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The fuck does that mean?

Aaron nods. “Um, yeah. It’s just a hobby though.”

“Any other sports?” the menace asks as I frown at a baba ghanoush ciabatta. The date sounds more like a job interview, which might mean it’ll be over soon. Aaron likes guys on the wild side, not some clean-cut Ken doll who can’t even flirt.

“I’m not really big on sports,” Aaron says, reminding me of that one time he pretended to like running to impress me. But when I took him for a jog, he almost spat his lungs out after half a mile. I let him piggyback on the way home.

“That’s a shame, but we can work on that.” The blond smiles and puts his hand over my Aaron’s fingers. And what the fuck is that supposed to mean? That he wants to train up Aaron to be someone he’s not?

“You can’t draw blood out of a stone, Ken.” Aaron chuckles, but it’s half-hearted. Maybe he’s just pretending this isn’t some sort of hostage situation, because he doesn’t want to seem weak when I’m so close?

And this dude is called Ken? Seriously? As if it’s not enough that he looks like Barbie’s boyfriend.

“Well, then that’s a bit of an issue. I’m open to giving people a chance, but I don’t really think I can be with someone who doesn’t enjoy physical activity.”

Oh, Aaron enjoys physical activities very much. Especially if they involve a dick inside him.

I don’t get to hear the answer because Kai taps his fingers on the glass, seeking my attention. “Which one will it be?” he asks, but there’s something off in how his smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

I meet his gaze, not wanting to reveal my discomfort. “I’m indecisive today.”

He cocks his head and points to a tuna sandwich. “You could have this one. It’s a unique mix, with capers and grilled pepper. Delicious, and made on site by our chef, Olivia. But it’s the last one, and if you want it, you better be more decisive. Someone can snap it up at any moment.” He points to Levi, who is serving customers at the cash register. “It can be ordered over there as we speak, and you might miss out on the opportunity.”

“No, thanks. I’d rather browse myself,” I say, annoyed when I realize that a vital fragment of the conversation between Aaron and his date has escaped me.

“I don’t really believe in perfection,” Aaron says behind me.

Kai shakes his head. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

Rude much? It makes me wonder if Aaron told him something about me.

Ken (fucking Ken) laughs. “What would you strive for then?”

“Isn’t happiness good enough anymore?” Aaron grumbles.

“Happiness is fleeting, unless you maximize its probability,” Ken muses as I cook on the inside, because Aaron is worth so much more than this pretentious fucker can give. “That’s why I’m not about to seriously consider dating people who don’t fit my criteria. It might seem cold, but I’ve seen enough unhappy couples with constant problems to realize that following the heart or my dick, will not do me any good.”

What. The. Hell?

And yet his hand is still on Aaron’s. I wish I had already ordered coffee just so I could spill it on Ken doll’s face.

Aaron slides his hand out of the grip and gets up. “Yeah… I should be going.”

And this is my cue to leave. I can sense Levi’s eyes on me, and I don’t want to be banned for accidentally punching in this blond fucker’s nose in, so I give Kai a tight smile, turn on my heel and leave, dashing straight into the narrow alley between Rainbowology and the next building. I gotta talk to Aaron about the choice of guys he’s dating and yeah, offer my support about the sex tape thing. He can’t ignore me in real life.

I spot Aaron in his black beanie and flowing coat as he’s passing the dark alleyway, and I don’t hesitate.

I grab him from behind and put my hand over his mouth so he doesn’t alert anyone. I know it might seem pretty extreme, and he kicks his feet up in panic, but I’ll explain everything in a second.

“It’s just me, okay? I wanna talk,” I whisper, lifting up his slender body and carrying him behind the big trash container blocking most of the alley.

He turns to face me as soon as I put him down, and I can’t help it, I’m already drawn to the almond scent of his shampoo.

Aaron has no smile for me though. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” he asks but does keep his voice down.

I exhale, holding him by the bare brick wall, but when his eyes flash at me with anger, I find myself stuck without anything to say. It was so much easier to ignore him from afar, but now that I sense his smell and see the smooth texture of his skin, emotions wash over me like a flood, and I have no means to put a halt on it. “I... I tried honoring your wishes, but we need to talk.”

“My wishes?” Aaron hisses, backing into the wall, as if he wants to be as far away from me as possible. “What could you possibly want to talk about? You got to wash your hands off me while I had to deal with the fallout from that fucking video. And now you come to the Rainbow to ruin my date? I saw you standing there like a creep.”