Amusing You - Claire Cullen

Chapter One

Harper liked the afternoon lull. Lunch was always so hectic in the cafe, their customers in a hurry to get back to work. But by three p.m., everything had slowed to a leisurely pace. He could chat with the regulars, restock for the evening, and take his own well-deserved break. Truth be told, though, even his favorite time of the day at work was losing its shine these days.

He crossed back and forth between the counter and the cafe floor, making sure all his tables were content. The woman sitting alone at the table by the wall caught his eye, smiling pleasantly at him, and not for the first time. There was already a bet going between Adam and Tessa that she was going to ask him out. Harper suspected the truth was rather more mundane.

“Anything else I can get you?”

“It’s Harper, isn’t it?”

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Says so on my name tag.”

“Any chance you’ve got a break coming up?”

“Uh…”

“I’d like to buy you a coffee in exchange for a few minutes of your time.”

He smiled politely. “I work here; the coffee is free.”

She wasn’t deterred. “A muffin, then. They look amazing.”

“They are. I helped perfect the recipe. But my boss isn’t a fan of us eating with the customers.”

Tessa chose that moment to walk by. “As if that’s ever stopped you,” she said with a snort. “Take your break, Harper. Adam and I have got this.”

Grumbling under his breath, he tugged off his apron and sat down.

“I’m Pamela,” the woman told him, holding out a hand.

He eyed her dubiously, ignoring her outstretched hand. With the suit and perfectly styled hair, she looked the part of keen businesswoman, but he suspected what she was offering didn’t go more than skin deep.

“Look, if you’re about to pitch me some multi-level marketing, social media influencer, you-can-earn-thousands-from-the-end-of-your-phone crap, you’re wasting your time.”

“Ah.” She smiled awkwardly, lowering her hand. “I understand your skepticism. But I’m not here to pitch you a scam. I’m not asking you to pay me to work for me. I’m a recruiter.”

“A recruiter?” he repeated. “Well, in that case, you should know my talents don’t extend much beyond waiting tables.”

“If that were true, I wouldn’t be here. An associate of mine spotted you last week, asked me to come on by and see for myself.”

“You were here Tuesday as well.” That was when Tessa and Adam had started making bets.

“Monday, too, but you weren’t on shift. We don’t make hasty decisions in our line of business.”

The build-up and suspense were almost too much. “What business is that?”

“We’re a recruitment firm, as I mentioned. We specialize in muses.”

Before he could react, she placed a card on the table. Harper tugged it closer, reading it quickly. It was her work identification; Pamela Tyler, Recruitment Consultant, Inspire Inc.

“Lovely picture,” Harper said, sliding it back across the table.

His heartbeat kicked up a notch on seeing who she worked for. Lots of companies touted themselves as agents for muses, but most were thinly disguised escort agencies. The worst of them were just straight-up brothels. Inspire Inc. was different. They were the muse agency—highly selective, screened both alphas and omegas thoroughly, and were known to be fair in the cut they took. He tried to keep his expression schooled into something neutral, but he wasn’t all that successful.

“You’ve heard of us.”

“I doubt there’s an omega in this country who hasn’t.”

“And you’re interested?”

“Maybe,” he hedged. He’d been itching for a change, sure. But this… this might not be what he was looking for.

“Why don’t I give you some information? You can think things over and decide if you want to know more.”

Harper hesitated before nodding. What did he have to lose?

“We specialize in matching alpha professionals—everything from creatives to businessmen—with omegas who, simply put, inspire them. We’re not like other agencies; we are not a cover for more salacious activities. Our contracts and arrangements are above board.”

It all sounded good, but as always, the devil was in the details.

“What does that mean?”

“Well, let’s say we match alpha A with omega B. Both parties agree, in theory, to the match. We look at their calendars, confirm what kind of activities they’re agreeable to, and draw up a schedule. It can vary anywhere from one block of time a week up to five. Here, let me show you.”

She pulled a tablet from her handbag, spent a few seconds flicking her finger around the screen, then laid it in front of him.

“This is an example of a