Page 82 of Small Town Shy Omega
“You’re tryna make me more social!”
I hiccuped, because I was scared. Really, really scared.
I didn't mingle with the town, and I didn't want anyone to judge me.
Blake stared into my eyes. “Your soul is mine, and my soul is yours, baby. And… the shop is a block away from Whimsical Wonders, so…”
“Hhhhhhrm?” I said, curiously uncurious.
“Sooooo,” Blake said, humming, “if you ever wanna pop over and read… You’ll be super close.”
“Well, everything in Applewood Falls is a block away from everything else,” I snorted. “This is a small town, after all.
Against all my best judgment,my Alphas opened me a private glassworks studio.
Light sunshine shown through the window, a spider’s web of natural beauty radiating over my glass. Clouds breezily rolled by outside, and the open window brought in the smells of the fresh clover my Alphas planted outside my window.
I didn’t put on classes and I didn't wish to. I still created in solitude as artistic personalities prefer, but I got to wave hi to the Applewood Falls townspeople who passed by the window.
It was nice, I thought. Nice showing what I did, even if I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it.
Smiling, I displayed my new vases in the window. “Success,” I muttered, feeling dang proud of myself.
I lit up a bowl, then I had to put it out quickly when a little girl came up to the shop.
“Wow,” she said—and she had the purest, sweetest, most innocent voice.
Her mama came up a moment later, rubbing her back. “Oooh, look at those pretty things.”
“Mommy, look! I think that lady made them!”
Whoa… what was happening?
I opened the door to the studio, smiling as I introduced myself. “Hi, I’m Layla. I run this studio.”
The little girl stared at me like I held the secrets to the universe. “Layla,” she said softly, choosing her words carefully. “I’m Brigette.”
“She likes your work,” the mother said to me, smiling. “Every time we pass by, she wants to see you make something.”
“Well, come in,” I said with a shrug.
After spraying some air freshener, I let them in. Luckily the big fan I had had cleared ninety-nine percent of the stench out, so I wasn’t exposing a girl to fumes.
She trotted in, and I showed her my glassworks tools.
“Do you ever give lessons?” the mother smiled… and my eyes went to my pictures of Josh, Blake, and Dreydon that I kept on the wall.
So this… was what they were talking about. I hadn’t even thought someone might value my craft, not like this.
I thought I was… a solitary loser, some troll-like hermit who barely could stand the sunshine.
“Only if you sign a non-compete agreement,” I said sweetly, loving the thought of being a teacher. They agreed it sign it, and we settled on a lesson for next week.
My ice queen heart may be thawing, but I was still a slick business owner after all.
And that’s how I learned I made a pretty chill teacher.
Here comes the bride.
