Page 2 of The Alpha Escort Agency
"That bad, huh?"
"Worse."
The tall man in front of them steps aside and they reach the counter.
"Hello ladies, what will it be?" asks the enthusiastic barista.
"Two frappuccinos." Maria glances at Alice and squeezes her arm. "And you'd better add extra cream and chocolate syrup in hers."
"Bad day?" the server asks sympathetically.
"Something like that," Alice grimaces, pinning a stray lock of her black curled hair back into her French plait.
When they're seated on one of the low walls in the courtyard between the tall tower blocks, Maria restarts her inquisition.
"Was it the sex?" she says, peering across the rim of her paper cup.
Alice dips her finger into the whipped cream, scooping some onto her finger and then sucking it into her mouth.
"No," she licks her lips, "just the usual jerk. Ate me out of house and home, yet failed to feed me once or even bring me a goddamn glass of water. I had to keep dragging myself to the bathroom."
"Bloody hell!" Maria shakes her head, her shiny red hair cut about her chin, shimmering as she does. "Who raised these Alphas? Why do none of them seem to know the first thing about heat etiquette? It's not that hard — especially considering what they're getting in return."
"I'm thinking of giving up on them altogether," Alice says, scooping up more cream.
"What, Alphas?" Maria stares at her, shock written across her face. "But going through a heat alone would be," she shivers, "hell."
"Oh God, no!" Alice's brow crinkles with deep lines. "I mean random Alphas. No more hookups. I've signed up to the Alpha Escort Agency."
Maria nearly drops her coffee. "What?!"
"I looked it up and actually it seems the perfect solution for me." Maria examines her face, her mouth still hanging open. Alice turns her head to glance at her. "What?" She reaches out and shakes her friend. "Maria!"
"Well, I mean—"
"It worked for Lisa."
"Lisa is not a romantic."
"Neither am I."
Maria snorts. "Oh, yes, you are. You just pretend not to be. I know you, Alice Turner." She reaches out and pinches Alice on the arm.
"Ow!" Rubbing her arm, she scowls at her friend. Her best friend, actually. They have been since they hit it off on Alice's first day of work, Maria assigned to show her round and kindly filling her in on all the office gossip.
"At all costs stay out of the path of Mrs Clackeridge." she'd advised.
"Mrs?"
"Oh yeah. I don't even know what her first name is, but she hates all of us younguns. Especially if you touch her precious stationery supplies without asking."
"Okay."
"And that's Pete. He seems friendly and sweet and will probably offer to help over the next few days, but he's a mega creepy slime ball. Just tell him to go away. Oh, and that's Janet who is having an affair with Tanya. It's been going on for like a year and everybody knows about it but for whatever reason they insist on keeping it secret." Maria had shrugged after that, hooked her arm through Alice's and dragged her to lunch.
Now Maria rolls her brown eyes at Alice. "I don't know why you don't try dating like everyone else."
"Because you know I'm not interested in finding anyone right now, Maria. The life plan."
