Page 73 of The Omega's Fake Mate

Conner only gave me a look. “I'm not stupid.”

“Okay, I'm sorry. Yes, Zander and I are more than friends. But that doesn't mean omegas and alphas can't be friends. We're just not a good example of an alpha/omega friendship.”

“It's all right.” Conner waved me off. “I know that. No two people are the same, right? All those stereotypes are stupid.”

“I'm glad you see it that way. You can totally be friends with your alpha friend.” I didn't want the boy to feel pressured into anything. “But if you want to be more than that someday, that's cool too. You gotta follow your heart in these matters. It'll tell you what to do.”

Look at me giving relationship advice like a real adult. Conner didn't seem too impressed either.

“Okay,” he said, and after that he remained quiet for the rest of our short ride.

I wondered what was going through his mind, but there was no telling. He was a smart kid, though. I knew he'd make the right choice when it was time for him to do so.

* * *

“Good to see you again!” my cousin greeted me at the door.

“Have you settled on a baby name, yet?” Kade asked, coming down the stairs to nag me. In his arms, he held his daughter, who stared at me with wide eyes the same color as Kade's. I wondered what color eyes my baby would have. Blue like mine or brown like Zander's? Something in between?

“Knock it off,” I told Kade.

“You're pregnant?” Shane's eyebrows shot up as he looked at me.

“Oops,” Kade said with a grin. “But you told Zander, right?” He asked me. “So, I was allowed to spill that.”

I nodded. That was the agreement we'd come to. Now that Zander knew, I really didn't care who else he told.

“Come in, come in,” Kade waved me inside. “You need to tell me everything.”

“Yeah,I'dlike an update too,” Shane chimed in. Kade and I both laughed.

“You'll get an update. Later,” Kade promised his mate while handing their daughter to him. And then he dragged me into the basement with him. “Sit,” he gestured at one of the chairs standing in front of his way expensive recording equipment. I sat slowly. Even though I wasn't touching anything, I was still kind of afraid to break something.

“Relax.” Kade picked up a microphone from a table by the wall and held it in my face, mimicking a reporter. “Mr. Kramer, please, how do you feel about the name Kayla, or Lara or Sharon?”

I pushed the mic away from me. “Lara is my sister's name. Why do you think my baby is a girl?”

Kade shrugged. “Omega's intuition.”

“Shouldn'tIhave some sort of intuition about this?”

“I don't know.” Kade put the mic back on the table. “What do you think it's gonna be?”

“Honestly? No idea.”

“Well, think about it. I'm gonna go get us something to drink. Wait here.”

I shook my head as I watched my friend take the stairs two at a time. Instead of thinking about what sex my baby might be, I dug my phone out of my pocket. It had vibrated earlier in the car, but I hadn't had time to look at it then. Now it seemed I'd received a new e-mail on my drive over.

My stomach seemed to collapse in on itself when I saw the title and sender. It was a response from that one comic studio I'd sent a job application to months ago. I'd totally forgotten about them. To be honest, I never really thought they'd consider me anyway. Still, seeing I had an email from them...

Telling myself it was probably just a formal rejection, I made myself open it.

It was an invitation to an interview.

Holyshit.

They actually wanted me to come in for an interview! That meant I stood a chance, right? I could actually get this job?