Page 2 of Mistletoe Omega
His lips twitched, but his gaze remained blank. “Yep.”
Since he didn’t make any move to take the menu from me, I gave up and went to get his coffee, and put his usual order in. He grunted when I set his java down in front of him, and then he pulled out a paperback, sliding down in his seat to wait for his meal. I left him, unsure of why he intrigued me so much tonight. Maybe it was because I wasn’t actually on shift right now, and so I had extra time to just watch him.
“Hey, thanks for grabbing Graham for me.” Patty bustled up to me and grabbed the orange juice from the under the counter fridge. She poured two glasses and returned it to its spot. “He’s a good tipper. You’ll be happy.”
“No problem.”Graham. It suited him. It was a solid, steadfast name, and he seemed like that kind of man. “What’s his story?”
Holding the glasses of O.J. she paused. “You mean Graham?”
“Yeah. He keeps to himself I notice.”
She shrugged. “All I know is he’s a regular, and he tips well. That’s good enough for me.”
She left me and I refilled my coffee as I studied him. Everybody had some kind of story. Some were happy, some depressing. But nobody got away with having no story at all. Graham was an alpha, and of an age when usually he’d be settled with kids. But he’d never brought anyone in with him.
Had he loved and lost? Had he never bothered to seek out a mate? That was pretty unusual in our alpha omega society. Almost everyone eventually broke down and gave in to the pressure of procreating. I frowned and glanced down at my own stomach. What the hell was I going to do with a kid? I could barely keep myself fed.
The bell near the kitchen area rang, making me jump. I checked and saw it was Graham’s meal sitting under the heat lamps. I grabbed his food and the coffee pot, and carried everything over to him, setting his eggs and bacon carefully on the table. “Any ketchup or hot sauce?” I asked, refilling his coffee with my other hand.
He shook his head. “No, thank you.” He hesitated and then he said, “Don’t you usually work the earlier shift?”
Surprised he knew that, a little flutter when through me. “Um… yeah. I already worked today.”
He frowned. “You’re just hanging around longer because you love it here so much you don’t want to leave?”
I laughed, feeling heat rise from my neck to my face. “I missed my bus.”
He nodded. “I see.”
“It was the last one of the night. But it’s a little cold to walk, so I thought I’d come back where it’s warm, and grab a ride from Patty when her shift is over.”
He picked up his fork, but still he hesitated. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t she take over for you at the end of your shift?”
“She does.”
“Which means she won’t be out of here until around nine tomorrow morning?” His eyes narrowed. “You’re staying here eight hours for a ride?”
I lifted my chin. “Hey, it beats freezing to death.”
“Don’t you have a friend you can call?” He cleared his throat. “What about that loud-mouthed alpha who sometimes visits you on your shift?”
I laughed. “Loud-mouthed?”
“He’s not quiet.”
“No. That’s true.” I found it interesting he’d noticed Tim, and who had what shift, when he always had his nose buried in a book. “You’re an observant guy.”
“I used to be a cop. Old habits die hard.”
“I see.”
“So why can’t your buddy give you a ride?”
I didn’t want to tell him my personal business, so I made something up. “He had to drive to the next town over to visit his mother.”
“He’s visiting his mother?” He sounded skeptical.
“Sure. Why not?”
