Someone so professional that they’ll have no problem playing like I’m the most amazing woman in the world. That would show Egret and the others just how much I haven’t thought of them since the day we broke up.
My fingers fumble for my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I find the number for Elite Comfort Services. It’s nearly midnight, but they advertise 24/7 availability for omega emergencies.
If this doesn’t qualify as an emergency, then I don’t know what does.
THREE
MATHEO
The hummingbird hoversjust beyond the reach of my lens, its wings a blur of iridescent green against the backdrop of wildflowers. I adjust my aperture, tracking the tiny creature as it darts from bloom to bloom.
Come on, little guy. Just stay still for one second...
My finger hovers over the shutter button. The bird pauses, its needle-like beak dipping into a trumpet flower. Perfect.
My phone rings, the sound echoing through the quiet forest trail. The hummingbird zips away in a flash of emerald.
Damn. I lower my camera and check the caller ID. Of course, it’s exactly who I think it is.
I tap the screen. “Hi, Mom.”
“Matheo, darling. How is my favorite son today?” Amara Gamba’s voice carries the particular lilt that means she wants something.
“I’m your only son, Mom.” I shift my weight, scanning the trees for any sign of the hummingbird. “What’s up?”
“Can’t a mother call her son without an ulterior motive?”
I laugh, moving to sit on a nearby boulder. “Sure, but that’s not what’s happening right now. I hear it in your voice.”
“Always so perceptive.” She pauses dramatically. “I have a very important client with a special request.”
The sunlight filters through the canopy above, dappling the forest floor. I know exactly where this is going.
“Mom, we’ve talked about this. I’m not interested in being set up with one of your clients.”
“But darling, this is different. She specifically requested?—”
“I don’t care if she offered you her family’s net worth for the best alpha you have available.”
“How did you know she?—”
“Lucky guess.” I roll my eyes, adjusting the strap of my camera bag. “Look, just because I retired early doesn’t mean I’m unemployed and desperate for your matchmaking services.”
“You’re living off your investments and taking pictures of birds, Matheo.”
“Hummingbirds,” I correct her. “And I’m not just living off investments like some trust-fund brat. I built a tech company from nothing, ran it for fifteen years, and sold it for enough money that I never have to work again if I don’t want to, while still retaining an ownership stake. I am literally the living embodiment of the American dream.”
“And yet it’s Tuesday morning and you’re alone on a hiking trail.”
I glance around at the serene forest surrounding me. The air smells of pine and earth. In the distance, a creek bubbles over stones.
“That’s by choice, Mom. I spent too many years in fluorescent-lit boardrooms. I’m enjoying the quiet.”
“Humans aren’t meant to be solitary creatures, especially alphas.”
“I’m not solitary. I have friends. I saw Cash just last week.”
“Cash is a beta who used to work for you?—”
