Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
He pulled in around ten thirty, which seemed to be the ideal time. It was too early for the lunch rush and too late for breakfast, so the parking lot only had a few cars. The silence would give him time to sit in peace, review his lengthy to-do list, and plan the week’s social media marketing posts.
He strode in and straight to the ordering counter. Only a few customers sat at tables, and one ordered in line before him. Other than that, the place was empty and quiet. As he perused the overhead menu, waiting for his turn to order, the hairs on his nape rose to attention. He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck, but it did nothing to dull the sensation of being watched. Not in a threatening way, but he’d bet his first client’s class fee that someone was staring at him.
Shifting, he rolled his shoulders and tried to relax. Turning now would be too obvious, so he tried to ignore the awareness and focus on the menu.
“Hi, welcome to Brewed Awakening. What can I get for you today?” The barista had a flirty tone and a suggestive smile as he batted his eyes at Liam. “You can have anything you’d like.” He leaned in and whispered, “Anything.”
Liam chuckled. The guy was cute in his black polo and pants, with a dark purple apron boasting the shop’s logo. He had dark eyes framed by thick black lashes and artfully styled hair to match. He was a few inches shorter than Liam and slender. Cute, but not Liam’s type, especially since he couldn’t shake the memory of one tall, sexy, closeted man. “I’m flattered, but just a large, iced caramel latte with almond milk and a blueberry muffin for today.”
Pouting, the barista put the order into the computer. “Your loss.”
“No doubt.” He winked. No reason to make the guy feel bad about himself.
“Name for the order?”
“Liam.”
The ego boost seemed to be the trick, and the barista bounced off with a smile to make his coffee. Liam moved down the counter to the designated pick-up area. He leaned against the wall and scanned the room while waiting for his order. About halfway through his sweep, his gaze snagged on the one man he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.
Tate sat at a table against a wall with a to-go cup of hot coffee and a bagel. A backward ballcap concealed his shaggy hair, and stubble covered his strong jaw. He wore ripped jeans and a plain black T-shirt with tan work boots. The look fit him—hot, scruffy working man.
Forget his muffin. Liam found his snack right there.
Guess that explained the feeling of being watched, though Tate hadn’t even glanced in Liam’s direction. His attention and deep scowl remained directed at the cute, flirty barista.
Interesting.
“Here’s your order, Liam.” The barista didn’t set it on the counter but held a plate with the muffin and iced coffee out for him to take.
“Thank you.” He accepted the food, but the barista didn’t release it just yet. Liam raised an eyebrow.
The cute barista shrugged with a sheepish grin. “Figured I’d give it one more shot. I left you my number on the napkin. Shoot me a text sometime.” He winked and sashayed away, leaving Liam smiling. Who wouldn’t like attention from a cute guy?
He spun back around and—eek. Tate looked ready to rip the barista’s head off.
Tate shot lasers at the back of the poor guy’s head for another few seconds before shifting his annoyed gaze to Liam. What was it about him that just did it for Liam and made his blood heat with a single stare?
Tate’s facial expression didn’t change, but he lifted a booted foot and pushed the chair opposite him out a few inches.
A non-verbal invitation to sit? More like a command to sit.
How hot was that?
He forced himself to stroll instead of sprinting over to the table like the overeager single man he was.
“Tulsa seems to be our place, huh, hot stuff?” he said as he reached the table.
Discomfort flickered in Tate’s eyes for half a second before he cleared it and nodded. How sad. Liam had gotten so damn lucky with his family and the dance community. No one ever made an issue of him being gay. Everyone he knew accepted him. Now, he’d met plenty of closed-minded and hateful individuals, but the people who mattered had always loved and supported him. But it didn’t seem the same for Tate, which broke Liam’s heart.
Darkness tried to invade his excitement and put a raincloud over his entire day. There had been one time where being an out gay guy had cost him dearly. Once, he’d run into bigots he couldn’t defeat with sass and snark, his usual weapons of choice. Their hatred had nearly cost Liam his life. Recovering from shattered ribs and a broken shoulder had been an uphill battle that almost cost him his dance career. The deep, gruesome bruises had hurt almost as much as the broken bones and left him looking like a victim for months.