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River:I’m on the way.
Sienna:What?
I furrowed my brow in confusion when they replied with an order to get ready. Motivated by the prospect of getting some food, I went to my room. A quick shower, teeth brushed, and some Tylenol popped, I was almost ready by the time my phone beeped again.
River:I’m downstairs. Don’t want to wake your friends.
Sienna:Be right down. Just leaving them a note.
Grabbing some sweats and a cami, I tossed them on and grabbed some flip flops before jotting a quick note and putting it on the fridge just in case Eliza woke up. I was out the door a moment later with my wallet and phone in hand.
River was downstairs, waiting a few feet from the entrance, and I stopped dead at the sight of them. Instead of their usual clothes, they were wearing gray sweats and a black t-shirt, their long hair pulled back in a ponytail. As if they could sense my attention, they looked up from their phone with a smile as I finally got my legs working again.
“I didn’t know you even owned sweats or a plain t-shirt,” I joked, hoping to break some of the tension rising between us.
River grinned and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leading me out to the parking lot. “Everyone has sweats, sweetheart. We all need to let loose sometimes.”
I had started to ask them something else when I saw a car that had to be theirs and almost fell over laughing. River’s grin grew as they watched me, good humor brightly shining in their pale blue eyes. “That’s…That’syour car?”
River pulled me forward and patted the roof of it. “Meet Gomez. He’s vintage, Sienna. You should feel lucky to grace his presence.”
“Gomez? The hearse?” I sputtered out, imagining the Addams family. River helped me into the front seat, and I buckled up as they came around and joined me.
They pulled out while telling me they were taking me to their favorite all-night breakfast spot for some food. God, breakfast sounded amazing. Grease. Bacon. It wouldn’t be Waffle House, but it would have to do.
The front windows of the Sunrise Café boasted about their world-famous bacon and five-star cinnamon rolls. My stomach growled loudly at the sight of the larger-than-life food adorning the ads as River parked and turned off the car.
“Is their bacon really that good?” I asked with a laugh. The high from the weed was still here, but it wasn’t as strong as before. I was still in that zone where I felt relaxed and the world felt like a nicer place than usual, the sharp bite of reality having a softer edge. River held out their arm for me after they opened my door. I wasn’t really used to those little displays of chivalry, but I’d take it if they were offering.
“It’s orgasmic,” they confirmed as I wrapped my arm in theirs. “Just wait. I’m excited to finally share this place with someone.”
“Yuri doesn’t come with you?” Now that I knew they were cousins, I couldn’t help but wonder what their relationship was really like. The two were night and day. Where Yuri was the strong and silent type, always all business, River was boisterous and loud, drawing attention to themself like it was their job.
River let out a deep chuckle. “Absolutely not. It’s too simple for his tastes. I love my cousin, but he’s a bit of a snob when it comes to treating himself.” As if they’d considered how that sounded, they quickly added on a reassurance. “Apparently, he’s not afraid to branch out foryou, though. Neon Nights isn’t his usual hangout.”
“You were there forme?”
“In part. Yuri also needed to speak with someone, and then we overheard a conversation between brothers that it was girls' night,” they admitted. “We just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
It was such a strange feeling to have someone looking out for me in that way. Sure, my friends were amazing, and Eliza, in particular, was a mother hen. But having an alpha worry about making sure I was safe… It was foreign but nice.
I was saved from having to reply by the hostess. The woman, dressed in a bright red apron, her white hair tied up in a messy bun, promptly came over after we stepped foot into the restaurant. “Welcome back again, River… Oh, and who is this?” Gertrude gushed. I snuck a peek at her name tag while her attention was focused on the alpha by my side. I had a feeling Gertrude and I might be getting real friendly, real fast. The omega had more energy than I had on a normal day, and it wasn’t even sunrise.
“Gertie!” they greeted, rushing up to kiss her on both cheeks before releasing her. “This is Sienna. She’s fantastic. And hungry. I know that’s your favorite kind of customer.”
“Yes it is, honey!” she agreed with a loud laugh, waving us over to a booth. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I need to sleep after this, so let’s go for tea,” River answered before looking at me. I was in the same boat. If I drank coffee on top of smoking, I’d never get back to sleep before work.
“Same,” I agreed even though I could hardly find it in me to care. I was pleasantly buzzed and ready to eat. Just being in River’s presence was calming in its own way.
When Gertie rushed off to get our drinks, River leaned in. I breathed in their heady scent for a second before flinching back with the realization of just how obvious I was being. I couldn’t do this with them. My job could be on the line.
“What was that for?” they asked. Hearing them use a serious tone had me sighing. For some reason, I couldn’t lie to them, but there had to be some kind of middle ground. I wasn’t about to dump my whole shitty life on them.
“We work together, River. This can’t be a thing,” I said quietly. Hurting their feelings was the furthest thing from what I wanted, but... “My job? I can’t lose it. Too much depends on it.”
“Alright, madam of mystery,” they teased, but I could see tension in their eyes now. “What makes you think eating breakfast with me would make you lose your job? If you hadn’t noticed, I’ve got an in with our boss. Plus, I think he’s more than a little interested in you.”
