Page 8 of Built to Last

“Yeah, same,” I said, sounding like I meant it. I did mean it, which was fucking inconvenient.

“I was just meeting your brother,” Marco went on. “And he’s right. I brought cheese. Aged gouda, to be exact. And some Mediterranean figs. Also a bottle of wine I’ve sourced from Corsica.”

“Really?” My eyebrows went up as I looked into the basket, clearly handmade, that he handed me. It contained what had to be a sampling of the things he was planning to stock in his gourmet shop.

“Yeah, I thought since we’re going to be neighbors, I would bring you a peace offering of things I’ll be selling once I’m opened.”

“This is great.” I smiled, then gestured for Marco to follow me into the backroom, then to join me at one of the tables. “Can I have the team make you a coffee? We roast our own beans for our signature blend. It’s grown really popular in the area.”

“I already ordered,” Marco said.

Sure enough, Brian rushed over with two mugs of coffee, delivering them to the table with a smile that said he thought he knew something.

He didn’t know anything. Cute as Marco was, he wasn’t my type. He was short and slim, a little too old to be a twink, but with all those hallmarks, just in a more mature form. I tended to go for the tall, broad, and broody type. Ones who were completely unavailable.

“This coffee is amazing!” Marco exclaimed, drawing my attention back to the table. “Really. I mean it.” He took another sip. “I know of this small baker who makes biscotti that would go perfectly with this.”

“I know of a baker who makes all kinds of things that go perfectly with our coffee. Her name is Hannah, and she’s in the kitchen right now,” I said, trying not to be a sourpuss.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to impose like that,” Marco said, recovering expertly. “I’m just brainstorming ideas of how our two shops might be able to work together once I’m open.”

“I’m open to discussions,” I said.

Marco spitballed a few ideas about how his gourmet food and our coffee could work together. He had some good ideas, too. And dammit, he was just so nice. His enthusiasm drew me in whether I wanted to be drawn or not.

Until he tripped me up entirely by saying, “So, I have to confess. Business isn’t the only reason I wanted to come over here.” A sexy blush spread across his cheeks and his blue eyes went all bashful.

“Oh?” I couldn’t help but brace myself.

I was right to expect the worst.

“Yeah. Kyle Jameson,” he said, looking cuter and more sheepish by the second. “He’s gay, right?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer. Yes, he was, but it wasn’t my place to out him. Even to someone relatively safe, like Marco.

“Why do you want to know?” I asked instead.

Marco let out a breathy laugh and glanced down for a second. “He’s smoking hot,” he said. “And really nice. I get the feeling he’s interested. I mean, I don’t want to be presumptuous—” He straightened and tried to look more serious. “—but the vibe is there.”

“Is it?” If I clenched my jaw any tighter I’d crack a tooth.

“I’m pretty good at picking guys like us out,” Marco went on. “Even when they’re straight-presenting and partially or fully in the closet.”

“And if he is gay?” I fished for more.

Marco shrugged, his blush and his smile back in full force. “I dunno. I’d like to shoot my shot, I guess.”

Don’t do it. Do not do it. I didn’t know if the internal warning was for Marco pursuing Kyle or for me, who wanted more than anything to shoot the blushing man down before he got any ideas about going after my⁠—

Kyle Jameson was not my man.

“Look,” I started, clearing my throat and clasping both hands around my coffee cup as it sat on the table.

I didn’t get any farther than that. A loud, groaning noise from the other side of the former warehouse doors at the back of the performance space snagged my attention. It was followed by two male voices arguing.

“Dammit,” I huffed, abandoning my coffee and Marco and getting up to see what was going on.

I marched straight to the double doors, and since everything had been cleared from the space and the doors unlocked in preparation for the delivery, all I needed to do was turn the handle and throw the doors open.