To Color Your Life

Emily was right when she assumed that her colleagues would be watching her with particular interest today.

As soon as she and Evans showed up in the office, a couple of dozen satisfied faces immediately turned in their direction.

Someone just kept smiling, a couple of people were winking at Emily and showing her their thumbs up, several girls were giggling and whispering among themselves, pointing at Hayes and the boss.

The women's section of Pharaoh magazine was clearly ecstatic at the scene unfolding before their eyes.

"I need to exchange a few words with Gregor. You can do your business for now. We're going to have lunch in two hours, okay?" Evans put his hand on the girl's back and leaned over to her ear.

"Okay. But there is no need to publicly caterwail with me. We're at work." Emily nudged him lightly in the side so he could take a step away.

"Whatever you say, Miss Hayes," the boss held up both palms to show that he is forfeiting. "Anyway, just give me a call, ok?"

Emily shook her head, watching the man walk away with a smile, and walked to her desk. Nobody canceled two articles, which she had to hand over according to the plan.

Even though Gregor Barkens was a nice person, provoking the editor-in-chief would be a bad idea.

"Oh, Alpha! Hey! How are you feeling?" Catherine appeared in front of her twenty minutes later.

"What did you call me?" Emily blinked several times, not quite comprehending what Joyce had just said.

The blonde gave Hayes her gorgeous smile, "Alpha. This is your code name now."

"Why?" the girl could not understand the logic of this choice.

Joyce sat down next to her, looking so dignified as if she had been preparing for this meeting all morning. "There was such a commotion yesterday! Sorry for not explaining everything. The boss asked to keep the surprise under wraps. Therefore, when I called you, I did not say anything."

"I already know. Like everyone else here," Emily smiled back shyly.

Catherine laughed, "Yes, it was something! The girls haven't had so much fun for a long time! When Evans showed up in the morning and said he wanted to surprise you, even I was shocked. It so doesn't sound like him."

Emily was surprised. She thought quite the opposite. "Doesn't Justin always act his way? I thought that everyone here got used to his extraordinarity."

Joyce brushed aside, "Common!" She leaned over to the girl and continued almost in a whisper, "When it comes to work, he doesn't pay attention to the opinions of others. But as for his personal life... This is the area that he prefers to keep locked with seven seals. In this regard, he and Jacob are pure twins."

"Do you know Evans's brother?"

Kate nodded, "Of course. We used to study together. And if you know about the second Evans, then the boss trusts you. Usually, they do not talk about their family with strangers, even if they ask them. It's not that they do it on purpose or intentionally, it's more of a habit.

So if you want to ask Justin something, the quickest way is to ask directly. This goof may not even think that something is bothering you until you say it yourself. This is, uhmm, a kind of advice for you for the future. Because, judging by the idea of ​​the boss having this light show in your honor, he's serious."

Joyce was like a matchmaker who gave instructions to an inexperienced bride who met her future husband for the first time. Emily was interested to hear something new about her (now official) boyfriend. She realized once again that she knew too little about Justin Evans. And now she wanted to know more.

"Doesn't he get angry if I ask something personal or unpleasant?"

"Why would he be angry? Isn't that how people should behave in relationships? If you keep silent about unpleasant things, only unnecessary problems will appear," Catherine replied in such a tone that this thing should be obvious even to breastfed babies who cannot even speak.

Emily thought so too at first. But for six years, Peter made such a face, as soon as she asked him such a question which he would consider an unpleasant one, that over time the desire to ask any questions just faded away. She decided that it would be enough to love and care for the person, but it turned out that this was not enough.

And now she almost fell for the same mistake. It's good that everything was solved so quickly.

If something bothers you, you can always say so, Hayes. He won't push you away, even if he doesn't like the question. This thought worked on Emily as the best antidepressant.

Now she was sure that even in the most difficult situation, they would be able to find a way out.

"So imagine now, a man like Evans suddenly comes to us and asks for help to organize a surprise for his girlfriend. Yes, not for some girlfriend, but for you, our colleague! Just by your appearance, you have added so many ideas for work! You have bypassed Gregor in views, magazine sales skyrocketed several times. Even Bradley,"

Catherine closed her eyes for a couple of seconds, imagining her puppy, as she called the man, "Even Bradley began to behave differently. He told me that love is the verb. I don't know what you told him, but thanks. So for everyone, from now on you are Alpha."

"But why Alpha?" Emily understood the reason, but did not understand where the choice of such a word came from.

"Hah, are you serious?" Joyce looked at Hayes with a grin. "Emy, hello, where are you working? There are three shelves of romance novels in this section! Werewolves, pack, mate, Alpha, Omega. Are you getting it?"

"I started reading some book about werewolves three days ago."

"I see," Catherine sighed. Emily's level of enlightenment in these matters was too low to understand the full depth of her new title.

"So, Emily Hayes, you are now the Alpha of our female pack. Our leader and the role model. A ray of light that will lead us to conquer new heights. The one that will help outshine the male section with a bunch of alpha males with a single appearance! Because the main alpha male is in your hands!"

Joyce patted Emily on the shoulder, "Congratulations. Now go to work, Alpha. We believe in you."

Emily nodded silently and stared at her computer as Catherine was gone. But she could not start a new article.

All her thoughts were focused on the piece of paper that lay in her backpack. Statement of resignation of her own free will.

And what is she going to do now?