She grinned.“Got a date?”
With Jake, if I’m lucky.“It’s Thursday,” he said instead.
“Right.I forgot,” Traci said.The doorbell jingled and a last-minute customer rushed in.She turned.“I got this.You go have a good night.”
Blair left Traci to finish up and start closing, while he prepared another cinnamon honey latte for Jake, a regular coffee in case he hadn’t liked the latte, and a cup of peach tea for himself.He put four rainbow cheese crisps in a bag.He pulled on his jacket from the back and, gathering the drinks and snacks, headed across the street.
“Hi,” Blair said as he sat down and put the drink tray on the bench between them.
Jake remained motionless, like a living statue.His gaze was distant and unfocused.Lost somewhere in his mind.The Bliss Beans to-go cup rested on the bench near Jake’s thigh, but when Blair picked it up to throw it into the recycle bin, it was still full.Either Jake hadn’t touched it, or he hadn’t liked it.Blair tossed it and when he sat back down, he took a moment to study Jake.His expression was drawn, the skin around his eyes and mouth tight.His shoulders were rigid, and his hands fisted in his lap.
The top corner of a pamphlet sticking out of Jakes’s coat pocket caught his attention.Blair didn’t need to see the whole thing to know what it was.He recognized the familiar artwork, considering he was the one who had designed it.The title on the front of that pamphlet readLiving with HIV.
His heart ached for Jake, who, Blair knew from experience, must have just received a positive diagnosis.Blair cleared his throat and angled fully toward Jake.
“Hi, Jake,” he said louder.
Jake startled out of his fugue, turning wide, confused eyes on Blair.
“I’m Blair.”He smiled and pointed to the tray of drinks between them before hooking a thumb over his shoulder.“I own the coffee shop across the way and noticed you’ve been sitting here for hours.”
Frowning, Jake looked at his watch and cursed.
“I thought you might like a drink and a snack.I brought another latte, and a coffee in case you didn’t like that.Or you could have the peach tea?”He opened the bag.“I brought some rainbow cheese crisps, too.You must be hungry.”
In response, Jake’s stomach growled loud enough to be heard down the street.He ran his hands through his hair and Blair’s stomach dropped as Jake stood up.
“Sorry, I-I can’t,” Jake said, his broken voice as distant as his gaze.
The man had barely said two words since Blair had first met him, but Blair didn’t want him to go just yet.The pull toward Jake he’d felt earlier shifted into a mild panic.He couldn’t let Jake go now.Not after Blair knew what had put that haunted look in Jake’s eyes.
“Just a drink?”Blair pleaded, offering his softest smile and trying to be outwardly casual while inside begging,please,please,please.
“Okay.Yeah.”Jake dropped back down to the bench with a heavy sigh.Exhaustion rolling off him in waves.“That fancy latte sounds good.Sorry I didn’t try the last one.”A strained sounding huff-laugh burst from Jake’s mouth.“I don’t even remember getting it.”
“No worries,” Blair said as he handed the latte over.His fingers brushing Jake’s cool skin sent an electric charge up his arm.
“Thank you.”Jake took a sip and then lifted the cup in salute.“This is good.”
Blair grinned.He’d known Jake would like it.That was his superpower.Knowing which drink or snack was just the right one for his customers.
“Rainbow cheese crisps?”Jake’s brows furrowed.“What are those?”
“My special savory snack,” Blair preened.He loved coming up with new and healthy items to put on the menu.“Three kinds of cheese, grated zucchini and carrot, sprinkled with chia and flax seeds, and baked to perfection.”
“Okay, I’ll try one,” Jake said, but Blair didn’t miss the hesitancy in his voice.
Blair snorted.“One taste and you’ll be hooked.I promise.”
Jake flicked a skeptical glance at him, but he took the treat and carefully bit into it.His eyebrows shot up as he chewed.“This is amazing.”
Warmth spread through Blair.Nothing felt better than making someone happy with the food or drinks he’d made.
Jake didn’t speak again, as he ate his cheese crisp and sipped his latte, and Blair found he enjoyed the moment of quiet between them.While he’d only just met Jake, the silence felt comfortable in a way that surprised him as much as it didn’t.
The fiery sunset had given way to deepening indigo.As though the enveloping darkness created a safe space for talking about hard things, Blair pointed to the pamphlet sticking out of Jake’s pocket.
“I have one of those too.”
