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I WAKE IN LUKE’S bed, his arm draped over my waist. Even the shriek of my phone alarm can’t disturb me as I lay blanketed in the warmth our bodies share.
I turn off the alarm. Luke grumbles against my back, his arm tightening around me to pull me against his chest. It would be all too easy to stay like this, to enjoy the way his body drapes over me, to luxuriate in how he holds me close. I could close my eyes and drift back to sleep until some time in the afternoon when we felt like waking up and touching each other like we did last night.
God, I wish, but even though it can’t happen this time, I’m not as sad about that as I would have been a day ago. Something changed last night. Even if Luke remains secretive about his sexuality, he opened up tome, and Idon’t need to know his whole life story to know that’s a big deal. He trusted me with something deeply, deeply personal, and we made some progress on addressing the fear that has kept him in the closet all these years.
I really hope he makes that phone call to his brother. I didn’t want to say it last night, but from the sounds of it, they could both use that chat. I can’t make the call for him. All I can do is support him in whatever way he needs as he navigates this.
It’s kind of thrilling realizing I will, in fact, get to support him. Luke made that clear last night when he cooked me dinner and opened up andkissed me. For perhaps the first time in my life, I don’t feel expendable. Even if he needs me to keep this secret, I allow myself the tentative, fragile hope that Luke isn’t going to cast me aside the moment I leave his house today.
Part of me is terrified to believe in that.
I shake that part away. I don’t want to indulge that old hurt, that ugly doubt. Luke has earned my faith in him. I should give him a chance, no matter how terrifying that is for me.
First, I unfortunately have to dislodge myself from his warm arm. He grumbles as I slip free, and I couldn’t agree more. It is torture to pad into his bathroom and clean myself up. I find my clothes on Luke’s bedroom floor and get dressed. Looks like I’ll be showing up to the café a little fancier than usual, but no one will find it strange. Icomb my hair with my fingers and tie it up in a ponytail. Then I settle on the edge of Luke’s bed and dig out my phone so I can get a rideshare back toward town. Luke lives far enough away from Tripp Lake’s Main Street, and thus the café, that I can’t walk back and hope to arrive in time.
I’m ordering a ride when Luke sits up in bed and leans his head against my shoulder.
“Call out,” he says, voice rough and low with sleep.
He has no idea how badly I want to take him up on that suggestion. I order my car, then cup his face so I can kiss him.
“I wish I could,” I say. “I really,reallywish I could. This is just about the worst day you could have chosen to ask me that. We have a new part-timer and he’s supposed to shadow me. If I’m not there, he’ll be alone, and he doesn’t even have a key yet.”
Luke groans at my explanation.
“Invite me back soon,” I say, “and I’ll make sure I can stay in the morning.”
Luke’s sleepy eyes clear as he considers this. He’s serious and resolute when he says, “I will.”
I kiss him again, and his warm lips tempt me to stay against them until my rideshare is honking irritably. I pull away reluctantly and drag myself free of Luke’s touch, all but running through his house to get to the car before it leaves me behind.
I don’t make it to the café before Luke texts me a heart emoji.
I send back a string of ridiculous emojis. Hearts and kissy faces and water drops. He chats with me the entire way to the café, which is both novel and thrilling, but when I arrive I find a man waiting outside the door, and he does not look amused.
“Hey, sorry I’m a couple minutes late,” I say. “You must be Cameron?” That’s the name Chloe gave me, at least.
The guy on the sidewalk has dark hair and even darker eyes. He looks at me the way I’d look at an insect that happened to cross my path. All he says in response to my greeting is “yeah.”
Well, fine. I don’t need to talk all that much first thing in the morning either.
I unlock the door and get us inside. I explain the two doors inside as we pass through them, how they’re a safety measure so none of the cats escape. Once we’re inside, I introduce Cameron to the space, though I’m sure Chloe gave him a tour as well. I flick on lights as I go, then get us started on the morning feeding and cleaning routine.
Cameron says little, but he does what I ask, so I guess that’s fine. Isn’t this guy supposed to be a friend of Henry’s? He’s about as different from our resident ray of sunshine as a human can be. I don’t just mean the dark hair and eyes. Cameron wears a perpetual scowl, like the wholeworld is in the process of repeatedly disappointing him. He makes no effort to be friendly or impress me, simply does what he’s told. At least he does it all perfectly. When we finish cleaning, I do a quick sweep to inspect his work, and I can’t find fault with any of it. He fed the cats the right amounts, wiped down the tables, vacuumed up the cat hair, even got the coffee bar ready for our morning rush. He might not be outgoing and smiley like Henry, but hey, he worked at that Boyfriend Café thing, so he can’t be a complete disaster when it comes to interacting with other people.
I’m about to find out. The café is ready to open, and our usual early morning caffeine addicts are beginning to arrive. Weekdays are worse, but there are plenty of folks who swing by to satisfy their coffee habit even on the weekends.
I greet some of the regulars, introducing Cameron while taking orders. “He’s new here,” I say. “I’m showing him the ropes today.”
“This place must be doing well,” Mrs. Tanner, who walks over nearly every morning for her chai latte, says. “How exciting.”
“People love cats and coffee,” I say with a grin.
“Your drink, ma’am,” Cameron says, placing it on the counter. “You have a lovely day.”
The warmth in his voice comes as a shock, but not half as big a shock as the sedate smile he wears. It’s nothing likemine or Henry’s, but it works just as well. Mrs. Tanner is thoroughly charmed by this softer version of Cameron, and so is the rest of our line of customers.
The second things settle down, the smile vanishes.
