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"Only if you ask nicely."
"I don't do nice."
"Just once?" Sel quipped with a tilt of the head.
Elias' cheeks grew warm at the bubbling eagerness in the beta's gaze. It was a wonder this man wasn't an alpha or omega. He kind of looked like both. Tall yet lithe, thin lips paired with sharp brows, and silky, tawny locks that always fell into his line of sight. For a moment, Elias held eye contact, a frown marring his features, but then Sel smiled a little harder to reveal the dreaded, unavoidably cute dimple on the right side.
Elias let out a breath and glanced away, grumbling. "Fine, please make me my usual times two."
Sel rang him up without further teasing, for which he was grateful. Levi took a step closer to Elias' back, reminding him the alpha had made it through the gauntlet of city sidewalks to keep up. It pissed him off the guy had managed it. His body heat was impossible to ignore, seeping in and swirling low, but Elias couldn't step away.
Not in this intimate, familiar space where everyone was acquainted with him and had eyes like a hawk. Most of the workers here were omega or beta. Drip It acted as a haven for lesser designations to both visit and work without worrying over alpha pheromones. They would string up and take out Levi if they sensed his discomfort. It was crazy to see how powerful their little hands could be when fueled with rage.
"That'll be fifteen seventy-two," Sel rattled out. Elias reached for the wallet in his back pocket when a veined hand covered in pressed silver rings slid past his vision, offering a black card.
The beta shot Elias a subtle, questioning glance before taking the card and running it. He didn't bother trying to explain. There was nothing to say, at least not right now. Levi hadn't told him much about his proposal, but he had an idea.
"Thanks, Sel. Mind bringing it to my table?"
The beta nodded, glancing at Levi one too many times, eyes narrowed with suspicion. Sel was among the rare individuals who were aware of the general details of Elias' unfortunate history, causing both of them to feel uneasy in the presence of alphas. Well, Sel had been that way long before Elias told him. Most betas didn't trust or like alphas.
Without another word, Elias guided Levi to a corner, two-person table near the bay windows. Spindly, soft-leaved plants hung all the way around the perimeter of the shop, sitting on a polished oak shelf high above their heads. However, in that corner spot, a few were old enough that the vines dropped to tickle your head and cheeks.
Elias liked to come here in the afternoons with his work laptop, sit in the comfortable ruby-cushioned vintage armchair, and bask in the sunlight as it faded over the skyscrapers. Working was better than going home. His nervous fingers always moved—tearing at the skin around his cuticles, tapping his legs or the table, or sometimes fluttering through the air. The little vines with their heart-shaped leaves were a welcome distraction as he sat down, greeting them with a brush of his cheek.
Levi sat across from him, back against the chair and fingers steepled across his chest as they surveyed each other. Elias did the same, unable to stop the twitch of a smile when the vines brushed against him and tickled his skin. He didn't want to be the first to speak, not when he'd agreed to come and brought the alpha to one of his most sacred holes in the wall.
Why had he done that again?
The food and drinks arrived, Sel placing them down slowly as he blatantly glared at Levi. Elias would've prevented him if it hadn't been so entertaining to witness. A beta man who was not big enough to kick alpha ass squaring up. Levi didn't react, only nodded and rumbled the softest thank you.
Another barista, a mid-sized older omega named Katie, did the same as she breezed past with stacks of dirty glasses toward the kitchen. Elias examined Levi's reaction, impressed by the alpha's nonchalance.
The one time he brought Ian here—poor, sweet Ian—they'd done the same thing. It left his soft-hearted best friend wilting like a flower, with ears down and a metaphorical tail tucked between his legs.
Once all the prying eyes were gone, Levi spoke. "You've got quite the support network here."
Bringing attention to it made Elias anxious. He glanced at his friends again, noting the influx of patrons seated all around them. Many were regulars who came to finish up work in a friendly atmosphere just like he did, and others came by for a quick pick me up. The low buzz of many voices speaking together was a balm to his soul.
"You could say that."
"I thought you were alone."
At that, Elias turned back to Levi, brows furrowed. He tried to decode what that statement meant. The alpha's tone was unreadable, strong yet curious, just like his expression. His thick, dark brows lowered over matching eyes, drowning Elias in their depth. He couldn't help but stare, squirming in his seat, his cheeks blushing.
"Romantically? Yes. Platonically? No way."
He left it at that, pulling his pastry closer while blowing softly across the top of his chai latte, witnessing the foam leaf ripple.
"Uh-huh," Levi said, sounding skeptical. "And that faint alpha scent on you? Is that your boss?"
Elias bristled, taking an angry bite of his pastry and reveling in the burst of tangy flavor across his tongue. "Not that you deserve to know, but I have an alpha roommate."
There was no way he'd disclose to a random stranger, regardless of how attractive Levi was, about the adventurous experience he had earlier today.
"What?"
The words left the alpha's throat in an almost guttural manner, low and dangerous. Elias stiffened. Hell, the entire shop tensed up and he could catch Sel glancing at them from the counter out of the corner of his eye. Elias chuckled nervously, tugging at his collar and hating himself for it. The pressure of smoke-tinted leather pheromones was overwhelming, coming to swarm him and only him as Levi bore down his will.
