I never wanted to hide who I was, or who I was with, but it didn’t mean the impact of those around me didn’t make livingexhaustingsometimes. It could feel like a constant process of re-introducing myself in a way that wasn’t just about my name. And there had been times that people had felt entitled to that information about me—like it impacted them so directly it was their right to know my sexual preferences.
So maybe that was why today had felt so different. Derek hadn’t fumbled around his reaction or even tried to play it off. He’d taken it in, given himself a second to process, and then we moved on. Shit, he even teased me a little. Like it was justanother casual detail to add to the list he was learning about me.
And that was good. It was the way things weresupposedto go.
I sighed, flipping onto my stomach and pressing my face into the pillow. He hadn’t meant anything by it when he joked about being my type. Derek had been very clear about his attraction—namely to women.
There was no gray area here, no mixed signals. Plus, hadn’t I already told myself I would be parking him firmly in the friend zone?
But, it was so easy to get swept up in things, especially when someone looked and acted like Derek Hammond.
He was kind, and funny, and ridiculously hot. There was a reason the women in town were rallying up their ovaries in an attempt to lock this man down. Even if hell would freeze ten times over before I’d let him get trapped into some baby-making scheme for a ring. That was just good neighborly manners… and what a friend would do.
Even if it felt like sometimes… Maybe hewasflirting back with me. Except, I knew better. That was nothing more than just some wishful thinking and silly mind games. Nothing real.
Derek and I were roommates. I’d even tentatively call us friends now. Which was more than enough.
I forced my eyes shut, focusing on the steady rhythm of the fan above me to help settle my racing thoughts—and to drown out the way my chest felt heavy with the idea of just being friends with Derek.
I didn’t have any stake in this game, not with him. So, there was no reason to stew on the topic any longer. I’d come out to him and he wasn’t burning the house down in an attempt to get away, and that was all I could ask for.
CHAPTER 4
Colton
“You cannot just disappearlike that on me, Colton Percival Shaffer!” Chris’s eyes were blazing as I tied on my apron.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I deadpanned. “And I’ve told you to stop calling me that,Christina. That is not my middle name.”
“You told me—promised me— that you would explain what happened when your dad called and you bolted. That wastwodays ago. So buck up, mister! You have got a lot of explaining to do.”
Christina—Chris for short—was my best friend and longest-standing employee at Bikini Beans. She probably seemed intimidating with her jet-black hair and gothic attire, but in reality, she was the kindest person.
Her aggressively bubbly personality always caught customers off guard, but she loved chatting with new people and could recall orders like a psychic.
Honestly, I couldn’t run the place without her. She’d given me hell in the beginning regarding naming our food and drink items—and especially about the designs on the blackboard. But, after I’d finally relinquished those roles to her, I could tellhow happy it made her. Plus, the numbers didn’t lie; people loved her ideas.
Now she was in charge of the whole menu and graphics, which meant she spent a good amount of her free time researching new seasonal twists and how to better promote our year-round selection. She’d even coined our classic welcome line, too.
Chris’s family had moved to Westwend when we were both sophomores in high school. They’d bounced around a lot, not really staying in one place long, and Chris had told me Westwend High had been the third high school she’d attended.
By the time my not-so-coming out happened, we’d already been acquainted with each other—kind of hard not to be when your whole school was less than three hundred people. And of course, news had made its way back to her. She’d marched right up to me, grinned, and said, “You like dicks? Me too! We have so much in common!”
And that was that. Instant friendship.
When her family decided to take off again after two years of being firmly held down by Westwend society, Chris stayed. Now, she’d tell you she hated small-town vibes and all the people in your business, but I knew better. If Westwend had a mascot, it might as well have been Christina Faulkner, what with her being at nearly every community event and town engagement meeting.
My other employee was Mitchel, and he’d taken over a lot of the register, barista, and other work that Chris couldn’t get to when she was nose deep in marketing research. He was the newest addition to our team, since he’d just moved to town a little over a year ago.
He reminded me of a cherub angel. His white blond hair curled relentlessly at the ends, and he had soft features, pouty pink lips, and clear porcelain skin. Sometimes it was hard to believe he was real. When he first started working for me, I couldadmit that I found him incredibly attractive, which had partly played a role in me hiring him. But, I quickly learned our personalities didn’t mesh that way.
He was the quietest person I’d ever met, but had a sweet sense of humor when he finally warmed up. We didn’t know much about him, despite Chris and I’s best efforts of getting him to open up. There was a distinct lack of approachability to him—not in a way that made him seem cold, but more reserved. My dad told me he was probably just the type who had clear boundaries between work and personal life.
Which was fine. I’d gotten used to having my best friend as my employee, so Mitchel was a good reminder of what a normal boss/employee relationship felt like.
But, I couldn’t help getting the impression he was running from something. Didn’t know who or what, since there’d be no point in me asking, anyway. Plus, he was a solid, diligent worker who hadn’t once requested time off since I’d hired him.
Between the three of us, it was an odd little mix of personalities, but we made it work, somehow.
