Beck didn’t know what to do. Callum was taking sort of a long time, and he looked a little off when he left—but on the other hand, that cute little barista was at the club, wearing nothing but a mesh shirt and some booty shorts. Plus, Callum hated to be disturbed when he needed a moment to collect himself. So even if Beck did follow Callum out the back door, he’d probably get chewed out for it. 

Courtney disappeared the moment they entered the crowd. She found herself a strong-looking Alpha to grind up on, and seemed pretty content to leave Beck to his devices. Which meant he had an opportunity—one he normally would never take. 

Beck sucked down the last of his drink and licked his lips before setting the glass down on the bar and slipping into the jumping crowd. He danced his way smoothly through the bodies until he was close enough to Winter that he could be noticed. And he was pretty sure he would get noticed. After all, Beck wasn’t that bad himself. He’d put some effort into his outfit once they all changed and decided on the tasks for the day. 

Beck’s dancing was smooth and rhythmic. He’d taken lessons when he was younger, scared to embarrass himself at a school dance—and thank god he had. He could feel the beat pulsing through him, even down to the floor of the club. Sweat collected on his brow, a sticky sheen from the lights flickering around him. It was hot, and there were so many people crowded inside—but only one he was interested in. 

He pretended not to notice Winter at first. Then, he made a little “misstep” with his dancing and tumbled gently into Winter's back. Maybe Winter would have noticed Beck organically, but he couldn’t take that chance. Winter turned just as Beck did, and Beck put up his hands in mock surrender, pretending it wasn’t on purpose. 

“Oops! Sorry, man, didn’t see you there. Oh! Hey, Winter! I didn’t see you there.” Beck stuffed his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants to seem nonchalant and chill. His hair was still pristinely in place because there was about a whole can of hairspray in there with the gel, so he flashed his signature smile and hoped Winter would take the bait. 

The corners of Winter’s lips quirked up slightly, and he popped his hip out to the side as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Beckham Caddel. I didn’t think you frequented places like this.” 

Beck raised an eyebrow. “Like clubs? What about me gives the impression I’m not a club guy?” He had to raise his voice over the music, and his throat strained from the effort. 

Winter laughed, but the noise of the club swallowed the sound. Beck couldn’t even enjoy it. “Normal people clubs. Shouldn’t you be in some fancy VIP section?” 

Beck looked Winter up and down, sending a clear signal, then tipped his head to the side. “Shouldn’t you? Looking like that, I’d say you’re the real prize in this establishment.”

Some of the cocky, easy confidence Winter normally exuded stuttered, turning into a slight pink tint to his cheeks. It could have been the exertion from dancing, but Beck liked to think he had something to do with it. “Ha ha. Very funny.” 

“Was I being funny?” Beck bit his bottom lip and raised an eyebrow. His heart was going all giddy, a tingling in his hands as he itched to take Winter and pull him into the crowd for more dancing, just the two of them. 

Winter’s companion, a tan woman with pink hair tied up into two space buns, stepped forward. Winter was pretty sure he’d seen her on magazine covers before—a Beta woman, but a beautiful one. “I’m going to go find my girlfriend. Wanna come?” Her voice was too loud, even accounting for the music, but Winter didn’t seem to mind. 

He glanced back at her, then looked at Beck—returning the once-over from earlier. “Nah, I-I’m going to stay here a little bit longer.” 

She had given Winter an out. 

And he hadn’t taken it. 

Beck grinned at this development, tilting his head further into the crowd and closer to the speakers. He held out a hand, which Winter took, and he pulled the Omega deeper into the ocean of bodies. There was no way they could hear each other over the music and the shouting at that point, so they let their bodies do the talking. 

Winter wasn’t a bad dancer, either. 

They moved to the music like one being, jumping and grinding and bopping. Beck’s moves were smooth and calculated, while Winter moved like he was born with the music already in his body. It was natural, innate. 

Beck didn’t remember how he ended up in the back near the bathrooms, with Winter pressed against the wall, and Beck’s hand gripping his waist, and their lips crashing together like waves on the beach. Winter tasted like a strawberry daiquiri.

Beck was no stranger to hooking up in the back of a club, but he hadn’t planned to let it get that far with Winter. Sure, he was a confident, proud bisexual man—but it was still pretty understood in his family that as the heir, he would marry an Alpha woman. After all, an Alpha man wouldn’t be able to give them another heir—and being with an Omega in their view was unacceptable. 

But Beck couldn’t help being drawn to Winter. He smelled like sunflowers—but instead of facing the sun, the buds turned to face Beck. He didn’t know how else to describe the feeling. They broke away softly, their panting breaths brushing each other’s lips. Beck gazed down into Winter’s soft, brown eyes. His cheeks were slightly pink. 

“Damn,” Winter commented, wiping something from the corner of his mouth. “Where did you learn to do that?” 

Beck shrugged, keeping their faces only inches apart. “Practice.” He smirked. “But there’s still plenty more I have saved up, if you’d like a demonstration."

Winter laughed, bright yellow like the sunflowers he smelled like. He placed a hand firmly against Beck’s chest and gently eased him back. “Careful, now. I don’t normally hook up with people I barely know in the back of clubs.” 

Beck tilted his head to the side. “Don’t you know me? I’m in your shop every day, practically. I work across the street. I went to school with Adrian.” 

Winter rolled his eyes. “And I went to the public schools, if you recall. You know me because you know Adrian.” 

Beck respected Winter’s wishes and let some room between them, but he didn’t sense any of the flirty atmosphere fizzling out. “What would you rather have, then? A date?” 

Winter raised an eyebrow. “Are you offering one?”

Beck faltered—his hesitation twisting up his face. He’d taken an opportunity that presented itself at the club, but that didn’t mean he was reckless enough to move whatever they had outside. He didn’t want to lead Winter on and make the Omega think Beck had more to offer than just some sloppy, buzzed kisses at the back of a club. 

Winter’s expression noticeably fell. “My point exactly.” 

“I didn’t say I wasn’t.” Beck sputtered. “Come on, it’s obvious I like you. Why else would I be in your shop all the time?” 

Winter laughed. “Oh, come on, we both know that’s because of Callum.” 

Beck wasn’t laughing because he didn’t get the joke. He tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?” 

Winter turned to Beck. “What do you mean, what do I mean? It’s so obvious he—” Winter cut himself off suddenly, like he realized he shouldn’t say whatever it was that was at the tip of his tongue. “His dad invested, like, a boatload of money into the cafe. That’s how the Wilds are able to keep it open.” Winter dropped his voice lower, like he was being conspiratorial.

But something stood out as wrong to Beck. He wasn’t sure that was really what Winter was going to say, but he couldn’t even imagine what other reason there could be. Beck shrugged. “Callum does bring us there a lot, but I agree, so I can see—” He cut himself off, realizing he was about to come off weird and cheesy and not hot and sexy, but it was too late. 

Winter’s eyes widened slightly, and he hummed in interest. His eyes flickered over Beck’s body again, and he turned. “I’ll keep that in mind.” His voice was husky, almost like a low purr, and he tilted his hand back towards Beck for just a moment. “I should get back to my friends. But… I’ll see you at the shop, Beckham.” He waved, putting a little swing into his hips as he walked away. 

Beck stood there, openly watching, for just a moment too long.