AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I actually met them at the library. At my shift after our last dinner.”
Sidney laughed.
“What's so funny?” Mom asked.
“You were so determined that she would never find anyone working nights. And then it took her less than a day after you made that declaration. You’re like a reverse fortune teller.”
Mom slapped him playfully on the chest. “Mocking your own mother.”
“Come in, come in,” Dad insisted. “Gabe, what can I get you to drink? We got everything for Italian sodas tonight. Raspberry, peach, or lime?”
“I’ll have whatever you’re having, sir.”
Mom frantically pawed my shoulder and hiss-whispered at me, “Nicola, you found such a polite one.”
“Nicky, which flavour would you like?” Dad asked me.
“Peach for me, please,” I said.
We left the entryway and got settled at the dinner table. The oven timer dinged, and Dad disappeared into the kitchen. I introduced Gabe to the rest of my family, and pointedly ignored the absolutely delighted expression on Allie's face.
Dad returned carrying a bubbling tray of chicken parmigiana. Luca appeared on Dad's heels with a giant bowl of salad and another of spaghetti noodles.
“Nicola, what did you bring for us?” Mom asked, gesturing to the case in my hands.
“Rosemary lemon shortbread. We made it today.”
Mom put her hand to her chest like she couldn’t quite handle the romance of it. “Gabe, you bake, too?”
“I don’t usually. Nicky was over for lunch, and one of the people I live with owns a bakery.”
“Oh, how lovely.”
I put the cookies in the kitchen, and we all sat down to dinner once Dad had made all the Italian sodas. I sipped mine happily while Mom focused herself on Gabe. It was mostly basic questions: they asked about his family, and I learned that he was an only child but close with his cousins. I probably should have known how old he was before this—thirty-four—but at least I knew now. I also learned that he had initially gone into trades with a community college to help support his parents through a health crisis.
That fact had won him some major points with my parents.
“What do you do for work now, Gabe? Dad asked.
“I work security downtown,” he said.
Dad perked up. “Really? One of my buddies runs a security firm. Which company do you work for?”
“Oh, um, it's a pretty small place.”
Dad tapped his fingers on the table impatiently.
“I’m actually a bouncer at a club. Slick City.”
“Oh my god!” Allie squealed. “We used to go to Slick City in college! That place is na—I mean, classy. Super, super classy. Veryelegantatmosphere,” Allie finished off, shooting me a grin. “We always had a great time.”
My parents looked at her, wildly confused.
“It's a club specifically for betas and omegas. Super safe. The staff makes sure nothing bad happens while everyone is drunk as a skunk.”
I chewed my lip, waiting for Mom to have some sort of negative reaction to the revelation, but, on the contrary, she looked at Gabe as if he were some sort of white knight.
“Oh, Nicola, you found yourself aprotector.”
