Call me when you get the message.

-Erin

Erin squinted up at the street sign on the campus corner searching for his first class of the day. The students walked by him in clusters along the sidewalks.

Unaware of the world around them.

Uncaring of the fact that Erin was currently lost.

NYU was twice the size of CUNY, and though they’d given Erin a map at orientation, he didn’t know downtown well enough to navigate through the endless blocks and numbered streets.

Crap.

Erin glanced down at his phone to check the time.

9:06am

Where ever he was going he needed to figure it out and fast. Preferably within the next nine minutes.

“You look lost, “ a warm voice behind him said.

“I am lost.“ Erin shook his head with a sigh. He looked up from his phone and blinked at the man standing in front of him.

A model?

He certainly looked like one. He was taller than Erin, a given really, with chocolate skin, a crisp dark goatee, and smiling, hazel eyes.

Erin just stared at him for several seconds before the man said, “maybe I can help?”

“Um…yes. Well.” Erin pointed at his supposed location on the map. “I’m trying to get to the general studies building. But I’m not really sure which direction to take?”

“Ah…” When the man chuckled Erin spotted his Alpha fangs. Erin assumed as much, but he’d seen his fair share of muscularly built Betas in high school.

“Right now you’re here. Next to the East Building.” The man pointed on the map. “You want to go to West 35th and 4th Street.”

“West 35th and 4th Street!” Erin repeated excitedly. "Got it!" Erin looked left, looked right, and then down at the map again.

“I’m guessing you don’t know where that is?”

“Sorry, no.” Erin covered his face as he laughed. “I’m a transfer student and I’m not really familiar with this part of the city. I know how to get to the main building, but I keep getting turned around from there.”

“Would it help if I took you?”

“What?” Erin immediately shook his head. “No! That’d be asking way too much.”

“Not at all.” The Alpha grinned and Erin spotted his dimples. “I’m headed that way anyway.”

“You’re an undergrad?” Erin eyed him dubiously. He didn't look too much older than Erin, but at least in his late twenties.

“No,” he corrected Erin with a smile. “I’m a graduate student, medical school, but the library is close to the gen ed building. So it’s really not a big deal.”

Erin checked the time on his phone and bit his lip. He didn’t want to be a burden, but he now had five minutes to get to class. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

“I’m sure,” the man insisted. “Trust me. It’s no trouble.”

If Nina was here she would chastise him for even talking to a strange Alpha on the street, let alone “trusting” him to help. But what choice did he have with four minutes to spare?

“All right.” Erin nodded grudgingly. He followed the Alpha to the crosswalk and waited for the light to change.

“So. I’m guessing you’re not from around here,” the Alpha said as they walked.

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, for starters, you’re lost.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Erin chuckled nervously.

“And secondly, you don’t look like you grew up in the city.”

“How does a man who grew up in the city look?”

The Alpha cast a quick glance toward him and said, “usually a lot less pink.” Erin’s jeans were white, as were his tennis shoes, but he had on a yellow sweater and a hot pink jacket over top.

“You got something against pink?” Erin quirked his brow, rethinking his decision to follow the Alpha after all.

“Nope.” He laughed out. “Not a thing wrong with pink, especially when you know how to rock it. Which you absolutely do, Kid.”

Kid? How old is this guy?

“Thank you for saying that.” Erin smiled shyly at the compliment. “But I’d argue that anyone can pull it off with the right shade.”

“Is that right?”

“Absolutely,” Erin answered, unaware of the Alpha’s amused smirk. “With your skin complexion, I would go with a magenta or fuchsia. It will bring out the red in your skin, and make your beautiful eyes stand out.”

“Beautiful?” the Alpha barked out a laugh. “Damn Kid, you’re gonna make me blush.” Erin giggled and the man grinned wider.

As they made their way, he drew a line on the map, showing Erin how to get from the education center to the cafeteria, and the general studies building.

“If you get lost, just remember that West 35th intersects with most of the buildings. Stay on it, and you’ll likely run into where you’re trying to go.”

“Oh, bless you!” Erin exclaimed when they finally reached the massive brownstone. “Thank you for helping me. I’m so sorry about this.”

“No need to apologize, or bless me, since I’m really not doing anything all that special.”

“Of course you are!” Erin countered. “No one else even stopped to ask me if I was okay! And you offered to bring me here and showed me how to get to lunch!” Erin beamed at him then, and reached out to squeeze his arm. “Thank you. I really, really, appreciate it.”

“Well, I’m really, really glad I could help.” He opened the door for Erin to enter. “You better go before you miss your class.”

“Yes!” Erin nodded and scuttled through the door. He ran halfway up the stairs when he realized he hadn’t even gotten the man’s name.

Shoot. And he was so sweet, too.