Chapter Two

Jamie

“Jamie, is that you?” I had knocked on my neighbor Sylvia’s door at a quarter passed three in the afternoon, as I always did. No one else knocked on her door at any time of the day or night. Still, she asked. A safe thing to do, I supposed.

“It’s me. I brought you a treat today.”

I heard the swish of her slippers against the wood floor as she came to the door. Sylvia got around fine, just a bit slow. We’d been fast friends since the day I moved in three years ago.

I chuckled as I heard her throw all the locks. The chain, the dead bolt, the tiny one on the doorknob, and finally a crowbar-like contraption she kept leveraged under the doorknob stopped the door from being pushed open. A spry girl like herself couldn’t be too careful.

“Almost there,” I called out when the device clanked against the wall.

“Hello there, cutie. I knew it was you. The scent of coffee wafted under my door. Is it toffee?”

“Yes. A toffee latte. New things on the menu and this…is a pumpkin chocolate-chip scone.”

“Ah!” She clapped her hands. Her curlers bounced. Sylvia looked like she’d just stepped out of a vintage housewife magazine. Flowered scarf tied in a knot above her forehead. Ironed housecoat. Pink satin slippers. If I had a granny, I’d want it to be her. “’Tis the season for pumpkin things. I bet it’s spectacular. And I made you something as well.”

“Oh, Sylvia. You didn’t have to.”

I stayed outside in the hallway while she scampered toward the kitchen. As much as I loved Sylvia, the woman kept her apartment the temperature of a furnace as soon as the temperatures dipped below seventy.

“Smothered pork chops, mashed sweet potatoes, and green beans. And a homemade yeast roll. Gotta keep your strength up.”

It smelled divine. “Thank you. I was going to order out tonight, and now I don’t have to.”

“Must watch your figure. Your alpha is out there waiting for you.”

I snorted. “You think I’m getting chubby?” I turned sideways.

“No indeed. Just teasing. Go on home now. You’ve made an old woman’s day. Again.”

Next door to Sylvia’s apartment was mine. I kicked my shoes off once inside and removed my apron. I had indulged in a double espresso with cream before heading home, so I wasn’t hungry yet and tucked Sylvia’s offering in the fridge while I took a shower and changed into lounge clothes.

Turning on lo-fi music, I sat at the table and went through my tips. The coffee shop I worked for was right in the middle of the city. We served organic, low-acid varieties that gave a person the jolt they needed without the worry of pesticides or mold, which was more common than I knew before starting there.

Everything in the shop was organic. And the customers paid dearly for it. While I sorted my cash tips, I noticed more than one slip of paper inside the bills.

Any chance you are single? If so, call… That one gave me the ick. Sounded like an infomercial or something.

The next one just had a man’s name and phone number, telling me to text them.

It made me sound like a snob, but an alpha who left a note instead of speaking to me directly wasn’t the one for me. I wanted someone who didn’t muddle words. Who would look me in the eye and tell me I was beautiful. I hated guessing games and even worse, cheesy pickup lines.

Yeah, maybe I was a snob.

When I started working as a barista, my ego was stroked by the attention. I was hit on all the time. Alphas. Shifters. Humans. Monsters. I went out on a few dates, but most of the males were only interested in a one-night stand or something casual.

I was past that stage. My wolf and I needed more. I wanted a partner to share my life with—and eventually a family.

While I finished up writing out the deposit of my tips, my brother came in. My brother and roommate. “Hey,” he said, putting his bag on a hook near the door.

“How was work?”

He shook his head. “Don’t even ask.” Seth was a waiter at a high-end restaurant. Sometimes, we had contests as to who could get the best tips. We lived together because, while we made good money, the rent in this part of the city was insane. “I nabbed a plate for Sylvia and gave it to her.”

I laughed hard. “Did she give you pork chops?” I asked.

“You too?” He chuckled.

“Me too. I brought her coffee and a treat.”

“I’m going to shower and get dressed. I have a date.” Seth loved to date. He kept things casual and from what I could tell wasn’t yet interested in something more serious.

“Have fun,” I called out.

I exhaled as he left the room. I had a good life. Decent money coming in. Friends. Family.

But something was missing. Something big.