Mr. Alpha: A 6 Book Alpha Male Romance Collection

by Alexis Gold

  “Both.”

  Calvin nodded, trying to imagine what her childhood had been like. “What was your childhood like?” Calvin asked when his imagination disappointed him.

  “Great,” Morgan replied. “I was the only child, but I never felt it.”

  “Are you parents American?” Calvin asked, wondering if that question could possibly be construed as offensive. So he added, “If you don’t mind my asking.”

  “My father is Nigerian,” Morgan replied. “And my mother is from Chad. They met in college there, married a year later and moved to the states soon after their honeymoon.”

  “Have you ever visited Africa?” he asked curiously.

  “I haven’t actually,” Morgan replied. “It’s something I’ve always been deeply ashamed of. I wasn’t even born there, but somehow I feel as though I was.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes,” Morgan said. “I don’t know… I guess I feel that way because of my parents. They always spoke about their countries with such love. There was a real pride there and it just rubbed off on me. Plus, I have lots of relatives in Chad and Nigeria that I’ve never even met. I have cousins, aunts and uncles. I even have a grandmother who’s still alive.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah, she’s ninety-three years old though,” Morgan said. “I doubt I’ll ever meet her.”

  “Don’t say that,” Calvin urged. “You could make it happen.”

  “It would have to happen soon,” Morgan explained. “And I just don’t have the time.”

  “Maybe you should make the time,” Calvin suggested.

  Morgan smiled, “Maybe you’re right.”

  “So,” Calvin said subconsciously leaning in, “What were the names of your cats growing up?”

  Morgan mirrored Calvin’s body language and launched into a detailed description of the cats she had grown up with. Calvin was amazed at how interesting a conversation that revolved around cats was turning out to be. He found himself hanging on her words, waiting for her next question or statement. He liked the way she moved her hands around a lot when she spoke. He liked the way she pulled at her earring out of habit. He liked the way she smiled at the waitress whenever she refilled their water glasses or passed by them.

  Morgan found herself forgetting that this was a business date. Her interest in the conversation overtook her professional observations, until she forgot all the points she had mapped out for Calvin. He was a little odd, Morgan had seen that from the start, but it was an endearing type of oddness. It complemented him, it gave his personality more charm, more color. She found herself becoming less critical of his appearance. His long ragged hair was a unique statement and his barely-there beard was an acquired taste, but Morgan found herself growing to like both. He had a very unaffected manner about him that Morgan appreciated. He was not pretentious or proud, despite everything he had accomplished at such a young age. None of that had gone to his head. Instead, he had maintained being the nerdy adolescent he had been.

  They finished their dinner and Calvin started to feel nervous again. He wasn’t sure what he was expected to do next. Morgan excused herself and went to the ladies room, while Calvin wondered if he was expected to continue with their fake date, or simply part ways with an amicable handshake. Morgan came back and settled into her seat.

  “How about some desert?” he asked uncertainly.

  “None for me thanks,” Morgan replied.

  “I’ll get the check then.”

  “It’s on me tonight,” Morgan told him.

  “No way,” Calvin said firmly. “I insist. This one is on me.”

  Morgan smiled at him and then shook her head, “I already took care of the bill Calvin.”

  “What? When?”

  “I didn’t actually need to use the ladies room.”

  “Oh,” Calvin said feeling foolish.

  Morgan leaned in, “Don’t worry Calvin. This is technically supposed to be a business date, remember? But just so you know… it was the right thing to do, to insist that you pay. Especially if this had been a real date.”

  Calvin smiled trying to avoid his blush, “What if she really wants to pay?”

  “Make sure she knows that you want to and are willing to foot the bill,” Morgan advised.

  Calvin nodded, “That I can do.”

  “Good,” Morgan replied, looking at him expectantly.

  “Umm… what would you like to do now?” Calvin asked hesitantly.

  “You tell me,” Morgan said, lobbing the ball into his court again.

  “I suppose we can call it a night?” Calvin said, even though he would have been happy to sit with her and continued their conversation for another couple of hours.

  Morgan nodded, “All right, I guess we’d better get going then.”

  They got up and walked out of the restaurant. They walked down the street until the noise had abated a little. Calvin wasn’t entirely unsure of the next part of their fake date. He waited for Morgan to speak.

  “I guess we’d better say goodnight now,” Morgan said finally.

  “Okay,” Calvin replied. “Goodnight.”

  “I think we should meet tomorrow at noon,” Morgan said. “Are you free?”

  Calvin nodded, “I can make it.”

  “Good,” Morgan replied.

  “Did I do all right?” Calvin asked with fear in his voice.

  Morgan smiled, “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

  “This is nerve wracking,” Calvin informed her.

  “You’re over-thinking,” Morgan replied. “Go home and get some sleep.”

  Calvin nodded, “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

  “Goodnight Calvin,” Morgan said, walking away.

  Calvin watched her leave feeling a flatness in his belly. He knew he had ended the night wrong. He should have done more, and said more. He should have told her that he wanted to spend more time with her, instead of cutting the night short. He had just been so unsure of himself, so flustered by her directness, her brazen honesty and uninhibited openness; it was almost intoxicating, he had never experienced a woman like her before. Someone who made him feel light headed and comfortable in the same breath.

  Calvin realized that they had spent the whole night talking, and it had not only been enjoyable, it had also been easy. Somehow, she had made him forget about his anxiety and his awkwardness. He tried to remember what they had spoken about. They had actually spent a good half an hour talking about cats. Calvin realized that with some people, any topic of conversation could flow. The chemistry just had to be there. Calvin thought about Sasha. He hoped that they would be able to talk to one another as easily.

  Chapter Five

  ***

  Morgan got back home and exchanged her date night clothes for her favorite polka dotted pajamas. She carried Mowgli into her bed with her and nestled into the covers, sinking in happily. She found herself staring at her ceiling, going over the date she had just had. After a while, her own recollections kept annoying and worrying her. She was aware that she wasn’t remembering the date in a professional light. She wasn’t going over all the things that she usually did, when she was assessing a client.

  She was remembering all the wrong things: the way that he blinked too many times in the same minute; the way his hair kind of folded over his left eye so that he constantly had to brush it aside during their conversation; the way he could look like a man and blush like a little girl. She was remembering how he spoke, soft and uncertain, and how he walked, slow and slightly uncoordinated.

  Despite the fact that she was observing all the little flaws, she felt almost sorry to ask him to change anything. She was starting to smell the scent of bias on herself and it worried her. He was a client, and Morgan forced herself to repeat that to herself. She couldn’t afford to let her personal feelings overtake her sense of duty towards Calvin. He was first and foremost her client, and he was paying her to help him change his image. Which was exactly what Morgan vowed she would do.
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br />   Mowgli snuggled under her left arm, purring softly and rubbing his head against her shoulder. She had told Calvin that the reason she had gotten herself a cat in the first place was to give herself a live-in companion to abate the loneliness she felt in her college days. Recently however, that same loneliness had started creeping back into her life. The friends she had made after graduating had slowly branched out, until she was left with Leslie. Now Leslie was getting married too, and Morgan knew that marriage would alter their relationship further. She understood that and accepted it easily, but it also made her aware of the emptiness in her own life, an emptiness that couldn’t be filled with work or friendships. Not even with the companionship of a furry little friend.

  Morgan tried to even out her thinking so that she could tackle Calvin tomorrow with the professionalism she owed him. She needed to make a list of everything she needed to help him work on. All the little changes he would need to make in order to transform his image and give his confidence a boost. She kept running into dead ends however. Just before she finally fell asleep, Morgan found herself thinking maybe Calvin Harris was perfect exactly the way he was.

  Chapter Six

  Calvin waited for Morgan expectantly in her office. She arrived just after he did, in black jeans, a black blouse and a smoky white blazer. She took her seat opposite him and Calvin registered feeling a little strange with the businesslike formality after such an intimate evening the previous night. Morgan was feeling the same, but in light of her slightly confused feelings, she had decided to maintain as professional a boundary as she could manage.

  “So,” Calvin started shakily, “What’s the verdict?”

  Morgan laughed, “Not as dire as you might think.”

  “Well that’s a relief,” Calvin replied, but he didn’t relax.

  “Relax Calvin,” Morgan advised. “This should be a safe place for you. Think of me as a… therapist of sorts. You don’t have to feel shy or self-conscious. You can tell me anything and you can ask me anything.”

  Calvin nodded, and let out a deep breath.

  “First of all,” Morgan started, “I’d just like to say that you are a great guy. That’s my professional opinion by the way. So you have that going for you. All you need is a little help with the finer points.”

  “All right.”

  “Let’s start with the restaurant you took me to last night.”

  “You hated it,” Calvin said hanging his head.

  Morgan laughed, “I didn’t actually. I’ll definitely be ordering from them some night. My point is, that it wasn’t appropriate for a first date.”

  “Oh.”

  “Can I ask you why you chose it?”

  Calvin thought about his answer while Morgan waited patiently. “I guess the honest truth would be…”

  “Yes?” Morgan prompted.

  “I tend to pick loud and crowded places for first dates,” Calvin admitted, coming to the root of his reason.

  “Because?”

  “Because it makes things easier for me,” Calvin said, slightly ashamed of his confession. “If the conversation hits a lull, there’s noise in the background to drown it out. Things are much easier to overlook or miss when things are… busy.”

  “I see,” Morgan nodded. “And I understand too, but that is something we’re going to have to work on.”

  “So you’re suggesting I take my dates someplace...”

  “A little quieter and a lot more romantic,” Morgan told him. “You need to show the girl you’re with that you’re interested in getting to know her, in an intimate setting, where you can focus you’re full attention on one another.”

  “Sounds terrifying to me,” he said with a furrowed brow.

  Morgan smiled, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it doesn’t stay that way for you. You did very well during our dinner conversation.”

  “That was because of you,” Calvin said, immediately deflecting credit to where it was rightfully due. “You’re the one who started the conversation and kept it going.”

  “It takes two to hold a conversation Calvin,” Morgan told him. “You were contributing just as much as I was. Especially while we having dinner.”

  “I really did all right?” he asked, some hope filtering through to him.

  “You really did,” Morgan confirmed. “I had fun. Did you?”

  Calvin smiled, “I did. It was the easiest conversation I’ve ever had with a woman on a date. I guess the irony is that it wasn’t a real date.”

  “Maybe not,” Morgan replied. “But the same rule applies to a real one. You just pick a topic and let it flow.”

  “That’s not always easy to do,” Calvin said. “Not all women are as easy to talk to as you are.”

  Morgan felt herself brighten at the compliment. Again, she felt worried by how much it pleased her. Much more so than if she had received it from another client. She pushed the thought away and focused her attention on Calvin.

  “Remember to always try to start the conversation,” Morgan told him. “Show her that you’re interested in her. That you care about her thoughts and her opinions and her past.”

  “Not all women like talking about their pasts,” Calvin pointed out.

  “That’s true,” Morgan agreed. “But if that’s the case, you’ll know immediately and you can dial back the questions about her past and make the conversation about something else. The point is, every woman is different. What will work on one, won’t always hold true for another. That is why a first date is so important. It’s where you can truly get a sense of your date’s character. Which is why you pick a nice quiet restaurant.”

  Calvin nodded, “Noted.”

  “Good,” Morgan said satisfied. “Now nearing the end of the night…”

  “I shouldn’t have cut it short last night,” Calvin said shaking his head in embarrassment. “I know that. I knew it was a mistake the moment I said goodnight.”

  Morgan smiled to let him to know it was all right. “A woman wants to know that she’s been appreciated. that you’ve enjoyed spending time with her. Never be the one to say goodnight first. Wait for her to do it.”

  “I’m sorry,” Calvin said looking down at his fingers.

  “It’s a learning curve Calvin, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Morgan said gently.

  Calvin nodded and then another thought, one that he had always struggled with popped into his head and made him blush. Morgan noticed immediately, secretly enjoying the way the brightness of his cheeks clashed with the ginger in his hair.

  “What is it Calvin?”

  “I… umm… well I was just…”

  “Yes?”

  “Never mind,” Calvin replied quickly.

  “Talk to me Calvin,” Morgan pressed. “You should be able to tell me anything remember?”

  “Well… I was thinking about the end of the date.”

  “Yes?”

  “About… how you… end it I guess,” Calvin explained lamely.

  Morgan smiled, “Do you mean whether or not you should kiss her?”

  Calvin hesitated for a moment and then nodded. It was not really what he had been getting at. His question had been in the same ball park, but not exactly what Morgan had thought. It was just easier to allow her to assume, rather than admit out loud what he was really afraid of.

  “Yes,” Calvin said, hoping he wouldn’t be caught in the lie.

  “Again, it depends on the woman. As well as how well the date went. During the date you should be able to figure out whether or not to kiss her by the end of the night.”

  “And if I’m not sure?”

  “Then you kiss her,” Morgan advised. “You walk her to her home, or her car as the case may be, then you say your goodbyes and lean in and kiss her.”

  “Kiss her?” he asked uncertainly.

  “Nothing major,” Morgan told him. “Again, allow her to take the lead once you’ve made the move. Go for a light, gentle kiss, just a touch of your lips against hers. Then you pull away.�
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  Just the thought of that made Calvin’s hands break out into an uncomfortable sweat.

  “With the right girl Calvin, all of this will become so much easier.”

  “I sincerely hope so,” Calvin replied.

  Morgan watched him fidget in his seat, she took a critical look at his clothes. Again, they were too big for him and a little too young and scruffy to be worn by a twenty-eight-year-old man. She knew she needed to change that so that women would start seeing him differently.

  “Calvin can I ask you a question?”

  “Yes,” Calvin replied a little hesitantly, hoping it would be an easy question to answer.

  “Why did you decide to hire me?”

  “Oh,” Calvin replied feeling relieved. “You came highly recommended.”

  Morgan smiled, “No, you misunderstand me. I meant what made you want to hire an image consultant in the first place.”

  Calvin’s relief was short-lived. He felt the sweat start to form on his brow as well. “Well…. I—”

  “If you’d rather not tell me at this time—”

  “No,” Calvin interrupted. “I should be able to tell you this.”

  Morgan waited patiently. She could see Calvin scramble for a way to explain it to her. Calvin knew that neither Randy nor Steven had ever understood his love for Sasha. He wasn’t sure Morgan would either, but somehow he felt as though he could tell her without fear of being judged. She might not be able to understand, but somehow he trusted that she would not hold anything against him.

  “There’s this girl,” he started a little nervously.

  Morgan tried to pretend like the plummet in her stomach had nothing to do with Calvin’s revelation. She put on her best face and listened patiently as he tried to explain.

  “Her name is Sasha Meyer. She’s been working in the building next to mine for three and a half years,” Calvin said. “Actually… three years, eight months and a couple of weeks now.”

  “I see,” Morgan replied calmly, taking in the extent of his infatuation with this woman. “And for how long have you been in love with her?”

  Calvin sighed, “Three years, eight months and a couple of weeks.”