Page 9 of For the First Time
I watched as he got into his truck and drove it closer to the back end of mine.It was quiet, the engine barely making a noise despite how large the truck was.
When he got out, and started digging through his truck bed, I said, “I’m Eve by the way.Eve Tellus.I’ll be working with you, or I guess, for you, doing the home management.Cooking, cleaning, decorating.That kind of thing.”
“Yeah, well, welcome aboard, darlin.It’ll be nice to have a pretty face around.”
That made me frown.“Atlas is pretty.”I immediately blushed, knowing I shouldn’t have said that.
Franklyn Oaks just laughed.“He sure is.But I think he prefers the term ruggedly handsome.”
“Right, of course.Is there anything I can do to help you with this?”
“Nah, just wait.I’ll have you start up your baby in a moment and put her in neutral.Hopefully we can just ease her out.”
I nodded, watching as he hauled a large chain out of his truck bed, grunting under the weight of it.His arms flexed, showing off the strength of his muscles all the way from his forearms to his biceps.Even his thighs strained against his slacks, the nice clothing he was wearing suddenly becoming wrinkled and dusty as he dropped the chain between our vehicles.He didn’t look like a rancher, not like Atlas had in his jeans and denim shirt, the long sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms.No, Franklyn Oaks was dressed like he was going to an office.His collared shirt was thin, and a high-quality fabric, and although his sleeves were rolled up, too, they were done elegantly, with decorative pins keeping them from falling back down.His slacks were form-fitting, but not too tight, and his shoes, despite being fancy, were covered in dirt.He was a strange mix of rancher and office attire.
“You, um, work here?”I asked.“On Pink Lady?”
“Sure.I’m an accountant, but most of my paying jobs are for the other ranches and businesses out here.Pink Lady’s my home.I work from here when people can come to me and sometimes I go to them, though not so often anymore.A lot of the newer generations are coming in to inherit and they know how to send me all the shit I need.Means I can spend more time working than traveling.”
“How long have you been a pack?”
“We packed up right at eighteen, so twelve years now?We knew we’d be pack before we all presented.It happens like that sometimes.The designations didn’t really mean anything besides waiting for Atlas to graduate the OC.”
I couldn’t help it, I sighed.It was so romantic.
Franklyn Oaks looked up from where he was finished wrapping the chain around my car and smirked.He didn’t say anything, though, just tilted his head toward my car in a silent order to start her and put it into neutral.I did, quickly.
I was tense as I watched the truck slowly back up, carefully putting tension on the chain before it started to tug at my own car.My car crawled out of its little hole, and I felt the stress of the day finally disappear from my body.The interview was over, I’d gotten the job, and I didn’t have to call a tow truck.That was a lot of good luck.
“That should do it, darlin.”
“I wish I had another gift basket to give you as thanks.”
“Gift basket?”
“Yeah.I gave one to Atlas.”
He chuckled.“You gave Atlas a gift basket?I would have loved to see that.”
“Oh, well, it wasn’t a courting gift or anything like that.With my old job—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, darlin.Did he like the basket?”
“I think so?”
“Then it’s all good.Atlas is his own man, so long as he’s happy, I’m happy.”Wiping his hand on a small towel he pulled from his truck bed, he reached out, obviously intending to shake my hand.I accepted his touch, hoping that I was using the appropriate amount of strength.
This close, I saw Franklyn Oaks’s nostrils flare, like he’d wanted to take in my scent.Or maybe he could scent his omega on me?Atlas had touched me once.
I was about to apologize, to explain why his omega’s scent was on me when he said, “Where’s your scent?”
The blush that came to my cheeks was so strong, I felt the heat of the blood radiating from my face.I wouldn’t have been surprised if I’d looked in the mirror and saw the redness creeping into my throat and chest as well.Asking about a scent was not appropriate.Asking about a beta’s scent was almost rude.Alphas and omegas tended to forget that as much as they relied on scents, betas didn’t.For how different the two designations were, they were still more alike than either were to betas.
“Um, I used descenter before I came so I didn’t bother your omega.”Now that I knew Atlas better, I didn’t think he’d mind if I chose different perfumes for myself.Maybe something to compliment this packs’ combined scents.
“That’s...”He didn’t finish his statement.He also wasn’t letting go of my hand.My fingers had gone limp, and he was still holding on.“Kind of you.Don’t feel like you have to keep using that stuff, darlin.Not here.You’re welcome to use your natural scent.It won’t offend us.”
“I’ll find something to complement the house.Most of the perfumes I have now are sweet or floral, neither of which will mix properly with the three of yours.It’ll be fun.I haven’t searched for a new scent in a while.”
