Strings of Fate

Aaron 5- Late and leaving The next week feels very long and | find that for most of it, I'm in a very foul mood. Not that anyone particularly notices since | tend to keep my thoughts and opinions to myself. | have caught Alpha Ryann looking atstrangely a few times though so she might have her suspicions. The only bright side is that | actually did sleep better. Not WELL but better than | have been. | suspect it is all thanks to the recording of Penelope that | have gotten any sleep at all. At the very least | have been able to function at a mostly normal level. Despite no longer being COMPLETELY reliant on going to hear Penelope sing at the club in order to get srest, | am still ridiculously disappointed when Alpha Ryann asks if | can work late Friday. | know | could refuse, tell her that | have plans or something, and | know she wouldn’t mind. But protecting her is MY job, not to mention she would probably have a lot of questions if | said | have plans and | don’t want to answer them. Missing one night won't be a big deal, right? It’s not like anyone will particularly care if | don’t turn up.

Saturday | arrive at the club fairly late again. James is at the door again and he greets enthusiastically.

“Hey man. | didn’t see you last night.” He comments, curiosity in his tone. | shrug.

“Working.” | say as an explanation.

“Ah, | get it. Still, it's good you're back. You were missed, you know.” He says with a wink before turning to take money from someone else trying to enter. What? | barely interact with anyone. How could have been missed? Who missed me? My mind immediately goes to Penelope, but that is probably just wishful thinking. I've hardly said more than a few words to her. Why would she care if | didn’t turn up? Although | do think | need to make more of an effort to talk to her. Actually, | WANT to talk to her, to get to know her. | might be reserved, but I'm not stupid. My sudden inability to sleep without hearing her voice isn’t just because she’s a good singer. | don’t go out of my way to talk to just anyone. I'm feeling determined and slightly anxious when | head inside and sit in my usual spot. | expect to hear Penelope. already on stage singing, but she’s nowhere to be seen. It is at least twenty minutes past when she usually starts. Is she not performing tonight? Why not? Is she sick? Did something happen? I'm struck by the sudden need to go track her down. Perhaps | can convince James to givemore information about her, like where she lives. If he won't talk then | could always recruit Alex to find her information for me. He would ask questions, but he would do it, even if | don’t answer him. Although | can bet that the Alphas would hear about it. Probably Alpha 1/4 Aaron 5- Late and leaving Ryann. Alex has taken to giving a lot of his reports to her. | think she makes him more comfortable.

My planning is interrupted when Penelope collapses into the couch beside me. Oh. | guess she’s okay after all. | may have overreacted a little. | was just... concerned. I'm too distracted to control my expression so my shock must show on my face. Penelope laughs at my surprise.

“Hey, | hoped you would turn up tonight. | didn’t see you yesterday and | was worried you weren't coming anymore. Did something happen?” she asks, her tone is one of sweet concern. | shake my head.

“Just work.” | explain. | hesitate, should | elaborate further? I've never been good at knowing how much to say, so unless | really have something that needs to be said | usually don’t say much at all. But that’s no way to develop a relationship. Before I can figure out what else to say, if anything, Penelope continues speaking.

“You really are very quiet aren’t you?” She comments, | nod and then hrug. Damnit. | knew | should have said more.

“It's kind of nice, at least | know you're a good listener. | talk way too much. Most people probably wish | would STOP talking so much.” She says the words as a joke although from her slight frown | would say that at least a part of her believes it.

“I like your voice.” | tell her, trying to be reassuring. | immediately want to slap myself. ‘I like your voice.’ Could | have thought of something more awkward to say? | could have told her that she doesn’t talk too much, or that I'm sure people enjoy conversations with her, that | enjoy conversations with her. But no, I just told her that | appreciate her voice. | study her face to see her reaction. She seems thoughtful for a moment, then pleased. She gets to her. feet and | realise | must have misread her because she’s leaving.

“I like e your voice too, even if | do barely hear it. Talking to you is fun. You might not talk much but you always answer. But | had better start my performance. | waited because | thought you might still turn up but I'm running super late now. | just didn’t want to risk you running off before | had a chance to so much as say hi. Oh but here.” She pauses then reaches into her cleavage and pulls a slip of paper out of her bra and holds it out tobetween two fingers. | reach out and take it carefully.

2/4 Aaron 5- Late and leaving “Ill talk to you later hopefully.” With a cheery wave she turns and makes her way to the stage. Wait, so she was... waiting for me? That's a surprise. | unfold the slip of paper she gaveand find it’s a phone number.

Did... Did she just giveher number? Why? What could I possibly have done to motivate her to want to share more about herself? Is she expectingto call her? | have no idea what | would even say. | barely use my phone except for work. | have exactly four non-work related conversations in my phone. One with my mum, one with my dad, a group chat with my sisters and the strangely named chat that Alpha Ryann addedto ‘Cock Tales’ which seems to mostly be a way for her and all her friends to keep up to date on the most recent gossip. | have to admit to enjoying that particular chat even if | don’t respond to it much. Aside from Alpha Ryann, no one tellsmuch aside from my sisters. | suppose most people take my lack of reaction as lack of interest. It's not that I'm uninterested, | just prefer to think before | speak. Conversation rarely comes easily for me. Although I do have to admit that | am sometimes intentionally quiet when it comes to dealing with Alpha Ryann since she seems to have made a gout of gettingto talk. | don’t HAVE to submit reports in written form, but it was hilarious to see her response. Regardless, | have no idea why Penelope has givenher number or what she expects, but | carefully enter it into my phone, double and triple checking to make sure | wrote it correctly. | then fold the paper and tuck it carefully into my pocket, not wanting to lose it and accidentally share her phone number around.

When her performance ends | find | am anxious and rather than risk embarrassing myself further, | decide to leave quickly. | hesitate at the exit of the club as I look out into the poorly lit parking lot. | turn to James who is watchingleave.

“Keep her safe.” | order him with a pointed look at the dark car park. The doorman nods firmly.

“Of course. Have a good evening.” | nod and leave, but | can’t help the nagging feeling that | should be making sure she gets hsafely myself.