Kiss Me if You Can — Chapter 17

I WAS GOING TO ASK WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PARTY.

YOU OKAY? SHOULD I TELL MARK YOU'RE NOT FEELING WELL AND NEED TO REST?

I'M FINE. IT'S JUST A HEADACHE.

YOU REEK OF PHEROMONES RIGHT NOW.

WHAT DO I DO? MY SCENT IS SO STRONG,

I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S GOING TO BELIEVE ME IF I SAY THESE PHEROMONES CHASE'S.

YOU USUALLY DON'T GIVE OFF A SCENT.

DID YOU SKIP YOUR MEDS? OR IS IT BECAUSE YOUR CYCLE IS COMING?

...WHAT?

IF IT'S YOUR CYCLE, I REALLY CAN'T HELP YOU. I'LL JUST SLEEP SOMEWHERE ELSE.

YOU KNEW?

SINCE AROUND THREE YEARS AGO. I SAW THE MEDS IN YOUR BAG BY CHANCE.

WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?

SAME REASON YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU KNEW I WAS AN ALPHA.

IS THERE... ANYONE ELSE ON THE TEAM WHO KNOWS?

I DOUBT IT. I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE, SO DON'T WORRY.

...HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?

WELL, IF MARK KNEW, HE NEVER WOULD'VE BROUGHT YOU HERE.

He would've been more careful about what jobs he took.

ISAAC'S WAY TOO DENSE TO FIGURE IT OUT.

Beta

Employee safety first.

Alpha

AND HENERY...

HE JUST DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OTHERS.

HE JUST DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OTHERS.

HAAH...

YOU SHOULD PROBABLY STAY IN YOUR ROOM TODAY. I'LL CRASH SOMEWHERE ELSE.

HOW LONG DOES YOUR CYCLE USUALLY LAST? DO YOU WANT ME TO GRAB SOME STUFF FOR YOU?

NO, IT'S OKAY. IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF MY CYCLE; IT'S C'S PHEROMONES.

I ALREADY TOOK MY MEDS, SO IT SHOULD WEAR OFF SOON.

THAT'S GOOD, THEN. DON'T WORRY ABOUT WORK. JUST REST.

THANKS, SETH.

DON'T MENTION IT. SEE YOU TOMORROW.

C'S VISITOR IS WAITING AT THE ENTRANCE.

ACCESS GRANTED. WHO'S ON THEIR WAY OUT NOW?

I'M HEADING TO THE ENTRANCE NOW.

...HUH?

IS SHE HERE AS PITTMAN'S SECRETARY?

HELLO, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MR. PITTMAN REGARDING MR. MILLER'S SHOOT.

SIBLINGS IN PROFESSIONAL MODE

WE WERE INFORMED. PLEASE, COME IN.

THANK YOU.

HELLO, MR. MILLER. I'M MISS BAILEY, MR PITTMAN'S ASSISTANT.

HE SENT ME TO CONFIRM A FEW THINGS.

IS HE EVEN LISTENING TO ME?

HE LOOKS STRANGELY UNALERT. DID HE NOT SLEEP OR SOMETHING?

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE PARTY LAS-

I LEFT HALFWAY THROUGH. DON'T BULLSHIT ME.

MR. PITTMAN WANTED TO KNOW IF ANYTHING MADE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE.

HE HEARD THERE WAS A MINOR INCIDENT.

HIS PERSONALITY SCREAMS DOMINANT ALPHA.

SO THIS IS ABOUT THAT OMEGA.

SHOOTING STARTS NEXT WEEK.

HE HOPES FOR YOUR FULL PROFESSIONALISM.

HE'D ALSO APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WERE FULLY PREPARED BEFOREHAND.

EVERYONE'S REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR PORTRAYAL OF DR. FLAME.

ALSO-

YEAH, YEAH, JUST TELL HIM TO LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!

I'LL FORGET WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PARTY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

I'LL LET HIM KNOW FILMING WILL GO SMOOTHLY.

PLEASE REACH OUT IF YOU NEED ANYTHING.

I'LL BE LEAVING NOW.

EMMA.

OH, JOSH.

ARE YOU DONE WITH WORK?

MHM, NOTHING MAJOR.

I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE YOU HERE, THOUGH.

YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT. SORRY FOR NOT MENTIONING IT BEFORE.

EVERYONE KEEPS SECRETS WHEN IT COMES TO WORK. NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE.

BY THE WAY, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PARTY LAST NIGHT?

I WASN'T ON DUTY; IT'S NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY.

I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS. I WAS DOING A PERIMETER PATROL.

REALLY?

NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, I SAW YOUR BOSS AT THE PARTY WITH SOME GUY.

A GUY? WHO?

IT SEEMED LIKE HE KNEW PITTMAN. MAYBE HE WAS ANOTHER ASSISTANT?

HE LOOKED KIND OF LIKE A DEER... TOTALLY EMMA'S TYPE...

...? WHAT IS IT?

SPEAKING OF WHICH, HAVE YOU BEEN SEEING ANYONE LATELY?

????

SINCE WHEN DO WE HAVE RELATIONSHIP TALKS?

IF YOU'RE ABOUT TO THROW ONE OF YOUR RIDICULOUS FRIENDS AT ME AGAIN, STOP RIGHT THERE.

YOU ALWAYS PICK THE WORST GUYS.

I SAID NO ATHLETE-TYPES!

I'LL FIND SOMEONE MYSELF WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT!

THE PRETTY-BOY, DEER TYPE EMMA WOULD LIKE

SO, IS THAT GUY WORKING IN THE SAME DEPARTMENT AS YOU NOW?

...WELL...

HAA.

JOSH, DON'T MESS THIS ONE UP.

IT'S ACTUALLY GOING REALLY WELL.

WE'VE GONE ON A FEW DATES, AND IT SEEMS LIKE HE'S INTO ME, TOO.

I'M NOT A TEENAGER ANYMORE. JUST STAY OUT OF IT, PLEASE.

O-OKAY, GOT IT.

IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, PROMISE YOU'LL TELL ME.

I WILL.

ALRIGHT, THEN. TAKE CARE. I'LL SEE YOU LATER.

YEAH, SEE YOU AT HOME.

OH, RIGHT. CALL PETE MORE OFTEN.

HE WAITS ALL DAY TO HEAR FROM YOU.

MHM, I WILL.

THAT'S CHASE'S ROOM...

IT FELT LIKE SOMEONE WAS WATCHING US...

HM? MR. MILLER, DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?

NO. NOTHING.

...DID HE SEE SOMETHING STRANGE OUTSIDE?

THE MEDS YOU ASKED FOR WILL BE PRESCRIBED THIS WEEK.

IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE—

...ONE OF THE GUARDS.

HUH? THE SECURITY TEAM?

ONE OF THE BETAS.

BETAS... DO YOU MEAN THE TEAM LEAD OR JOSH?

EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY WITH THE GUARDS, FOR NOW-

FORGET IT. YOU CAN GO.

...UNDERSTOOD.

FILTHY BASTARD.

YOU'LL GO FOR ANYONE AS LONG AS THEY'RE PRETTY, RIGHT?

NO, IT'S NOT LIKE I NEED TO WORRY

ABOUT WHO HE SLEEPS WITH.

THAT WHOLE MESS WAS AN ACCIDENT ANYWAY.

BUT THEN, HOW AM I ANY DIFFERENT FROM GRAYSON OR ANY OTHER DOMINANT ALPHA?

IF ONLY THIS DAMN BODY DIDN'T REACT SO EASILY TO PHEROMONES...

...FUCK, THIS IS MISERABLE.