Fated

Part 7

Breaking up with Tom had been difficult. He had looked at her with those sorrowful eyes, resembling a kicked puppy, and she couldn't escape the motel bar fast enough.

She knew it was necessary; guilt had gnawed at her for leading him on. As June began, Tom started dropping hints about meeting her parents, and she realized she had to end this before he started contemplating something drastic like a proposal. God, it has only been a month! And they had not even spent all that time together. Yes, relationships move fast, especially when you are an omega, but a month is too soon! Why did people always assume every Omega wanted to get married/mated and start having children after their first dates? It was plain prejudice Taylor felt to paint every omega as sex-crazed, baby-crazy humans; some omegas wanted success and a life. Was it so difficult to understand?

She had tried to let him down gently, evading any probing questions about why. The moment she could, she made her exit. In the backseat of her car, she sighed, a bit tipsy from drowning a shot of tequila before even leaving her house. She needed it to muster the courage to break up with Tom.

She blamed the tequila and her muddled thoughts for what happened next.

She reached for her phone, opening the contact she had saved the day after the Met Gala:

Taylor

Where are you at?

She stared at the little bubbles indicating that Jade was typing.

Jade Storm

Dive Bar on the East Side, The exclusive one.

She knew precisely which dive bar Jade was referring to. It was one of the few establishments reserved exclusively for celebrities and famous personalities. You had to be on the list to gain entry, and the bar guaranteed its patrons the utmost privacy and security.

Taylor

Can we talk?

Taylor sighed after sending that message, her heart pounding in her ears.

Jade Storm

Come meet me in the back. I'll have someone escort you to me.

She didn't entirely understand what she was doing. Instructing her driver to head to the bar, the only thing she was certain of was that the past month had been torturous. She had struggled endlessly to decide what to do, and she realized that talking to Jade was the only option left if she didn't want to lose her mind completely.

A man in a black suit awaited her as she arrived at the bar. Her security guard, Greg, shadowed her out of the car.

"Miss Swift," the man greeted her. "I am James, Head of Security for Miss Storm," he introduced himself, extending his hand.

"Nice to meet you, James," Taylor replied before gesturing towards Greg. "This is Greg, my Head of Security."

Both men sized each other up before shaking hands and nodding respectfully at each other.

"If you would follow me, Miss Storm asked me to escort you," James said.

Taylor took a deep breath, fortifying herself, before following James inside.

The bar was alive with people, loud music filling the air, and Taylor could see many individuals on the dance floor, moving against each other with abandon. Bars were notorious for being places where people often lost all sense of propriety. The pheromones and scents, permuting the air, made Taylor want to wrinkle her nose.

Effectively guiding them up a flight of stairs towards a more private area, James spoke again. "Miss Storm asked me to offer you these before you meet her."