Chapter Seven
“Perhaps not your kind of beauty, but this place means a lot to me.”
Apollo reminded himself that he needed to be more present as he heard Titus speaking.
Titus wasn’t Artemis. They’d had an enjoyable time in the cafe.
Apollo didn’t eat much, but he was happy to watch how efficiently and quickly Titus demolished a full breakfast and a large mug of coffee.
There was something very grounding about such a mundane activity.
Titus was also efficient in his phone usage, texting someone, presumably Regis, his manager, but immediately putting the phone down when he was finished, not paying any attention to the numerous notifications that Apollo had noticed on the screen.
He seemed intent on giving his attention to Apollo, and that was a heady feeling, especially coming from someone Apollo had been so determined to stay away from.
The dice have been rolled. Let’s see where they land.
For a god who preferred to keep to the background, Apollo realized the attention could be addictive. So pay attention – relationships are a two-way street.
Looking around, all Apollo saw was an extremely large parking lot with five trucks in it. The trucks had gleaming paintwork, shiny chrome, and some of the artwork done on the doors of the cabs looked colorful and made Apollo smile.
But Titus had been right. Beauty wasn’t the first word that came to Apollo’s mind. The place seemed more functional in its design. “This business is something you’ve worked for,” he said. “Your pride in this place is evident in your voice. That’s lovely to see.”
“This is a very small part of my fleet.” Titus had gotten out of the car, and Apollo quickly followed.
Walking across the parking lot to a single-story building.
“I run everything from here,” Titus explained.
“It houses my office, the payroll office, Regis has his own space, and in the back, we have a break room with a separate bathroom in case drivers get in late and want to shower before they go home.”
“It sounds like you’ve thought of everything your staff might need.”
Titus chuckled. “Not exactly. My drivers would tell you they’d appreciate a spa room and a full-time chef, but they’re only teasing.
I started my business with one truck,” he added.
“Regis and I would take turns driving so we could keep our logbooks legit, working our butts off taking any runs we could get until we could afford a second truck, and then a third, and so on.”
“You must love driving.”
“My wolf loves to roam,” Titus murmured close to his ear. Straightening, he continued, “I’m proud of all my drivers. A lot of them have been with me for two years or more, and they all know that they have the backing of their company behind them.
“From organizing routes, planning delivery dates, and all the information that goes on behind the scenes, we make sure that the drivers can complete their trips in a comfortable time frame. It saves a lot on truck repair if they’re not speeding to meet a deadline or taking silly risks with the number of hours they’re on the road.
That probably doesn’t mean much to you, does it? ”
Shaking his head, Apollo grinned. “Nope. But I’m guessing that means a lot to your drivers.”
“It does.” Titus seemed pleased that Apollo got that much at least. “My drivers are loyal, and they work darn hard, but they are well-rewarded for it. Their rate of pay is higher than standard, they all have health benefits and ample vacation time a year, and I pay bonuses to all drivers who meet their delivery targets. It seems to work.”
They’d reached the building and Titus leaned forward, opening the door for Apollo to go through. Apollo’s first impression was “bland,” but he reminded himself that much like Artemis’s office, the building was a place of work.
The smile on the woman’s face who was sitting at the reception desk spoke far more volume than the generic artwork and the beige walls. She’s happy to be working here.
“Mr. Haverland, there are a few messages and a few calls...”
“I’m sure there are.” Titus was smiling as he reached over the desk, taking a pile of paper slips from her hand.
“I won’t be available for the rest of the day, so if anybody else gets in touch, please pass them on to Regis, if you wouldn’t mind.
By the way, this gentleman is Apollo. You’ll be seeing a lot of him around here. ”
An unusual way to introduce your mate, but then Apollo was rarely introduced to anyone in modern times.
He smiled at the woman, who was wearing a little name plate that said “Brenda.” “It’s nice to meet you, Brenda,” he said, although he didn’t have a chance to say anything else.
Titus was already leading him down the hallway, which appeared to have offices on either side.
“The entrance to the drivers’ area is through another door at the back of the building, but on this side we have payroll, dispatch, our facilities, and Regis’s office.” Titus poked his head around the door. “And he’s not there, so he’s clearly in my office. This way.”
It was obvious which door led to Titus’s office. The discreet gold sign with black lettering spelling out Titus’s name was a big giveaway. Titus opened the door, ushering Apollo into another functional office.
There wasn’t anything of any comfort there, although Apollo did notice a large picture of what looked like natural wolves racing across a wooded area somewhere remote on the wall above some filing cabinets.
Moving closer, he could see it had actually been painted – an original work of art.
The brushwork was detailed and beautiful, showcasing a lot of talent.
Apollo was keen to know more about the person who’d painted it.
The wolves in particular looked as though they were one step from jumping out of the painting.
“Regis, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Titus said.
Apollo jumped. So caught up in the painting, he’d forgotten about the other two men in the room. He turned away from the painting, a half-smile on his face.
“I’m proud to introduce you to Apollo, one of the two owners of Orion Industries.
” Titus looked back over his shoulder, perhaps checking the door was closed, or that there was no one in the hallway, and then said in a lower voice, “I was right about the pull I was feeling to Orion Industries. Apollo is my mate.”
“Mate?” Regis swallowed hard, his eyes wide. “That’s just blown out my alpha bingo card for the year.” He was clearly another wolf shifter – a slimmed-down version of Titus, although nowhere near as confident or imposing, which was a look Titus seems to convey without even thinking about it.
“I can’t believe it. An actual ancient god!” Regis was bobbing his head up and down as though he was bowing. “In our office.”
“I’m just like anybody else underneath,” Apollo said, his cheeks heating. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s amazing to meet you. Titus, you’re mated!” Regis was now looking between them. “That’s…I mean. Wow! I mean, congratulations, definitely. I’m sure you’ll both be very happy with each other.”
“We have to get to know each other first,” Titus said with the same amount of firmness and confidence that he had exhibited since Apollo had met him.
“What better way to get to know each other than for Apollo and me to take a road trip. I’ll take one of the longer routes, if there are any free.
Spending time in a cab together will give us a chance to see how we fit. ”
“I could think of a few better ways, but you always did do things your own way. Why should your claiming be any different?” Regis chuckled.
“Your truck is fueled, checked, and ready to go. I wasn’t sure where you wanted to go, but there’s a route to Denver transporting non-perishables.
If you fancy going any further, there’s a load for pick up there, destination Austin.
Although, if you don’t fancy the second leg of the trip, there is another driver finishing up in Denver within a day of your expected arrival, so you can just bring the truck back to Buffalo if you’ve had enough of cab life. ”
“That will be an interesting trip, and it will give us a chance to stop at a couple of places along the way.” Titus picked up a clipboard from his desk and quickly flipped through the papers.
“This is good,” he added, tapping the papers.
“We’ve got a week on what is effectively a three-day trip, so there’s no chance of being late.
That’s all perfect. Thanks. Apollo, do you mind staying here for a few minutes?
I need to get changed. There’s no way I’m wearing a suit in the truck, but fortunately, I always carry a set of spare clothes in my office. ”
Crossing the room, Titus reached under a small corner couch, pulling out a duffel bag. “I promise I won’t be more than a few minutes.”
Apollo shrugged and smiled. “That’s fine.
I’m quite happy here.” He went over and sat on the same couch Titus had pulled the duffel bag out from under.
It was almost as though he could see the desire in Titus’s eyes – that need to drag him into the bathroom and…
Apollo didn’t need to have the sight to know what Titus wanted to do.
But Titus touched his arm briefly, his fingers lingering a few seconds before he left the room.
“I can’t believe you’re an actual god,” Regis said quietly. “I have to admit, I’ve never met one before. Are people expected to bow in your presence, or call you by a specific honorific? None of us here would want to be disrespectful, but we do have to be discreet with non-paranormal staff.”
That’s a first. Apollo couldn’t remember the last time someone on Earth was worried about being respectful in his presence. “I’m guessing you’re the only other paranormal in the building?” Apollo asked.
Regis nodded.