A Vet for the Alpha

Chapter 14: Didn't Read Terms and Conditions

Alec

Closing the door of the storage room behind me and leaning back on its cool surface. Among the shelves and supplies filling the small space I am reduced to fanning myself using the patient's chart. The need to grab flea medication for my current patient, an elderly border collie named Pigeon, was real, but the need to duck away and cool down even more so. I can't keep going like this.

Somewhere between the gentle moments saying goodnight to Christopher and this morning, my body has been going on a rampage. It's been all morning and I can still feel the touch of his fingers, how warm his body was pressed against mine, the flavor of his-

Down boy! I can't keep this up, it's dangerous too. Earlier one of my patients, Hennifer Lawrence, caught me daydreaming and pecked a chunk out of the back of my hand. I'm not some homrone-raging teenager for crying out loud, I shouldn't be distracted this much by a...man.

Holy shit. I'm dating a man.

No, no, no. Not dating just yet. It's like a subscription, I can cancel anytime.

At the very most it's an attempt at dating. Maybe a date or two, nothing this serious. Since I can't seem to get Christopher out of my head, I feel like I need to see these crazy feelings through.

Grabbing the medication I need, I finish up with the patient. Dee follows them to the door, waving them off before flipping over the sign to CLOSED.

"Lunchtime." Dee says, walking back and pulling a cooler out from under the desk. "I'm gonna go heat these up, then do you want to eat in your office?"

I've come to accept that Dee is going to bring way too much food to the office and make me eat until I'm stuffed. I fought with her at first but she has this way of staring me down with a smile that I can't win against. It reminds me a little of when I first met Jae's eomma.

"Sounds good, thank you." Dee is already disappearing down the hallway, not waiting for a response. The break room designed by the previous vet is tiny, just enough room for a sink, small fridge and microwave. Some shelves hold a few mugs and dishes. The coffee maker is left out in the lobby, on a small table for clients to help themselves while they wait.

Once I hear bustling sounds and the microwave starts up, I make my way over to the large windows, craning my neck this way and that. The parking lot only holds two cars, Dee's and mine, while the dirt road leading to the clinic remains empty and silent.

Christopher had texted me this morning, a "Good morning! 🌞😁🥰😍💘" Nothing to indicate he was going to just show up like he used to do, but still...

"Lunch is ready in there." Spinning around, I watch nervously as Dee grabs her purse out from behind the desk. Shit! Did she catch me looking for Christopher?

The smirk on her lips as she heads towards the door answers that unspoken question. As she reaches for the handle, something that's been nagging at me pops up. "Dee, if you're not going to eat with me, why are you feeding me? Am I just a stray dog to you?"

"A stray?" She pauses. "I wouldn't say that. But I do know someone that would like to take you home and feed you himself." And with that she was out the door.

Distantly, I hear her car start and fade away. I have to bring my hands to my face to hold it in place while it burns. Two days ago, her comments wouldn't affect me this much, but now I can't claim to be uninvolved in this 'adoption'.

I straighten my shoulders and shake out my head, neck and arms. Once some of my embarrassment is gone, I head to my office and settle at the desk in front of a feast of food. How does one woman make all this food every day? And it's all delicious!