the other two men sat—engrossed in a football game.
Joey was the first to look up from the television. “Randy! It’s good to see you again!”
I smiled softly as he got up and walked over to give me a side-hug. “You too.”
“And who’s this?” asked the other man with a smirk.
“Spencer, this is Randy. Randy, Spencer,” Craig said.
Spencer stood, crossed the room, and offered his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same,” I replied as I accepted the handshake.
I was introduced to Nate and Robbie when they arrived a short while later, and by the time we all sat down to dinner, my nerves had mostly settled.
Craig’s friends were good men, and some small part of me hoped that they’d become my friends, too.
∞∞∞
Thanksgiving dinner with my family came and went. Everybody loved Craig’s green chile cornbread stuffing, and he seemed relaxed with my family.
Then it was straight into the holiday shopping season. I spent both the Monday and Tuesday after the long weekend solely packing up online orders that had come in.
But even as my thermal printer kept spitting out shipping labels, my mind kept returning to the two words that had plagued me since the day I introduced Craig to my parents.
My alpha…