11. Leo

Iwake up underneath the covers in Steve's bed with the solid warmth of his body underneath me. He didn't make me get off before we fell asleep. At some point his cock slipped out of my body, which is a little disappointing, but that's okay.

He'll be inside me again soon enough.

Real happiness glows inside me for the first time in years. I'd forgotten what it felt like. The connection I shared with Steve during our last time making love was incredible. I didn't know sex could be that intimate or special.

Reluctantly, I realize the reason I woke up is that I have to go to the bathroom. I climb off Steve and wander through his apartment to the bathroom where I showered. I clean myself up a bit while I'm there, which gives me enough time away from Steve to remember two very important things. The first is that I abandoned a film crew yesterday that Greg probably paid for, and the second is that I left my phone upstairs on silent.

I creep up to the top floor where my pants are rumpled up and on the floor. Luckily, my phone still has a charge when I take it out.

There are seven missed calls and a series of text messages. Most of them are from Greg.

I just got a call from Luke. He said you left your house with your match. What is going on?

Please call me. Luke said you've been gone for over an hour.

This isn't funny anymore, Leo. I paid good money for that film crew.

I sent the film crew home. You better have an amazing excuse for what you did today.

It's past ten o'clock, and you still haven't bothered to contact me. I would have preferred to tell you this over the phone or in person, but you leave me no choice. As of today, I will no longer be representing you. I'll send the relevant paperwork via email tomorrow morning.

I wait for the sadness or disappointment to come. Getting another agent will be hard and getting work after I got dropped by Greg will be even harder. But I'm not sad or disappointed, just relieved.

The idea of not working isn't nearly as scary as it was a few weeks ago when I agreed to sign up for the Perfect Match Agency. If I didn't have to travel all the time for work, then I could stay here with Steve. We could actually build a healthy relationship.

But it isn't just that. I know an alpha can't solve all my problems. I genuinely don't want to move around every few months anymore. Going from place to place like that was exhausting. I like Sutton City. It would be wonderful to stay here for a few years and recover from my whirlwind schedule.

Of course, I know what that means. Omega actors only get roles for ten or fifteen years before they're deemed "too old" for Hollywood. There are exceptions, of course. But most omegas have short careers in the movie business. If I step away now, I probably won't ever be able to return.

That doesn't bother me as much as it should.

I navigate to the other messages I received while I was away. Terry emailed me an apology about what happened earlier today. In the message he stated that I was removed from any marketing responsibilities, and that Steve would be issued a full refund. I also got an email from the director of the agency, issuing another apology. The last message is from Mark, an actor I worked with in the last TV show I filmed over a month ago.

Hey, Leo. Long time, no see. I'll be in Sutton City next week, and it would be fun to do lunch or drinks while I'm in town. I'm sorry you've been having such a tough time. We can go somewhere public where the press can take as many pictures as they want of us. Hopefully that will help. Kisses.

Unlike me, the press adores Mark. Offering to be seen with me in public is a kind gesture on his part. If I hadn't just lost my agent, I'd take him up on it in a heartbeat. But I realize I don't want to meet up with Mark just so the press can take pictures of us. I do want to see him, though. I could really use a friend right now.

Thanks for reaching out. I'd love to see you while you're in town. How would you feel about drinks at my house with no press? I've decided to step away from the public eye for a while.

I send the text because California is three hours behind, and I'm sure Mark is up anyway. He's such a night owl. Early mornings on set were hard for him.

He responds almost immediately.

Drinks at your house sounds lovely. And I completely understand why you're taking a break. You deserve one. You've been working nonstop for years. How about Thursday night? Would that work? I have some free time after eight o'clock. Or I could do Sunday night, if that's better.

Mark is such a nice guy. It will be a relief to spend time with someone without worrying about what to wear to the restaurant so I'll look good in the photos people will inevitably take of me. When was the last time I spent time with friends just to have fun?

That's the reason I don't have friends anymore. For far too long, all my friendships were thinly veiled attempts at networking. Now that I'm in the midst of a scandal, all of those friends are markedly absent from my life.

I take my phone with me downstairs and set it on the nightstand before climbing back into bed with Steve. Even in sleep, he pulls me into his arms, muttering something under his breath that sounds like, "friends with Batman."

It's terrifying how much I like him. I think I'd do almost anything to keep him. But I know that these things take time, and I have to let our relationship come into its own before I make any demands of him.

I fall asleep safe in his arms.