Chapter Six
Lochlan
Lochlan scratched the back of his neck. He'd spent the day feeling like he was being watched and now that the day was over, he was exhausted from looking over his shoulder. He had been positive that morning that Grayson was going to come downstairs and make a big scene. When it became clear Lochlan was going to make it to lunch without drama, he'd been too nervous to eat. The afternoon had passed in a blur, and now he was tired as well as hungry. He thought about snacking on one of the pastries he'd shoved in his pocket and then later stored in his employee locker. He'd only grabbed three though, enough for everyone who was waiting for him and depending on him at home to have one. If he ever got home. He was on his way to an AOE meeting just then. He was so tired, it would have been nice to cancel, but he'd already canceled the last two, and he could tell some of the members were getting restless.
With a sigh, he punched in his locker code and reached in to grab his jacket, except his jacket was blocked by a pink box with the words, Darla's Baked Goods and Desserts written on the side. He peeked inside and found the box was full of doughnuts like the ones he'd had earlier. Like the ones he'd shoved in his pocket and later placed in his locker. Those old doughnuts were gone now. There was no note, but Lochlan didn't need two guesses to discover who had put them there and taken the old ones that would have been stale by then anyway.
For one, not everyone could gain access to his locker. The owner and CEO could though.
Lochlan realized he was smiling about three seconds in and schooled his face into a frown. He was being stupid. He hadn't made it this long by acting like some vapid, mooney eyed, fluttering omega. He shoved the lid back down and yanked the box out. How would Grayson feel if he found out Lochlan had shared some with the AOE? Maybe that would teach the alpha a little about respecting a person's private space.
"Careful," Dr. Lowe said. "You'll squish them." He looked from Lochlan's face to the box under his arm and then back to his face. "When did you have time to go out to Darla's today? You were like a madman you were working so hard."
"I, um, had them delivered."
The confusion on Dr. Lowe's face cleared, replaced by his easy smile. "Let me walk you out."
Lochlan nodded because any other response would have been odd and because he had learned one thing about Dr. Lowe. He wasn't a predator waiting to spring but was a genuinely nice guy. That niceness likely wouldn't extend to the man trying to destroy the place where he worked, so he was still to be kept at arm's length and unaware.
They walked side by side down the research hallway, going through security together and were at the rotating door when Lowe touched his shoulder to stop him. "You know, Lochlan, you don't have anything to prove to me or anyone else, you understand that, right?" Dr. Lowe said, a wrinkle between his eyebrows. "I noticed you didn't get a lunch today, looks like you had your sweets delivered, but make sure you are getting taken care of."
Lochlan growled out his, "Of course." He tried to ignore how annoying it was that Dr. Lowe assumed he needed someone else to take care of him. "Thank you, Dr. Lowe. I should get going."
"Really? A few of us are meeting up at—"
"No, I'm sorry. Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow?"
Dr. Lowe frowned. "Yes, of course."
He waited for Dr. Lowe to leave first before taking the steps outside down to the sidewalk. It was bitterly cold out, and he was looking forward to the subway platform, at least then the cruel winter wind wouldn't be quite so strong. He took the steps down, skipping two at a time and caught the train a moment before it left the station.
He rode it two stops past where he would have gotten off if he had been going home. When he first moved to the city and away from his abusive alpha, he'd lived in this area. He still held the AOE meetings there because there was a community center that was sympathetic to his cause and allowed their group use of the space for free. The alternative was piling everyone into his apartment. Lochlan shuddered thinking about some of the angrier omegas so close to his son.
Lochlan was mid-step when he felt that eerie feeling again like there were eyes on him. He looked up at the staircase, spotting a man that stood out from the others. For one, he wasn't moving, neither to exit the station or closer to a platform. And, he had a newspaper held up like he was reading it, which effectively blocked his face but also made him more suspicious. Who reads the newspaper at the end of the day in a freezing, smelling subway platform?
Lochlan stopped, a frightened bird mid-flight, and spun around, walking back in the train car. The man watched this, lowering the paper just as Lochlan's train took off down the track. Shaking, he rode it as the train completed its loop. This particular track was a circle route, so he rode it back to his transfer station and then took the first train leaving, which turned out to be the one that would bring him back to work. He got off, operating on auto-pilot as he reminded himself of the plan for in case he thought he was followed.
First, he needed to get someplace where he wouldn't be so easily spotted. He spotted Earl's up ahead and slipped inside, groaning in frustration as he remembered the rest of his co-workers were there.
"You made it!" Dr. Lowe exclaimed.
"I couldn't miss out on a pint with friends," he said with a fake smile. "I'll go order." He left them, ignoring Lowe's insisting that he would buy the next round. When he got to the bar, he shuffled to the side, ordering drinks he casually pulled out his cell phone.
"Hello?" Lucy's soft voice sounded through the speaker.
"Call Hazel, tell her I won't make it tonight," Lochlan said with a low voice. "Code red. Lucy, do you understand?"
"Y-ye-yes," she said, her voice clearly shaking. "I know what to do," she said then with more conviction.
"Wait for my word. I'll be home once I am sure I'm not followed."
When Lochlan returned to the group of doctors and research assistance he had a tray of drinks. They all cheered at the sight of him and happily accepted his offering. Lochlan worked hard to keep his face carefree, his eyes unclouded with worry. As the group finished their drinks and the next round was ordered, Lochlan's stomach roared. He couldn't touch his doughnuts without looking incredibly strange, so he acted like he wasn't hungry. He also acted like he wasn't possibly being stalked, like he wasn't so exhausted he thought he might fall over. Like he wasn't still, despite everything that had happened that night, thinking about his boss in the back of his mind, wondering what would have happened if he had stayed.
Hours later, Dr. Lowe threw in the towel. "Come on, got lots to do tomorrow."
Lochlan would be impressed if they all showed up the next morning with as much as they had drunk. He'd been thankful for it since the more intoxicated they became, the less they seemed to notice that he hadn't been drinking. They also provided him safety with their numbers.
His gut told him it was still too early to risk going back home, so he waited for them to drunkenly gather their items and pay their tabs before spewing out onto the street as a group. "We're this way," Dr. Park said with two others. The few that lived too far to walk waited on a bench for their cabs.
"Lochlan? Which direction do you go?" Dr. Lowe asked.
Lowe's group had the numbers, and they were walking back by Davenwood Research giving him an idea. "Yours," Lochlan replied with a smile.
When he was sure he hadn't been followed, Lochlan broke off from the group a block before the skyscraper. "I'm just down here," he said casually. Thankfully, the rest of the group had home on the mind, so he didn't get more than a few mumbled, see you tomorrow's and be safe's. As his co-workers staggered down the next block, Lochlan went around and climbed the steps up to Grayson's building. He went through the revolving door and gave security a sheepish smile. "Forgot something," he said quietly.
"I'm just about to lock the door," the man said.
"I won't take much time. Or, I can go out the side door. I won't tell anyone if you need to get out of here." The whole time, he kept his movements slowed, and his words soft. The guard studied him for a long moment but eventually waved him back.
Once inside the employee locker room, Lochlan dropped on the floor, not even caring about the millions of germs he was probably picking up. He let his head fall back on the locker behind him with a loud bang and grabbed the pink box. Opening the lid, he grabbed a doughnut and shoved the entire thing into his mouth.