Page 3 of Temporary Omega

“What did I say? It’s the truth? You don’t want to give me grandchildren…”

And so the guilt trip started.

“I’m not getting any younger, you know,” Linc’s papa pointed out. Making Linc snort.

“You just turned fifty-five, Papa, that’s barely even old,” Linc sighed. But he knew that wouldn’t stop the lecture he had coming his way.

“When I was your age, you were already eleven years old,” his papa pointed out. “You know my friend Maxwell— his son Leslie, you know, the omega, is just back from Switzerland. I could set something up. Maybe if you met a nice…”

Grayson interrupted his papa before he could even get any more ideas, “Actually, I’m seeing someone. It’s new but I think it could be serious.”

What the fuck… what on earth was he thinking saying that… he wasn’t seeing anyone, not even casually. Hadn’t even fucked anyone recently. He hadn’t had the time or the inclination. Linc was nothing if not honest with himself, and he knew that his heart just wasn’t in the casual scene anymore. It had never been for him and he’d always felt like he was playing a part. But lying to his papa? Now that wasn’t something he did.

“Oh, Son, that’s wonderful, when can I meet him? Oh I do hope it’s serious, a baby would be wonderful. Might help take my mind off losing your father.”

Linc hated the sadness he saw in his papa’s eyes and the slump of his shoulders whenever his dad was mentioned.

A little white lie wouldn’t hurt anyone. Apparently, it would because what followed next was the universe taking the piss out of him.

“Oh excellent, bring him along, I would love to meet him. Oh, honey, you just made my day.” His papa’s voice filled with excitement.

“Oh, uhh, he… well, it’s so short notice. He…” Linc stammered, unsure of how to get himself out of the situation without admitting he’d been lying.

“Nonsense. Tell him your papa wants to meet him. We can do lunch. Yes. Oh, Son, you’ve made me so happy.”

Linc was stuck, his papa hadn’t sounded so full of life in a while. How could he admit he’d been lying and crush his newfound excitement?

“Yes, Papa. See you then,” Linc sighed.

“See you then, Son. Oh, I have so many plans to make. Maybe he would like high tea, oh or lunch… never mind, I’ll figure it out.”

His papa hung up, clearly about to plan something over the top in hopes of snagging himself a son-in-law that would then lead to grandbabies.

Yup, Linc was screwed.

He had two weeks to find someone that he could pass off as the omega in his life and was still coming up empty. He was going through the mental list of omega’s he knew for the hundredth time and passed on each one yet again.

Even though it was a ruse, he wouldn’t just invite anyone to his family home to meet his papa. It may be all for show, but the person had to be just right.

Linc sighed deeply. Fuck. He would have to cancel or make an excuse if he couldn’t come up with someone by the end of the week.

But he didn’t want to make that phone call and disappoint his papa.

Linc’s papa was like a whole new man. Every time he’d called to check up on him, the excitement was in his voice. And Linc had missed hearing it since his father’s death.

No. Failure wasn’t an option.

His thoughts were interrupted by his friend Nic coming up to where Linc had been hiding and observing the party from his corner.

“That’s a serious look if I ever saw one,” Nic observed. His friend handed him a tumbler with his drink of choice, Linc would bet. Linc took a sip of the drink, yup he was right, Hennessy Ellipse. His friend knew him well.

“It’s a wedding and you look like you ran across something foul. What gives man?” Nickolas asked after Linc had taken a couple of sips of the smooth cognac. Even though all Linc wanted to do was throw the whole thing back and feel the burn down his throat, it wasn’t the cognac’s fault that he’d gotten himself into this jam. And Linc refused to treat it like he was downing scotch.

His father would roll in his grave if he did so. On the other hand, his father was probably pissed at him for lying to his papa. So, a shot was in order.

Linc put his tumbler glass to his lips and swallowed what was left of the cognac in one go. Then looked at the empty glass like more would magically appear.

“That bad huh?” Nic said, reminding Linc that he wasn’t alone.