by Grace, Kenna
My lips slowly pulled up into a smile. “That might be a deal breaker,” I joked. I sat up straight in my chair and rolled my shoulders back.
He drew another deep breath and ran his tongue along his lips. “Fair. If you want to leave,” he continued, shrugging, “I completely understand.”
I averted my eyes from him and stroked my chin. “Well,” I said. “I’ll make you a deal.”
“Shoot.”
“You get us a couple beers, and I can try my best to overlook your lack in music diversity.”
Laughing, Clay signaled the bartender back down and ordered a couple beers. “Lack of music diversity?”
The bartender passed Clay the beers and Clay handed one over to me. “I’ll have you know, I’m a big fan of the top one hundred. That’s a hundred different songs I like right there at any given time. You told me one song you like, by one band. I’d say I’m the one with more music diversity.”
I rolled my eyes and let out a laugh.
“Seriously though,” he said, his voice becoming tenser again. “I’m having a great time tonight, so thank you for that. I was a little nervous about meeting you, but I’m glad I did. Whatever happens after tonight, I just want you to know I appreciate how easy you are to talk to.” He averted his eyes to the floor and nodded. “So, thanks for that, Charlie,” he added, looking back into my eyes.
Guilt continued to pour like rain and thunder and lightning. I wasn’t Charlie, I needed him to know that. But, I really liked Clay. He wasn’t like any other alpha, or omega, for that matter, that I had ever met. Let alone gone on a date with, albeit, one where I wasn’t the intended omega. This was the first time, in a long time, that a date didn’t feel awkward or forced. That in itself was strange enough, considering the entire situation I had thrown myself into. I needed to tell him, no, I had to tell him, but maybe there was a way I could somehow do so while salvaging the time we’d already spent together.
I had to tell him, but maybe, I didn’t have to tell him at this very second.
Clay reached for his other shot and held it out in front of him. “To confessions.”
I shuddered equally to his toast and to the idea of having to down another shot of tequila. I reached for my glass and poured some more salt. My lips pressed together as I arched a brow. “Confessions.”
The second shot didn’t go down any easier than the first. I quickly reached for another slice of lemon and sucked out the juice. I shook the taste from my mouth and fought back the queasiness. The heat of the second shot enveloped my entire body like a hug. I placed the empty glass back down on the bar
“So?”
I glanced back up to Clay, my lips still pursed. “So?” I repeated.
He shrugged his shoulders. “What was your confession?”
My eyes sprung open wide. “Oh, right, confess…” Shit, I almost forgot I was the one who brought up having something to admit. “I just wanted to confess, that, ummm, that I’m glad you weren’t lying when you said you weren’t a crazy person.”
Clay tilted his head to the side. “Oh.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I mean, I told you I wasn’t.” He gave me a wink. “So.” He nodded his head over to one of the empty pool tables “Shall we then?”
6
Clay
Charlie and I walked over to the empty pool table and we each grabbed a cue hanging from the rack on the wall next to it. Charlie chalked his up while I slid a few coins into the receptacle of the side of the table. As soon as I pushed it in, the balls rushed down into the retrieval compartment, banging against the side of the walls and into one another.
I clenched my teeth together until the clanging ceased in the balls all settled. By no means would I consider myself good at pool, but I’d spent my fair share of time back in college shooting a few games with enough booze to make even the regulars miss some guaranteed shots or tap in the eight ball prematurely. “Can you rack?” I asked.
Charlie nodded his head.
He made his way over to the opposite end of the table and pulled out the triangle from a separate compartment. I rolled him a couple balls at a time until he had them all secured in the black plastic rack. He took a few more seconds out there to make sure the black was in the center, the yellow was at the tip of the triangle, and the colors rotated from solids to stripes and from stripes to solid.
“Your break or mine?” he asked, centering the rack of balls and carefully holding up the rack as to not break apart the shape. He stuck the piece of plastic back into the compartment he retrieved it from.
“Well, I’m absolutely horrible at pool, so would you mind if I break?” He chuckled a little to himself. “I mean, if you had ever played more than a couple games, then breaking might be my only chance to actually hit anything.”
I smiled at him and motioned a hand towards the table. “It’s all yours.” I took a few steps back to give him some room.
Charlie positioned the cue ball and leaned over the table to aim his shot. He pulled back his cue stick and looked back at me over his shoulder. “No laughing,” he said, arching his brows.
I raised my hands in front of me. “Promise.”
He pushed the cue forward and back a few times to practice. I couldn’t help but take another step back and admire his body as he leaned against the wood frame of the table. I inhale sharply at the sight of his tight ass.
Suddenly, he took a shot. The cue ball hit the rest with a sharp sound. My eyes quickly gravitated back to the table. “Nice break.”
Charlie was right, he wasn’t great at pool. Technically, the first game was over within the first few minutes when he accidentally sank the eight ball. We decided not to follow the rules too strictly and decided it didn’t count.
“Ugh,” Charlie moaned. “I don’t get it, I swear this cue ball has a mind of its own.”
I chuckled a bit and my lips pulled up into a smile. I was by no means an expert, but I figured I could give him a few tips. I stepped behind him and grabbed the back of his cue stick. “Here, let me help you.”
He offered no resistance and leaned back over the table. I positioned myself over top of him and helped him line up a shot. “It’s all about angles.”
I drew the cue stick back and his arm, positioned ahead of mine, followed along. “See the shot?”
Charlie nodded. Together, we took the shot and sank the last ball on the table into the corner pocket.
He turned back to face me with his eyes opened wide. “Woo!” he cheered, pumping his fist.
I put a hand in the air and gave him a high five. “Another game?”
“Yeah, let’s do it,” he replied enthusiastically. “I’ll get us a couple more drinks, and you can set it up?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He came back a few minutes later and passed me a beer. We spent the next couple hours playing game after game and losing track of time. It wasn’t until a few beers later that I noticed how late it was starting to get.
As great of a time I was having and as reluctant as I was to call it a night, I knew it was getting to be around that time. The sun had already started to set and I knew if we stayed out much longer, it would be all that more difficult to find a way back home. Sure, the subway was always operating, but it wasn’t exactly the safest place to be after dark. “Think we should wrap it up soon?” I asked Charlie, who was trying to clear his last few remaining balls.
He leaned down along the table and took one last shot before glancing up to me and nodding, with a hint of a frown on his face. “Yeah, probably a good idea.”
Charlie took a few more shots before finally calling it quits and knocking the rest of the balls into the pockets with his hand. He passed me his cue stick and I hung them back up on the rack.
I wasn’t certain, but I could have sworn I could sense his disappointment that the night was coming to a close. We grabbed our empty bottles and brought them up to the service desk.
The man working behind the cashier went to the bar to grab
my credit card and charge the tab Charlie and I had built up. Just then, a few people pushed open the front door and made their way inside. A cool breeze rushed through the open door and hit us like a brick wall.
A shiver crawled down my spine and sent goosebumps up my arms. It was already late March, so despite the days beginning to get warmer, the evenings and nights still dropped to teeth chattering temperatures. I could see Charlie shivering next to me.
Instinctively, I reached out an arm and snaked it around his back, pulling him closer to me. It was a complete reflex, but I let out a sigh of relief when he looked up at me with a smile and nestled his head against my chest. “Going to make it home alright?” I asked. “I can get you a taxi?”
Charlie shook his head. “No, that’s fine, thank you, though. Shouldn’t take me that long to get back home. Besides, New York is beautiful at night, so I don’t mind the few extra minutes the subway takes.”
Even nestled against the warmth of my body, I could feel Charlie shiver beneath his blazer.
“I wasn’t expecting it to get so chilly tonight,” he said.
I moved my arm away from him and pulled out a scarf that I always kept in one of my jacket pockets and draped it around his neck. “Better?”
He nodded his head. “Much. Thank you.”
I held on to either side of the scarf and looked deep into his eyes. He made me feel so vulnerable in the most beautiful way possible, in a way someone hadn’t made me feel in a long while. My focus moved from his eyes down to his lips.
A surging tide of warmth flowed through my body. I leaned in a little closer. My heart throbbed hard in my chest. It had been so long since I had kissed someone, but not an ounce of nervousness possessed me. The moment felt right. Charlie leaned in a little closer.
Time felt as though it stood still, as inch by inch, our lips gravitated towards each other. They touched, ever so slightly, as I kissed him gently. At that moment, we weren’t in a busy bar in the middle of New York. Right now, we were in our own little private world. My eyes drifted shut.
Suddenly, the man working the cashier made his way back from the bar.
Charlie and I pulled away, but the taste of barely and hops on his lips lingered on my own.
The man handed me my card and receipt. “Thanks for coming out tonight, hope the two of you had a good time.”
“Take care.”
We made our way towards the exit, walking hand-in-hand. Once we got outside, neither of us said a word for a few seconds, not wanting the night to end, but knowing it had to at some point. “So, I had a great time tonight.”
Charlie’s eyes beamed and his lips tugged up into a smile. “Yeah, so did I.”
“Maybe we can do it again?” I reached into my pocket, and snaked out my phone. “Why don’t you give me your number? I’d love to see you again.”
Charlie hesitated for a second and his face went cold.
My nerves started to get the best of me again. Despite the cold weather, I could feel my body start to sweat. I expected him to immediately agree. I mean, I had a great night, and it really did seem like he did as well. “Only if you want to though,” I assured him. “Like I said, whatever happens after tonight, I really appreciate you showing me a good time.”
He glanced down to the pavement and drew a deep breath. “I’d love to go out with you again, as well.” He looked back into my eyes, paused a second longer, and then finally listed off his number.
Something felt off, but I wasn’t sure what. He didn’t have to give me his number if he didn’t want to see me again, but he did. Still, I could hear the hesitation in his voice. Regardless, I saved his number into my phone.
After I tucked my phone back into my pocket, Charlie reached for the scarf I had draped around him and began to remove it. I reached out a hand and stopped him. It was a cool night, and him having it for his way back home made me feel a little more at ease. “Keep it,” I said.
“Are you sure?” he replied, hesitantly.
I nodded. “I’m sure. Besides, I can get it back another night.”
He fastened the scarf back around his neck. “Is that your excuse for us to see each other again?”
I let out a laugh. “I mean, I’d be lying if I said the thought didn’t cross my mind.”
Charlie’s lips tugged up into a smile. “And if I refuse to give it back?”
His banter set my nerves back at ease. “Well, that’s stealing.” I gave him a wink. “I’m not a lawyer or anything,” I said, reaching out and brushing a hand over the tail of the scarf, “but this is cashmere. I’d say that would be a mandatory three-month sentence.”
He rolled his eyes and let out a laugh. “You’re such a dork.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “A dork with a sense of fashion.” I leaned in close to him and gave him one last kiss on the cheek. “Get home safe.”
7
Elliott
Adam raised the cup of coffee he had clenched between both hands and brought it to his lips to take a sip. “Mmmm,” he moaned. “This tastes amazing. How did you even find out about this place?”
I brought Adam to the café that Clay had brought me to. It had been a few days since our date, or should I say, his and Charlie’s date, and I hadn’t heard from him since. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I felt about not hearing from him. I assumed he spoke to his friend and found out I wasn’t actually Charlie.
On one hand, I had an absolutely amazing time with him, and was a little bit upset we hadn’t spoken since. On the other hand, I was also a little relieved. Relieved that I didn’t have to pretend to be someone else anymore.
“Elliott?”
Snapped out of my daydream, I looked up to Adam. “Hmm?”
He raised a brow. “Did you even hear me?”
I shot him a sideways glance. For whatever reason, I couldn’t seem to get Clay out of my mind, and it was really starting to interfere with my daily life. I clicked the home screen on my phone to check my notifications. Still no text from him. “Sorry, haven’t really felt myself the last couple days.”
“Still obsessing over that guy?”
My face went red. I totally wasn’t obsessing over anyone. I checked my phone again. Still nothing.
“Elliott!” He beamed.
I looked back up at him and met him with wide eyes. “What? No!”
He drew a deep breath and let out a sigh. “Right,” he replied, sarcastically. “Why don’t you just message him?”
I turned my phone face down on the table to keep myself from getting distracted again. “Don’t have his number.”
Adam raised a brow. “You’re telling me,” he said. “You had an amazing date with the first alpha you could stand being around for longer than five minutes, and you didn’t get his number?”
My shoulders shrugged. I had told Adam all about Clay and our date, but his constant badgering for information was starting to make me regret the decision. From his point of view, not getting his number was a total dating foul, but then again, I didn’t exactly tell him the whole truth. Conveniently, I left out the part where I pretended I was someone else. “No, I just gave him my number.”
He clicked his tongue off the roof of his mouth. “And what did we learn from this experience?”
“That maybe it wasn’t meant to be?” I said, being a smart ass.
Adam rolled his eyes. “No, what we learned was that you can’t put all your faith in alphas, and that sometimes, you have to be the one that takes the initiative. You’re a strong, independent omega. You get his number. You want another date and he doesn’t call? You call him. I know you’ve been out of the dating game for a while now, but it’s the twenty-first century, dude. The game’s changed.”
Slumping in my chair, I let out a sigh. He wasn’t wrong, I had been out of the dating game for a while. Sure, things had changed, but if one thing was still the same, it was that catfishing was still a shitty thing to do.
Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone
. “What was his name again?”
“Clay. Why?”
“Last name?”
I shrugged. “No idea.” I tapped a finger along the table. “Why?” I repeated.
He tapped a few more buttons on his phone before replying. “Checking Facebook. Would’ve helped if you had last name, but maybe he’ll pop up on a mutual friends list or something.”
A rush of adrenaline spiked through my veins as I reached out and snatched the phone from his hands.
“Hey!” he shouted.
A few people sitting at tables nearby shot us a glance.
Embarrassed, I could feel my face start to blush. I passed Adam back his phone. “Please don’t,” I begged.
“Well, if he doesn’t send you a text, and you don’t want to look him up online, then how are you ever going to see him again?”
I sighed. As much as I wanted to see him again, maybe it was for the best that I didn’t. Even if he hadn’t yet found out I wasn’t Charlie, he would sooner or later. Either Nick, the guy who set him up, would tell him, or I would have to myself. And really, even if he had a great of a time as I had, the odds of him wanting to go out again with the person who pretended to be his blind date weren’t exactly looking good.
Despite knowing that, I still couldn’t get him off my mind. I really did want to see him again, but it was hard to argue how much easier it would be if I didn’t. “Look, I get what you’re saying,” I replied. “But, he said he would message me, and he hasn’t. Maybe he just isn’t a reliable type of guy. Do I really want to put myself out there for someone unreliable?”
Adam hemmed and hawed. “Now you’re just being negative. Who knows, maybe he broke his phone. Maybe he saved the wrong number. Hell, maybe he’s just nervous and waiting a couple days so he doesn’t come off as needy.”
He didn’t know the entire context of our date, but Adam was right about one thing, I definitely wasn’t the most positive person. The past few years were rough and I’d had more than my fair share of bad relationships. “Maybe,” I agreed. “Or maybe he just isn’t that interested. I mean, Leon?” I continued. “Need I say more?”