To think that the biggest slip-up Emma would ever have in her entire professional track record would be some kid in an oversized varsity hoodie who wears masks indoors was hilarious and tragic.
You see, the day Emma took the job to be the personal assistant to a high-profile prime omega, she was faced with threats by the omega's 3 alpha mates, who were all quite high up the ladder of social status. This did not include the long interrogations she was subjected to by said omega's family of artists with upper-tier connections. The contract alone involved long talks with 2 lawyers and a fortnight of discussion. Still, in the end, Emma was proud to say that she got hooked to a high-paying job as a personal assistant to the artist and heir, Julian 'Jules' Armes.
Hair like spun gold and skin flawless like porcelain, Julian was born special. The Armes family name alone was enough to entice respect and admiration. The Armes produced some of the biggest names in the arts, music, and fashion. They were known for their ability to create beauty in all forms.
Julian's talent was in brushes and canvases. At the age of 11, he rose to fame due to his first painting, 'The Teddy Bear'. He was only 16 when he established an exhibition featuring the same subject, featuring numerous artworks depicting an eyeless teddy bear. At the age of 21, he led another exhibition titled 'The Eyes'.
But beyond the still frames and dried paints, Julian Armes did not only create beauty; he emulated beauty. He was beauty itself.
Perhaps it was the omega in him. Julian was, after all, a prime omega, a male prime omega; a combination considered so rare and potent that he became the most sought-after mate among the elites. At the age of 27, Julian was mated to 3 alphas.
Yet, that never seemed to satiate the omega.
Throughout her career, Emma witnessed all the dances and courting rituals between Julian and his 3 mates; from an impromptu dinner in France, to secret dates in the Alps, and even that one time they decided to escape the spotlight and live a commoner's life in the Philippines. Their romance was crazy, as was expected for a relationship involving 3 alphas and 1 prime omega; but it was never enough.
Because while it was true that Emma bore witness to Julian's passionate bouts with his 3 lovers, she also saw through Julian's sexcapades when his alphas were not around.
And strangely enough, with 3 alpha mates, you'd think Julian had a type. But when his alphas were out and about, Julian's eyes strayed elsewhere. Julian thirsted for omegas.
It was part of her job to see that these needs were met. During their trips or long stays away from home, Julian would name the omega and Emma would do her magic to get that omega in Julian's nest (and to rid of them once Julian bore of them). Being a beta, it wasn't easy to learn the courting language of omegas, especially when it involved two. By this point, however, Emma considered herself an expert and would probably excel if she ever considered switching careers to date counseling.
Yet nothing prepared her for what was about to come.
Julian dropped the name while she was in the middle of enjoying her dry-aged duck breast, causing her to choke and almost spit the wonderful dish their private chef had cooked for dinner.
"That kid? The kid who always has a cap on indoors?? The one with some weird science symbol on his hoodie?" She shot, looking thoroughly conflicted.
"It's a Lewis Structure, Emma; please be respectful".
"I don't care!! You want a kid??"
The beautiful face scrunched in bafflement right after he set his wine glass on the table, "He's of age, Em. And 23 is hardly that young. Who do you think I am? A monster?".
"Yes. Yes, you are. You go after…, I don't know, someone more sophisticated? You went for models, celebrities - you've had orgies!!" Emma ignored the sideway glance her employer was sending her way from behind his wine, "No, seriously, Jules? I hope you know he's not an omega".
"Takumi is a beta, I know," the answer was cool and calm.
The mention of that name for the second time over their exquisite evening spread was diabolical. Their private chef dished out his best that night, and the wine pairing had been amazing. It wasn't enough to calm her down. But her employer had given her an impossible task.
Betas don't play into the courting game alphas and omegas do. True, relationships between betas and omegas, or betas and alphas, are not unheard of in this day and age; but prime genders craved entanglements on such a primal level that they can only get from other alphas and omegas.
Hence why Emma doubted a beta could satisfy Jules.
"So what's with the change of heart?" She needed to hear it from the person himself. If this was a matter of curiosity, she didn't think it would last, as did most of Julian Armes' flings. Jules switched nest partners as much as a regular person changed shirts.
Jules took his time to wipe the jus off his plate with a fat slice of nicely cooked duck breast. After a bite, he landed his utensils on his plate and wiped his hands with a napkin. He savored the food in his mouth without paying attention to the fact that Emma was shooting him a glare from the opposite end of the long dinner table. He took another sip of his wine and then lifted an eyebrow.
"He's the cutest – that little shift he does whenever he's feeling shy and how he looks away whenever you try to talk to him; it's really adorable".
"Mmmhmmm," Emma hummed dismissively. She wasn't stupid enough to believe that. She let the seconds ticked through the pleasure Julian was milking from her mirth. Twenty seconds, thirty, and then Julian finally spilled:
"Takumi West has the most beautiful eyes," A smile – and having known him for just over a year, Emma read that as bad news, "Like a teddy bear".
"Seriously?" Something in her stopped. Her annoyance, her protests, or maybe her thoughts altogether. One doesn't hear the word 'Teddy Bear' from the painter known for his teddy bear obsession and not take note.
"Mmmhmmm. Have you seen them? They're the most beautiful coffee color".
Emma let that sink, before she shot back, "Maybe you just like Asian eyes. You need more Asian friends".
"Em! I've been around many Asians. I have you," Jules chuckled.
Emma deadpanned at that. She was born Korean. Her legal name was Sa Eun-soo, and she only went by Emma because the constant mispronunciations ticked her off.
"And I've slept with a few, but Takumi's eyes are different. They're not like yours. Yours are, well, bland and mundane".
Maybe Emma should just quit this job.
"This won't work, Jules. This place is not like Paris or Italy, Thailand, Moscow – they're not like the people we hung out with," Emma pointed out.
They were only at this small college town for work – a tiny little 'charity case', Emma liked to call it. When she and Julian agreed to take on the job, they were deliberately agreeing on an uneventful stay. The city would have a small celebrity to gawk on and fuss about, and the museum got to have something secured in their calendar with a big name to also boost tourism. Jules could amuse himself with cosplaying simplicity.
Emma was the one who reached out to the local university to link them up with Julian. It was how she ended up with more things to keep Julian engaged with his role in the town and not grow bored. The school asked Julian to be a visiting lecturer for the whole semester, with two courses for the Arts program and a surprising offer to teach two courses for non-Arts students.
The latter was where they met the 23-year-old beta, Takumi West.
Emma could make up any excuse to stop Jules on his track. She could mention the fact that this was a student and Jules was a visiting lecturer, but that never stopped Jules before. She could also mention the fact that one of his alphas, Jade Atkins, was only 3 hours away. In the end, she said:
"He doesn't seem like the type to go for someone like you. Just by looking at him, I could tell he probably has a perfect GPA and parents who he still talks to on a daily basis. The people here are not like us," she paused for a second, "We shouldn't, Jules".
No one Jules had seduced into his nest left that nest unscathed. Anyone who had had a taste of his sole attention tended to crave and obsess over it. They grew attached and hopeful, only to be neglected and turned down the moment Jules had had his fill. One should not make easy of how much a prime omega could plant the seed of obsession in a person.
People from a small town such as this would not understand how dangerous falling for Julian Armes could be.
Jules didn't seem to care. "Many from that class have asked me out".
"Well, true," which told her enough of how naïve the people here could be, "But not your little 'Teddy Bear'".
For a split second, Emma saw a genuine resentment on that beautiful face.
"What if he does?"
"You know what?" Emma sighed, "If he does, I'll prepare the gifts, the nests – everything – for you," she doubted it. Growing up Asian, she understood Asian kids like the back of her hand. Even if West had feelings for Jules, he wouldn't even make a move. "I promise you".
Oh how wrong she was to make that promise.
XXX
Emma dreaded the coming Monday.
It's funny how she barely noticed the college student before, but after Jules' gross admittance, she experienced a whole-body shiver when she sensed the boy entering the room. She looked behind her shoulder, and true enough, Takumi West just made it past the room's threshold, carrying a big backpack over one shoulder and having a black mask over his mouth.
"Oh, look at you, causing trouble without even knowing it," Emma thought to herself as she silently watched the boy take a seat in the back row, despite the many empty seats closer to the front. The boy was always one of the very first few to arrive to class after Emma, who would be preparing the classroom 30 minutes before it started.
At a glance, he looked just like any other Asian – on the skinnier side, with jet black fluffy hair and timid behavior. Perhaps she could add that he appeared somewhat fit, yet lean nonetheless; the cuts of his clothes, though basic, fit his proportions so well; his hair was styled in a taper fade that implies an amount of fashion awareness. That being said, he blended too much into the background, which made it so easy to forget him.
Emma wondered how Jules – the sun, the star, the center of the galaxy – even noticed him.
After sitting and putting his bag down, West started a conversation with the neighboring desk. Amy Bale, who was sitting next to him, appeared to be a little distressed.
And then, Takumi West stood up and walked – to Emma's direction!
She rushed to grab around the desk to appear busy. Next thing she knew, she had the Japanese young man standing in front of her desk. Emma looked up from her seat to meet the others' eyes.
They were like two dark chocolate pralines.
So dark it was close to black that it painted his whole iris in just one color. But most importantly, they were further accentuated by the round shape of his eyes, making it appear like simply two black orbs floating in a sea of white.
West had a finger pushing his mask down so Emma could see him better. Emma was not expecting someone cute – one that reminded her of the idols from home.
"Sorry," a contrast to his face card, his voice was a surprising deep bass, "Someone forgot their brushes, and I don't have any spares. Do you have any?"
"Yeah. How many do you need?"
"Uh, as many as we need for today's class, but 2 should be a good number to start". He signaled to the back row as he said this.
"She should get them herself, you know?"
"Yeah, but she's a little shy".
Emma knew that. Amy Bale secretly left a card with a note explaining her heartfelt love to Jules without leaving her name, making her one of the 10 students from this class who had asked Jules out. The thing was, her handwriting alone was enough tell-tale sign of who she was, leaving both Emma and Jules with no mystery whatsoever on the identity of the confessor. Emma sometimes caught her staring at her employer with a slack jaw, before she jumped in realization as though she was jolted awake from a nap. Despite her feeling for the artist, she would never dare to speak to Jules in person unless addressed first. So, yes, Emma knew how shy Bale was.
"Here you go," Emma handed the brushes to Takumi's open hand. The mask was back in place now that he was holding those brushes.
"Thank you," he said, somewhat muffled by his mask, as he walked back to his seat. Emma watched Amy clasped her two hands in front of her chest in gratitude.
More and more students filled the room. Soon, it was 5 minutes after 9. Emma sensed the bated breath, the attention centered on the door, and the slow but steady drop in everyone's volumes as though they were expecting something. And then, the door opened.
Jules breezed past with a, "Good morning", said in a soft melody, a smile, and a trench coat that flew aflutter behind him. Everyone hushed, and heads turned. Her employer had always been masterful in making his arrival a performance, down to the planned 5-minute lateness.
Emma was happy to see that Jules wore the shirt she had purchased for him. She did her best to ensure her employer could fit the aesthetic of a small-town professor. It was loose in all the right spots yet sharp nonetheless. The shirt was paired with sand-colored pleated trousers and a long tan trench coat. His shoulder-length gold tresses were pulled up to a messy bun; a look made complete with a pair of slim-framed glasses.
The tall omega then carelessly threw his designer leather bag to his desk and walked around so he could stand in front of his desk, with his hip attached to the desk top and his attention to the class. He then announced:
"Exciting news, I'm bored. So today we're doing freestyle painting".
The class protested in a chorus. Being mostly STEM students, they had zero idea of how to work without a proper methodology. "Now, now, lets not be a child about it," Jules chided lightly as he dragged his large canvas to the center of the U-shaped formation of the desks and started to demonstrate painting in the flashiest performative way only Jules could pull.
He began splattering colors after colors, all the while narrating what he was doing to the canvas. It was magical how he did it, but the whole canvas ended up being a scenery of snowy mountains.
"How did you do that?" Someone asked from the front row. "That doesn't look like an impromptu," someone else commented.
"Well, if you're any good like me, anything accidental can be a masterpiece," Jules, ever the eccentric, snickered. He was always so casual with his students; from how he insisted they all call him 'Jules', to how he just seemed to remember everyone's first names. "That's what freestyle is! Everything is unplanned. One moment you're thinking of drawing the hair of the person sitting in front of you; perhaps they're red, with brown roots and dead ends, maybe with dandruff here and there, maybe a little messy," some kids laughed at that, "And then when you're almost done, you have an idea and you just paint everything pink and paint an elephant out of it. That's the beauty of freestyle – there are really no rules!"
Everyone started complaining. "What if I start with a blob and end with an uglier blob?"
"Then say that it's your take on the moon or something, I don't know, Sandeep!" Jules shrugged, "It doesn't matter what I think, it's what you think; what you see. You can focus on a feeling, or a memory, or a sensation – a color, and go from there".
Sandeep visibly blushed. The IT student had gone a long way, being the first to approach Jules to confess his love despite his shyness. Something about that confession changed him for the better; he became more confident, more expressive.
The chaos calmed to a focused silence. Everyone put their mind onto their canvas. Julian started his stroll around the class, tailed closely by Emma. Emma normally stayed by their desk, but after what he had told her over the weekend, there was a gnawing feeling inside her telling her to keep an eye on her employer.
They visited desk after desk, until finally they reached Amy Bale and her pink canvas.
"Pink! Cute," was Jules passing comment at it. The girl barely had anything started on her canvas, yet those words were enough to send her into a heap of squeaks and trembles. Feeling sympathetic, Emma put a kind hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Good job! I love that shade of pink you made," she said, making Amy go all googly-eyed at her for saying something nice. Emma should maybe start speaking to the students in this class more because she believed they all thought she was this scary mysterious woman who never said a word, "Keep it up!"
She returned to her task of shadowing her boss, only to realize that the next desk was where Jules' object of affection sat.
And Jules was…
Serious. Unlike the joking character he played out in front of the other students, this Jules stood calmly behind West's chair, a hand propped casually on one point of the chair as he watched West paint. He seemed to be saying something, and Emma caught him making a tender expression.
"Is that me? Haha, Takumi, do you like me?"
Emma froze at that. True enough, there was a silhouette of a person in West's painting, but for Jules to say that it was of himself was so far-fetched.
Emma was quick to tap her boss on the shoulder. "Oi," she half-scolded, only to be met with an unimpressed look.
"Right, right. I'd better get going and finish my little patrol," Julian muttered as he stood to his full height and moved along, only to say a quick, "Oh, you're in trouble, Jean; who said mixing purple and red is a good idea?" to the next person.
Meanwhile, Emma lingered by West's side just to see how he reacted. As per the Takumi West's fashion, he continued painting like nothing had happened.
XXX
"That could count as harassment".
"What? All I did was give him directions on how to improve his work".
"Yeah. Right. Flirting with a student? He can report you".
"I did not do anything worth reporting, geez!"
They spoke through gritted teeth and harsh whispers as the students exited the room one by one. A few of them lingered to have a few words with Jules. In each one, Emma saw desire, admiration; a desperation to be recognized by the star. She and Jules also had a silent bet on whether someone would confess to him after each class. Emma's bet was on Christa Willis.
But soon, the number of students who stayed behind dwindled to three. After the two left with giggles after taking a few pictures with Jules for their Instagram, only one was left. Boy, she did not expect him.
"Jules, do you have time? I'd like to speak to you, if that's alright," Takumi West stood by their desk, posture straight yet with his head bowed slightly.
No, Emma thought in horror, what are you doing!?
"Yes?" Julian was standing on the opposite end of the desk, feigning obliviousness but Emma could taste the excitement rolling out of him.
"I really…," Takumi said, but took a deep breath and started again, "I know I have no place to say this, but I really admire you and what you do".
He is doing it, Emma couldn't believe it, this is actually happening.
"I've always thought doing art is something foolish, let alone doing it professionally. You proved me wrong. Seeing you, learning from you in this class, taught me otherwise and I admire you for it. And I am a student in your class, but I've been holding this feeling for you. I deeply admire you – actually, I lo -…," his words and tone had been clear and straightforward until he faltered, but both Emma and Jules heard the first syllable at the end of that sentence. West lifted his gaze to meet Jules', and it was then that Emma realized he didn't have his mask on. The gaze he pointed at Jules was that of awe; of pure admiration.
Emma thought Jules did not deserve such praise.
West ceased from continuing his last sentence. Instead, he pressed a tiny book into Jules' hand. "Please accept this," he said to Jules, who took it absently. The younger then bowed his head yet again before excusing himself. He half ran to the door, and left without any further word, leaving Jules and Emma to gape dumbly at the exit.
A full minute later, Julian's shoulders shook before he cackled loudly to the whole room. Emma deadpanned at her employer's antics, but that did not stop Jules from reveling in his victory. "Oh, Emma! You hear that," he turned to her, eyes turning purple to signal the prime omega in him rising to the surface, "Now get to work, my dear. We have a beta to catch".
XXX