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I grab my mini sweeper and get down on my hands and knees to clean the glass. It doesn’t take long, but by the time I’m finished, I’m a little sweaty from trying to get as far back as I can and there’s a bit of dust on my hands. I can only imagine what my face looks like.
After dumping the glass and dirt, I go to take a shower, needing to wash the bad memories as well as the dust away.
While I’m in the shower, I run my hands over my body. I’ve always been a big alpha, body corded with muscle with a minimum amount of working out required. I spend a bit of time running, but that’s the extent of it. I look pretty damn good. My dark brown, almost black hair contrasts sharply with my blue eyes, a conversation starter for most flirting omegas. Physically I’m a catch, but with my working habits, I don’t think I can carry on a relationship.
Snarling, I wash myself roughly and get out of the shower before my morose thoughts bring me down anymore.
Just as I flop on the couch, my phone rings. I scoop it up and see one of my good friends, Miles, calling. “What’s up man?”
“Not much,” Miles says cheerfully. “I wanted to see if you want to join me at the bar down on Third? Winchester’s? It’s been forever since I’ve seen you and I want you to meet another friend of mine.”
“I don’t know man,” I say, even though I don’t have any plans. I had two beers, though they didn’t even make me tipsy. “I just—”
“You ain’t doing shit,” Miles quips and I chuckle. “Come on man, me and my friend usually spend time with our omegas, but we want to hang for a bit. I figured you would want some company.”
Miles and I have been friends since college, so he knows me well enough to know I need to get out. It’s been months since we’ve had drinks, so it would be nice to see him.
Sighing, I look at the time on my phone. It’s only four-thirty. I have plenty of time to sober up, even if I don’t feel the effects of the alcohol. “Fine. What time?”
“Fuck yeah!” Miles shouts, making me pull my phone from my ear. “Let’s meet at seven thirty. My friend has a mate and two kids. He can’t be out too late. And he’s a sappy mess since he met his fated, so he doesn’t want to be out too late anyway.”
I scoff. “Fated mates aren’t real man.”
“I’d agree if I didn’t see it. They’re the real deal man. Rare, but real. I don’t think everyone has one, but Rome sure does. And they’re unbelievable together. Anyway, you’ll like him. Before he met his mate, he was a workaholic like you.” I scoff again. “Who knows? Maybe Santa or whoever you believe in will bring your fated to you for Christmas.”
“Yeah, like that will happen.”
We wrap up the conversation and hang up. Sighing, I toss my phone on the table and lean back against the couch. I turn the shitty movie off, tired of hearing the declarations of love and seeing the cutesy snowball fights.
Because I want that.
I had it and I fucked it up because of work. But I don’t have anything else. When Carlton left me, all I had to fall back on was my work. I probably did the opposite of what I should have done. Instead of slowing down, learning from my mistakes, I went forward full speed ahead, working harder and trying to keep myself busy from my loneliness.
Maybe I’ll be able to find something that will keep my attention away from work for the next few weeks. Hell, maybe I’ll find a new bar I can hole up in until work starts after the New Year.
Fuck. This is going to be a long three weeks.
Chapter 2
Dylan
Skipping down the sidewalk, I look around at the preparations of the annual holiday parade Fair Falls holds. The bar I work at is participating this year and I’m stoked. I had to beg my boss, Bryce, to let us have a booth and he told me as long as I was the one staffing it, he didn’t care. And I told him as long as I could have mulled wine and be in charge of the decorations and I could wear my Santa hat, I was all in. Didn’t hurt that Bryce is my brother and I co-own the bar.
The parade is in a little over a week and Fair Falls looks like a completely different city. With the beautiful decorations and the snowfall from last night, it’s like a winter wonderland.
Opening the door, I twirl around to the Christmas music I insisted upon playing at least three days a week. My brother doesn’t love it, but he lets me get my way. Especially because he’s rarely in the bar proper to hear it.
Bryce sees me dancing like a loon and shakes his head. “Get behind the bar, Dyl. We’ll have customers coming in soon.”
I grin at him, move around behind the bar, and stand on tip toe, kissing his cheek. He laughs, nudging me away. “Loosen up, Bryce,” I tell him, dropping my bag and, after washing my hands, I pick up my cutting board, a paring knife, and some limes. “It’s the holiday season. Who doesn’t like dancing to holiday music?”
“Me. Now get to work.”
I give him a dry look. “Uh, what does it look like I’m doing?” I throw a cut lime at him, which he catches and squeezes into his mouth. So disgusting. “Get out of here. I know you have paperwork to take care of.”
He snaps the hand towel he had over his shoulder at me, then heads to his office. I smile after him. It’s great going into business with my brother. He’s the brains and I’m the word of mouth, getting butts in seats so we can keep this place running. It also doesn’t hurt that I’m a master mixologist, taking several courses and also having my own line of bottled cocktails. They’re only available in Fair Falls, but they do really well.
I go about doing my opening duties—filling up the saltshakers, prepping glasses for shots, filling napkin dispensers and making sure beer is deep in ice. Glancing at the clock, I see it’s about ten minutes before we open. Few people come in right when the bar opens, but it’s the holiday season, so you never know.
