I'm the Alpha's Crush

Chapter 19

I stepped out of the elevator, feeling my irritability bristle against my skin. I'd traded in my constricting work clothes for something a little more comfortable and laid-back, but that wasn't enough to ease the cloud that was darkening my mood.

Looking around, I saw Malcolm across the lobby, lounging in a chair, scrolling on his phone with his lips curved into a slight, unconscious scowl.

Then, he saw me, brightening like the sunrise as he stood to meet me.

"Hey there, ready to go?"

He smiled, and for a moment I forgot my annoyance.

"Absolutely; where are we headed?"

"Stock and Barrel - everyone I asked swore that they make the best burgers in the city."

I felt a slight rumble as my stomach approved of his choice. "Is it close?"

"It's just through the Market Square; come on." Turning, he led me outside.

Strolling along the sidewalk, we settled into an easy pace as Malcolm asked, "So, rough day?"

I sighed, "Massive understatement."

"Want to talk about it?"

Looking over at him, I asked, "You sure you want to ask me that?"

Malcolm's eyebrow rose. "...yes?"

"I'm serious - if I get started, I'm going to end up ranting at you."

"That bad?"

Shaking my head, I said, "Imagine spending six hours in a room with two of the most insufferable men you have ever met."

"I'm imagining it."

"Now imagine that you have to explain and then repeatedly re-explain the linguistic minutiae of a legal document from over a century ago - all because they're fighting for a small sliver of land in the middle of nowhere."

"That sounds awful."

"It was soul-destroying, and the ultimate outcome is that one of them gets to build a goddamned mushroom farm."

"Mushroom farm?"

"I don't even fucking know, apparently there's good money in mushrooms?" Scoffing, I admitted, "Like, before today, I never even thought about the fact that those have to be grown commercially, but after that meeting, I'm a certifiable expert."

"You know," Malcolm paused to check for traffic before guiding me across the street, "I actually looked into that a while back."

"Mushrooms?" I eyed him skeptically.

"Patricia always emphasized the importance of diverse investments."

"But mushrooms?"

"Yep. Would have gone forward with the project if the startup hadn't been quite so intimidating."

"Oh?"

"Most farms require a specially built facility to control heat, humidity, light, all of that. Building one of those would have taken a lot of time, money, and space; it just seemed like too much of a hassle."

I muttered, "Sounds like you and Alpha Gibson would have a lot to talk about."

"Based on the way you're talking about him, I sincerely hope I never find out."

Chuckling, I let the conversation drift away, feeling my spirits lighten as we walked past the diners outside on the patio and entered the restaurant, opting to take two seats at the bar over the twenty-minute wait time for a table.