Chapter 7 Liza #2
She waved to us from a corner booth. “Hey, guys!”
Mom slid in next to Sabrina, and I sat across from them. “Did you enjoy your day off yesterday?” I asked.
Sabrina grinned. “Of course I did. I slept a full twelve hours and binge-watched that new show about police detectives who hunt ghosts. But that’s not what I want to talk about.
I’m dying to know how the luncheon went.
” She tapped her long fingernails against her glass of soda.
“Did you get a chance to talk with Ty?” Obviously, she hadn’t heard the tale.
Mom patted Sabrina’s arm like she was glad Sabrina had asked the question. “I’ve been anxious to know, as well.”
“What can I get for you, ladies?” The waitress chomped on her gum and stood at the edge of the table; her pen poised over her pad of paper.
We all ordered our usual cheeseburgers and fries, then I turned my focus back to the eager faces sitting across from me. These were women who wanted details.
“To answer your question, yes, we talked.” I bit my lip, unsure of what and how much I wanted to divulge. “He asked me out on an official date. Dinner.”
Sabrina squealed and clapped, then rolled her hands in the universal motion of tell me more. “I am so stoked to hear that. I knew he wouldn’t waste any time pursuing you, Liza.”
Mom, on the other hand, seemed reserved over the idea of Ty and me pursuing a relationship.
Sadness clouded her eyes. “I just don’t want to see you hurt, baby girl.
The Kellers live in a different world than we do.
They run in a completely different social circle, and it’s no secret that they are wealthy.
” She was trying to protect me, but there was nothing wrong with Ty’s lifestyle—nothing I had to fear. I could hold my own.
I sighed. “I know all that, Mom. Besides, it shouldn’t matter. Either Ty likes me for who I am or it just won’t work out. It’s as simple as that.”
“It’s not just their social standing that worries me.” Mom took a sip of water. “Being an alpha’s mate doesn’t just give you a special title. You would have as many responsibilities to the pack as the alpha does. Do you think you’re ready to take that on?” She sounded as if she didn’t think I was.
Even though her doubts hurt, I shrugged as much to the question as to the uncertainty behind them.
“I don’t know. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about those things.
I’m just focused on my potential relationship with Ty.
” Was it really called focus if I was unable to think of anything else?
“If we’re truly fated to be together then those responsibilities will come naturally to me. I hope.”
Mom leaned forward, apparently not done airing her grievances or worries. I was having a problem discerning one from the other. “I’m worried the pack won’t accept you.”
“Oh, is that because I’m from a lower class than Ty, or is it because I’m not actually a member of the pack?
” I wasn’t part of his pack. Or any pack.
Which begged the question: where did I belong?
Would I know it when it happened? I also wondered with increasing regularity whether or not fate knew I needed a pack and chose this one for me by fating me to Ty.
There were considerations to make, but right now, I was locked in a heated eye-exchange, watching their reactions to my accusation.
Mom lowered her gaze to the table, and she and Sabrina fell silent.
We all knew it was one or both of those things.
“Perhaps,” Mom said quietly. “But you’re just as much a member of this pack as anyone else.” We both knew that wasn’t true, but no one ever really mentioned it because the rules of propriety and our family forbade it.
I was tired of hiding behind the family tendency toward denial.
Her words floated on the air, and each of us might as well have had a bubble over our heads that said ‘LIAR’.
I was adopted. An outsider. It wasn’t like it was a secret or that it ever could be.
Anyone with eyes who could tell light hair from dark could see it without knowing my history. I didn’t belong.
My dream came to mind. I wondered, not for the first time, if I should try to find out where I belonged.
If I uncovered my past, perhaps it would explain why I was the way I was.
One could hope, anyway. I’d never seriously considered it before, even though I thought about it regularly.
Now, maybe it was time. Maybe knowing where I came from and how I’d ended up here would explain to me why fate had put me and Ty together.
I sighed, deflated. “Clearly it doesn’t matter to any of these people that fate and Ty both chose me as his mate.
All that matters to them, anyway, is what they think of us.
” And that was the word that spread from the one who thought it until everyone in town had an opinion they were more than happy to share.
Mom reached across the table and squeezed my hand gently. “No, Liza. What matters is what you think of yourself.”
She was right. I had to believe in myself if I wanted this relationship to work out. If Ty and I were truly fated—and I had no reason to think we weren’t—then we would make it through any obstacle the pack or society threw at us. We just needed to give it a chance.
Later that day, I tried to get Ty out of my head so I could concentrate on bookkeeping.
It was my least favorite part of the job, and I looked forward to the day when I made enough profit to hire a professional accountant.
Until then, though, I was stuck doing it, even if it made my eyes cross as I worked on inputting data.
A knock on the door interrupted my concentration. “Just a minute.” I wasn’t expecting anyone but assumed it was one of my employees stopping by to grab their paycheck.
“What the hell?”
Through the side window, I saw a huge bouquet floating midair.
I flung open the door and was greeted with the largest flower arrangement I’d ever seen.
The delivery person pushed the arrangement in my direction, and I took it, struggling to carry it through the door.
The stems protruded out in every direction, making it almost impossible to maneuver myself and the bouquet past the doorframe.
I gave up and stared at the door, wishing I’d never opened it.
I certainly knew what was about to happen. I could feel the tingling in my nose.
Peeking over the roses, tulips, and lavender was none other than Ty, standing with his arms crossed and a huge grin on his face. He was proud of his ridiculous display, but didn’t realize—couldn’t have known, really—the error he had made.
Within seconds, the pollen invaded my nasal cavities, and I sneezed violently. The allergy attack was so severe that I couldn’t hold onto the flowers. They began to tumble as I pushed them away.
“Oh, shit.” Ty grabbed the flowers from my hands. “Are you okay?”
The sneezing fit continued, so I couldn’t answer. Instead, I pointed to the flowers to indicate they were the cause.
“Damn it.” He tossed the flowers over his shoulder and onto the lawn. “Here, step inside. Let me help you.”
He followed me into the office where the fragrance of lavender lingered, causing my sneezing to continue. Ty ran to the bathroom and brought out an entire roll of toilet paper.
I nodded and blew my nose, turning away so Ty wouldn’t see the watering eyes and runny nose that came with this particular allergy. It wasn’t exactly the type of first impression I wanted to have on my fated mate.
When my allergic reaction finally abated, Ty moved closer and laid his hand on my shoulder. I didn’t want to flinch away, but the electric current zinging my skin was almost more than I could bear.
As if he felt it too, he pulled his hand away, but his voice was soft, kind. “Liza, I’m so sorry. I had no idea you were allergic to flowers. Actually, I’ve never heard of a wolf being allergic to anything before.”
I laughed nervously and wiped away the tears.
“Yeah, well, that’s just one of the many things that make me unique.
” My face warmed, and I covered my blushing cheeks with my hands.
How embarrassing. “Thank you for the gesture; it means a lot. For future reference, it’s only lavender that gets to me. All other flowers are fine.”
“Lavender. Noted.” Ty smiled, and my stomach flip-flopped. This guy had the kind of smile that made a woman think of long nights and hot sex. Fuck. There wasn’t much about him that didn’t make me think of that.
A sudden flashback hit me, and I remembered being surrounded by lavender and sneezing. I tried to stop it as fear overwhelmed me, and I stumbled backward, almost into him. A hand appeared in front of me.
“Liza? Are you with me?” He waved his hand in front of my face, snapping me out of the memory or vision or whatever it was.
Ty probably wasn’t used to women spacing out when he spoke to them, but we were both on new and slightly unlevel ground.
Anyway, the vision faded, but the snapshot lingered at the edge of my consciousness.
“I’m sorry.” I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “All of that sneezing must have created some sort of brain fog.”
I watched him, but not so closely that he would see. I hoped he’d accept my answer and not ask what I had been thinking about. I didn’t know how to explain it or why it suddenly started happening, but I didn’t want to dissect it with him.
Instead, he hung his head and chewed his lower lip before he looked up at me again. “I hate that you reacted so terribly to the flowers. But, hey! At least I learned something about you.”
“Yeah, at least there’s that.” I smiled and motioned for him to take a seat as I made my way back to my office chair. “Are you here to inquire about a catering job?”
Ty’s laughter had my body springing to life.
The man had a laugh. It was melodic and deep, almost sensual.
If I were to die right then, it would’ve been with a smile on my face.
There was something about his voice, about the genuine tone in his laughter, that made me feel safe, protected, secure with him.
“Actually, I came by to ask you out on a date.” He paused, and as I was about to tell him he’d already done that, he added, “Again.”
“Oh.” I searched my brain for a more appropriate response, but something about him—be it the looks, the body, the sound of his voice or the smile—rendered me dumb.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. Damn, he was fit. From that angle, I could see the muscles in his upper arms straining against the sleeves of his tight sweater. And I couldn’t even look at his chest without getting the horny sweats.
He spoke, and I forced my gaze to move from his torso. “I wanted to ask you properly this time.”
He cracked his knuckles and stared at the floor, seeming bashful over the whole flower debacle.
I sighed as my thoughts drifted back to the fact that I was so different from all the other wolves.
I hated it. Being unique was one thing, odd was another, and I was the latter.
Surely Ty had to have been somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of being seen with me.
“Are you sure you really want to date me?”
He sat up straight and looked into my eyes as if he was trying to see how my brain was functioning. He scoffed, seeming surprised by my question. “Why would I not want you?”
I could’ve fallen hard for a guy who asked that question the way he did, as if he honestly couldn’t see why I’d asked.
I sat back in my chair, crossing my arms. “You know…” I touched my hair.
“There are going to be whispers, rumors, so much gossip.” I could already imagine the conversations at the salon and the country club.
“In case you missed it, I didn’t see anyone applauding the fact that we’re fated mates.
” I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was blaming anyone. “I mean, I get it.”
He cocked his head. “Really? Because I don’t.”
The words caused a ripple of goosebumps on my skin, but if he couldn’t see what we would be in for, it was my duty to tell him. So, I plowed on. “I understand that image is important to the upper class, and I don’t want to make you look bad, Ty. But people aren’t going to be… kind.”
He stared at me for a moment, considering my words, and I braced myself for him to tell me it would be better if we didn’t start a relationship. I was surprised by how much it hurt to think of and how much his rejection was about to hurt me.
Instead, he stared into my eyes and said just what I needed to hear.
“Liza, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.
I don’t know enough about you to judge whether or not we fit, but I don’t question fate.
And, if you’ll allow me, I’d like the chance to get to know you.
Maybe we can discover whatever it is that fate saw that made her decide we were to be fated. ”
I sucked in a short, shallow breath because his words were as much a surprise as any others I’d ever heard.
As grateful as I was for his understanding and acceptance of our situation, a small part of me was still hesitant.
There was always a chance that once he got to know the real me, he would be disappointed.
Hell, I didn’t even know the real me.
“Thank you, Ty.” I smiled with relief. His intentions certainly seemed genuine. “I’m also curious to know what fate saw between the two of us.”
He leaned back in his chair and grinned. “Good. So, what do you say? Will you go on a date with me?”
I returned his smile and reluctantly agreed. “Sure, why not.”
We exchanged numbers, and I watched him walk to his car. I didn’t know if this was the right thing. Didn’t know if we would get along or have things in common. All I could do now was hope I’d made the right decision.