It’s my alpha dad who answers. “Register please!”
Running the register is my least favorite job but that’s okay. I’m an adult. I’m more than capable of faking a smile and taking orders. If anyone orders anything stupid though, I can’t promise to tell them it’s stupid to their face.
I click my tongue ring against the back of my front teeth, an awful habit I should really try to break but it’s so satisfying to feel it click. After unlocking the register and clocking in, I lean against the counter, watching my dads whisper to each other.
They’d be really adorable if they weren’t my dads. Aren’t they getting a bit old to be whispering and blushing like that?
Maybe if I wasn’t so against love as a concept, I wouldn’t be so grossed out. Love is fine for others but it’s not something I ever want to experience again. Love gives the other person too much power over you and I’ll be damned if I let someone hurt me again.
Never. Again.
Other people can experience all the love they want and I’ll be content to simply watch it from the outside. If other people can stomach being vulnerable and open, kudos to them. Me? Stevey ruined that for me.
“Welcome in,” I say, throwing on my customer service persona. “What can we make for you today?”
“Can I get your dirty cake shake but can you please add two shots of espresso to it? And then I’d like the breakfast bagel, please.”
“You got it,” I say, typing it all out on the register before giving the guy a total. He quickly pays, adding a tip on top. “Thanks. Can I get your name?”
“Ralph.” I write his name on the ticket before sticking it on the back counter for my dads to start making.
“We’ll call you when it’s done.”
The morning goes by quickly, a flood of college kids coming in and grabbing caffeine and food before their classes. There’s a few people who order and then sit at tables with their laptops or books.
Around noon, one of our workers comes in, practically bouncing as he goes.
“Hey, Aspen.”
“Hi! Shiloh! I didn’t know you were still working here! One of these times I’ll be back from summer break and you’ll be gone.”
“Someone called in sick this morning,” I tell him.
“Don’t say that,” my beta dad says quickly, clutching his chest dramatically. “Shiloh will never leave us. Right?”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
Aspen just giggles as he takes his stuff into the back, grabbing himself an apron and washing his hands. He’s always loud and overly exciting which the customers seem to love. He always makes way more tips than any of the rest of us. He takes the time to remember people’s names and orders. He’s good at this job.
He comes back with a giant grin, pushing me away from the register so he can clock in and take over. I’ve always thought Aspen was handsome. He’s got a great smile, huge gray eyes, and the prettiest white and black hair that has a natural curl to it. I have no idea if he’s just gone white really early or if he dyes it like that but it suits him.
Aspen is some sort of omega shifter and omegas just don’t do it for me.
Not that it matters anyway. I would never fuck someone who works for my family. That sounds like the worst type of drama ready to happen.
“Hi, Foxy!” Aspen says with a grin. “It’s so good to see you again! Did you miss me while I was on summer break?”
Foxy chuckles softly. She’s usually grumpy but even she is soft for Aspen. I’m almost jealous of the way he manages to melt even the most icy people. Even me, a self proclaimed asshole, can’t help but be nice to him.
Maybe he’s some sort of siren pretending to be a shifter.
No, that makes no sense.
I fall into making drinks next to my dads. The three of us work well together, smoothly moving from drink to drink. It might be rush hour but we’ve been doing this for years and everything is made quickly and efficiently, while we banter back and forth.
My dads were there when everything fell apart with Stevey. They probably saved my life if I’m honest with myself. They saw me at my very worst, nursed me back to health when I was going through pining sickness and rejection syndrome. The day I finally moved into the loft upstairs was probably really scary for them. They didn’t wanna take their eyes off of me.
Things are better now.
