7. Kennedy
Chapter 7
Kennedy
O h.
He was asking me out.
On a date. Like, a real date.
When was the last time a guy had asked me out?
I had clocked the alpha the moment he sat down at the table next to mine. His smoky vanilla scent had made me squirm in my seat. Considering my lady business had been drier than the Sahara for the last six months since I gave birth, its sudden awakening was shocking, to say the least.
I wasn’t mad at that particular development, though. There would be time later to explore those feelings, but for now, I was focused on studying…. Or, at least, I had been.
Then I’d had to talk to him. Realizing that my outlet wasn’t working had made me panic. I needed to be reachable in case the sitter needed to reach me. So, I had braved talking to him, thinking it would be a quick interaction and he would swiftly forget about me.
He was handsome, with dark hair that flopped in front of his face and glasses that gave him an academic look. But his body was anything but academic. He had long, wiry muscles that had clearly taken some work to develop.
Strong and smart.
It was a surprise I wasn’t visibly drooling over him.
As soon as my phone cable was plugged in, I retreated, since the last thing I wanted to do was outstay my welcome and irritate him. I was single, painfully so. I didn’t know the protocol for talking to members of the opposite sex. The only man I had spoken to for longer than two minutes in the last year was Char’s pediatrician.
I hadn’t even considered dating since finding out I was pregnant. My priorities were graduating and getting a good job, so I could provide for myself and Charlotte. Appreciating an alpha from a distance was all well and good, but there was no way he would ever want to date me, even if we had bantered with ease.
Then he’d placed the coffee and goodies in front of me, awkwardly so. Like he was nervous about giving them to me.
When was the last time someone had bought me coffee? Or a snack?
The chocolate croissant smelled phenomenal, and I knew it was going to taste delicious, just from the smell alone.
He had been shifting from foot to foot as he looked at me like he was trying to gather up the courage to say something. I half expected him to ask me to leave. Maybe the latte and the croissant were simply a peace offering before he asked for some quiet to work.
“No pressure at all—I’ll leave you to your studying—but how would you feel about grabbing dinner sometime?”
He wasn’t asking me to leave. On the contrary, he was asking me on a date. Did I want to go on a date with him? Of course, I wanted to go on a date with him. He was handsome, he smelled amazing, and he was clearly smart. Statistics, advanced or not, weren’t for everyone,
Part of me wanted to say yes. Had I been a normal single omega, I would have done so without hesitation.
“I would love to, but…” I trailed off, trying to find the right words.
Eli’s face fell, and he started to speak. “No, I totally?—”
“I have a daughter,” I blurted. “You should know before you ask me out that I have a daughter, and most people don't really want to date single mothers. The last thing I would want to do is accept before you knew.” I spoke in a rush, eager to get out what I was saying because I didn't want him to think I was rejecting him.
Eli’s eyes widened, and he took a second to think. “Are you single?”
I nodded. I was extremely single, but I didn't want to let on just how single I was. No alpha wanted to date an omega who, until only a few moments before, had tumbleweeds downstairs. “I am,” I confirmed.
“So, what’s the problem?” He smiled. “Because I don’t see any.”
My breathing hitched at his words. I didn’t think I had heard anything as mind-blowing as that in a long time.
“You don't mind that I have a child?” I asked, surprise leaching into my voice.
“If you're single, I don't see why it makes a difference. Wait, that sounded bad. It does make a difference—it’s a big part of who you are, no doubt. I just don't see how it could stop us from going on a date and getting to know each other a little better. That is, if you want to.” His smile was easy, but I had a good nose, like most omegas, and I could tell he was nervous. His scent had a slight charred edge to it, which meant unhappiness.
“I would very much like to,” I admitted in a small voice.
Eli’s face broke out in a smile, and he nodded enthusiastically. “That’s awesome. Okay, here—I’ll give you my number. When’s best for you?” he asked, pulling out his phone.
“During the week is the easiest time to get a sitter. They hike up their prices on the weekend,” I said, grabbing my phone and standing up to exchange numbers.
“You’ve got to respect the hustle.” He chuckled as I handed him my phone, and he typed in his number.
After calling him to check it was correct, he officially had my number.
“I’ve got to get going, but it was really nice meeting you, Kennedy.” He smiled down at me, that look making butterflies erupt in my stomach. “I look forward to seeing you again.”
“Me too,” I said breathlessly before he turned and gathered his things.
Holy hell, I had a date with a hot alpha.
I paid the sitter, thanking her profusely, before going to check on my baby. Char was flat on her back in her crib, dead to the world.
Some of my favorite times were simply watching her sleep. Partly because she was so peaceful and at rest, partly because she wasn't screaming at me.
Becoming a mother had certainly been a trial by fire, but I didn't regret it for a moment. I'd even given her the name of her father. Charlie.
I still occasionally looked on social media for Charlie, but I hadn’t had any luck.
Once I was sure Charlotte was doing okay, I picked up my cell phone and padded into the living room, dialing a familiar number.
“You’re usually asleep by now.” Beth laughed as soon as she picked up the phone.
“I had a late night, studying at the library.”
“You know I would have happily babysat the cutie.”
“I rely on you enough as it is, and I can afford a sitter for the occasional evening.”
“You know I relish any chance I get to see my niece. Did you at least get a lot of work done?”
“Kind of. I may also have gotten a date for next week,” I admitted, biting my lip.
On the other end of the phone, Beth spluttered for a moment. “Okay, I'm going to need all the details.”
“I don't know if it's a good idea. I've got Charlotte?—”
“Does he not know that you have a daughter?”
“No, actually, I told him, and he seemed really chill about it.”
“Well, then, I say you shouldn't question it. You know I will be there to babysit my godchild while you finally go on a date. Trust me, it's been long enough. You need it. A little walk on the wild side could be fun.”
“The last time I walked on the wild side, I ended up with Charlotte.”
“And your life is all the richer for it.”
I hummed in agreement. “And how are you and your potential stepchild doing?” I asked pointedly.
Beth groaned. “That's not fair. I'm just giving her some one-on-one lessons. Her father hasn't even asked me on a date yet. He's far too focused on his daughter, which I totally respect.”
“So, you think it's okay for him not to date, because he's focused on his child, but not for me?”
“Oh, don't twist my words.” Beth huffed, making me laugh.
I knew the real reason she was pretending to respect the fact that the single dad wanted to focus on his child was purely because she had been too nervous to make a move herself. She liked him a lot. They had been dancing around each other for almost two years. If one of them didn't make a move soon, they were going to lose their minds.
“But I thought I'd give you a call and tell you about the guy that I'm going on a date with… Unless you don't want to know, of course.”
“Shut up and tell me everything.”
“That depends. Will you come over and help me pick out what to wear?” I asked.
Beth snorted. “Like you could stop me.”