“They were openly eyeing the two Omegas who were serving our table. I simply reminded them that their own Omegas were sitting right next to them.” I hate people who cheat, even if it’s just in their head. I might like playing around, but cheating is a no-go for me. If you’re in a relationship, you’re in a relationship, you don’t openly drool over some Omega half your age. I felt sick just sitting there with them, like I was endorsing the assholes’ behaviour or something.
Dad sighs. “We can’t lose these clients. They’re harmless, it’s all just talk, they won’t do anything. You should have laughed it off and ignored it. Or joined in, I don’t know. It seems you’re happy enough to do that when you’re with your friends.”
“What I do when I’m with Spence, or anyone, else doesn’t have anything to do with my work. They’re two different situations.” Of course, he’d bring this up now.
What double standard? These gross guys can oggle Omegas all they want when they’re married and have their fucking Omegas with them, who are by the way too scared to even make a peep when their Alpha does something that hurts them. But I can’t have some fun with human girls when I want, even though we’re all single and nobody gets hurt.
“Just because it’s not at work doesn’t mean that your actions don’t affect what happens at work. It always influences your reputation. Always. Everything you do is a reflection of us as a family, and by extension of us as a company. You’re no longer a teenager, no longer a kid. You have to keep these things in mind when you’re playing ‘hide the dick’ with these human girls. It all reflects on you, on us.”
I want to say something, but he holds up his hand, stopping me, looking bored already.
Then he stands up, going over to the window overlooking the city. “I think your mum is right when she talks about finding you an Omega mate, or at least a steady partner who you can take to events and meetings. That way the clients and partners will finally start to take you seriously. And maybe you’ll finally start to take this job seriously too.” He waves in my direction. “You can go. I’m giving you one last chance with this client, but you’re going to have to do the apologies yourself. You’re going to have to convince them that you’re the best there is in this company. Because, if you do take this seriously, you very well are. You just need to take this seriously all the time, not just when it suits you. You can go.”
“Thanks,” I grind out, my jaws set as I stalk out of the office.
I make sure not to bang the doors, because that will definitely cause him to put me on the cheap and really annoying clients again and I just worked my way up to the good clients. The mostly-good clients anyway...
Fucking hell. I don’t want to find an Omega, and I’m perfectly happy with my life right now. But Dad is also right, if I don’t find someone to play the ‘happy couple’ with, like my parents do, then the bigger clients and the partners won’t take me seriously. They only take me seriously when I can pretend to be a ‘real family Alpha’, no matter how fake it is.
I shudder. It’s too often fake, way too often.
Knocking on the door of my office makes me look up and Spence sticks his head around the corner, his eyes guarded as he carefully closes the door behind him.
His office is one floor above mine, which is where his family has a couple of offices. While my family is into big commercial buildings and big deals and things like that, his family is into the ‘smaller’ businesses. Though, you’d be surprised by how big they can actually be.
The companies just pretend to be small, like the cafe we’ve been going to for the last week. It pretends to be some cute small cafe, but in reality, the owner has a deal with a much bigger company who takes care of all the big-picture things. It’s not really a franchise, since they don’t run under a single brand or something. They all have their own names, but they’re all small cafes with only a handful of staff and a look like they’re run from someone’s kitchen.
And why am I thinking of that place again? Oh, of course, because of Cyra. The girl who’s been popping into my head all weekend.
Spence sits down on the leather couch and reaches behind it, pulling out a bottle of whisky, looking at it before glancing my way. “The chat with your dad didn’t go that poorly, then? If you’ve not downed this yet.”
I sigh, getting up and sitting down on the other side of the couch. “He’s giving me another chance. But I have to do it myself, I have to convince those creeps to give me another chance...”
I look at the bottle in his hand longingly but then jerk my head to the back of the couch. “Not today. Though, maybe after I’ve managed to convince the client to have another meeting.” I shudder. “Can’t you go in my stead? You’re much better at this.”
I’m way too impulsive sometimes, especially when people get on my nerves. Spence is much better at pretending things are normal when he’s dealing with people who annoy him to death.
“Sorry. This is your dad’s deal, and it would look really good on you if you get them to sign. What was it that you said last week? If you manage to get this deal, then the big bucks will ‘finally’ be coming your way?” He grins.
I might
