Page 28 of They Love Me Knot (Starsfalls Omegaverse #2)

Daphne

I t’s now Friday, and I haven’t canceled my date with the alphas or asked Poppy to deliver Alister’s flowers in my stead.

After-work-Daphne has really been slacking on the job.

To be fair to her, I’ve been so busy putting together promposal orders and delivering them that I’m exhausted and fall asleep as soon as I get home. I haven’t had any energy left to deal with my personal life.

I’ve been texting Feliks when I can, but he knows I’m busy, so we haven’t talked much. I made sure to tell him I’m excited for our date though.

I replied to Sterling and Kieran’s texts to be polite, but I haven’t had the mental fortitude to compose a breakup text. Sterling was so sweet, and it was nice of them to bring me gifts. I don’t want to callously dismiss them.

I know I don’t really owe them anything, but I feel like I need to explain that it’s not them, I don’t want to date any alphas. And just imagining telling Sterling I can’t go out with him because I think alphas are assholes…

So yeah, I haven’t figured out how to turn them down .

Hence why I still have two dates scheduled for this evening.

And my almost-date with Alister. But I’m certainly not going to hang around his work party after I deliver their flowers.

I’m putting together the last of the promposal orders, which I should be able to finish before it’s time for my delivery. It seems like the youths are finally done with their promposals, so we’ll have a bit of a break until the actual prom.

Poppy joins me as I tie up the flowers.

“I’m glad the promposal fad is over. I think we used up almost all the flowers in Starsfalls!” she says with a bubbly laugh.

If Poppy is commenting, you know it’s bad. Normally she doesn’t have even a slightly negative hair on her body.

That was still a pretty mild complaint, but I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who’s been struggling.

“We definitely deserve some rest after this, and hopefully no more late evenings for a while,” I agree.

“I know someone who’s looking forward to resting while their guys wait on them,” she teases, nudging me with her elbow.

“Uh, speaking of which…” I say. This is the best segue I’ll get. “Would you be able to take over the business event at Nook Tower for me? If I do it, I’m not sure I’ll be able to set everything up and get out of there in time to prepare for my date.”

It’s not a lie if I don’t explain that “prepare for” means cancel the date with the alphas, and I will still have a date tonight, it’s just not with who she expects.

“I would be happy to, but delivering the last of the promposal orders is going to take the rest of the day. These kids have me delivering dozens of flowers right after school lets out, and then driving all over town to deliver more of them to the romantic locations where they’re going to ask their dates out.

If it weren’t so cute seeing these little love matches, I might tire of driving back and forth! ”

Damn.

“But don’t worry! I’m sure you’ll be able to get out of there in time. It’s only a few container arrangements, right? Just plunk those buckets down and hustle out of there!” Poppy finishes perkily.

I wish I had her optimism.

She’s right that I’m delivering arrangements that are easy to set up. I’m sure I can get through the delivery quickly while avoiding Alister and leave in time for my date with Feliks.

At some point in there, I’ll come up with a polite way to turn down Sterling and Kieran in a way that won’t make it awkward if I go back to Flourist at some point.

Maybe way in the future, like a few weeks, it’ll be totally cool if I buy Sterling’s desserts after I rejected them (I already ate all the cookies Sterling brought me yesterday.

Now that I’ve been reminded how good they are, I will need to get more, and often).

I finish up the rest of my time at the shop fantasizing about my date with Feliks and avoiding thinking about potentially seeing Alister and having to break off my other date.

I’ve loaded up the van and I’m in the driver’s seat preparing to deliver Alister’s order before I realize it’s time to put my plans in motion.

I steel my nerves, shift the van into gear, and set off.

I can dodge three alphas to be with my beta.

I park in the alley behind the Nook Tower and text Alister as he requested, letting him know I’m here to deliver the flowers.

Normally I think nothing of updating a client about their delivery, but for some reason I feel a tingle when I send the message to Alister, knowing that he’s monitoring me.

However, I’m still not going to wait around any longer than I have to.

I go through the service entrance to scope out the office before I haul everything in, the scent of the Queen Anne’s lace clinging to me after sitting in the van with them.

The security guard is giving me directions when the elevator dings.

“I’ll take it from here, Katalina,” Alister says.

I turn to find him in another crisp suit with perfectly pressed sharp lines, but somehow the fabric also molds itself around his muscular arms and thighs.

Whoever created that outfit is a god.

“It’s good to see you again, Daphne,” he purrs at me, and I look up from his muscles to see him smiling at me, silver hairs shining in the fluorescent lights, drawing me in like an anglerfish in the deep.

It’s not fair that someone can look so good under this harsh lighting, whereas I usually look like an unfortunate, especially pallid ghost (I don’t often get out in the sun like I did recently).

“I like seeing you too,” I giggle back eloquently.

Alister smiles wider.

“Let me show you to the office, and then we’ll bring things up,” he says.

“That would be great,” I eagerly agree.

Alister offers me his arm, and I’m quick to put my hand through the crook and press myself against him. When my chest squishes against his biceps, his eyes dilate and nostrils flare. I may be imagining it, but I think he chokes back a growl too.

“Right this way,” he says smoothly, staying composed and behaving like a gentleman as usual.

My omega is smug as he leads us to the elevator.

When the doors close behind us, I consider backing him into a corner to muss his fancy suit but keep myself under control and behave like a gentleman too.

Alister doesn’t seem to suffer from the same naughty thoughts, as he tells me about his company and what they do on the ride up.

I try to listen, but his jaw flexing as he talks is too distracting.

I press closer to him as I stare, bringing my other hand up to join the one already wrapped around his arm so I’m practically hanging off him.

If I can’t focus enough to hang on his words, at least I can show I care by physically hanging on him.

Alister’s nostrils flare again as I squeeze my thighs together, feeling my slick lips rub together and wishing it was his strong fingers pressing against them instead of my tight pants.

But he doesn’t falter in his explanation about their new spreadsheet system, or was that invoice system? Whatever it was, he looked great telling me about it, and I remain thankful that I never had to work in a big corporate office.

I finally start paying more attention when I realize Alister is saying I can put some arrangements here, and the others can go in the main boardroom over there .

I glance around, spotting a receptionist at a desk and people bustling around, some of them carrying coolers and others the typical workplace fare like file folders and tablets.

I quickly distance myself from Alister, embarrassed I was clinging to him in the middle of his office. Most people seem too busy setting up for the party or working to pay us much attention, but everyone nods to Alister as we pass, so they must have noticed me too.

I release his arm and say, “That sounds good. Once I see the main location, I can start bringing things up.”

“This way,” Alister says, putting his hand on the middle of my back to guide me further down the hall. “And as I said, I’ll bring everything up.”

“Oh, you don’t need to do that. Delivery is part of our service,” I demur.

Now that we’re surrounded by other people, I’m coming out of his trance. It’s hardly fair for a person to look as good as Alister does and have such a commanding aura. You can’t help staring and wanting to beg him to let you do what he tells you to.

“There’s no reason for you to do everything yourself when I’m here to help,” he says firmly, flexing his fingers on my back.

I look up at him in surprise. While I’d like to believe Alister’s words, I know I can really only count on myself.

However, Alister and I are alone in the conference room, and I need to get out of here before I throw myself at him, so this is no time to get into an argument.

He’s pointing out the places the flowers could go when an energetic, if frazzled, man hurries in.

“Have you seen these?” he asks Alister, shoving a messy stack of papers at him .

Alister stiffens and introduces me to Darcy, his assistant.

“Uh huh, great, nice to meet you,” his assistant says to me, hardly looking away from shuffling through the documents.

The brief pleasantries barely pass Alister’s sense of propriety, but he finally takes the papers from Darcy. Alister frowns after scanning a few pages, fine lines creasing the corner of his mouth.

He looks at me with the frown still in place.

“I’m sorry, Daphne, I need to deal with this. The food and drinks for the party have been delivered, you’re welcome to whatever you want while you wait. This shouldn’t take long, and then I’ll come get the flowers,” he says.

“Sure, no problem. Thank you.”

“Darcy, will you show her to the kitchen, and then I’ll see you in my office,” Alister says.

Alister escorts me back to the hallway, veering off toward his office, and Darcy hustles me to their staff kitchen. He cursorily points out the trays of food and drinks before hurrying off to Alister’s office.

Once I’m sure Darcy is gone, I also hurry out, slipping back down the hall to the elevator.