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I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me. “Yes,Logan, I’m positive he didn’t come in. No one who even vaguely fits his description has been in this coffee shop.”
“Fuck, man, I’m sorry. Why don’t you ask the barista? She seemed to know everyone’s story.”
“And tell her what? I used my best friend’s resources as a cop to stalk this guy, and I know he comes here on Saturdays but he hasn’t shown up. Do you know why?”
Logan sighed. “No, Ev, that’s not what I mean, asshole. Why don’t you just tell her you’re supposed to meet him here and wanted to make sure you hadn’t accidentally missed him.”
I grumble even if it’s not a bad idea. I really don’t do well without coffee. I probably should’ve known I couldn’t bring myself to buy a cup at a shop like this. I’m actually surprised that Lake does. Not that I know the guy, but I know we had a similar upbringing, at least in our younger years. Before Dad cleaned up his act and got custody of me, there were many nights I went to bed hungry. And even when I did have food, a lot of the time it was boxed mac and cheese and cereal. Even after Dad came and got me, it took a few years before he worked himself up the ladder enough at the auto shop, which he eventually bought, for us to have enough money to be comfortable.
That would always stick with me. Even though I made decent money now, and both Dad and I were financially stable, I’ll always remember what it was like back then, and it stops me every time I consider making an expensive purchase. The only things I ever spend money on that are strictly for myself and not practical are my tattoos and piercings.
I turn back to the conversation since poor Logan is clearly waiting for me to say something. “Yeah, maybe I’ll do that. I’m gonna give him till eight, then I’ll ask her. If she knows nothing, I’m gonna bounce. This was probably a bad idea anyway.”
“Nah. I can understand why you wanna talk to the guy. If it doesn’t work out, you can always try something else. He doesn’t have social media, but his twin does. You can reach out to him that way.”
I think about it, but I don’t know. It seems inauthentic, especially since all of this Omega stuff came out. I’m sure the poor guy is getting bombarded in his DMs. If he even sees mine, I doubt he’d take it seriously.
“Alright, I’m gonna let you go, Lo. I’ll give you a text and let you know how it goes.”
“You do that. Later, man.”
“Bye.”
I hang up and glance at the time again. 7:57. Close enough. There seems to be a lull in the crowd, so it’s the perfect time to chat up the barista. In fact, she’s eyeing me already. I know she sees the gauges in my ears, my nose and lip ring, and my tattoos and thinks we’d be compatible. But strangely enough, guys or girls who have similar tastes to me don’t usually hit my buttons. I don’t know why exactly, but there’s something about a straight-laced person being attracted to or turned on by me that really does something for me. Doesn’t mean I won’t use her obvious interest for my own gains right now. I know, I can be an asshole. Sue me.
The barista smiles as I walk up to the counter, and I fix her with my best charming smile. “Hi.” She beams at me, and ok, she’s pretty cute. She’s in her mid twenties, probably, with dreaded hair pulled back into a ponytail, bright blue eyes, a septum piercing, and a sleeve of tattoos on both arms. Her smile, though, is pretty gorgeous. “What can I get for you?”
I smile back at her, leaning on the counter so that my biceps are on display. I know I have nice arms. “Sorry to bother you, but I have a quick question.”
Her smile dims a bit, but she nods politely. “Of course.”
“I’m supposed to meet a guy here.” I think quickly on my feet when her smile dims even more. “We went to school together as kids and were close but drifted as we got older. Just connected again on Facebook, you know? Turns out we live in the same area and both could use some more friends.” I emphasize the word friends. “We were supposed to meet up. Apparently, he comes here all the time. But he was supposed to meet me at 7:15 and he’s still not here or answering his phone. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss him.”
Her smile returns, though I can see her still trying to asses whether I’m gay or straight. “Oh sure, I know most of our regulars pretty well. Who are you looking for?”
I shrug, trying to stay casual. “His name is Lake. He’s got reddish hair, usually some facial hair, and is a little under 6 ft tall, I think.”
The barista’s eyes widen. “Oh Lake! He’s a sweetheart. Yeah, he’s usually here by now. 7:15 on the dot. He’s never late. And I can only think of a handful of times when he didn’t come in.”
I make sure not to sound too interested. “Oh, when was that?”
“Well, when his niece was born.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m sure you’ve seen all of that drama on the news, but he missed a few days for that. We were all dying for the gossip too. Not that Lake is one for gossip, but he did show us a few pictures of the baby. She’s adorable. She has red hair just like they do.”
I stop the eye roll just in time. I’m sure the kid is adorable, but I don’t really care right now. “I’m sure she is. What about the other times?”
“Hmm. I guess he has last-minute business trips sometimes.”
“Business trips?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“Yeah. He didn’t tell you what he does for a living?”
“Not really, just said he’s in technology.”
She nods like this makes sense. “Yeah, that’s what he tells us too. There’s been a few times where he just doesn’t show up for a few weeks, and when he gets back, he just says he had an unscheduled business trip. We always try to get more information, but Lake really isn’t much of a talker.”
I get more and more fascinated by this man the more I learn about him. I think about what Logan says, how he feels he might have some secrets under the surface, and I’m starting to agree. It’s hard to see what last-minute business trips that last a couple weeks a guy in IT for an accounting firm would have. But then again, I know absolutely nothing about IT or accounting, so maybe I’m wrong.
I smile at the barista. “Oh well, maybe something came up. I wish he’d texted me though.”
