by Grace, Aria
Today is a little different, though. It's one of the rare mornings when I’m up before them. I've figured out my way around the kitchen, and I feel comfortable enough to try to cook something for them to show my appreciation for the way that they've accepted me.
At no point have I felt like I’m a third wheel. They may have met each other first, but so far, they've managed to keep me from feeling like that preexisting relationship takes priority. I'm grateful for that. It was one of my biggest fears and…if I'm being honest…it still is a little bit.
But they've done everything they can to make me feel at home. Not only that, but we've spent most of our afternoons "making up for lost time" as Farron calls it. I don't think I've ever had this much sex in my whole life put together.
I'm not a skilled chef or anything, but I'm good enough that it doesn't take me long to get some eggs scrambled up. I'm putting them on plates when Farron emerges from the hallway with dark rimmed eyes and a bad case of bedhead.
"I told you we should have called it quits before midnight." I have to laugh as he plops into one of the chairs around the table. "You were insatiable."
"Your 'voice of reason' act lasted for all of five seconds. You stopped protesting pretty quickly when Garrett started sucking your dick," Farron mumbles while stifling a yawn.
I turn to the coffee pot and pour him a cup. "It's hard to protest anything when the self-proclaimed 'King of BJs' gets anywhere near your dick."
I carry the steaming cup to the table and set it in front of him. Farron gratefully pulls it close and inhales the scent like it's some life-giving incense.
"What are you doing up so early, anyway?" Farron wraps both hands around the much and holds it to his chest after taking a drink. "You're never the first one out of bed."
"I thought I'd surprise you guys, that's all." I shrug and go back to the stove.
There's a little more to it than that, but I don't feel like getting into the details right now. I'd rather not spoil a pleasant morning.
A few minutes pass before Garrett strides into the kitchen. He's fully dressed and looks like he's been up for hours even though I know he was dead to the world less than thirty minutes ago. Garrett is the very definition of a morning person.
"My two favorite omegas," he purrs as he approaches the table and kisses Farron's forehead before heading toward me. He fondly kisses my cheek before giving me a little tap on the ass. "I'm glad you're both awake." He leans against the counter while pouring himself a cup of coffee. "I get to kiss you both goodbye before I head out."
I frown but don't say anything.
"You're leaving?" Farron asks, clearly as surprised by his announcement as I am.
"Just heading into town.” Garrett carries his coffee cup to the table. "I got a text from my realtor. He thinks he's found the perfect spot for the office, but it's already got several offers on it." He pauses to take a deep drink from his cup. "I have to hurry if I want to get in on the action."
I quickly finish fixing plates of scrambled eggs for all three of us and carry them to the table. "Can you at least eat something before you go?" I ask as I set a plate in front of Garrett.
"Of course. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." He grins at me before taking a seat.
As we begin eating, I hear the distinct sound of a cellphone ringing from one of the back rooms.
"It's mine." Farron groans and jumps up from his chair to go in search of it.
Garrett and I dig in to our food and wait for him to return.
"Fuck!" Farron shouts from the bedroom. I hear him slamming drawers of his dresser as he stomps around the room.
With a concerned glance toward Garrett, I rise from my chair. The alpha shrugs but follows my lead and we make our way down the hallway toward the bedroom.
Farron is storming around the bedroom and pulling on clothing in a hurry. Every now and then, he pauses to glance in the mirror where he tries, unsuccessfully, to smooth down his bedhead.
"Hey, babe, what's wrong?" Though I'm somewhat self-conscious about using a term of endearment like that, it feels right for the situation. To my relief, neither Farron nor Garrett react to it.
"Fucking, fuckers are fucking canceling." His words don’t make any sense as he struggles with the buttons on his shirt.
"Who's canceling?" Garrett’s calm voice seems to stop some of Farron’s frenetic energy.
Farron takes a deep breath and presses a palm to his forehead as he lets his eyes fall closed. He's clearly overwhelmed and doesn't know where to begin.
I cross the room too and begin helping him with his buttons. He opens his eyes and looks at me gratefully before kissing my cheek. When he speaks again, he's much calmer.
"That was Mouse," Farron says, gesturing to where his phone was tossed on the bed. "He's had four different clients call in today and cancel their reservations. Two more just sent emails saying they won't be needing our services."
"Okay, that's six clients," says Garrett from where he's leaning against the door frame behind me. "You guys are usually booked out three months in advance. That's not so bad."
Farron sighs and shakes his head. "It is when you take into account the direct emails I've been getting over the last few days. Clients have been jumping ship all week. These are our highest paying clients too. The ones hiring multiple omegas for parties and photo shoots. We've still got some of our lower paying regulars that hire here and there, plus most of our domestic help omegas are still employed, but everyone else is screwed. With these most recent cancellations, I'd say about seventy percent of my omegas are out of work."
I finish buttoning Farron's shirt and help him tuck it in so it's not bunched up. He's preoccupied and doesn't seem to notice right away. When he does, he smiles at me and pulls me into his arms. “Thank you.”
Being so close to him, I can feel him trembling, and I'm almost certain his heart is racing. I don't have a very good head for business, but even I know that things are dire.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Garrett fully enters the room and pulls the two of us into his arms.
"Because I don't know why it's happening, and I don't know how to stop it." Farron sounds like he's on the verge of tears. "All I know is that the last two weeks have been the happiest of my entire life, and I didn't want to interrupt it with my work problems."
"I want to help however I can," I say as Garrett releases us and we step apart. "Just tell me what to do."
"I…I just need to get to the office. I'll call the clients and try to figure out what's going on," says Farron. "Maybe then I can get to the bottom of this."
"Then I'm going with you." I begin hunting for my clothes, determined to do what I can for Farron and his company. One of the few times I've left the house recently was to get my things from Omega House.
Farron and Garrett never officially asked me to move in, it just kind of happened one afternoon while I was washing the same outfit for the hundredth time. Garrett and Farron loaded me up in their car, and we picked up my things. It felt so natural at the time that I didn't even question it.
My life is here now, with them.
As Farron sits on the foot of the bed with a defeated look in his face, I quickly get dressed.
"If things don’t pick up, I can always lend Omega for Hire some money to keep you afloat," says Garrett, kneeling on the floor in front of Farron. "I know how much it means to you."
"No." Farron doesn't even hesitate to kill that idea. "We agreed that this business would have to sink or swim on its own. I don't want it to become a money drain. I want to be able to contribute something to our little family. If it fails, then it fails. I'll move on to something else. But I'm not giving up without a fight."
32
Farron
I think I broke more than the speed limit as I drove to Omega for Hire. Despite doing my best to try to stay calm, I’m terrified for my company and my employees, and it's affecting my ability to concentrate on the road.
&nbs
p; I'm just grateful Jason offered to come along with me. Having him in the car helps me stay rooted in the present.
On top of everything that's going on with Omega for Hire, I can't help feeling guilty for ruining everyone's good time. The past two weeks have been pure bliss, and I didn't want that to end. Which is why I put this off for longer than I should have.
Now my poor work ethic will probably cost me my business.
When I pull into the parking lot, I’m annoyed to see my reserved spot has been compromised…again. I don't have time for this shit and very seriously contemplate parking behind the asshole that took my spot. Once again, it's Jason's presence that helps me redirect my anger and keeps me from doing something that will probably only make things worse.
Just as I find a different parking spot, I notice Mouse jogging toward me from the direction of the front door.
"I'm glad you're here." He’s panting and trying to catch his breath as I climb out of the car. I don't think I've ever seen him look this worried before.
"Have you figured this out yet?" I don't bother locking the car doors. Someone can steal the damn thing for all I care. I'm having a shit day, and it would be the perfect cherry on top. As I begin following Mouse toward the entrance, I hear the car doors lock and look back to see Jason sprinting to catch up.
I can't help but smile slightly at him. He's a fucking angel, and I love him to pieces. It seems like he’s saving me from myself at every turn.
Mouse opens the door and holds it open for Jason too. "No, but you've got a couple of people here waiting to see you.”
As soon as we’re inside the lobby, I find myself face to face with several people I've never met before.
"Ah, you must be the owner of this fine establishment." A particularly greasy looking man with slicked back hair and a cheap suit holds out his hand to me. "I'm Frank, Frank Dalton, and this is my business partner Harry."
Frank and Harry are both alphas, and they both give off a distinctly superior vibe as they shake my hand.
"I'm Farron, and this is my secretary, Jason. What can I do for you gentlemen?" Despite my instincts telling me to steer clear of these guys, I direct them inside.
As the four of us file into my office, I’m embarrassed by the pile of paperwork scattered across my desk. I should have least come by to check on how things were faring these last few weeks. I've been distracted for too long, and the neglect is starting to show.
"Well, I'll get right down to brass tacks as it were." Frank settles into a chair in front of my desk and folds his hands in his lap. "Harry and I would like to buy you out."
I force myself to swallow the lump in my throat, and I'm grateful that my college drama classes gave me such a good poker face.
"Do you really?" I take a seat behind my desk. Jason has already taken up a position on the sofa and has opened up the laptop that he left there the last time we were in the room. That feels like a lifetime ago.
"Indeed," says Frank with a broad grin. "We've opened a business on the other side of town. Omegas R Us, maybe you've heard of us?" By the way he's smiling, I get the immediate sense that he's been the one poaching my clients.
"Ah, yes. I'm aware of you." I'm lying through my teeth, but he doesn't need to know that. Better to play my cards close to my chest. I’ll figure out the details and fill in the blanks later on.
"Well then, you're aware that a lot of people are very happy with the kind of work we provide." Frank leans back in his chair with a confident arrogance that makes me want to punch him in the teeth. "Now, I know you've been losing customers lately. I also know your operating costs are…substantial."
He glances around the room as he speaks as if judging me based on my interior decorating choices.
"Your point?" I prompt him while trying to maintain an air of civility.
"My point is that I'm willing to make you an offer on this place that will more than cover any losses you've incurred as well as net you a tidy profit. You can get out of this business clean as a whistle and none the worse for wear." Frank seems pleased with his offer while Harry nods mutely in agreement.
"And what if I don't want to sell?" I feel like I already know the answer to this question. This isn't a negotiation. This is a bully trying to force a competitor out of the ring. In Frank's mind, there's no room for both of us to operate within the same city.
"Well…" Frank sits up and rests his elbows on my desk. "That would be a mistake. Your customers like my business. I can only assume your employees will too. How many people have to leave before your well starts to run dry? How long can you keep the lights on when no one's hiring your omegas to clean their houses or fuck their alphas?"
I grind my teeth silently. It's just as I thought. Frank's just a thug disguised as a business man. While he may not be doing anything illegal, he's still operating like little more than a common criminal. Intimidating people, cutting off their access to resources, and trying to force them out.
"Thank you for your offer." I clear my throat and stand up, gesturing toward the office door. "I'll be sure to take it into consideration. You gentlemen have a nice day."
Frank and Harry rise from their chairs, but their demeanor has shifted. They were cordial before, but now I can almost feel the hostility wafting off them.
"Think it over, little omega. This offer won't last forever." Frank turns and leaves with his partner following close behind him.
I remain standing, watching them from behind the glass wall as they make their way into the lobby. Once I'm sure they've left the building, I drop heavily back into my chair.
"Those dicks need a swift kick in the ass." Jason climbs to his feet and approaches the desk. "Are you okay?"
I shake my head slowly and lift my right hand. It’s trembling, and I have to clutch it tightly with my left hand in order to make it stop. The entire confrontation relied on my adrenaline. Now that it's over, I feel like I'm about to collapse.
"Hey, hey… I'm here." Jason pulls me into his arms, and I gratefully burrow my face against his chest. "We should call Garrett and let him know what happened."
I nod numbly but can’t say anything. My mind is spinning a million miles a minute, and I'm struggling to string my thoughts together.
"No…" I say as Jason reaches for his cellphone. "Let's not bother him just yet. He's coming by for lunch. We can tell him about it then."
I take a deep breath as the numbness to my extremities starts to wane, and I'm finally able to see through the fog in my brain.
"Are you sure?" Jason asks uncertainly.
"Yes. There's nothing he can do about it now. We'll tell him later. Besides, right now, we've got work to do." My determination is back. I'm not beaten down just yet. Frank seems to think we've taken heavy losses, but I know we're not quite in the red.
"What are we doing?" Jason is watching me intently as I rifle through the desk drawer.
"Get Mouse, and tell him to print out the client lists." After a moment of searching, I finally locate the dry erase markers I bought ages ago. I've never even opened the package.
Jason nods and quickly runs out into the hallway.
With a small smile, I open the package. I've wanted to do this since I had the glass walls installed. I pull the lid off one marker and begin making notes on the glass.
By the time Jason and Mouse join me, I've created several headings for us to sort the clients into. It's not very high tech, but I've always worked better when I can write things down long hand instead of typing everything into a computer.
The three of us sit down and begin sorting through the client list. Clients who have left already go into one column while the ones who have stayed are in another. The final column is for clients who haven't been back in a long time.
Just from that exercise alone, it’s clear that while those guys have managed to scrape off several of our top paying clients, Frank hasn’t actually disrupted our base. Our most loyal clients—those with long standing accounts—have stayed with us.
The only way he'll get them to move is if he can woo away the omegas those clients hire most often.
My brain has switched into damage control mode. Frank's threat to begin recruiting my omegas has me worried. If he gets a few of the favorite omegas like Dante to leave, we'll be in serious trouble. Not only does Dante have a lot of clients, but he's popular with the other omegas too.
I chew on my lip for a moment as I consider the list before me.
"I don't think we're going to get anywhere unless we find out exactly what services they're offering and what their prices look like." Mouse has always been good about getting a handle on things like this. "It could be that they're simply undercutting our prices."
I shake my head. "Maybe, but they're focusing on luring away our highest paying clients. These guys are the ones least motivated by lower costs. I'm not sure price is the issue here."
"So maybe they're just offering more value? Or more incentives." Mouse shrugs as he looks down at the client list in his hands. "Either way, I think you need to consider what you're going to do to keep your omegas from being poached."
Before I can say anything, I notice Garrett entering through the front door in the lobby. He's carrying some plastic bags that look like Chinese takeout…my weakness. My stomach growls loudly and I realize that we've already been at this for several hours.
"What's going on in here?" Garrett asks as he enters the office.
I'm sure the scene must look insane. Here I am writing on the walls while Mouse and Jason dig through a pile of paper printouts.
"Do you have time for lunch?" Garrett holds up a bag, and I can smell the sweet and sour pork from where I'm standing.
"If you don't mind, I'll take my lunch break." Mouse tilts his head toward the door.