No reservations, p.16
No Reservations, page 16
“Yes, why?”
“What is the feeling that your body floods you with right after the agony?”
The woman blinked. “Uh, euphoria and endorphins to fight the pain.”
“Yup. Anyone else?”
Andre raised his hand. “Could you add a chapter about your increasing relationships in your circle?”
Olivia smiled. “You mean Lexa.”
“Yes. Her story is fascinating as well.”
“I can write from my side of the relationship, but if she ever wanted to tell hers, I would be happy to write it down.” She smiled. “But sure, I can write about Lexa and our friend Alita if they agree to it.”
He smiled and nodded.
They continued on, and she asked, “Now, to promote the book, what do you want me to do?”
The first two expounded on coast-to-coast and possibly international tours.
Andre smiled. “You are just getting settled. You are young, you want a family, we would be willing to bring the interviewers to you and then have you do a virtual speaking tour from your home to anywhere you like. If you were willing to go to book signings within a hundred-mile radius, that would be great.”
Ambrose chuckled. “We can push it to two hundred.”
Andre made notes.
Edgar was making notes as well. “Well, draw up your proposals, submit them to me by Monday afternoon, and you will have the decision by Wednesday.”
They broke the meeting, and Margot smiled at her. “You are doing so well, Olivia. I can hardly believe you are the same hunched-over young lady who staggered out of that pickup.”
“Me neither. Now my clothes fit, and I get to be all girly. It’s rather weird.”
Margot chuckled. “I see there is a fourth added to your file.”
“Oh, yeah. Funny story. Wait, it can go in the book.”
“Or you could tell me now.”
“Well, before my pride registered, they were trying to lure Yemeen in to join them as feline alphas are not that common, and Yemeen said they would have no chance to find an omega, and he declined. So, after I was in one of Ford’s videos and he put up the dailies, Yemeen offered his services as a designer for a different video and came by and met me, wanting to know how big a mistake he had made. I kissed him, and he made an official apology to Ambrose and wondered if there was a chance for him.”
“There was?”
“Yes, he is sweet and charming and generous with his time.” She smiled softly. “They are all very sweet in their own way.”
“Even Ambrose, you said in your book he was an arrogant twit.”
She grinned. “Yes. I stand by it, but I have now seen him with Lexa’s little girl, and my ovaries just about exploded.”
Margot chuckled. “How sad is it that our bar is set so low that a kindness to a child is enough to get us to consider it.”
“It was just nice to see him surrender to the chaos for a moment.” Olivia smiled.
“So, you are thinking about having kids?”
“Yeah, one more heat, and then, I will have the IUD removed if they are up for it.” She smiled. “At that point, it will be up to dumb luck. I had never thought of how good a mom an omega could be until I saw Lexa, and then, I realized that I can be the kind of parent I want to be. The guys can be the kind of parents they want to be, and the child can grow up protected and loved. Oh, and Hailey is willing to come and play with the baby. She’s a little baby crazy for a seven-year-old.” Olivia chuckled.
Margot shrugged. “My nieces are always wanting to hold their cousins. Some of my nephews, too. Children want to practice being adults, and in their minds, there is nothing closer to it than holding a baby. Well, aside from holding a job, but jobs aren’t something we expose them to. They are exposed to children much earlier.”
Olivia looked at her. “Are you happy this book is going to see the light of day?”
“Oh, yes. Folks don’t understand that being an omega isn’t all pampering and doting alphas. The world can be very dangerous for you, and you brought that point home.”
Olivia looked at the men and women shaking hands with her pride. “I hope that the book doesn’t disrupt us too much. I like things the way they are.”
Margot touched her hand. “Life is change, Olivia. Change will always come. You have a solid group willing to help you handle it.”
“Yeah, I do. We just have to wait for Ford to come around, and things will be nice and settled.” Olivia smiled. “That could take a while, but starting a family might speed things up.”
“You think he would take on one of your alphas?”
She sighed softly and looked at Ford talking to the lawyer from the Omega Centre. “Yeah.” Ford looked at her and gave her a slow smile. “Yeah, I think he might.”
Chapter Fifteen
Olivia smoothed the folds of her skirt, and she checked out the comfy and well-padded lace-up boots that Lexa had picked out for her. It matched the blue skirt, white blouse, and blue ribbon. She was a good representation of Alice in Wonderland.
The guys sipped from their travel mugs as they pulled up outside Lexa’s home in the huge SUV limo. Olivia got out and waited.
A bright Sleeping Beauty bolted out of the house, followed by a combination of all the fairy tale villainesses in thigh-high boots, black tights, and a skin-tight black shirt covered by a vest that had a high collar. Lexa looked like she was ready to cast spells but also wasn’t recognizable as anything other than a woman in thigh-high boots.
Lexa had a backpack, and she locked her house before coming to hug Olivia before climbing in the vehicle and settling next to Hailey, who was next to Olivia. The men filled the outside of the vehicle. The moment she closed the door, they were on their way.
Ford grinned and handed them wristbands. “Here you go. This way, we are all tied together for some of the rides, and you can use them to buy anything you want in the giftshops, Hailey. Happy Birthday!”
Lexa went pale. “You shouldn’t—”
Ford held up his hand. “Today, you are our guests, and she is the birthday girl. Olivia wants to go to the park, and it was on her list. Enjoy the day, and do what you want.”
Olivia grinned, and then, she took Lexa’s hand. “It’s okay. If you feel bad, remember that Ford will take it out of your hide later.”
Lexa laughed. “There is that.”
Ford grinned. “I intend to have you, Olivia, and Alita riding full out across the plains and then parting into three different directions. Oh, and I have made a storyboard for a song... but I don’t have the song. Can you help me there?”
She laughed. “Send me the storyboard. I will think of something.”
He nodded, and her phone chimed. She snorted and looked at it, flicking through it. “All three of us?”
Ford grinned. “You all get along, and it shows. Other omegas get all stiff and weird with each other. So, three queens on thrones.”
Lexa’s eyes got big, and she started typing. Hailey grinned. “She’s thinking.”
Ford laughed and asked Hailey which rides she wanted to go on, and Olivia watched words appearing on Lexa’s screen in rapid succession. She was humming under her breath, and she would stop and refer to the storyboard before continuing.
Olivia looked at the other guys, and Dexter and Yemeen were asleep on each other’s shoulders. Argus watched the scenery go by, and Ambrose was sitting with his eyes closed, leaning back on his seat.
Ford was making notes about what Hailey wanted to do.
Lexa was grinning when they arrived, and she sent an email to Ford.
“That is the first draft, but is that the direction you wanted?”
Ford read quickly, and his eyes lit up. “This is exactly the right tone. Oh, this is going to be fun.”
“So, you are just doing this for yourself now?” Olivia smiled.
“Yeah. Leora’s video teasers are getting all kinds of play, and folks are loving the alpha chase with you on the motorcycle. The traffic to my site has increased by a factor of fifteen, and their focus is images of you and Lexa. Fully clothed, surprisingly enough.” He chuckled.
The driver came around to open the door, and Olivia smiled at Argus. “Can you wake the tweedles?”
Ford laughed and got out, holding his hand out for Hailey. She clambered out, and he helped her straighten her skirts. Lexa squeezed Olivia’s hand, and then, she got out of the vehicle.
Olivia got out next, and then, they waited for the guys to wake up. There were shouts and curses, but the guys climbed out a minute later, with Argus grinning and everyone else rubbing their arms.
Olivia chuckled. “You have brothers, don’t you?”
Argus cracked his knuckles. “Yes, I do.”
She walked up to him and leaned against him with a swoon. “My hero.”
He kissed her softly, and there was a click.
Ford pulled out a high-tech camera, and he grinned. “I am getting paid to take this sucker for a spin.”
Lexa blinked. “Nice.”
“Yeah, I got some great shots of you and Hailey coming out of your house.” He grinned. “Thoroughly modern princess and the queen behind her.”
It was seven thirty, and a door to the side of the gates opened, and a smiling woman came out and greeted Ford. She then crouched and introduced herself to Hailey, taking her photo. “If you talk to anyone with this kind of a nametag, they will do their best for you right away.”
Hailey smiled and said, “Thank you, Miss.”
“Mr. Rathmussen, please, bring your party this way. Miss Hailey, you are in charge.”
Lexa raised her brows at the use of Hailey’s name, but they all went through a security station, got checked, and then headed into the park. It was the start of a very long day.
* * * *
Lexa was a little dizzy after the fourth ride, and Hailey looked around and said, “Mom! The street is empty. Do the flippy thing.”
Lexa winced. “Really? I don’t think they want to wait for us while I do this.”
Ford lifted the camera and grinned. “Oh, we do. Do the flippy thing.”
Hailey got out of her way, and Lexa sighed and handed off her the backpack. She looked up and down the street, did a short runup, and then her hands hit the tarmac, and then her feet and hands and feet; she kept going until she had flipped six times and ended in a twist with her hands in the air.
Her group applauded, and she wiped her hands on her butt.
* * * *
Olivia straightened up and applauded. “I had no idea you were a gymnast.”
“A misspent youth. I took a lot of tumbling before I outgrew it. That is the last really good trick I can do.” Lexa glared. “No, I will not do that painted in costume in a video.”
Ford laughed. “I reserve the right to ask again. Can you do that again?”
Hailey looked at her. “Please, Mom?”
Lexa looked at her daughter.
Olivia said, “Please, Mom?”
Lexa laughed and nodded, took a few steps, and launched into a series of flips. Olivia was stunned. She had never seen a human fly close up before.
When the flip was over and Lexa stuck the landing, Olivia walked up and hugged her. “You are amazing.”
Lexa chuckled. “I need the wet wipes from my backpack.”
Hailey came up with the wet wipe and a huge grin. “That was so cool.”
Olivia smiled and said, “And excellent timing. The crowds are coming in.”
A young lady with the customer service badge arrived, and she smiled. “I have been told that there is a young lady here who would like an official princess makeover.”
Ford chuckled. “There is, indeed.”
Olivia looked to Lexa, but Lexa said, “Only for kids. They don’t want adults confused with the actual princesses in the park.”
Olivia’s shoulders slumped. “Ah, well. I am sure that Yemeen can make me something princessy.”
Yemeen came over and caressed her shoulders. “Of course, I can. You, too, Lexa. Just name your princess.”
Lexa chuckled. “I am a little old for playing princess.”
Olivia narrowed her eyes. “How old are you again?”
Lexa winced. “Twenty-three.”
“Shut up. Let’s go watch our girl get a makeover.” Olivia took her hand and hauled her after the lady from guest services. The guys followed.
Lexa went in to sign for Hailey so that she could be called when her daughter was ready, and there was a kings and queens waiting room where food and drink could be obtained, and the pride flopped on couches while Lexa and Olivia opted of one of the dainty bistro sets. They had tiny sandwiches, and Olivia went after the food with gusto. Lexa had three tiny sandwiches and let the mated omega have the rest. She was obviously hungry.
Lexa sat at a coffee made of layers of sugary mass that culminated in a froth of foam and whipped cream. “Yeah, queen-sized is happening if I have too many of these.”
Olivia laughed. “Madam, you can carry another forty pounds and still be fit. I hadn’t appreciated until today how much of what is under your clothing is actual muscle. I just thought you would be pasty and feeble.”
Lexa snorted. “I can’t gain weight. Clothes are expensive.”
Olivia blinked. “Wow. That... is not what I thought you would say.”
“It’s a weird side effect of scrambling to feed yourself and constantly being knocked back. I have to wear the same clothes I did when I was eighteen and bits and pieces collected on sale and clearance. I make do. It’s a good thing I started with a big wardrobe and a few extra pounds.” She sipped her coffee.
Olivia felt tears creeping at her lashes.
Lexa waved her hand at Olivia to stop her. “Don’t cry. It’s fine. I’m fine. Hailey’s fine.”
Olivia dragged in a deep breath. “I can see you are fine. I don’t know why I am so upset.”
“It is called empathy. It means that you can mentally put yourself in my situation and know that things would not be too different.” Lexa grinned. “Of course, I picked a bear.”
Olivia cocked her head and said, “Okay, so what does an ursa alpha look like? I have no idea.”
Lexa looked out the window at the crowds, and she pointed. “That guy in the red shirt with the brown hair. That is a close approximation of the physique.”
“I had a judge like that the other day. Massive. Wait. You let someone like that get on top of you?”
“Well, if I had crawled on his back, it wouldn’t have worked.” Lexa chuckled.
“So, it did work.”
“Oh, yeah. Aside from what happened later, it was a pretty spectacular night.” She laughed. “Bears have really strong scents.”
Olivia blinked. “And you have a super-strong scent. What did he smell like? I mean, just so I can punch him in the nuts if I ever meet him.”
Lexa looked sad. “Oak leaves and butterscotch.”
“Oh, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it back.”
Lexa grinned. “I think of him every time I get dressed or undressed. The snagging on my scar brings it all back. It’s always there. You have marks. Can you imagine one day without them?”
Olivia stroked the mark on her wrist. “No. I like them. They mean a lot to me now. I think about them each time I move or breathe. They are always with me.”
“And mine is a thousand miles away and never knew I was calling.”
Olivia cried huge tears, and Lexa promptly tried to comfort her. Ford came over and beckoned to Argus. “Come here and comfort her. Olivia, I will keep Lexa company.”
Ford took care of Lexa, holding her hand, and she gave him a wry smile. She said a few words, and he blinked before he leaned in. He grinned and shook his head at her.
Olivia sat and accepted the comfort of Argus’s arms and calmed down. “I don’t know why I am so upset. I just felt the howling loneliness out of nowhere.”
Argus stroked her back. “It’s fine. You are fine. Ford is taking care of Lexa, and we have you.”
She blinked and distracted herself. “Have you seen a bear alpha before?”
He nodded. “Yeah. They are even less common than feline alphas. They are also enormous. Kind of like furry rhinos. Why?”
“Lexa’s ex is one, and I hadn’t appreciated how specific her type was until she picked a guy in the crowd and said her fella was bigger. It was eye-opening.” She smiled at Argus. “Thanks for being reasonably sized.”
He chuckled. “What about the other guys?”
“I am going to reserve commenting on Dexter, but the rest of you are reasonable in comparison.”
Dexter mumbled around his sandwich. “Hey!”
“Stop growing, you gigantic goof. You weigh a ton.” They laughed, and Yemeen chuckled. Ambrose was busy studying a menu and looking for more to eat.
Olivia was wrapped in normal, and she took a sip of the coffee that Argus held for her. It was black coffee, but she didn’t care. It was the care she was getting from her alpha that made it worth it.
Lexa got a phone call, and she smiled, getting up. “She’s done.”
Ford bolted up. “Official photographer is on the way.”
Olivia jumped out of Argus’s arms and bolted for the door, giggling as her guys scrambled to keep up.
Lexa was in the waiting room, and Olivia stood next to her as Hailey came out, and she was dressed as a full-on Cinderella. “Oh, my god. She is adorable.”
Olivia watched as Hailey carefully hugged her mom and laughed. Ford and his camera caught the entire moment. Olivia didn’t know what he would do with the footage, but Hailey showed off her clear plastic slippers, and all thoughts were gone. She was just so stinking cute!
They left the salon and walked to get the princess a snack before the large late lunch that they had planned. Of course, after her fruit cup, Hailey was ready to rock.
A parade started, and characters came by and danced. One grabbed Lexa, and she tried to demure, but Hailey was like, “Dance, Mom!”
So, Olivia laughed at Lexa dancing with the large foam character when she was grabbed and pulled into the parade next to Lexa.
