Page 5 of Our Haunted Omegas
“How do you like doing nothing?” he asked.
“I didn’t say I did nothing. I said I didn’t have to do anything. Freewill and all that.”
“You’re related to Clarence and them, right?” he asked, opening the next box of sponges. He must’ve worked at the store for a while because he was faster than me at stocking.
“Yeah. He’s my grandpa,” I nodded.
“Can I ask you a question then?”
“You can ask me anything.”
“Why is the whole unity celebration in summer if the war ended in the winter?”
“Because the winter has enough holidays,” I shrugged. “That’s what was told to us anyway. I think it’s just an easiertime for some communities to celebrate. Before you said I wasn’t going to like this. What is this?”
“I have a roommate.”
“I have Teal and Cobalt, and we live behind our grandparents.”
“Teal and Cobalt,” he nodded. “You’re one of those heir triplets, huh?”
“You say it like you stepped in horseshit,” I laughed. “Did my grandparents do something to you? I know it wasn’t my parents. They don’t come over here often enough to bother anyone. Wait! Have you fucked with Cobalt? No, I’d have known, right?”
He laughed and took the half-empty box of sponges from me and started to shelve them.
“I was doing that,” I groaned, stepping closer to him. “How do you keep doing it so fast? Why aren’t you stumbling over your thoughts?”
“Because I like having our apartment and I’m rather fond of food I don’t have to hunt,” he said, the laughter fading from his voice. “I hope you don’t expect me to become some house omega. If you want to pay for someone to have to never leave the house again you can do that for Odie.”
“Who’s Odie?” I asked. “Wait! Do you already have a boyfriend? I’m trying to figure out what’s complicated. My being an heir isn’t complicated. My granddad will live forever and then my dad’s in line. It’s not complicated. I won’t make you follow any stupid leading family rules. If I can’t shut them up, I’ll call my carrier and he’s---”
He stopped stocking the shelf and rubbed the bridge of his nose. My heart sank into my stomach. I wasn’t sure what I said wrong, but something was.
“I’m not moving out of my apartment and I’m not leaving Odie. No, he’s not my boyfriend.”
“Is he your dog or something?” I asked gently. “I like pets.”
He sighed and picked up the next box.
“You can’t be mad at me for guessing when you’re not giving me anything to go on,” I sighed back at him and started opening the boxes still on the floor because I had to do something to make his job easier.
“Have you ever had a job in your life?” he asked.
“Yeah. A few. A lot of internships too,” I shrugged. “I went to university for food management. That’s from seed to table. I grew up working alongside my parents. My carrier is an ag engineer. I may not know how to stock a grocery store, but I know how to get the food here and to the tables of people who want to eat it.”
“But you’ve never had to work for---”
“Excuse you,” I laughed. “I farmed. Every summer as a teenager we worked half the summer in the growing process of food for Heartville. I have worked for my food. Sure, I’ve never paid rent. I’ll give you that but I know what work is.”
“What’s your current job?”
“I’m not getting paid for anything right now,” I shrugged. “You don’t have to work if you don’t want to either.”
“Someone has to. Like I said, I’m keeping my apartment. I’m keeping Odie.”
“Who is Odie?”
“You’ll meet him. No, he’s not my boyfriend. No, we’ve never been intimate. We did share a boyfriend,” he said and set down an empty box before meeting my gaze.
