WFH WAS VERY NICE

The rest of my week long vacation went very well after that. Fred got home drunk after one too many with Shilem and the other guys. He was hungover for the rest of Friday or something. I helped Aunt Rosa quickly with the flowers, then helped Marco cover for Fred at work so they don't fall too far behind. Marco was on the phone for most part of the morning so I just picked up his laptop and supported him by typing out the notes and printing them with all the documents he needed.

Then I ran down to Uncle Max's cafe to play waitress for the lunch crowd. And then back to my dad's shop to help set up for their spring clearance sale.

In between, I helped Uncle Max again at dinner rush hour and Marco find some document he lost.

"Thanks! You're a lifesaver." Marco shouted when I ran down the stairs to get back to my dad's spring sale.

"Then marry your saviour, you fool!" Uncle Max shouted over the din of customers. Some of the customers laughed.

I just laughed along and busied myself answering questions about the knick knacks on sale outside.

I was really busy on Friday but I realised I was the type of person who liked being packed back to back with activity.

Saturday was similar. I love my life here. I wished I could work from home like this everyday.

Fred got better and was back at work. He was very apologetic about skipping Friday. Mona was home too. Uncle Max made her wait tables. "I can't believe my dad!" Mona said.

The truth was, she was broke. Spent all her salary - again.

"Not everyone can be an accounts manager and earn buckets like you, you know." She said.

"I'm just an assitant." I reminded her bitterly.

"It's just half a level different." Mona said, "All you need are the balls to cross it."

And then she laughed like she made the cleverest joke in the world.

I couldn't quite laugh so hard, but I managed to smile and got busy peeling the potatoes in the kitchen.

My "date" with Harvey had some unforseen hiccups at the beginning. Harvey made the mistake of picking me up from my front door - which he always did so neither of us expected that my parents would not realise I was already 26 and not a high schooler any more. Poor Harvey had to endure about 20 minutes of interrogation.

We were university mates. We were introduced at a mutual friends' wedding. He was Lycan. He was a beta. Yes, that's a high position with a lot of responsibility and his work had to come first. We have been dating for a while now. No, we are not soulmates... unfortunately.

Finally I lost patience and said, "We're just friends, I'm his plus one for an event he has to attend at the Mayor's home tonight. That's all."

I'm quite sure that if I hadn't, Dad would have grilled Harvey for hours.

Mum raised a brow at me. Dad let us go but made Harvey promise to drop by for drinks if he ever came by this town again.

I rolled my eyes, an action which confirmed that I did regress back into a teenager when I spend too much time in my parents home.

"They've forgotten I've grown up." I laughed once we were in the car.

Harvey gave me a wry smile, "My parents were way worse when my sister found her mate."

And that was that. Actually it was the first time Harvey mentioned having a sister, or parents for that matter. I realised there was a lot I didn't know about him at all. That's how I knew what I felt for Harvey was just a crush. I never knew the real him, and I never will. All I loved was the image of the perfect hot beta wolf that he always wore.

"One day, I hope you meet your soulmate." I told him, "Someone who will love you for everything that you are."

Harvey paused a little and then he raised a brow at me, "What was that?"

"A passing comment by a friend." I shrugged it off and smiled my usual smile.

The party went like every other fancy formal that Harvey had brought me to before.

The occasional sound of glass clinking, men and women in fancy suits and dresses talking in low mumurs, ballrooms ablazed with lights and classical music in the background. I wouldn't even had realised that I was on homeground until Shilem and his dad came over. Harvey shook hands with them and handed Shilem a dark blue envelope, "A gift from my Alpha. Happy birthday."

"Thank you, your Alpha is too generous." Shilem's dad said.

"That's true, Mayor, but that is my Alpha's nature." Harvey replied. Wow. Backhanded slap.

And then Shilem's dad noticed me, "Oh Serene, it's you. You've grown even more beautiful! My idiot son should never had let you go."

Shilem smiled stiffly, "I regret it to this day."

Harvey simply nodded coldly and led me away.

And that was it.

On Sunday morning, Shilem came over to try to talk to me. I think his dad was worried that I might have told my beta boyfriend something that made him dislike Shilem. It was bad enough that Shilem's dad forced him out of bed early Sunday morning to come convince Harvey that he was really a good guy and to give him a chance.

"You're just being oversensitive and I'm busy now." I tried to brush Shilem off.

"Beta Harvey isn't here?" Shilem asked, "Was it your curfew again?"

"Very funny." I huffed.

"Do you really have no feelings for me anymore?" Shilem asked then.

I was like, "Duh."

And he was like, "I was really hoping we could give it another shot."

"What about Shelly?" I asked.

"What about Shelly?" Shilem asked, and then he scoffed, "You don't think I would actually marry her, do you? I mean, I'm the mayor's son. I need to marry someone befitting my rank."

"Which I am?" I asked scathingly.

"Well no, but your family is passable and my dad likes you." Shilem said, "Sometimes I feel like Dad thinks you're even more capable than I am."

I laughed, "How could that be possible?"

My sacarsam was lost on him. He flashed me his million dollar smile. "I know right?"

I decided to just let it go.

I used to love that smile. Now he just looked like an idiot.

"You don't need to answer right away, babe. Just think about it." Shilem said as his parting shot, "I'm told I'm better than a Lycan in bed."

"Don't believe the lie!" I shouted at his departing back and then I laughed to myself. Idiot.