Page 27 of Knot His Reality

I pour myself another cup of coffee and drink it slowly, enjoying it as the others finish up eating. There’s a bit of anxious energy buzzing around me as my eyes keep finding their way back to the door, looking for Lorenzo.

When someone finally steps inside, it’s not Lorenzo but Bree. “Good morning! Are the four of you ready for your date?”

“What about Lorenzo?” I ask, drinking the last of my coffee and setting it aside before pushing to my feet.

Bree glances behind her. “Tessa tried calling his room, but he didn’t pick up. She has someone heading up to his room now to make sure he’s okay. Hopefully, he can get ready in time to join you. If not, we’ll send him in a separate car.”

I glance at Quinn, Lee, and Brooke, not liking the sound of that.

“Can’t we just wait?”

She shakes her head. “No, Nathaniel and his pack are expecting you at a certain time. If Lorenzo can’t wake up on time, then he’ll just have to go separately. We don’t want to leave these business owners waiting since they do much for the show.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re right. That wouldn’t be fair to them.” I really hadn’t thought about it like that, and it’s not like there hasn’t been plenty of time for Lorenzo to wake up. Brooke and I have been downstairs for an hour and a half, Quinn and Lee not much less than that. “Why don’t we head outside, then?”

Stopping to offer Brooke my arm, I follow Quinn as he leads us out of the dining room and into the entryway. I can’t help glancing up the stairs to see if Lorenzo is heading down them, but they’re empty. I’m a little worried.

“Don’t worry, omega,” Lee says, coming to walk on my free side. “I’m sure everything is okay. Some people sleep like the dead, and it’s really hard to wake them up.”

I don’t like it but what can I do? I allow the alphas to lead me and Brooke out the door and to the waiting SUV.

“Morning.” Lucas grins, pulling open the back door as Mike waves from the driver’s seat. “You’re stuck with us again today, Remy.”

“I’m always stuck with you.” I stick my tongue out at the offended look on his face. “Oh, come on, you have thicker skin than that.”

Lucas laughs loudly and boisterously. “You aren’t wrong there—about either of those things, actually. Since outings are only allowed during the week, I’ll always go with you. Except this week, when you have a date on Saturday. Then you’ll just be stuck with Mike and one of my other guys.”

Quinn helps Brooke into the SUV before following her in, and I wave for Lee to climb in.

“We’re never stuck with either of you. I appreciate that you’re keeping me and the suitors safe when we leave the compound.” Shooting him a smile, I pull myself into the SUV and take the open seat in the middle row with Brooke. The alphas are sitting in the back row, spread out. If Lorenzo was here, there would have to be someone else sharing the seat with them, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to make it on time to ride with us.

“Do we get any hints about what we’re going to be doing for our date?” Lee asks as he leans forward.

I shake my head as I pull on my seat belt. “The only thing I’m going to tell you is it’s something I really enjoy.”

“Fair enough,” comes his reply as he settles back into his seat while Lucas climbs into his seat and Mike pulls away. “Will you at least tell us what you did for your first date?”

Shrugging, I figure there’s no harm in sharing that information. I fill them in on High Score and how much fun we had.

“That was the first time I’d been to an arcade in a long time,” I admit. “Coming on the show has made me realize just how little time I’ve been putting into anything that isn’t work.”

“It’s a lot easier to notice when you’re not there,” Lee admits.

I laugh. “You aren’t kidding. I just know how important the work I’m doing is, and I hate taking away time from it. If I’m not working on it, then no one is.”

Quinn clears his throat from behind me, and I twist in my seat so I can see him. “I can’t say I understand what all goes into your work, and it’s obviously important, but so are you. There needs to be a balance so you can live your life while trying to solve the problems of the world.”

“Just one problem,” I correct. “I can only work on one problem at a time, but I get what you’re saying. It’s something my sister has been trying to get me to see for years. I just don’t think I realized how bad it was until I wasn’t immersed in it, you know? But it’s something I’m serious about wanting to change—because you’re right. I deserve a life that doesn’t revolve around my work.”

The conversation flows away from my job and onto the others’ jobs. Of the four of us, Quinn has the most exciting job. He tells us stories about the areas he’s traveled to for shoots and how unglamorous it really is to be an actor.

Even before he tells us about the long days and sometimes rough conditions, I knew there was no way I could be an actor. More power to those who can, but they have to deal with so many people.

I could never.

Add in the insider information he gives us, and there’s no amount of money anyone could pay me to do his job.

When the SUV comes to a stop, I glance out the window to see we’ve arrived at Nathaniel’s. Yes, that’s what it’s called, and yes, that’s also the owner’s name.

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