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An espresso with a dash of cinnamon. Sanjay nodded, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, just a long night. Make it a triple, though. I’ve got a few big orders to finish up this morning and need the energy.”
“You’re gonna be wired after this cup.” Ajax slid the cup across the counter as Sanjay pulled out his wallet and paid, noticing there were two slices left of the banana cream pie Ajax had bought from his bakery.
Was that the pie Jake was eating?
“Thanks, Ajax. You’re a lifesaver.” Sanjay took a long sip, letting the rich espresso work its magic. “Exactly what I needed.”
Although Ajax had always been polite, Sanjay noticed how more open the guy seemed to be—like smiling way more and engaging in conversations. Maybe it had to do with the guy he was dating. Or was Drake his mate? Sanjay didn’t know since he didn’t keep up with who dated who in Midnight Falls, but the smile looked good on Ajax.
As Sanjay stood there enjoying the first few sips of his coffee, he debated whether or not to go over and say hi to Jake. The bartender had been friendly last night, but did that mean he wanted to chat with Sanjay again?
Coffee in hand, Sanjay decided to seize the moment. He walked over to Jake’s table. “Hey, fancy seeing you here,” he said, hoping he sounded casual.
“Sanjay, hey,” Jake said. “Care to join me?”
“I don’t want to interrupt your breakfast.” Sanjay totally wanted to interrupt, but using manners never hurt. Jake ran a hand through his messy hair, and Sanjay had to stop himself from staring. The guy was unfairly attractive, even at the early hour.
“Please, have a seat. I’d love the company,” Jake said with an easy smile.
Sanjay slid into the seat across from Jake. “What’s a bartender doing up so early?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be in bed until at least noon?”
Sanjay didn’t know the first thing about working at a bar, but he assumed, since the bar stayed open until three in the morning, that most slept the entire day away.
“Mess up with one of my orders. I have to fix that, plus I like getting up early.” He sipped his coffee. “I don’t require a lot of sleep.”
“You own the bar?”
Jake nodded.
And here Sanjay thought the guy just worked there. Not that he wouldn’t have dated a bartender. If he were looking to date. “Why is it called Fearless Fox?”
“It was already named that when I bought it, so I just stuck with the name. How’s your morning going so far?”
“I have a huge order to finish today.” He shrugged. “I should have gone home after I closed yesterday, but my friend needed me.”
“The one you were sitting with?”
“Yep.” Sanjay nodded just as Jake’s smell wafted toward him. The bar had been so packed last night that the various scents had been hard to distinguish. The strong smell of coffee was overpowering this morning, but now that Sanjay’s senses were adjusting, he realized that Jake was a wolf shifter.
And Sanjay was prey.
“I think I need to head to my shop.” He shot from his seat. “It was nice meeting you. Maybe we’ll see each other around.”
Hopefully not. As good-looking as Jake was, Sanjay didn’t want to become a tasty morsel. Even though Jake was a shifter and not a wolf out in the wild, some traits were just ingrained in both. At least, that was Sanjay’s experience.
Whenever Sanjay had had the misfortune of being around Trenton, the hyena shifter always looked at him as if Sanjay would be the perfect meal. The guy was already an asshole, but the way he’d looked at Sanjay had made Trenton ten times scummier.
Then there was the guy Sanjay had dated four years ago. Matt had not only been abusive but a wolf shifter. It seemed Sanjay could never catch a break.
“Do you have to leave right away?” Jake asked. “I was hoping for a peaceful morning, but you’ve definitely brightened my entire day.”
That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to Sanjay. “Really?”
Nope. Sanjay had to mentally pull himself back. He wasn’t falling for syrupy words from a gorgeous face. Been there, done that, and have a scar to prove it.
“Please, have a seat and let’s talk,” Jake said.
“I seriously need to get started on my work.” Sanjay backed away when an overwhelming feeling hit him in the center of his chest. A feeling that made Sanjay want to throw himself into Jake’s arms.
