Dakota’s had only lasted for a split secondbefore he’d headed into the kitchen. Watching him search had been cute becausehe’d started at the exact opposite side of the room than just about anyonewould have, so I knew he’d still been lost in thought.
Looking in the drawer right beside the fridgeand the corkboard filled with notes had seemed like the best place to start tome, but not to a creative type still caught up in the moment. “I got him anotebook and he wrote a ton of notes then we talked. He didn’t remember me atall. He thought I was the short one in the picture I sent him.”
Rowan laughed. “More like he thought you’dbe the omega so he didn’t have to worry about having a sexy alpha as anassistant.”
“Oh yeah.” I just hoped he wouldn’t getdistracted by that part and ignore the rest.
Hiring me was practical. I was a damnedgood assistant and I knew exactly what he needed and understood what he wrote.There wasn’t going to be anyone who was more perfectly qualified than me.
Rowan’s face scrunched up. “But the adminseries…”
“Yeah, that’s making him uncomfortable.” Iknew a lot of his books were just fantasies and nothing he was reallyinterested in personally. But the way he wrote that one series always stuck outto me. Those books were too good not to be special to him.
“Yeah, his walking talking dream man justpopped up in the kitchen and wants to make all his dirty dreams a reality.” Rowangrinned as I groaned. “It’d be hot but weird as fuck.”
“I’m never going to get the job.” Icouldn’t help looking around the living room again. He had to be hiding in oneof Austin’s other rooms. The house was made for entertaining, but I hadn’t seenany rumors about parties here recently.
Rowan seemed to think about it seriouslyfor a few seconds. “I think you should talk to him today instead of letting himstew on it. Not like weirdI’m not going to leave you alonebehavior,obviously. But if he worries about it, he might end up getting embarrassed andtrying to avoid you.”
“You think?” He seemed a bit flustered,but…
Rowan interrupted, nodding and giving me alook like I was an obtuse alpha who just didn’t get it. He was usually rightwhen I got that expression from him. “He’s a sub and, from everything I’ve readabout him, a bit of a recluse. Gossips online make it sound like he’shardworking and passionate about his job, but if he fits in with this crowd,he’s probably a bit shy and really awkward in real-life situations.”
He might have had a point there too.
“So no creepy weirdo behavior, but make itclear I want to talk now instead?” That was going to be a tall order.
Rowan chuckled. “How about start with afriend? Like the hot growly one who was just over here?”
I snorted. “No, I’m aiming for friendly andunderstanding, not weird and likely to kill me in my sleep.”
“And you say you didn’t get your parents’imaginations.” Rowan grinned. “So which one?”
I’d seen Dakota talking to a few people,but I wasn’t sure who would be more receptive. Austin seemed to be the one whowould most likely be able to talk Dakota into something insane, but thatprobably wasn’t what I needed to aim for.
“The quiet one.” I looked around the room,searching for the quiet omega he’d been laughing with earlier. “Dakota wastalking to someone who had to be a good friend earlier. It was one of the onlytimes he smiled since he got here. Gotcha.”
Over in the corner, looking like he wastrying to hide from everyone, was the guy he’d been talking to. “Wish me luck.”
Rowan giggled and shoved me toward thecorner. “I’m the one who needs luck. Now that we’ve talked, every alpha in hereis going to think we’re dating or something.”
I snorted. “I don’t date crazy.”
I was aiming for creative and unique.
More quiet giggles followed me as I startedweaving my way through the room. When a friend of a friend had invited me, I’dassumed it was some kind of joke at first, but after a bit of cajoling fromhim, I’d agreed to at least show up. From the crowd in the room, it looked likemore than a few people had taken the plunge too.
But I hadn’t relaxed any when I’d gotten tothe private gate and had been grilled by a huge fucking alpha who was takingsecurity very seriously. After listing off who I was and who’d invited me and explainingthat I was there tovisit a good friend—the code to get into the party—Iwas eventually let in.
I had to stop complaining, though, when Irealized whose house we’d been invited to.
Thankfully, all the photographers who’dbeen following him around lately were distracted by some kind of surprise movierelease party that was happening a few hours away. I didn’t follow thecelebrities that were in the movie, but according to some gossip at the party,Austin might have asked for help distracting the paparazzi.
Dakota lived in the strangest world.
He made my parents and their friends looksane, so it was impressive.
The quiet omega’s eyes started to widen asI walked closer, and he seemed to be deciding if he wanted to duck behind apotted tree in the corner. Since I didn’t look like some kind of troll, Iguessed it wasn’t me specifically that made him nervous.
