Peppermint Omega

5

The rest of the day passed by on a lighter note. Even being cussed out by a patient's family member because I couldn't give them any information due to them not being on the family member's HIPAA form didn't even phase me. Something like that would make me cry after a call. I really hated rough calls, like that, but my mood was so lifted from finding a Hitomi novel. And I thought it was one I didn't have in my collection, which made me even giddier.

Evie even commented on my change in mood from this morning. 'You definitely have a man. Did you meet him at lunch? Get a little snu-snu?'

I blushed, chuckling. 'No. Definitely not. You would be the first one to know, master detective.'

'Damn right,' she laughed adding an evil cackle to her laugh. 'See you tomorrow, kiddo.'

I didn't reply further, only waving her off as we went opposite directions to head home. Evie lived across the city and had a car. She would drive in and utilize the parking garage. I also lived across town in the opposite direction, but it made more sense to me, because I lived closer to the downtown district [work was on the outskirts of downtown], to utilize public transport.

As I walked toward the bus stop, my thoughts drifted back to the book residing in my shoulder bag. A smile crept across my face as I waited at the shelter. Evie insisted I take her umbrella because it was going to rain further in the evening, even though it stopped just before I was leaving the shop.

Rain poured from the sky, hitting the earth in hard droplets. I moved under the shelter along with a couple of other people waiting with me. After opening it white and green polka-dotted thing again, I stepped out into the rain. The sound of the hard rain hitting the plastic material sounded soothing, rather than the couple newcomers complaining about the surprise rain storm.

My thoughts drifted back to my childhood for whatever reason as I looked toward the direction where the bus would pull up. My hand reached out from under the umbrella allowing the rain to collect in my palm. It was one of the happier memories of my mother.

About three or four, I knew it was before I was sent to live with my grandparents, my mother and I were playing outside and happened to get caught in the rain. Rather than her normal rigid personality, she gave me the brightest smile and began to dance in the rain, pulling me along with her. We laughed and giggled and smiled the whole time we got soaked and splashed in puddles.

Withdrawing my hand from the rain and drying it on my pant leg, I swallowed hard trying to push back my emotions. I also remembered her and my father's great disappointment when it came back that I was an omega. It was not acceptable to my father. He came from a long line of great alphas no son of his was a lowly omega. My mother was a beautiful beta, and I looked like her.

The squeaky brakes of the bus caught my attention. I got on, slid my pass, and quickly got to a seat. It was uncustomarily empty, which was surprising. I shifted closer to the window, staring out.

I was the reason for the main fall out between mother and daughter. Mother would come and visit me often the first couple of years that I lived with Granny, but they argued every time. It was.. No! Stop spiraling!

I took a deep breath, nodding my head against the cool bus window. Yeah, I should stop dwelling. Stop lingering on the past. But.. being lonely sucks. You could try to get out there..

That thought made my guts from in knots. It took a lot to even put myself out there anonymously, then to meet up and be rejected on the spot based on how I look. I watched my reflection give a bitter smile. I don't blame them though. My smile widened as I checked my teeth in the window. Running my tongue across them as we came to a stop, picking up more passengers, I stared at an all-black car stopped next to us. Subconsciously, I felt like the occupants were staring at me and stopped the action. Being someone like me, paranoia was a big part of my makeup.

Behind the deadbolted door of my apartment, my nest, I could truly relax and be myself, but something tugged at me. It pulled more and more the older I got - I wanted someone to share myself with. Someone to accept the oddities that made up Quinton Markus.

Now freshly showered and standing before one of the many book shelves, I found the section that was exclusively Hitomi Chiharu. Over the course of his career, including his pseudonym Peri Adams, he published over 200 hundred individual titles. I would love to have his complete collection of works, but this one was a gold mine. Hitomi rarely does signing events or fan meetings; to have a signed copy was incredibly rare. It was believed he was still alive, living in America.

That made me smile. The cantankerous would always live long lives. I laughed and pulled one of my favorites from the shelf. It was a grouping of short stories under Adams. One I have read over and over was entitled Screw off, Tram Driver. It was pretty colorful.

His words led me down a path of humor, but I wondered after reading Scolding Bitch if his humorous ramblings were hiding something deeper. Many people would choose to bury their issues with something that makes them happy or masks the pain.

I chose to avoid most all adult interactions for the sake of protection, but really was I? My work gave me a sense of connection, but was that enough? No, a small voice pipped up inside my head.

I frowned closing the thin book and placing it on the arm rest of the couch while I leaned by head to rest on the back, my head hitting the wall behind it. My life hasn't been the best, but it wasn't the worst. So I shouldn't be like this, right? I should put the past behind me and life live like everyone else.. But everyone else was normal.

Closing my eyes, I sighed deeply then sank into the couch curling up on my side and pulled off the throw blanket. Being like this sucked. I would be more anxious if someone else was to witness me spiraling.

*--*

A few weeks had passed. Though feeling of being full had finally left after a week, and the images of him had faded from my memory after a couple more. Life had gotten back to normal, but that didn't mean I didn't want it again. Self-pleasure did not feel the same. It merely scratched the surface, not quite soothing the deep itch. But I ignored it for the most part and eventually, that went away, too.

'Quinton?' Evie's hesitant voice made my head jerk up from the book I was reading, Fabled Scales. This was not her usual strong determined voice.

'Yes, Evie? Is something wrong?' I didn't know what I could offer her. She always had the solution.

'I want to ask you something.. more like a favor.. And I'll owe you big time.. big time!' My eyes widened and she looked worried. 'I won't be mad if you refuse me because it is last minute..'

I stopped her from rambling further. It wasn't making sense, seeing her so nervous. 'What is it?'

'You see, I have a date. One that has been planned for a while.. but I need to get my dress from the drycleaners immediately after work to start getting ready on time..'

'You want me to pick up your dress?' She shakes her head.

'No.. my brother is coming into town and will not have anyone to pick him up at the airport. I forgot that I was supposed to pick him up. He called to remind me last night.. yada yada - you know me..'

'Oh.'

'Do you think you can pick him up for me? I know you have your license. You could drive my car and drop him off at my place. Please?'

I tilted my head to the side and closed the book I was reading. 'I have nothing else to do.'

'Aww.. Thank you!' she squealed and pulled me into one of her bear hugs. It felt nice to make her smile again. 'I'm going to let my brother know and give you the details later. Okay?'

I nodded following her back into the office to start work again.