Page 3 of Roommates' Alpha
He frowned. “I’d prefer to not do that. Can you think it over and give me some other options?”
“Sure.”
He nodded. “Anything else I should be aware of?”
I shook my head. “Just the normal. A few of the high school sports teams have already started sniffing around for season sponsors or fundraiser nights.”
He grinned. “You know the drill. Marching band and omega softball.”
“Yep.”
He stood, and I mirrored the motion. Then he studied me.
“What?” I asked, looking down. “Do I have sauce on my shirt?”
“When was the last time you took a vacation?”
I blinked. “Sometime last year… I think.”
He frowned. “Schedule yourself off and let me know when it’ll be.”
“I’m fine.”
“That may be, but I won’t have my best employee get burned out because he didn’t know when to take a break. Besides, it’ll be good for everybody to see that the big boss is still alive.”
I blew out a long breath. The last thing I wanted was more time to myself when I was already using work to avoid loneliness. “I’ll give it some thought.”
“You should go somewhere fun,” he suggested. “Maybe meet yourself a nice omega and settle down.”
I snorted. “Now you’re starting to sound like my mama.”
Gerald winced, knowing that Mama and I rarely saw eye-to-eye. He held up his hands. “Sorry, sorry.”
I shook my head and sighed. “It’s not you. I think…” I paused and rubbed one arm. “Just a lot going on lately.”
“Not here, right?”
“Oh, no. Family.”
“Your mama giving you hell again?”
“Not yet, but it’s coming. Two cousins mated in the past year.”
He tilted his head to one side. “Including that one young man who’s always in here?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Ryan got mated last month.”
He smiled. “Well, good for him. He’s such a timid young man that I worried sometimes.”
“He’s happy now.”
Gerald clapped me on the shoulder. “And that’s what matters.” He straightened. “Let me know about your vacation. I’m serious.”
“I’ll think about it. Maybe if we have to close for a few days for the patio build.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “If that’s what you want, but don’t feel obligated. You need to have fun when you can, especially since you’re still young.”
I smiled. “Say hello to Martha for me.”