Page 7 of How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days
All except for a handsome guy in a business-casual suit with a sour expression. He looked around the room, passed me three times, and then finally hesitated nearby. Looking for a table no doubt.
“You can join me,” I offered, loud enough so he could hear me over the din.
He looked around again, then his shoulders slumped in defeat and he headed over.
“Thank you,” he said, setting his tray down.
“No problem.”
We sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes, just quietly eating.
“Where are you from?” he asked, almost like he didn’t actually want to know, but was trying to be polite.
“Up north,” I said vaguely. “You?”
“Out west,” he said with a ghost of a smile.
We both chuckled a little. “I’m Theo Jingle,” I said. I winced as soon as the words were out of my mouth. I knew my nickname was normal enough for humans, but my surname always raised eyebrows.
Sure enough, he laughed. “Jingle?”
I smiled and shrugged helplessly.
“Eh, I can’t really talk. Shaun Snowdon.”
“That’s not as bad as Jingle,” I said honestly. “Snowdon has a nice…” I bit back a gasp. Snowdon?! Could it be? Was he the guy I was supposed to help? Or was he just someone who was going to helpme? “What brings you here?” I asked, trying to feel him out.
“Work.”
“Working here or working while here?”
“Little bit of both,” he answered with a shrug. “You?”
“Just here for the holidays.” I looked around and couldn’t hide my smile. “I think I picked a good place.”
“Yeah…” Shaun looked around with an odd expression. Like he didn’t know how to feel.
“I hear there’s a fantastic Christmas market down in the town.” I didn’t add that I had read it in the brochure this morning and that I had never heard of this place before.
“If you… like that sort of thing,” he said slowly. “I’ve heard it’s… nice.”
“Doyoulike that sort of thing? Christmas, I mean.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “No…” He leaned back away from me. I couldn’t tell what I had done, but I swear his body language and totally changed. “No. I don’t really do Christmas.Or…” Shaun gestured around us. “This. Holidays. Whatever. Actually, I’m not that hungry.”
Without another word, he grabbed his tray, got up, and walked briskly away.
“Huh,” I said to myself. “Yikes.”
But even as I said it, I started to smile. Yes. Shaun was exactly the sort of person who needed a little injection of holiday cheer.
~~~***~~~
The next morning I spotted Shaun in the lobby after breakfast. I lingered and pretended like I was checking out the ornaments on a tree. A shuttle bus that went into the town pulled up and several people, including my target, boarded. I hurried across the lobby and made it just before the bus left. Luck was with me; one of the only open seats was next to Shaun.
“Hello again,” I said brightly as I sat down.
His green-gray eyes narrowed slightly at me. “Morning,” he grumbled.
