Damon celebrates his birthday

"Happy birthday, dear Damon," Heath sings acapella, "happy birthday to you…"

Heath claps as he finishes the song; Damon claps along with him, a languid smile on his face.

The night view of the cityscape over the floor-to-ceiling window is gorgeous and the hotel bed is adorned with rose petals. His lover prepared a romantic birthday surprise for him yet Damon can't fully immerse himself at the moment. There's an itch somewhere deep within him, a gut feeling telling him that something is wrong. Problem is, he can't figure out what.

Is someone leaking company secrets to a rival company? Is his younger brother plotting something sinister? Is the Public Relations Head hounding his email with red carpet invites again?

Regardless, Damon feels like he'll find the answer once he goes home. Although his inner alpha has been oddly quiet for the last few months, his sixth sense is bugging him to check it out.

"Quick, blow the candle," Heath squeals in his chair, pointing at one lit candle atop the black forest cake.

A smile forms on Damon's face upon seeing how excited Heath is. Despite growing up together, Heath is still the same child from his memories. How can he go home when he can see how much effort his lover put into celebrating his birthday, a day even his biological parents don't care about?

"Are you planning on stuffing me with cake today? This is already the second one," Damon complains, but he leans forward to extinguish the small fire with a puff of his breath.

Heath claps again, delighted at his boyfriend's compliance. He grabs a knife and a plate, preparing to slice the cake as he says, "The fancy one earlier is for show. This one is just for us."

Damon takes a sip of his wine as he watches Heath's careful movement. "You're still holding on to that?"

He doesn't elaborate on the question, he doesn't need to.

"Of course," Heath chuckles, "I promised you, didn't I? A black forest cake for your every birthday, and not one missing."

See? Heath understands him without needing an explanation.

That's the kind of tacit understanding between them, having been childhood friends and eventually becoming lovers.

Damon swirls the wine glass in one hand, accepting Heath's offered plate with the other. Watching Heath happily munching on the cake, he can't help but ask, "Who in the world keeps promises to a seven-year-old child? You turned an innocent request into a longtime tradition." The words may sound mocking but the tone is not, there's no heat in it, full of genuine curiosity instead.

Heath cocks an eyebrow at that, head tilted to the side. It takes exactly one second for him to reply, "I do it because it's you. I won't do this for anyone else."

Damon supposes he should feel happy hearing that, he would've in the past, but there's no warmth blooming in his chest, no sunlight melting the chill. Looking at Heath's teal eyes, full of adoration, he is unwillingly reminded of red ones: carmine eyes that should be full of anger yet holds no lies.

"Come here," he says as he pulls Heath for a deep kiss, trying to overload his senses so he doesn't think of strawberry scent and cotton candy pink hair. It's laughable, his attempt, his desperation as he tries to vanish the image of that one Omega from his mind. It shouldn't be this hard.

Heath responds in kind, eager to taste his lover, now that they're in the privacy of their company. As the two tangles together, intimate in their actions, all thoughts of a certain Omega melts away.

--

Lucy thinks this is unbelievable.

Her boss, the great Damon of the Lin family, actually forgot his work files at home. Just what was he doing last night that made that workaholic slip up?

Not that Lucy cares, she just needs to go in and out of the Lin Manor and make sure she comes back to the office before the next meeting starts. Picking up after her boss is part of her job description, after all.

Lucy pulls up to the driveway, expecting to see the familiar sight, but what is this?

There, in her usual parking spot, is a blue truck. A delivery truck, it seems, judging by the cartoon sticker of a pelican carrying a package and the sign on the side that says:

'Rosario Deliveries: Delivering All Your Needs.'

Shutting off the ignition of her car, she goes around the truck to meet its owner.

"Hello," she calls out to a broad back.

The owner turns to her, and Lucy is met with the most beautiful golden eyes, pairing perfectly on tan skin and black hair. If Lucy isn't yet blinded by the sight, then by the bright smile that followed, she definitely is.

How can such brilliance come from a single person?

"Hello," the sun incarnate greets her.

Lucy snaps back to her professional mode as if she didn't fall in love at first sight, offering her business card to the other.

With a composed manner and a calm voice, she introduces herself, "I'm Lucy Jones, head secretary to President Lin of Lin Finance Group." She glances back to the truck before asking, "I suppose you're … Rosario?"

Rosario - if that's what she's called - laughs. The sound is like a choir descending from heaven; Lucy wonders how anyone can be so perfect.

Too distracted by the living embodiment of a good day, Lucy doesn't notice when the card she was offering is taken from her.

She only comes back online when she hears the raven head say, "Rosario's my mom. Named the company after her, you see."

Lucy nods like it's the most interesting thing ever.

"This one here is named Rosa, a pleasure to meet you." Rosa extends a hand for a shake.

Right at this moment, discreetly staring at the way muscled arm ripples at the movement, Lucy can't be more grateful that she has perfected her poker face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Lucy says as she gives a more enthusiastic handshake than usual. "May I know your business here?"

With a scratch to the back of her head, Rosa is clearly troubled, but she answers nonetheless. "Supposed to deliver today but I don't see Pinky around. Now I don't know what to do. Can't just come in when it ain't my house, it's rude."

Pinky? Does she mean Kaiden?

Well, it's a fitting nickname.

"Have you tried calling him?" Lucy asks although she's sure Rosa already tried.

"I did but I got no answer. Good thing this is my last stop for the day or else Pinky would've gotten me in trouble … Don't want that now," she says as she offers a sheepish grin. "Can't leave since I'm worried. No one answers the door no matter how many times I ring the bell."

Lucy hates to go, but she has a job to do as well, so she offers, "I need to verify your identity first then I can unlock the door for you."

Rosa nods, beaming wide. "Go ahead, no problem for me."

"It's just standard protocol, no offense," she adds for good measure.

"I understand. Don't want to get fired by the big guy." Rosa points up to the sky in a joking manner, laughing at herself.

Lucy pulls out her phone and inputs Rosa's name on Damon's personal system. The search comes out with a match yet she still verifies the delivery company's schedule. It only takes her a minute, two minutes tops, but within those 120 seconds, she manages to check and double-check Rosario Deliveries' schedule all the way back up to six months, confirming that yes, indeed, it has been Rosa who is delivering to the Lin Manor.

She also pulls up her picture, the orders for today's delivery, and Rosa's latest social media post. The last one she'll stalk through later.

"Okay, you're all clear," she says, hoping not to reveal how happy she is.

With wide eyes, Rosa asks her in amazement, "Wow, that fast?"

Lucy can't be the head secretary if she can't do at least this much, but she doesn't say that. Instead, she says, "Should I open the back door for you?"

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver!" Again, that beaming smile almost blinds her.

Lucy struts in, making sure to show off her good side while walking.

If she plays her cards right, maybe she'll score herself a date tonight.