The start of something new
“So … you signed up for that?” Carlos asked again.
“Yes” Lando answered, taking a sip of his drink.
“Why?” Max asked while holding his little daughter Penelope to his chest, letting Lando shrug and pick at the label of his cola bottle.
They were sitting on the floor in front of the couch in Max’s hotel suite. It has already been two days since the final of the season and everybody else had gone, but for some reason they changed their plans and decided to stay a couple more days.
“You make it sound like a bad idea now.” Lando mumbled.
“Because it is.” Carlos blurted out and earned a punch to the shoulder from Max.
“Not necessarily bad, but … Lando it means that they are going to actively search for a wife or husband for you. Are you sure that you really want that? That you are ready for that?” Max asked, letting his daughter struggle out of his arms.
“I feel … alone … always. I know that I have you guys and the team and my family in the UK and especially you, my little goddaughter.” He ended in a slightly babyish voice when Penelope started crawling towards him. “But as soon as I’m home … I’m alone. Max, I saw you and Kelly and … I want that, too. I never found someone I could just … be with. Who fits to me.” He said, now greeting Penelope on his lap.
“And you think that agency is the right way to get that?” Max asked cautiously.
“They seem very legit. They have a lot of articles written about them. You have like of a … probationary period, although they are saying that they never had a partner stepping out after a real match. I was at their office for a day. They give you a lot of info about how they do it and then you get unlimited time to answer some questions. Some in person to them, others in writing, you know, about like … everything. A couple days later you’re getting an e-mail with some more questions and then there are other visits, they do a real background check on you and make sure that you are able to take care of a possible family. This whole process thing takes over a week, then they will tell you if they take you as a client and you have another week to decide if you really want to be a client.”
“When did you have the time to do all of that?” Carlos asked.
“Summer break.” Lando mumbled.
“SUMMER BREAK?!” Carlos yelled “You have been signed up for months and only told us now?”
“Well … they called and said they found an omega which I could fit with really well if I want to.”
“And you said yes?”
“Yes. They don’t give you a lot of info, it is the intention that you should get to know each other on your own pace.”
“So, they will just … what … drop him off on your doorstep?” Max asked.
“Wait, do we know it’s a man, then?” Carlos asked.
“Yes, he is a man, 19 years old, from Melbourne, Australia. He is an omega, has two younger sisters and has never travelled to Europe. It says that he is a calmer character and loves to cook.”
“So, he is everything you are not?” Max asked with a smirk.
“Everybody needs a fun uncle” Lando said with a smile towards Penelope, who just giggled back at him. “And they will not drop him off on my doorstep. He will arrive at the airport in Nice next Tuesday, I will pick him up there.”
“Do you have a picture?” Carlos asked.
“No, he will be brought by someone from the agency who has my picture.” Lando said.
“So next Tuesday.” Max said.
“Next Tuesday.” Lando said.
“Do you have everything yet?” Max asked.
“What do you mean?” Lando asked while playing with Penelope.
“Well, he is an omega and you and your appartement are … well … single alpha.”
“Yes, but, I mean, he will bring some things, right?” Lando now asked unsurely.
“Surely, but I don’t think he will have everything he needs. Do you have some nesting materials, omega towels, is your pantry stocked when we go back, these things?”
“Uuuhm, no. Maybe I can ask Kika to help?” Lando asked nervously.
“Well, as she is an omega herself, it would definitely help, you should text her.” Max said.
“Thank you so much for doing this.” Lando said when he met Kika in front of the department store back in Monaco two days later.
“Always for you.” Kika said, kissing his cheek. “So, let’s start, we have a lot of things to do before your omega arrives.” She said, pulling out a notebook.
“What is that?”
“Our to do and to get list. We start with easy things first.”
They loaded their purchases into the car two hours later, bags upon bags of blankets, pillows, soft omega towels and new pollsters for his terrace furniture, as well as a couple pairs of fuzzy socks and some kitchen utensils.
“Well, that was a success, I guess.” Lando said, closing the back of the car. “Now I know why you asked me to take the bigger car.”
“We are not done yet, you know that, right?” Kika said, shouldering her handbag.
“What? What else could we need to buy?” Lando asked.
“You said he likes to bake and cook, so we are getting some things that you need for cooking and baking, come on.” She hurried him back into the mall, buying even more kitchen utensils, storage containers and stocked up the pantry. “Alright. This is it for the buying today, but you should keep in mind that you will have to go shopping with him next week, too. The nesting material is all natural colours, he will want some coloured things, probably also clothes or stuffed animals and other things, fresh produce and specific spices, but don’t worry, it will be like today, you push the cart. But until then, this is your list with things to do.” She handed him a folded paper.
“What is all this?” he said with wide eyes.
“It looks more than it is. It’s the bank and insurance things, visa, info for your building manager, all these kinds of things. If you need something, just call me. I will come by on Tuesday morning and bring lasagna, I don’t want you to make your new omega cook on the first evening.” She kissed him on the cheek as a goodbye and got into her car, waving as she drove out of the underground garage.
He spent the next days downloading and preparing everything for the insurances, access to the bank account and visa work. After some contemplating, he decided not to try and build a nest on his kingsize bed, as an alpha, he didn’t know how to anyway and with his own parents being alpha and beta, he never grew up with a nest. After talking to Kika again he decided to prepare the guestroom for himself, in case the omega wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing right away. He changed the bedsheets in the master bedroom and placed a new set of sheets on the little bench at the bottom of the bed. The pillows and blankets he bought with Kika were piled on a dresser, free for the omega to use and build a nest. Lando had gotten back out on Monday, buying some fresh produce and also some fairy lights, together with a plush koala he saw sitting in a window. Kika brought the lasagna on Tuesday, including a post-it with instructions on how to make it in the oven.
Lando now nervously stood in a silent corner of the airport, nervously waiting for the omega’s arrival. The plane from Abu Dhabi he was on had landed 20 minutes ago, suspecting that he had to wait for some luggage, he stood a little bit back while the business travellers and people without bigger luggage streamed out. He felt his phone vibrate.
Max: How is he?
Lando: I didn’t meet him yet
“Mr. Norris?” a lady asked him, ripping his eyes up.