It has been a week since the incident of the rumors, but oddly enough, it seemed like it never happened. I was sure that I would be facing some weird looks from my colleagues, but a few days later, no one spared me a second glance. I guess it has something to do with Robbie, but I am still glad. Life went back to normal, yet somehow it was not the same as before. Robbie would often call me asking about my day and Twen. I am still unsure of how to react to Robbie's sudden affection. However, he kept his word and is not invading my personal space, so in return, I can only show him some respect by not ignoring him.
"What are you contemplating about?" I heard Tanya's voice.
I was standing in the smoking zone, which barely had anyone at the moment. Tanya hates the smell of the smoke, so she never comes here. So, I was slightly surprised to see her. She was carefully examining my expression, but I broke into a smile seeing her serious scrutiny.
"Do I look handsome?" I joked.
Tanya blinked before smiling softly, "You always look handsome," she answered with a wink.
"Yeah, right," I rolled my eyes before saying, "I was just pondering over trivial things, don't worry."
"Hmmm," Tanya said moodily, leaning on the wall, "I thought that the incident is still weighing on you."
I shrugged. She continued, "The CEO got everything wrapped, so you can relax."
After the incident, Tanya clearly knew who my bonded alpha was but did not ask much about it. I am truly glad, as I had no desire to talk about my past.
"Hey, I checked the roster today, and both of us have an off tomorrow. How about we go shopping?"
Tanya suddenly asked. I smoked out laughing, "You want me to accompany you? I am not much of a shopper. You'll be completely bored."
"Then, how do you get things?" she asked in a wondering tone.
"Online," I answered simply. It was the truth. I did not like toiling for hours in various shops to buy one item. So, I prefer to check it out online and get it delivered.
Tanya made a face and said in a forceful tone, "We are going. I am sure you have not gone out shopping with friends. So, you don't know the charm of it. Tomorrow at 11, we are leaving for shopping."
Tanya finished leaving no room for rejection. I opened my mouth to convince her, but she poked out her tongue and immediately left. I shook my head and decided to hang out with her after all.
**Next Day**
The next day, Tanya came to my place at dot 11 and went through my wardrobe to choose my outfit. I felt I was being pushed around by an overly zealous kid but seeing her enthusiasm, I felt more warm than annoyed. I don't remember if anyone has fussed about my outfit and looks before. Seeing her behaving like a bossy little sister, I could only smile. We went to Cunningham Road. It was a street that was strictly for walking and was filled with malls, pubs, restaurants, clothing stores, etc. Tanya kept jumping from one shop to another.
"The clothes are so dull. Who wears such dull monochrome clothes?"
"Let's go over there. Ah! Thank goodness it has some bright colors…"
"Oh, look at that, they have opened a Bouquet mall there!! You know, it has all the premium and luxury brands. Let's check out there."
Tanya grabbed hold of my arm and started pulling me towards the mall. I stopped her asking in a surprised tone, "Luxury? Do you seriously want to spend your money on such expensive clothes and shoes?"
"Why not? I am still young. Is it necessary to worry about money so soon? This is the age for me to fulfill my desires. I should worry about my expenses when I cross thirty," she laughed.
"Sure sure!" I shook my head helplessly. Of course, she is not married yet or has a child to take care of. Naturally, she does not have to worry much.
We were looking around in the ladies section for a one-piece that attracted Tanya when I saw that there was also a kid's section. I started looking through some of the kid's clothes when Tanya came from behind me, speaking in an exhausted tone,
"Seriously, buy something for yourself too!! You are only 25!"
I laughed at her complaining. "Well, I am not hunting for boyfriends that I have to dress myself up. I am fine with minimalistic things, but Twen's growing up. Every few months I have to get new clothes for him as the old ones are quickly becoming small. I want to give him something memorable!"
"Tony, you have needs too. You are Twen's mom, so you naturally put his wants and needs first, but what about yours? You can't be planning to stay single till death?"
"I am bonded," I shrugged, looking at her cross face.
"Yeah yeah…try some blind date. I am sure you will find someone," she told me grumpily.
Finally, after purchasing everything we needed, we started to leave, when the voice from the television suddenly said, "Next song from Brian Madison". I saw Tanya suddenly freeze up while opening the door. I tilted my head to see what made her stop. To my surprise, Tanya looked slightly pale, and her hand on the door was trembling. In confusion, I touched Tanya's shoulder to call her, but she jumped as if I had electrocuted her.
"Tanya?" I asked, blinking.
"Oh, I am so sorry. L-Lets go out," she said in a very awkward manner and went out before I could say anything.
Feeling blank, I followed her. Outside, she seemed to have bounced back to her real self as if just now, whatever I saw was an illusion. She spoke in her usual chirpy voice,
"I always wanted to eat in the Deliziosa restaurant. It is the best Italian restaurant. It is just around the corner."
"Deliziosa is at the end of the lane, not exactly around the corner," I said, squinting at her trying to be sure that she is fine, "My friend's father owns it."
However, Tanya showed no abnormality but spoke in her general tone, with astonished eyes, "How come you have contacts with all these celebrities? You are full of surprises."
"It's a long story I will tell you when I have time," I said, smiling at her.
"Can we get a free treat since it's your friend's restaurant?!" Tanya asked. excitedly.
"That's not happening," I laughed.
We reached Deliziosa after a fifteen-minute walk. The restaurant was more luxurious than I thought. The first storey in itself looked like a five-star restaurant. On the floor above, I could see small cubicles of several sizes. I remember Fred telling me that the idea of the cubicle was his. I really wanted to go up and check, but we have already booked a table for two. At the entrance, we were welcomed by a petite woman in her late twenties with a neatly tied bun and a pretty smile. She was very courteous and extremely well trained. She was the one who booked and guided us to our table. The high level of service and the extravagant and exotic ambience was very infectious. I couldn't stop myself from feeling comfortable. I saw Tanya awestruck. She kept chirping like a very excited little kid. I smiled widely. I never got the opportunity to be a brother to my little siblings. Dad didn't want me anywhere near them. With Tanya, I somehow feel like she filled that gap since she is being spoilt and nagging all the time.
"This could be an educational trip for us. We could compare it to the quality, taste, quantity, price and hygiene of our hotel food. If it is superior, we could try to implement it in our menu as well."
I didn't think about it, but it did sound like a good idea, "Wow Tanya, since when did you become so involved with work?"
"Now now, I can't allow such a thing, can I?" came a familiar booming voice from behind us. I immediately turned to see Fred standing behind with a wide smile.
"Fred?" I said, standing up and instantly getting swapped off the floor by Fred's bear hug, taking my breath away.
"You should have told that you're coming here," he said, dangling me in his arms like a rag doll.
"Let him go!" came another familiar dignified voice which at the moment sounded pissed.
"CEO?" came Tanya's voice followed by a creak of chair moving back and a hesitant greeting, "Goo-good afternoon, sir!"
Fred let me free. I breathed out heavily. That was one tight hug. He almost choked me to death. I turned to see Robbie beside Fred with a face that clearly said I-will-cut-your-hands-off-if-you-don't-leave. I stared agape. What were these two doing here?
"What you, old man! You don't need to be so uptight," Fred rolled his eyes.
"You were choking him!" said Robbie, glaring, then turned to Tanya and said in a mild but firm voice, "Relax! We are not in the workplace."
Tanya nodded stiffly. Her expression was very robotic. The aura of two such high-class alphas was very strong. It was enough to make her sweat, but because I knew them both, it did not matter so much to me.
"What are the both of you doing together here?" I asked, looking at both of them.
Fred laughed, giving a sly look at Robbie, who looked kind of awkward, "Well this uncle loved the..."
"Why don't we sit somewhere and then talk?" Robbie suggested, interrupting.
"Yeah, that would be great," Fred boomed, looking slightly relaxed, "Pablo," he called out.
A tall, very well-groomed fellow came running, though, he still managed to be sophisticated, "Yes, sir," he said with a deeply sincere voice.
"Prepare a cubicle for four," he ordered.
The private cubicle that we were seated in had a very comfortable L-line couch with a rectangular dinner table decorated properly with cutleries, plates, glassware, and napkins. The cubicles have very soothing blue lights from the fancy lamps placed in the corner, and the curtains that close the entrance are thick and velvety. The curtains have the sign 'reserved' or 'open' on them to show the status of the cubicle. The cubicles were assigned a particular host who takes care of the needs of the guests. Also, the cubicle has a call button to call the host. It was so well designed and efficient that I was marveling at the planning capability of Mr. D'Souza, Fred's father, who made the entire setting just from what Fred casually said. I was awestruck for a moment, but it didn't last long when the three faces behind me caught my attention.
Fred was being an excellent host and was much more animated than his usual self. Helping me and Tanya get seated, getting us water, the menu, asking for the food, and telling us all the specialty dishes available in the restaurant. Robbie, on the other hand, looked irritated by Fred's excitement and sat with a sour expression on his face. Tanya was very subdued and did not try to disrupt anyone. It was the most awkward grouping of the century.
Eventually, we settled on our seats, which was another scenario. To call it comical was an understatement. Tanya sat beside me in the corner, holding my arm around hers and hiding half of herself behind me. She looked like a cat who was scared of water being thrown towards her. It was a new experience for me to see her subdued and shy. So, instinctively, I felt protective. Robbie was sitting on my other side with a very firm look and had a guarded stance towards me, looking at Fred like a very alert German shepherd. Fred was amused by the contrasting personalities on both my sides and had a constant smile on his face. At times, he would wink at me or say something extremely cheesy, corny, and flirty, making Robbie frown instantly. I decided to completely ignore both these confronting high-class personalities and focus on the food. Food is one thing that will never let you down.
"Wow!! The wine tastes great," Tanya suddenly commented, with wide shining eyes and astonishment on her lips.
"Don't get drunk even before it is evening," I laughed.
"Uncle, you should be careful too. You don't want to collapse again," Fred commented out of the blue seeing Robbie downing the wine in one gulp.
"Speak for yourself. I'm competent enough to handle myself," Robbie answered, flaring up immediately.
"Collapse? What do you mean, Fred?" I asked, looking from one to the other.
"Well...," Fred grinned mischievously, eyeing Robbie from the corner of his eyes, who strangely looked ill at ease, "I invited this old man for a drink a few days ago. Who would have thought that he is such a lightweight? Two bottles down, and he passed out," Fred boomed, laughing heartily.
Robbie turned slightly pink near the ears and spoke in a crude tone, "You weren't any better either."
"You should be grateful uncle, I prepared a room for you and carried you in my arms," Fred said, grinning at Robbie's embarrassed look.
"Don't make it sound so weird and stop calling me uncle!" Robbie burst out, banging his fork on the plate.
"Fine then, I will call you grandpa!" Fred shrugged with a cheeky look.
"YOU-" Robbie almost jumped out of his seat.
I caught hold of his hand and said in an exhausted tone, "Both of you, give it a rest!"
Both of them looked at me. Robbie looked at my hand holding his and immediately calmed down. He sat back buzzing like an angry bee while Fred shrugged, saying, "Whatever" under his breath.
Tanya looked at both of them, and suddenly a very naughty smile spread across her face. She looked at me with glinting eyes, "I can see why you don't have enough time for blind dates," she pointed at Fred and Robbie with her eyes and gave a crooked smile, "You have your hands full."
"It's not what you think-"
"Oh, don't lie. I already know our CEO is your," she lowered her voice to whisper, "bonded Alpha, and considering how he is on pins & needles about Mr. D'Souza, it is obvious that he views him as a threat or a love rival."
I blushed furiously. Though she didn't know the exact situation between us, she summarised it pretty accurately. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself in it.
"Come on, you don't need to be so shy. This is quite juicy, though. You have to tell me the full story," she said, flashing all her twenty-eight teeth towards me.
"What are you both whispering about?" Robbie suddenly asked, making both of us jump.
"Nothing...nothing at all," both of us answered together, waving our hands.
Robbie eyed us suspiciously before his eyes settled on our linked arms.
"I need to pee. Mr. D'Souza, can you please direct me towards the washroom?" Tanya asked, getting up suddenly, surprising all of us. She was obviously trying to escape from this awkward situation.
"Yeah sure," Fred answered, getting up as Tanya made her way towards the curtains of the cubicle.
However, just when Fred was about to lead her out, his eyes abruptly turned blank. He immediately put a hand over his nose and stepped back from her like being chased by fire. He got slightly short of breath, and there was an eerie hungry look settled in the ambers of his eyes. He squinted at her with a shocked expression. Tanya looked at him in confusion for a split second, but then her eyes widened, and she too backed down a few steps towards me. Robbie and I looked at both of their odd expressions open-mouthed. After a minute, I realized what was happening. I stood up, putting my hand around Tanya's shoulder, and said hurriedly,
"I'll take her to the washroom. You don't have to bother, Fred, I'll ask, Mr. Pablo,"
"Wha-why do-" Robbie stuttered, looking bewildered.
I didn't have time to answer Robbie. I held Tanya's hand and quickly made my way out of the cubicle. As I passed Fred, I saw his ashen face and lustful amber eyes.
"Sh*t, since I am bonded, and Fred doesn't get affected by my scent, it totally escaped me that he is still an Alpha. He will react to other Omegas," I said, slamming my forehead with my palm once we were out of there.
"Thank you, Tony! I totally blanked out. I am really bad at handling such situations," she said, looking crestfallen.
"You should learn to respond quickly, Tanya. Fred is inherently a nice guy. Unlike those arrogant jerks of Alphas, he is different. If it were possible, he would never harm anyone. Though he is good by nature, it is still difficult for him to keep his natural instincts in check as it is for Omegas to suppress their scent."
Tanya nodded, apologizingly. I waved off her apology, saying that it's not her fault, and asked her to wait there. I went back to the cubicle where Fred was sitting with his head down while Robbie was frowning at him and had a slightly curious look on his face.
"Uhmmm... Tanya's not feeling well, so she will be leaving. I'll take my leave as well."
"Wait," Fred said, suddenly holding my wrist, "That girl, I mean Tanya, I- well can you- can," he said in an uncertain tone
"Loosen your grip," came Robbie's angry buzz from the other side.
"Robbie!" I spoke in a warning tone which made him stop immediately. The expression on Fred's face looked like that of a child who had just been scolded. I put my hand over his hand and said, "It's okay, she understands."
"I didn't mean to scare her!" Fred mumbled, leaving my hand.
"I know," I smiled, "See you soon. Bye," I said as Fred nodded.
I left, followed by Robbie. He looked like he had several things to ask, but before he did, I gestured him to stop and said, "Later". Tanya was quietly standing below the stairs and told her,
"I will drop you back home."
"No," Tanya shook her head. "I'll go on my own. I have already ordered a cab," she said hurriedly.
"But-," I started
"No, seriously, it's fine. Thanks for everything, Tony! And," she looked towards the cubicle and said in an apologetic tone, "Tell Mr. D'Souza, I am sorry!"
I couldn't help smiling hearing her say the same thing Fred said. I told her the same thing that I said to Fred, "It's okay, he understands!"
Tanya nodded, gave a small gesture as if bidding 'goodbye' to Robbie, and walked away. I watched until she left the restaurant and then turned to see Robbie standing. He said in his neutral voice, "I didn't expect Tanya to be Omega."
Although I didn't think it was surprising that Robbie knew Tanya's sub-gender, after all, he is an Alpha and might have smelled it, but what shocked me was how he had no reaction to it. I asked in a clearly astonished tone, "Wh-Why do you have no reaction to her pheromones?"
Robbie pursed his lips before saying in a quiet voice, "I am not certain."
Before I could inquire further, Robbie asked in a to-be-casual tone, "If you have time can we have lunch together?"
I checked the time on my cell phone and saw that there was still some time before picking up Twen from Sam's. I looked at Robbie, who patiently waited for my reply. For some reason, I suddenly felt like he matured a lot in just a month and a half. I unconsciously said, "okay."
Robbie's face broke into a mild smile, and he directed me to the cubicle we were at. I followed after him. I heard him ask in a politely informal tone, "Did Twen have to face any problems?"
I entered the cubicle while answering, "Twen is quite tight-lipped. He does not let me know if there is an issue he is facing."
I can't help sounding very disappointed. However, Robbie had a mysterious smile hanging on the corner of his mouth. Before I could ask about it, I saw Fred sitting on the couch, looking quite moody. Fred looked at me when I entered. I could read the question in his eyes and answered before he could ask, "Tanya wanted to go back home alone, so we both decided to finish our lunch, and no, she did not mind at all."
Fred sighed in relief, and his usual grin was back in place. He called Pablo to attend to us before excusing himself. Once the order was placed, and we were alone, Robbie concerningly said,
"Twen has become very responsible at such a young age, though it is concerning, I hope he doesn't make it a habit to hide his emotions."
I could only nod in response. That is also my biggest concern. The food arrived quite quickly. As we ate, I heard Robbie ask, "When does his class end? Are you going to pick him?"
"His classes end at 3. Recently, Sam has been picking Twen up as Jenny has been very moody and has been asking to meet Twen. I will pick him up from their house at 5."
"I see," he said neutrally, but I noticed a slight tremble in his hand as he cut the meat. He continued in the same vein, "Di-did he like the fish?"
I took my time to chew and swallow before answering Robbie with a subconscious smile, "He loved it. He named him Goldilocks and loves feeding him."
Robbie's beautiful features suddenly lit up. He gave a delighted smile that I have never seen before. He nodded without a word as we continued eating.
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