Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
“Here you go.” Dax opens up the take-out bag he’s been carrying and hands me the box. Even though we’re outside, I immediately recognize the scent. It’s the best cheeseburger in all of Massachusetts.
“Why am I not surprised that you’re the one that spoils me?” I say to him, gladly taking it in my hands. I cross my legs underneath the picnic table to get comfortable before opening up the box to dig in. The aroma of spices immediately hits my nostrils and causes me to bite back a moan.
“I’d do anything for you and you know that,” he quips. “Like, if you asked me to get down on my knees, I would do it. Even if the gravel tore me up and I got grass stains on my new Levi’s, I would still do it to see that wicked gleam in your eye.”
Said gleam springs up immediately. “What a dirty alpha.”
Dax chuckles. “Both figuratively and literally.”
I know I’m teasing him about spoiling me, but I honestly didn’t expect this type of date from him.
When he texted me to ask if I wanted to have a little picnic on campus in between classes, I was surprised that it was his name next to it.
It’s a very happy surprise, and being with him in this casual setting makes him appear a lot more human to me.
Because, seriously , he is sex on a stick.
It’s been the most relaxing Friday, and Dax’s presence makes that even more apparent. The only thing I have left to do today is survive another rehearsal, which is already giving me anxiety despite the calming day.
I’m not sure how much more of Professor Chapman’s shit I can take. I like to think that I’m a pretty tough omega, but even I have limits.
I shake those thoughts from my head as I return to my date, noticing that Dax has an entire steak in front of him.
“There’s nothing like a casual filet mignon for lunch,” I tease him.
He smiles big. “It’s my protein day. I need carbs and meat.” He also points at the mash potatoes he got with it. “Our location may be casual but that doesn’t mean our food has to be.”
I take another bite of my burger and hum out my agreement.
We take a few minutes to enjoy our food and listen to the rustle of sound around us.
We’re not in the throes of campus, pretty far away from the quad, so it’s peaceful as much as it is beautiful, and it makes me look upon Dax with admiration.
“What’s your ultimate dream date?” I ask him.
He eats the bite of steak that was already heading for his mouth as he thinks about his answer, considering it seriously. “You’re going to laugh.”
I hold back a snort. “Try me.”
He contemplates, thinking before answering. “I’d like to go to a Michelin star restaurant as a pack, enjoy the food without thinking about money in the slightest. And then I want us to go to the circus.”
My burger stops in its trajectory to my mouth. It’s so perfect of an answer, I try not to laugh so he doesn’t take it the wrong way. “That’s kind of incredible. Why those two things? And why together?”
“I think the juxtaposition of them creates the perfect date. We can show you our seriousness, our capabilities, and then we can show you a good time, make you laugh, and give you a fantasy.”
“But those both have to do with me, what would you want to do?”
Dax smirks. “I want to make you happy, first and foremost. But I want to laugh and have fun, too. I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for trapeze artists. It’s magical to me.”
His answer satisfies me. It does feel like the perfect mix of activities from Dax of all people. And it feels like something we would all enjoy as a pack.
“Just let me know if you ever plan that dream date, because I’d like to look cute for the circus.”
“I love that you mentioned that in regards to the circus and not the Michelin star restaurant,” he quips. “What about you? What’s your dream date?”
I don’t even have to think about it. “It might seem weird but I’d love to watch a live taping of literally anything. Experience the way things work behind the scenes.”
Dax’s face morphs into something that I can’t decipher. The smile that takes over his face is ecstatic, and he avoids my eye contact for a moment.
“What’s that? What are you doing with your face right now?”
“I just like that you said that,” he responds. And then he adds, “It’s very you.”
I’m about to ask what he means when the scent of warm amber seems to integrate with the wind. Jett comes around the corner a second later, smiling wide as he heads straight for us.
“Oh, are you crashing our date?” I joke .
Jett doesn’t take the bait, he just wraps his hand around my hair and pulls me back to look up at him. “Just for the last few minutes. I figured we’d walk to class together.”
There’s a storm of flutters in my stomach as he bends down to kiss me. His lips are confident against my own, and I can’t stop the smile that erupts mid-kiss from appearing.
“Is it a good date?” Jett asks, eyeing our expensive food.
That doesn’t deter or bother Dax at all. He beams widely as he cuts a piece of steak and reaches out to his pack mate. “Do you want some?”
Jett eats the steak, not even bothering to grab the fork from Dax’s hand. I literally just watched him feed my most surly alpha.
This pack stuff may actually be everything I’ve ever dreamed of.
“Are you ready?” Jett asks me, to which I respond with a scrunched up nose.
“Class won’t be like last time,” Dax reassures me, but I don’t fully agree with him.
When we get to class, Professor Chapman is already there. Jett and I give each other a bewildered look, because he’s never here early. He’s always a few minutes late—fashionably late, apparently.
But no, he’s standing right at the front, looking down at his notes. Whenever he sees us walk in, he closes it and gestures for us to come forward. When we both start moving, he puts a hand up. “Just Miss Cromwell, please.”
Jett hesitates and I can practically hear his alpha inside his chest. I put my hand on his arm, rubbing softly.
“It’s okay. I’ll be right back.” I give him my stuff and even though it doesn’t take any more convincing, I know he’s hesitant to let me go over by myself, especially with how horrible our previous rehearsal went .
I don’t admit it, but I’m also uncertain if talking to him alone is a good idea right now.
My omega is still sensitive to his proximity, a lot more than I thought she would be.
I’m not used to listening to her, but it’s become more and more apparent that she knows what she’s doing.
It’s only because we’re surrounded by a class full of peers that I let myself stroll over to the stool he’s sitting on.
“Good afternoon, Professor,” I say with an Oscar-worthy smile on my face.
He looks at me with his full attention, which also never happens. Usually he says things with his face still in whatever book or paperwork that’s in front of him. I give him a curious look.
“Sorry, I’m trying to figure out how to say this,” he explains. I guess he knew he was acting out of character. “I just want to say that I’m sorry.”
My eyeballs nearly poke out of my head. “What?”
“I’m sorry . For the way I’ve been treating you during rehearsal. It wasn’t right of me.”
“Oh.” It’s all I can say, because I have no idea what’s happening right now. “I don’t understand.”
“I met your mate the other day. Giant dude, built like a semi-truck.” Everett. “I was intimidated, and then very angry that he showed up here and treated me that way, but after he left, I started thinking about it and… he was right. I’ve been unfair to you.”
“Sir,” I start. “I want to be the best actress I can be. I completely understand if I’m not playing the role to the best of my abilities?—”
He cuts me off with a shake of his head.
“ No. You’re playing Juliet fine. It’s me .
I’ve been unfair. I’ve struggled in the past, in my directing and writing career, because I couldn’t see outside of the designation stereotypes.
I didn’t think it was possible, or realistic, for characters to not reflect their designations to a T.
It’s just not something I’ve thought about much, even after I was told to broaden my horizons…
by professionals, by my bosses… I always just thought it was an authority thing, that they felt like they knew better than me, and that hurt my pride a little bit.
But your mate isn’t above me here, he isn’t even my student.
He just cares about you, so something about that made me realize I’ve been harsh.
And insanely unprofessional.” He huffs out a rough breath.
“Even Jett has told me time and time again to lay off, but I didn’t want my student telling me what to do. ”
I fling my head in the direction where Jett is sitting. He’s watching intently, waiting for any signal that he should step in. It makes my stomach flutter.
“I’ll do better, okay?” he continues, pulling my attention back to him. “And if I overstep again, you can tell me. For real this time. I’m realizing now that we can both teach each other things. It’s not a one-way street.”
I’m stunned, but something inside of me feels lighter. “Thank you, Professor.”
He shakes his head and for the first time, I see a smile on his face.
“There’s no need for any thanks. I should have realized this a long time ago.
I appreciate your alpha coming to talk with me, because I needed the wake-up call.
” He sees the smile on my face and adds, “You have a wonderful mate there, Rory.”
Yeah, I do. I really, really do.