CHAPTER 27: PRETTY THINGS SELL.

Ethan rotates his wrist. The bruise Zander left behind when Ethan gave him the rut suppressants has fully healed, and the beta no longer has to wear long sleeves to cover it up. It’s a small relief. It was tedious having to wear them everyday for the past week or so. He missed feeling the breeze whenever he wore T-shirts.

He’s in the restaurant’s office after closing, trying to calculate how much he needs left to buy the pheromone vents that need to go in the bathroom. The restaurants budget still isn’t there yet, but it’s closer than it was last time. Ethan knew it was going to take a while, but he’d rather not approach an alpha like that again. He shudders. He would if he had too, but isn’t it best to avoid situations like that from the beginning?

He stares at the computer screen before him and rubs his chin. Should they put on a promotion for his mom’s strawberry shortcake? He could make fliers and pass them out.

Next to the computer mouse, Ethan’s phone vibrates. He bites his lip when he sees the contact name, debating on whether or not he should answer it. Zander has sent him a few texts over the last week. Ethan replied once, but with the excuse of working and thinking up ways to get more customers, Zander has been the last thing on his mind. It’s more avoiding him than anything. Sighing, he picks up his phone.

"Zander?" The beta speaks into it after accepting the call. "It’s late, what’s up?"

There’s silence on the other end, and then, "I didn’t expect you to answer, to be honest." The Alpha’s voice is low and husky on the other end. Ethan glances at the time on the computer. It’s a little past midnight, is Zander having trouble sleeping? Ethan doesn’t bother to tell him that he originally wasn’t going to pick up the call, but then his curiosity got the better of him.

"I’m trying to come up with a way to get more customers." The beta admits, his eyes scanning the numbers he’s already been through more than a dozen times. "We have more people coming in, but it’s still not enough." He mumbles to himself.

"Do you mind letting me inside?"

Ethan’s body stiffens and he frowns. He turns to look out of the offices open door, towards the windows that reveal the dark street outside. "Let you in? Are you here?"

When Zander doesn’t answer back, he stands up and pulls the phone away from his ear to see if the call is still connected. It is.

He scans the lobby windows and spots a shadow out by the front doors. What the hell is he doing here? Ethan ends the call, pockets his phone, and heads to the front. He unlocks the entrance and the chime echoes as he opens it. He locks it back up after Zander comes inside.

He’s dressed casually, with calf length shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers. His black hair is a mess, strands falling into his eyes and reminding Ethan of the first time they met. It almost feels like forever ago when Ethan found him a bloody pulp in the back alley. To think Ethan thought this dominant alpha was a hobo, when in reality he’s the son of one of the wealthiest family in the country. It’s surreal.

"We’re closed, why are you here?" Ethan crosses his arms over his chest and frowns. Though Zander is dressed casually, the brands of his clothes cost more than the building their standing in. Ethan doesn’t need to project his inferiority onto him. He probably gets it a lot without him adding to it.

"Well, I texted you but you didn’t answer." Zander shrugs. Ethan frowns and leads the way back to the office, the alpha quick to follow.

"You did?" Ethan sits down at the desk and checks his phone. "Oh, you did." He’d rather fein ignorance than admit he was actively avoiding him with the excuse of being busy. He sighs and rubs his screen strained eyes. "I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t paying attention."

"It’s fine. You said you need more foot traffic, right?" Zander leans against the wall beside him, scanning the page on the computer screen.

"I want to make fliers of my mom’s current desert." Ethan admits. "I’m not much of a designer though, so I’m not sure if it will actually help or be a waste of time and money." He reaches up and rubs his eyebrow in thought.

Zander hums, "How about giving away samples as well? You can set up a booth out front and hand them out to passers."

Ethan blinks, "That’s a great idea. Why didn’t I think of that?" He opens a desk drawer and pulls out a notebook and pen. He flips to a page half filled with messy scribbled notes and writes it down. "I’ll have to discuss this with Mom first, since she’ll be the main cook. I’m sure if she teaches me and Jessi how to do it, it’ll be quicker." The beta begins to mumble to himself.

Zander grins at his ducked head, his hand moving quickly as he writes.

"The portions will have to be cut into smaller pieces since they’re samples." Ethan continues. "Luckily, we have a folding table in storage." He pauses and sits back. He taps the ball point pen against the paper as he turns to Zander with a frown, "We’ll have to earn more to make up for the lose of ingredients though. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to do that."

Zander raises a dark eyebrow, "Why do you think that? Have more faith in your mother’s baking."

Ethan glares at him, "It’s not my lack of faith or her cooking that I’m doubting. It’s the fact that there are two other restaurants on this block, and we’re not exactly placed in the best area."

Zander hums and tilts his head, "That’s true." He pushes off of the wall and moves to stand in front of Ethan where he sits in his office chair. He touches the tip of his shoe against the betas and smiles, "Pretty things sell. You’re mom’s cake is pretty with the flower-y decorations. And if you get an attractive pair to pass them out, I’m sure you’ll earn more than the cost of extra ingredients you had to use."

Ethan purses his lip in thought. That is also a valid point.