Page 4 of Knot Your Kismet

“This is a partnership. Fifty-fifty split. Is there an issue?” Ivy stares at me, waiting for me to argue.

I don’t get the chance because my cell phone rings, drawing my attention to it. It’s my mom. I wonder if she arrived here early.

Ivy doesn’t give me a chance to answer it, snatching it away. “You don’t need this right now. Here, this will be the phone you’re taking. Now let’s hurry up. Mr. Carter is waiting downstairs.”

I guess I better start acting like a compliant omega. I really wish Ivy would’ve given me a chance to talk to my mom, but I know this should be more important right now. I made an agreement and I must stick to it. It’s what will help me for my future. And a thousand dollars for a fake date? That’s unreal.

My phone rings again, drawing my attention to Ivy’s hand. She doesn’t have a chance to turn it away before I see my mom’s name again.

She waves me to head toward the door and brings my phone to her ear.

“This is Ivy Daines with the Omega Resort. Cali is currently busy, so how can I help you?” Ivy winks at me with her smile, pressing the phone to her ear.

A masculine voice mumbles through the line. It’s not my mom. I can’t tell if it’s Henry either.

“I’m sorry. Like I said, Cali is not available. Would you like me to pass on a message to her?” Ivy herds me along, guiding me toward the elevator.

The masculine voice says something again, but I can’t make it out.

“Just let me talk to them,” I say, trying to grab my phone back.

“Calista?” The masculine voice shouts, now loud enough for me to hear.

“Just call back later. She’s busy.” Ivy smacks her finger to my phone, hanging up on the caller.

She presses her finger to my lips. “It was nothing that couldn’t wait. We have someplace to be. You cannot be late. I will not allow you to make me look bad. Now hurry up. Mr. Carter is waiting.”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I guess this is my life for the next year.

So much for true independence. I just hope it’s worth it.

“Ms. Daines was right about you, Cali. You are just perfect. I almost forgot you weren’t really my omega. The CEO of Denison Tech loved you. He even told me he was jealous. And that’s saying a lot, considering who his omega is.” Joseph smiles at me, the corner of his eyes crinkling. I had no idea what to expect, but it wasn’t a man in his forties who was actually married to a beta. There would’ve never been sex involved. I’m very relieved. I couldn’t stop thinking about that possibility when Ivy had mentioned she could arrange it.

“You made it easy, Joseph. I’m not going to lie, but I was nervous. I had no idea what to expect.” I bite my bottom lip, smiling slightly. “I don’t know if it’s appropriate to say, but I’ve never done this before.”

“Well, I hope you would be open to doing this again. I have another event in a month. I would be eternally grateful if you would attend with me. I’ll even give you an advance now to guarantee it.” Joseph pulls out his wallet and removes several hundred dollars from it. “You don’t even have to share it with Ms. Daines. It’ll be our secret. What do you say?”

I don’t even know what to say.

He mistakes my hesitation for disagreement, and his features darken for a split second. He takes out another couple hundred dollars from his wallet and hands them to me.

“Is this enough? Now that I’m in this position, I need to secure you on my calendar. I was under the impression that this would be long-term,” Joseph tightens his jaw, staring me down.

“Oh, I’m sorry. The first amount was fine. I was just surprised. I wasn’t sure you wanted to see me again because of your wife.” I try to hand the money back to him, but he raises his hand to deny me.

Exhaling a deep breath, Joseph smiles. “She has nothing to do with my business practices.”

She has nothing to do with him or is he lying to her? Does it matter? I guess not. I’m not doing anything inappropriate. I didn’t even allow him to kiss me on the mouth.

“So when is the next event so I can put it on my calendar?” I ask instead of prodding for more information. I suddenly want to get out of here. His visceral reaction concerns me. I wonder what would have happened had I not de-escalated things quickly by clearing things up.

“The first Saturday of next month. It’s an all-day event, so I’ll make sure to pay triple. I’ll let Ivy know that I will arrange things with you personally. She doesn’t need to know how much you’ll get. I know she tries to take more than she should. Are you good with that?”

I’m more than good with that. This is what Ivy was talking about, even if she doesn’t know it. I can handle things on my own. And if this was even only a monthly arrangement, I made more money tonight than I do in two weeks at the Lounge. This is life changing. I could save up and sponsor myself. I could pay whatever I need to have an alpha approve my sterilization application.

“That’s perfect,” I say, opening my arms to offer Joseph a hug in appreciation. It’s the little things that trigger an alpha to be more caring. He doesn’t seem like the type who would want to agree with a handshake.

He laughs and steps closer, engulfing me in his arms, twirling me off my feet. I smile, but not because of his actions. I grin because of mine. This is amazing. I’m proud of myself. I knew I could be independent even if Ivy had me questioning everything.