Page 4 of Knot Happening

I’m patient. I can wait for her to love me again, however long it takes.

Chapter Three

Tatum

I never gave much thought to what I wanted to be when I grew up. I think maybe some part of me knew I wouldn’t get a choice. That I’d have to take whatever I could get and wouldn’t have time to go to school for anything I could turn into a career.

Omegas don’t get a lot of options as it is. We’re expected to focus on family, and pack. Having babies… being caregivers. Not accomplishments. Not dreaming of a future where we provide for ourselves. If I had a pack of Alphas, they could take care of me, and my mom.

That’s not what I want. Maybe it was once, when I was younger. Not anymore.

I might not have given my career much thought, but when I thought of the future…I certainly never thought this is where life would lead me.

The flyer lists the positions available at the club. There are your typical jobs, things like bartender, waitress, security, and dancer. But my mind fixates on the less obvious monikers. PlayThing, Fantasy Muse, Primal, and Heat Mistress. I consider what those jobs entail and hope that I can handle them.

As an Omega, sex work was something I was aware of but had largely avoided. It hadn’t been something they advertised at the high school job fair.

It’s not that I looked down on those who did sex work. I would never have considered it an option before with my history. It wasn’t exactly a safe option in the past for those of my designation, and even though it’s safer now, it still comes with risks.

Haze is a newer club, only about ten years old. But they have a reputation. And since their opening, other clubs similar to them have opened all over the city.

And even though there are about five clubs to choose from in my area, something about the Haze flyer drew me in.

It was posted on the tack board at Mom’s Diner. Bright pink and standing out like a neon sign.

Omega’s wanted. No experience needed. On the job training. Must be open-minded.

So here I am. Running out the door to get my hands on clothes I would never buy for any other reason.

I like to blend in. I don’t want to stand out or make a lasting impression. I want to be the kind of Omega that Alphas look right past. With baggy hoodies and nineties mom jeans. Omegas who get too much attention, end up trapped in a pack. Trapped in a bond with someone who would break you.

Exactly the kind of Omega that a club like Haze would never hire.

Which means I’ll have to fake it till I make it.

I channel one of my favorite TV characters, Eleanor Shellstrop. Determined and willing to adapt to fit in.

I might need a little Michael Scott while I’m at it. Delusional and overly confident in skills I do not possess.

I jog down the stairs, lifting my chin and pretending this isn’t wildly out of my comfort zone.

When I open the security door at the front of my apartment building, I spot my old bike that I use to get around town and debate whether to walk. It helps make the trip to and from the diner where I work easier, but I think I could use the walk to clear my head. Turning right, I head to the busier part of the city.

There’s an adult store down the street, likely because of the proximity to Haze, and I need an outfit that screams knot magnet. Omega Fantasy Muse, here I come. That one seemed like the best fit for someone who’s only had sex once, and currently has no dance skills.

Despite my nerves, I can feel it in my bones that this is the right choice. The club owners have to hire me. They can’t say no. If they do, I’m fucked. Literally fucked. Well, not literally.

I haven’t been literally fucked in three years.

I’d almost be sad about that, if men weren’t the literal worst.

And while I think women are beautiful, and should be worshiped for the goddesses they are, I have no desire to fuck them. Unfortunately, my Omega instincts don’t stir for female Alphas.

I power walk my ass off and make it to the massive store in no time.

Instinct Boutiqueis written in bold, bright-red letters on a matte black sign hanging above the glass windows. Beautiful lingerie and crops are just visible behind artfully draped red velvet curtains. Google said this is one of the nicest adult stores in the area, with a high-end section as well as simple bodycon dresses, and anything else someone might need for a nightclub job.

I’m looking for something that says role play fantasy and high-end escort. Somewhere between Pretty Woman and Hit Me Baby One More Time.

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