Page 4 of Such a Shy Omega (His Alpha Desires #8)

Erik

I’d signed up for Cuffed as a charter member, before the doors even opened, but I’d rarely had time to visit.

And with my frustration level at work through the roof, I needed to relax and maybe enjoy some stress relief at the same time.

There was no better place. But when I approached the front door, I realized just how long it had been since my last trip.

Originally, the club had occupied one old mansion, which had been drastically updated.

The outside was still stately, and if a person did not know better, they’d never recognize what lay inside.

Now, a tall, dignified brick wall rose between the building and those on either side of it, both of which were recently painted and updated.

Of course. Now I remembered. There was something on the online members site about an expansion.

This must be it. I’d wondered at the time if they were going to add a level because the lot itself wasn’t that much larger than the building, but the side yards combined with those of the neighbors would likely give a good outside area.

What were they using them for? I was very interested in seeing all the new spaces both indoors and out.

But for now, I needed to get inside and absorb the atmosphere. Turning my phone in at the front desk, I breathed in the air, cool and full of positive vibes. Like my shop used to be once upon a time.

“Is that you, Erik?”

I turned to see who was speaking. One of the owners had come in right after me. “Jabez, nice to see you.”

A healer, he served the shifter community and, while he swore his time at Cuffed had nothing to do with that and was his relaxation, people often bent his ear asking him all sorts of questions about health-related matters.

He generally handled it by telling them he’d be glad to see them in his office during regular hours, demonstrating a balance between the parts of his life that I found inspiring.

My work had been my everything, which had been exciting at first, but now? I felt as if I was the only one of us still working on our actual product while the others, one in particular, focused on seeing how much money we could make.

Not that it hadn’t been part of the dream; it was just never supposed to be all of it.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been in, or have I just missed you?

” He did not pull out his phone, since the owners were the only ones who didn’t have to keep them locked up either at the front desk or employee lockers.

Presumably, they could be trusted not to use them to take pictures to embarrass anyone. It wouldn’t be good for business.

“No, it has been—well, I hate to think how long. Feels good to be here, though. I see I’ve missed a lot of what’s been going on.”

“Let’s get a drink and I’ll catch you up.

” We strolled into the club together, while he told me a bit about the expansion.

The two buildings as well as the outdoor areas on either side of this one.

“One of the gardens is for the littles with a full-sized playground, which I have to say I have tested out myself, and so have most of my business partners. We’re going to have to be firm on times when nobody else is allowed but them and their daddies and mommies. ”

“I’ve often wondered why there are no swing sets for grown-ups. Is there a slide?”

“A few.” He chuckled. “You’re as bad as the rest of us. Anyway, the other side is going to be— Wait. Here’s someone I want you to meet.”

Another alpha, whose tan indicated he didn’t spend his days behind a desk, turned away from the bar, holding a glass decorated with a lime. “Tonic water,” he said. “I’m a DM later on.” A dungeon monitor made sure everything was safe and people could have a good time without worry.

“Erik, this is Liam, who recently invested in the club and who is in charge of landscaping and all things plant for the new outdoor areas. “Liam, Erik, a charter member we haven’t seen lately.”

“Not responsible for the swing sets, huh?” I joked, shaking Liam’s hand.

“No, those are special order,” he said seriously. “I’m just one of the testers.”

I shook my head at the image of all these alphas swinging and sliding and playing on a jungle gym. “Can anyone sign up for that job?”

They didn’t let me play—that night, but I’d get a sneak peek and a promise that I could give everything a try in the near future. Until everything was completed, they didn’t want to chance someone besides themselves getting hurt.

Instead of heading for the floor, I joined Liam and Jabez and some other alphas in the conversation area.

We had a great view of the stations, but we were far enough away to be able to speak without having trouble hearing each other.

As soon as we sat down, a server came over and took orders from those of us who hadn’t already gotten drinks.

For the first time in ages, I felt comfortable and relaxed. After we talked about various things in the news and at the club, I asked about the omega I saw on his way out. “He seemed shy.”

The others looked at one another and shrugged. “He doesn’t sound familiar. We’re getting a lot bigger now,” Liam said.

“Sounds a lot like my company,” I replied. “But I think you’re doing better with it.”