________

BRYAN

 

Corna Place was completely transformed and there were at least 100 vendors there.  Only four of us from DiLorenzo Enterprises were there: me, Carl, Trevor and Steve, and we were all wearing the required standard black V-neck t-shirt and black pants.  Charlene, Mr. DiLorenzo’s assistant, brought them for us and she was there to show us where to go.  We were stationed at four different refreshment booths around the room.  I was in total awe as the room began to fill up.  I planned to talk to as many vendors as possible and get as much advice as I could.

 

“I will let you boys know when it time for your break.  You will have to take it in staggered shifts so that we don’t have more than one empty booth at a time.  You can text me for any other quick breaks you need, but it is important that you do not leave your booth without letting me know.  We are here to provide complimentary beverages for the crowd and they will have a choice between bottled water, three different sodas and two types of juice.”  Charlene looked around at all of us.  “Do you have any questions?”

 

Carl spoke up first.  “What time is this over?”

 

“We will be going home at 6:00.”

 

It was almost 10:00 so it was going to be a long day.  We were being paid a flat rate of $500 for the day and we got to keep any tips we received, although I highly doubted we would be getting any tips.  I didn’t mind because being there was invaluable to me and I would have done it for free, so $500 bucks sounded great.

 

Carl looked over at me.  “I’ll text you throughout the day since we won’t be taking our break at the same time.”

 

“Okay.”

 

We all went our separate ways and I was trying to figure out my plan to hit as many booths as possible during my lunch break as I set out the bottles to display what was available.  Within minutes of me organizing my booth people poured into the Expo center.  I was busy all morning and I caught a break for a few minutes around 11:00, so I reached down under the counter to grab my phone to text Carl when someone came to my booth.

 

“I’d like a bottled water please.”

 

I literally froze in place as I crouched under the counter to get my phone.  I knew that voice.  I slowly looked up to see mysterious, sexy Alistair Dibb standing at my booth.  I had not seen him since the night I left him at his house.  I blinked a couple of times because there was no way he was real.  There was no mask and the face I saw staring back at me was beyond gorgeous.  I instantly felt nervous as his sparkling blue eyes held mine.  What was he doing here?

 

Somehow I managed to utter a few words.  “No mask today?”

 

He did not hide the fact that he was amused.  “No, no mask.”

 

“I’m surprised to see you here.”

 

“Really?  Why is that?”

 

Well, why was that?  Why was I surprised to see him there? Because he was probably a gazillionaire who had all kinds of contacts, the kind where he wouldn’t need to be hanging out at an interior design Expo.

 

“I just don’t see you here at an event like this.  I would guess you probably know a lot of people and you have your pick of designers and any other kind of vendor you might need at your beck and call.”

 

He mulled over my words as his eyes searched mine.

 

“Bryan, I have always believed it is important to get out and go to Expos like this to get a personal feel for certain vendors.  Yes, I use personal recommendations but I also have a keen sense for people, so when I have time I like to come to the bigger Expos.  I found my chef at an Expo like this.”

 

His chef.  Of course he had a chef, why wouldn’t he?  Alistair was so far out of my league it was ridiculous.  Here I was working the refreshments booth and he was looking for new designers.  Yep, way out of my league.

 

“Oh, okay.”  It was all I could think of to say.

 

“So, this must be pretty exciting for you to be here since you want to go into interior design.”

 

I couldn’t believe that he remembered that.

 

“Yes, I am pretty excited.  When Carl told me we were working this event I told him I would have worked for free because of all of the potential contacts I can make.”

 

He took a sip of his water and smiled at me.  “Good luck networking.”  That was all he said and then he disappeared into the crowd.

 

I looked around totally confused.  Was it something I said?  I pushed it out of my mind concluding that he was just plain weird. I didn’t have any desire to have someone like that in my life; at least that was what I kept telling myself. I took a few minutes to look over the list of vendors that were at the Expo and put stars next to those that I definitely wanted to visit during my break.  I was busy all morning and I didn’t have time to go to any booths during my short bathroom break so I was planning to hit a bunch of them during lunch. Carl texted me that he was bored to tears, but it wasn’t his scene. Carl wanted to be in finance and I, on the other hand, loved every minute of being at that Expo.

 

When it was finally time for my lunch break, I looked at the list of vendors I had checked off and made my rounds.  Blocke Designs was first on my list and as I got closer to their booth, I recognized Samantha Stevens, the woman who had interviewed me.

 

“Bryan, it is so nice to see you again.  Are you enjoying the Expo?”

 

“It is nice to see you, as well.  I am not really an attendee, I’m here with DiLorenzo Enterprises and I’m working one of the refreshment booths.  I’m on my lunch break so I thought I would take the opportunity to go around to as many booths as possible.”

 

“Well it’s nice to see that you are exploring the various companies that are here.”  She looked at me intently.  “You have a real passion for design, don’t you?”

 

“Yes, I do.  I want to learn as much as possible and this Expo is the perfect place to do that.”

 

“I don’t want to keep you because I’m sure your break is not very long and there is a lot to see here.  We will be making our decision within the week so you will hear something soon.  Enjoy your day!”

 

I walked away feeling really good and happy that I saw her.  I hoped her seeing me there showed her how much I loved interior design.  I was going to be on pins and needles until I heard from them. 

 

I checked out a few more companies at the Expo, taking as many brochures as possible, and got a lot of information to look over.  On the way back to my booth I stopped to see Carl.

 

“You will never guess who I saw.”  I didn’t even try to contain my excitement.

 

“Who?”

 

“Alistair, mysterious guy.”

 

His eyes got wide.  “No way!”  He quickly looked around and I couldn’t help but look too.  “Is he still here?”

 

“I don’t think so, he stopped by about an hour ago.”

 

“What did he say?”

 

“Not much.  He basically stopped by to get some water and wished me luck with networking and then he left.  It was weird.”

 

“That is strange, but this isn’t really a place where he can talk to you and you were working.  Maybe he didn’t want to get you in trouble.  I bet you’ll see him again.”

 

“I don’t know that I want to see him, Carl.  He’s just not the person for me.”

 

“I say never say never.”

 

Carl was a hopeless romantic so I just smiled at him.  “I better get back to my booth.  I’ll see you later.” 

 

The Expo was packed the rest of the day which helped the day fly by and before I knew it, it was time to pack up.  I was putting the few beverages that were left in a box when I heard that voice again behind me.

 

“Well, was it a success for you today?”

 

I turned around and had to wait a beat before I said anything.  He was so beautiful.  “A success?”

 

“Yes, did you accomplish what you wanted today?”  Alistair asked, his eyes twinkling.

 

“Yes, I did.  I was able to make it to quite a few of the vendors here and I picked up a lot of reading material.”

 

“Sounds like you used your free time wisely.  What are you plans for the evening?”

 

Why did he want to know that?  I had no interest in spending time with him so I told him I was busy.

 

“I have plans with my friend.”

 

He leaned against the table and his eyes held mine, and for a second I couldn’t breathe.

 

“Break them.”

 

I looked at him in disbelief.

 

“I can’t do that.”

 

His gaze was steady.  “Yes, you can and you will.  I want to take you to dinner and spend time with you, Bryan.  I will meet you out front in 20 minutes.”  With that, he walked away.

 

Were those butterflies I felt in my belly?  I tried to get mad at his arrogance but the truth was, as much as I wished I didn’t, I found him intriguing.  I rushed over to Carl’s booth to tell him I wouldn’t be going home with him.

 

“Alistair is still here and he asked me out to dinner!”

 

Carl was so excited you would have thought he was the one Alistair asked out.

 

“What?  Bryan!  You totally have to tell me everything tomorrow!”

 

“I don’t know if I should go, Carl, he likes to play games and I’m just not into that.”

 

  “Are you crazy?  From what you told me he is gorgeous and sexy and rich…if you don’t go, I will!”

 

“Okay, okay, I’ll go.  How bad can it be, right?  At least I’ll get a free meal out of it.”

 

He rolled his eyes at me and I could tell my comment annoyed him.

 

“Just go and try to have a good time, Bryan.  It’s been how long since you’ve been out on a date?  Live a little!”

 

He was right; it had been a while since I had been on a date.  I would go and try to have a good time.

 

“I’ll call you tomorrow to let you know how it goes.”

 

“I’ll be waiting!”  He gave me a huge smile and I chuckled as I shook my head at him.

 

I really wanted to go home and freshen up but I didn’t have time so I did my best in the bathroom at the Expo.  I combed my hair, splashed water on my face and didn’t look too bad for having worked all day.  I hoped that wherever we were going didn’t have a dress code because the V-neck was all I had aside from the graphic tee I had worn to work that day.

 

Alistair was standing against his car, looking sexy as hell, waiting for me, and butterflies fluttered away in my belly as I walked toward him.  I wanted to pinch myself to make sure it was real that such a gorgeous specimen of an alpha was there for me.  As much as I tried to fight it, I was happy that he showed up that day and even happier that he asked me out.  The excitement grew as he slid into the car next to me and the door closed behind him.

 

He looked over at me, and his smile nearly made me melt.  Being there in the car with him felt like a dream and I didn’t want to wake up, but something was nagging at me.  I turned to him and carefully asked my question.

 

“Were you at the Expo all day?”

 

His sparkling blue eyes searched mine and for just a couple of seconds I forgot what I had asked him.

 

“No.  I had a few things to take of this afternoon but I came back to see you.”

 

I felt my cheeks flush as the reality of his words sank in.  He came back for me.  At first, I was flattered but then my eternal cynicism kicked in.

 

“Really?  Why is that?  I am sure you have your pick of omegas, so why would you come back for me?  Especially after the way things ended the other night.”

 

He looked thoroughly amused and it was starting to piss me off.  The whole ‘this is a game to me’ thing wouldn’t leave my mind and I couldn’t tell what he really wanted.

 

“Bryan, when I saw you at the masquerade charity event I wanted to know more.  I still do.  It’s that simple.  Can we please just enjoy the evening? I have been looking forward to this all day.”

 

I raised an eyebrow at him.  “All day?  You didn’t ask me to dinner until this evening.”

 

“Yes, but I knew I would be spending the evening with you when I saw you this morning.”

 

“You did, huh?”

 

His look was unwavering.  “I did.”  Before I knew what was happening I felt his soft lips on mine and I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck.  Nothing else mattered but the two of us in that moment.  Everything I felt for him the first night I met him came flooding back and all I could think of was how good it felt to be in his arms.

 

He pulled away from me and softly stroked my hair as he took a deep breath.

 

“You’re going to be trouble for me.”

 

“I hope you mean that in a good way.”

 

“I mean that in the best kind of way,” he said as he winked at me.

 

We pulled up to a cute little house and his driver opened the door for us.  Alistair casually linked his fingers through mine, and it felt so natural like we had been doing it or years.

 

“I hope you like Italian.”

 

I looked at the house and gave him a curious look.

 

“This is a restaurant?”

 

“Yes, it’s the best Italian in the city.”

 

We walked in and I felt like I was in someone’s home.  It was so intimate and beautiful and smelled wonderful.  I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled the delicious food.  There were only eight tables in the restaurant and we were seated in a corner away from everyone else.  It almost felt like we were the only two people in the place.

 

As Alistair settled in his seat, his eyes rested in mine and he held my gaze.

 

“It’s really good to see you again, Bryan. I know when we last left each other it was rather awkward, but I want to know everything about you.  You intrigue me.”

 

“Everything?”

 

He leaned in slightly, his eyes steady.  “Yes, everything.  Start at the beginning.  Where did you grow up?”

 

“I grew up right here in Eden Pines with my mom, dad and my younger brother.  I had an amazing childhood and have the most amazing family.  My family still lives in the house I grew up in, and you already know I just graduated and what I want to do with my career.  That’s pretty much it.”

 

“Hmmm, I think you left out something very important.”

 

I gave him a curious look.  “I did?  I think I covered all of the important things.”

 

“You gave me a very brief and high-level overview of your life leaving out what many call the most important part.”

 

“What part is that?”  I asked.

 

“Love.  No mate?”

 

“I think you asked me that the night I met you and I answered you.”

 

“So you did.  Your status has not changed?”

 

I almost laughed out loud.  Of course my status had not changed.  I had just seen Alistair two weeks ago.

 

“No, it has not changed.”

 

He looked at me intently.  “Good, because I want you all to myself.”  I thought he was being playful but the intense look on his face told me otherwise.  I decided not to dwell on it and changed the subject.

 

“It’s your turn.  What’s your story?”

 

He looked at me and smiled.  “My story.  It’s kind of complicated.”

 

“I can do complicated.  I’m all ears.”

 

“I would love to tell you everything but right now I have a few more questions for you.  So you told me you love interior design.  How did that start?”

 

And just like that he was able to change the conversation back to me and I didn’t have a chance to learn anything new about him.  I probably should have been annoyed that he seemed to be avoiding offering information about himself, but I wasn’t.  We talked for a long while.  I liked that he was so interested in my career and I got so caught up in talking about it that I didn’t realize that the restaurant was closing until our waiter gave Alistair the bill, and I noticed that we were the last people there.

 

When we stepped out into the warm night air I felt a sense of happiness and calm that I had not felt in a long time.  I turned and looked at Alistair and gave him a soft smile.

 

“Thank you for dinner, it was a nice surprise.”

 

He looked genuinely touched, his eyes sincere.  “You are very welcome.  I couldn’t think of a better way to end my day than being with you.  Speaking of the end of the day, I know you have had a very long one and I should get you home.  I would love to see you again, Bryan.  Are you free for dinner Tuesday night?”

 

I couldn’t help but smile.  “Yes.”

 

“Okay, great.”

 

His driver dropped me off at home and Alistair got out of the car and walked me to the front door.  His eyes held mine and he hesitated for a couple of seconds and I could see that he wanted to say something else.  He took a step toward me as we stood under the streetlight, and his eyes searched mine.  “I promise you I will tell you my story on Tuesday.” He gave me a quick kiss goodnight and told me he’d pick me up Tuesday at 6:30.

 

I didn’t understand why he looked so serious but I didn’t dwell on it, I practically floated into my apartment and couldn’t wait to call Carl.

 

“Well?  How did it go?”

 

“Carl, I had the best time.  He took me to this really cool tiny Italian restaurant and there were only eight tables in the whole place.  I don’t think I have ever tasted better Italian food.”

 

“Okay, enough about the food, tell me about him!  I wish I could have seen him, I don’t even know what this guy looks like.”

 

“Gorgeous does not even begin to describe his looks.  He is easily the most beautiful alpha I have ever seen.  He was so sweet and it was so easy to talk to him.”

 

“What did you guys talk about?”

 

“He wanted to know all about me so I ended up talking most of the time.”

 

“What did you find out about him?”

 

“Hmmm, now that you ask me that, I don’t know very much about him at all.  He told me his story is complicated and he is going to tell me all about it when I see him again.”

 

“What does he do?”

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

“Bryan, do you know anything about this guy?”

 

“I know that he has a mansion on Astoria Street and he has a driver so he must be successful.  I don’t get any kind of bad vibe from him at all; I feel totally safe with him.”

 

“Okay, good.  So when are you going to see him again?”

 

“Tuesday night.  He asked me out to dinner.”

 

“Oh cool, keep me posted.  What’s going on with the job interviews?”

 

We chatted for a few minutes and then I was ready to crash.  It had been a really long and exciting day and I was exhausted.  I drifted off to sleep thinking about my sexy alpha, Alistair.