Page 59 of Just a Beta (Betas in Waiting)
Duran was flipping through a tablet.“Yeah, yeah, rub it in.”
She smiled.“We aren’t there yet.We are closer than we were a week ago.”
All three of them groaned, and she went to get her tea.She returned and reached for a waffle, piled on fruit, and glopped on the whipped cream, sending a splat off her plate.She scraped it up with her fingers and said, “Don’t read anything into this.”She neatly licked the whipped cream off her fingers in front of an audience before returning to her waffles to destroy them.
She glanced up, and the guys were still staring at her fingers.“Guys, I am going to be out of here in ten minutes, and you are going to be staring at the whipped cream smear on the table.Eat!”
She laughed and got going on breakfast.She had an image in her mind and wanted to get to it.Persephone said she and Owen would be up, but the staff would let her in if they weren’t.
Echel said, “What are you doing today?”
“Books and sky.It’s really coming along.”She smiled.“I missed the baby shower, so this is my gift.They were going to get Amble to do it, but he’s busy.”
Duran smiled.“I didn’t know he knew them.”
“It’s complicated, but yeah.Ruby was going to pay for him to do the mural.Now, I get to do the whole room.”She laughed wickedly.
She finished her waffles and sipped at her tea.“So, Duran is in the office today, Samsor is doing sneaky things, which is hilarious for a guy his size, and Echel is travelling beta sitter?”
Echel grinned.“Yes.It is a remarkable side gig with entertaining benefits.”
She wrinkled her nose.“I know you are talking about the food there.A cook like that, you have to compliment every day.”
They chuckled, and everyone finished breakfast, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and one by one, the guys kissed her goodbye.That had started on her first morning after court, well, the morning after that, as she had slept through to the late afternoon.Now, four days later, they kissed her, paying attention to her responses, before they got into their respective cars and drove off, except for Echel.He remained at her side and kissed her softly, even though he didn’t have to go anywhere.“Want to have a second cup of tea?”
She grinned.“Sure.”
She got her tea and walked with him to the living room.He sat in the big chair and held her tea while she got settled on him.“This is a weird ritual.”
He chuckled.“I know, but it is ours and helps you centre yourself.”He handed her the tea.
Cuddling with him in the morning did help.It gave her something solid and trustworthy at her back before she faced her own creation.She closed her eyes, sipped her tea, and let her mind imagine the mural completed.Today would be the day.
It was after lunch when she finished, but she had pushed past the meal.She grinned as she stood in the middle of the space and laughed.It was spectacular, the tale of a woman who loved writing, and the elves who surrounded her.It was all created with child-friendly figures who were very recognizable.
The room was filled with bits of life, of focus, and interest.She grinned and cleaned her hands and then organized her paints into the carry bag that Samsor had given her, the special brushes that Duran had obtained for her, and she picked up the water bucket and carried it down the stairs, the door locking with one of the first bits of magic she had used deliberately.
She walked into the kitchen and scrubbed her hands and nails again, and Echel looked up, smiling slowly.“It’s done?”
“Oh, yeah.Give it an hour, and they can go look at it.I took a quick pan with my phone, but it will be better once the water-based varnish is dry.The window is open, so it should be good in about an hour.”
Byron came in and saw her.“Well, aren’t you colourful?”
“We can’t all rock basic black.”She fluttered her lashes.
Echel laughed.“I have a change of clothes for you.”
“Great.I will change after I eat if there is anything left.”
Echel snorted.“There is plenty.Myrtle didn’t eat either.”
Byron cursed and went into her office to pluck Myrtle from her computer to put her in the kitchen.Myrtle blinked slowly.“Oh, right.Lunch.”
Byron got the meal set for the two ladies and gestured for Em to join them.She grinned, and Myrtle looked at her.“How is it going?”
“It’s done.It’s just drying.Window is open, and I used all water-based acrylics.The room is ready for the crib, chair, bassinet, or whatever.”
Myrtle smiled, and they shared the lunch that Denith had prepared.It was pretty good.
