CHAPTER THREE
Will wobbled a bit on his feet, taking in the faint but pleasant scent from the dark-eyed, wavy-haired blond standing about half a foot over his five-eleven height.
An Alpha, he surmised, using low-dose suppressants when out in public.
Something to put out just enough of his scent to interested, unattached Omegas without overpowering a room.
Will detected the comforting tang of leather and a type of liquor.
Bourbon, maybe. He wasn’t much of a drinker.
He considered himself a good judge of character, the earlier misfire with Gabe aside. Everything about Ray, from his posture to his intense stare during their introduction, spoke of an Alpha sussing out Will’s identity. He defined presence, and Will got the impression he wanted Will to notice.
Done. Though easy on the eyes, Ray the new employee threatened Will’s attention and ability to complete his tasks. When Gwen Johnson led him to the supply room, Will hastened his steps and breathed in the clearer air. Left to his work, Will took his time with the installations.
Ray Matthews wasn’t the first gorgeous man to cross his path, yet he rattled Will’s confidence. You got this, he coached himself, and he meditated on his training spiel until he was ready to face his clients.
“These are the credentials for the security account,” he said, handing Phil a slip of paper.
He peered close to check if Phil had the video doorbell app active on his phone.
“Once you’re logged in, you can assign each person in the office to various administrative levels.
Everybody can access the cameras and speakers, for example.
” He pointed at Gwen. “If you go on vacation, you can give another person the ability to remote lock and unlock doors and answer the bell. Only the main account can add and remove people.”
“So what you’re saying…” Phil held out his phone. “... is that I can unlock the doors with my phone, from anywhere?”
Will nodded. “Anywhere. Say you’re in Hawaii on vacation…”
“I wish.”
Will waited for the laughter to fade, and continued. “You’re halfway across the country, and Gwen arrives at work and somehow doesn’t have her key. Rather than have her drive all the way back home, she can call you to unlock the door with the app.”
“Or, Phil makes me a super admin and I can unlock the place with my phone,” Gwen said, her tone confirming the setup. Phil’s reaction threatened more merriment.
“Like I’ll hand over supreme power to you.” He nudged his partner’s shoulder.
Gwen flashed a sweet, tight-lipped smile. “Fine, but know that Hawaii is six hours behind us, and we open at nine.”
The banter dragged on for another minute and change before the business owners noticed Ray’s visible agitation. Will shuffled in place as well, unsure of where to jump in, or if he should.
“We tend to act silly at times, so feel free to butt in and tell us to pay attention,” Gwen said. “Anyway, I love this app setup, and having everything in one place. I wish we could get our website to look as good on mobile.”
Will and Ray flanked her, both bending close to see the agency’s test site on Gwen’s portrait screen. “See how I have to pinch and pull to read everything?” she asked. “It’s a pain. We need to get this fixed before we launch.”
Wow. If Will had to guess, either Gwen or Phil built their website from a free platform to save money, not unlike Gabe. Too bad theirs didn’t perform as well.
Will set his laptop on the empty reception desk and sat.
“That’s an easy fix,” he told her, pulling up the site on his browser.
“It’s only a matter of switching to a mobile responsive template, and if this content management system offers extras you’ll want to look into upgrades for branding purposes.
Makes you look more professional to not have other company logos on your site. ”
“Listen to the man, Gwen.”
Will turned when Ray spoke, and the skin surrounding the gland on the right side of his neck tingled.
When in public, he kept that sensitive area covered to avoid tempting rogue Alphas.
On occasion he’d experience a twinge or an ache when near a potential sex partner, but not a sensation as overwhelming as what he experienced now.
Ray’s voice was pure smoke, as deep as Phil’s, and if Will got any closer it would fill his lungs and leave him gasping for air.
No, no, no. Not a good idea to entertain sexual thoughts with the new employee of a client, in the event they sign on for a retainer. Unwilling to draw attention to himself, Will nodded as Ray talked, and breathed easier when Gwen edged in between them to look at Will’s laptop.
“People search more on their phones than on desktops, and I’ll bet if your clients are at work they’re checking their personal emails,” Ray was saying.
“It’s important, too, to use photos and video in portrait-size dimensions.
” He held up his own phone for emphasis.
“Nobody holds their devices in landscape mode anymore.”
“Hell, it’s hard enough to use it in any mode when you have a squirming dog in your lap.
Radar, no.” Phil whistled after the dog, who had taken up an interest in scratching the upholstered arm of the sofa in reception.
After clicking for the dog to join him at his side, Phil added, “I’ll admit the website was a rush job because we wanted to get some interest sparked while we prepare to launch.
We’re distributing a QR code in place of a URL. ”
Will understood the man’s intent, though what passed for a website did not deliver.
They didn’t even have an embedded map on the front page to help people find the office, nor was the main phone number hotlinked to allow a click-through call.
As for the URL, they had to agree on a name for the agency before securing one.
When he mentioned this, Phil stepped over his concerns with a curt response. “Oh, we’re aware. I just use my name on the business cards for now,” he said, handing one to Will. “Soon as we decide on the right name, we’ll take care of everything else.”
“I get it,” Will said, looking at the card. Phil’s full name stretched across the top with the title Relationship Consultant printed underneath in a smaller font.
He reached for his wallet and took out three of his own cards, which he handed out to each person.
“I side hustle in UX and website dev and design and my rates are flexible. If you decide to revamp and want some help, you’re welcome to call.
Greg’s okay with me pitching, by the way, since it’s not considered competition. ”
Will directed the card at Phil but looked at Ray, landing his gaze at eye-level.
The front view of the tall blond’s khaki pants proved as enticing, if not more, than the rear.
Ray wore his pants snug at the waist and thighs, and Will guessed him to be a runner.
Lean and tight, Ray was also blessed with broad shoulders and large hands, perfect for the nurturing Alpha taking care of his mate with back and foot rubs while waiting for their pups to arrive.
What the hell? What brought on those thoughts? Will wasn’t interested in settling down yet, much less reproducing. Job with benefits first, Alpha or no Alpha. He wanted something to call his own.
Yet, more silent seconds passed where Will imagined Ray’s strong hands at work in more erotic ways, until Gwen’s next words broke into his thoughts.
“Speaking of the website, Ray needs his picture taken for it. How about I get a quick one of you against the brick wall?” she asked.
“Sure.” Ray stretched his plush lips into a wide, disarming smile. Will noticed the slight crookedness of his teeth, and how it added to his overall allure. Mature and cute at the same time, approachable.
Hell of a morning, Will thought, having met a number of handsome men in a short window of time. It seldom happened when he sought it, and better to see it now than before his heat began.
“Good thing I dressed up today,” Ray told her, then to the others, “Gwen knows my style, it’s all concert tees and jeans. I felt it was important to look sharp for the interview, even with a friend.”
“We should dress professionally here, for our clientele,” Phil said.
“What you have on is fine, but I think we can take it down a notch once in a while because we want to be approachable. A nice polo and slacks, jeans if they’re not torn.
” He snorted. “Last pair of jeans I bought cost more than my nicest custom suit.”
The man’s voice took on a wistful tone toward the end.
Will busied himself with his laptop throughout the banter, careful to conceal any reaction to the downturn in mood.
Everything he knew about Phillip Stallworth had come second-hand from Greg Bigelow.
The Alpha had worked for Greg’s father’s firm before striking out on this venture.
Head of the firm’s marketing department, crucial to the company’s success, and at one time courting an art instructor.
His Omega died, Greg told him during the briefing for this job. They were at dinner one night and the guy had a severe reaction to his food. Some ingredient he never used, so they weren’t aware he had the allergy. Freaky thing to happen.
Not the word Will would use. Sad, yes. Tragic. That bespoke suit was meant for Phil’s wedding, he guessed.
Gwen, as though sensing the need to lighten the atmosphere, barked out a laugh. “Amateur. Call me when you spend the equivalent of a month’s rent on a single pair of heels.”
That got a smile out of Phil. Ray, meanwhile, hedged more on a photo session. “Tell you what, let me send you the headshot I use for my LinkUp account and other resume sites,” he said, pulling up a selfie from his gallery app. “I touched up this one so it hides my ink.”
“Why hide it?” Gwen asked. “Tats are fairly commonplace. It shouldn’t reflect poorly on anyone who has them.”