Chapter 5 Why Licking?
Chapter five
Why Licking?
Ivy
Monday marked the start of a fresh new week, and I was back dancing in the building. Last week was a blur with my hormones running wild, but as of this morning, my body finally felt back to normal— sorta. My head was spinning from everything, but I was just happy to be moving again.
Class was…not the best by my normal standards, but decent overall. Everywhere I looked, a different member of the Arco pack was watching me, analyzing my skills, and trying to assess me further.
Isaac observed in the studio, throwing my nerves into overdrive each time his gaze fixated on me.
Demetrius tried to be discreet up in the crow’s nest, but our eyes kept finding each other every time I looked toward his office.
Preston was the most obvious, watching from the studio next to the main one.
At least Lukas had a camera in front of his face when he sat in the corner, taking pictures.
I sighed as class ended, my mind dwelling on what they must think of me.
Should I apologize for dancing subpar today?
What if there was disappointment that I was their omega dancer?
This pack wanted a superstar. Did they think I could be that girl?
I tried to push these thoughts out of my head and focus on the day’s schedule, but it was proving hard to do.
While I was out last week, the cast list for parts had been posted for the first show, and a few rehearsals had started. I’d been cast in the corps, dancing in the group pieces—no surprise there, as that’s what I was hired to do.
Today’s first rehearsal went well, and I was able to pick up the choreography I’d missed quickly. By the end of the rehearsal, I’d learned all that I needed to know, which helped to remember that I was still a decent dancer.
After the morning set of rehearsals, all the dancers moved to the dancers’ lounge to eat and hang out.
Sitting in the lounge with the rest of the company, I felt a sense of acceptance that I was starting to make new friends.
Susan was a bit of a gossip, but had been nice to me.
Tracy and Erica, part of Susan's gossip group, were nice too. Together, the three of them led the corps dancers in both experience and scandalous tidbits. Then, of course, there was Millie who’d been such a godsend.
She’d helped me catch up on the choreography, and I was grateful she’d become my confidante concerning the pack.
As corps dancers, we all tended to gravitate together as we spent the bulk of the day together in rehearsals. It was a relief that they were accepting me already.
As I sat in the dancer lounge, eating lunch, my phone buzzed next to me.
Dinner with Lukas and me tonight? Isaac and Dem need to work late. -Preston
My face flushed as my heart beat quicker. I tried my best to look relaxed as I quickly typed back a reply.
Sounds like fun! What should I bring, wear, and when/where should I meet you two? -Ivy
I glanced over to Millie, who lifted a curious eyebrow at me. I mouthed to her date. She gave me a small thumbs up as my phone buzzed again with two messages.
Bring your pretty self, wear nothing, meet us at your place…-Lukas
Don’t need anything, casual attire. Let’s meet in Dem’s office at the end of the day. -Preston
I laughed at the two completely different responses and quickly typed a reply.
Hmm, I’ll trust Preston’s response more…See you at the end of the day. -Ivy
After lunch, the afternoon rehearsals rushed by.
The workday came to an end, and I made my way to the women’s locker room to change.
There was no point in rushing since I didn’t want anyone to see me going to Demetrius’s office, so I took my time.
Once I sensed the building had mostly emptied, I ventured upstairs to the crow’s nest.
There was an odd sensation of arriving at the director's office as I gently knocked on the door. Demetrius was supposed to be my boss, and knocking on his door made me feel like I was in trouble. Almost immediately, Lukas opened the door with his big, cute, dimple-filled grin. He’d changed out of his work attire, and now looked so cute in a short sleeve polo and jeans.
“Hello!” He turned back to the room. “Preston, you ready?”
Preston appeared behind Lukas, throwing a light jacket on. “Absolutely, let’s go.” Preston had showered and changed into regular street clothes. He smelled of soap combined with a hint of his scent.
We left the building and walked across the street to a small local diner. As Preston pulled the door open, a tiny bell rang throughout the interior of the restaurant.
The inside of the diner had a really cute fifties-style theme throughout, complete with red, shiny booths, a black and white checkered floor, and a jukebox playing hits in the corner.
The smell of delicious baked pies hung in the air, though that scent had nothing on how good Preston and Lukas smelled to me.
More thoughts of licking, more shutting them down. Apparently, being an omega meant I needed to pant and act like a dog, licking my favorite boys every time I saw them.
Lukas led me to a booth along the back wall as the waitress brought three menus for us. Taking a menu, I sat next to Preston and Lukas sat across from me, gently reaching across the table to brush my hand.
Awkwardness settled between us as I glanced at Preston and Lukas, suddenly unsure how to navigate a date with two men at once. I hadn’t really dated much before this—my entire focus was on progressing my ballet career. Do I…should I…
“Favorite color?” Lukas asked. “Mine’s blue.”
“Maroon,” Preston said, grabbing a napkin and giving the table an extra wipe.
“Purple…and red…sometimes black as well. I like hunter green too,” I said quickly.
“Four colors?” Lukas lifted his eyebrows as a teasing smile formed across his face. “Is that even allowed?”
I shrugged my shoulders, biting my lower lip. “It feels weird to like only one color.” I thought briefly for a moment, looking over the menu before asking. “Cats or dogs?”
“Dog,” Lukas and Preston replied at the same time.
“Agreed, dog. This might work yet,” I joked with them as the waitress walked over to take our order.
“Could I get a Caesar salad with a green tea?” I asked.
“Chicken carbonara with lemon water, please,” Preston ordered.
“Bacon double cheeseburger with a root beer.” Lukas pointed to the menu. “Also, can we get one chocolate milkshake with three straws?”
The waitress jotted down our order, then left for the kitchen.
“The milkshake is just for me, by the way,” Lukas winked as he leaned forward. “So, Ivy, you’ve been an omega for one week. How’s it been so far?”
I let out a nervous laugh. “It’s been pretty bizarre. I can’t trust my body to behave as it should. I don’t know if that makes sense.”
“Yes, we can relate to a small extent, though I’m sure ours feels different from all the changes you’re experiencing,” Preston said. “Your scent tends to…”
“Drive us wild.” Lukas finished his sentence. “But we’re all on beta blockers, so everyone’s behaving tonight.”
“What changes have you felt?” Preston asked curiously before his face blushed. “I mean, there’s a lot more hormones now, plus you have a whole pack courting you.”
I laughed, gently brushing his leg with my hand before removing it. I could see him inhale sharply at my touch. “Well—besides all the hormone stuff—I used to love being on my own, confident in my decisions, always thought I’d go at the world alone, and I was fine with that.”
“How do you feel now?” Preston asked, his eyes seeming to search me for my answer.
I glanced out the window as a car drove by, trying to put my thoughts into words. “Those feelings are still there, but now there’s this competing voice that hates being alone. Like maybe I was just trying to fight my true nature all these years.”
I looked at both of them. “Did you both know you’d be in an alpha pack one day? Was this where you imagined you’d end up?”
“No,” Lukas shook his head.
“Yes,” Preston replied.
“Interesting.” I pointed to each of them. “Who’s going to tell me why first?”
Preston leaned in closer, his thigh softly rubbing against mine. “A normal partner with a normal life seemed boring and lonely. I guess I just wanted people to hang out with while I went on my journey as a dancer.”
“That seems like exactly what you have with the Arco pack,” I looked at him hopefully.
He shrugged. “Just missing a beautiful woman now.”
“You’ll find her one day,” I teased with a wink before looking at Lukas. “And you?”
“Thought I’d end up with a short, snarky little alpha girl to marry and have a family with. But when Dem asked if I wanted to create a pack, I shrugged to myself, ‘why not?’”
“I see. Do you all live together?” I asked, growing a bit more curious about the details of their lives.
“We do at the Arco packhouse. Dem had it custom-built for us when we moved out here and started the company,” Preston replied, as his arm casually stretched behind my back, letting his hand rest on my shoulder.
I tensed slightly, yet I leaned into his arm as well.
My body just couldn’t decide what it wanted.
He did feel nice to lean against, though. Couples stuff, I suppose.
The waitress brought our food and left a large milkshake in the middle of the table.
I took a sip of my tea before settling in to eat, enjoying the delicious salad.
I could see Preston eyeing my food, but he kept his opinion to himself.
His arm left the back of my neck, making me miss its warmth terribly.
“Tell me, Ivy.” Lukas pointed to me. “I now have many pictures of you dancing, not sure how they got on my camera. You seem to always smile when you dance, even during basic classwork. What happens when you have to perform an evil character?”
“Don’t let Lukas tease you.” Preston shook his head. “He once performed opening night, forgetting to take off his leg warmers.”