Sam chuckled at the twin stunned expressions on both Gideon and Rico’s faces. “Trust me when I say you’ll never regret saying yes.”
“Why would they say no?” Zach’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. “See? That’s him. Let me read what it says.”
If it’s good enough for you and Sam, it works for me. Tell them I’ll call tomorrow and we’ll talk.
With a self-satisfied smile, Zach finally cut a piece of prime rib, chewed and swallowed. It was as delicious as Sam had raved. “Exposure is key in the service business, and if you have an in, and someone’s willing to help, you’d be foolish to turn it down.”
“Uh, sure, yeah. Thanks, Zach.” Gideon glanced at Rico, the beginnings of an excited grin breaking over his face. “That’s going to go a long way to helping us pay off our business loans.”
“No problem.” Zach waved off his thanks. “I believe in helping my friends whenever possible. In a way, if it wasn’t for Marcus, Sam and I never would’ve met.”
That necessitated Zach relaying the story of the bet and why Mrs. Caruso and her cannoli were such an integral part of their relationship. Gideon promised to defer to her but still gave him and Sam a sample of his double fudge cupcakes and lemon-raspberry tarts.
“God, these are the best things I’ve ever tasted.” The fudge was rich without being cloyingly sweet, and the lemon hit his mouth and exploded with a sweet-tart combination. “I definitely want a platter of these as well. Mrs. Caruso will have to understand.”
As promised, Rico printed out not only the contract, but a listing of every food item they’d decided upon. While Sam sneaked swipes of the cupcake frosting like a little kid, Gideon assured Zach if they wanted to change anything, it wouldn’t be a problem, as long as they gave him enough notice. Gideon also insisted on boxing up several cupcakes and tarts for Zach to take home.
He walked them to the front of the store, where prepared food for takeout was ready for purchase behind a long gleaming glass showcase. The aroma of roasting chickens and tender beef perfumed the air, and Zach’s mouth watered.
“Maybe we should get something for dinner tonight.”
His suggestion was met with a wide smile from Sam, and Zach rolled his eyes.
“Who am I asking? Like I ever had any doubt you’d turn down the food.” The hardest thing was deciding what to leave out, and it didn’t help that both Gideon and Rico insisted they try a little taste of almost everything.
“You decide; I gotta get back to work, but everything smells great.” Sam kissed him goodbye and shook both Gideon’s and Rico’s hand. “Thanks for the tasting, guys; everything was amazing. I’ll see you later, babe.” He left the shop, the bells overhead tinkling his departure.
Zach answered a few emails while he waited for his order to be packed, and also texted his mother, telling her what he and Sam had decided as a menu. Back in the days when his mother wasn’t dating, she would’ve responded immediately, as if she were waiting with her phone in hand. Now? Radio silence. It shouldn’t irritate Zach, yet it did.
“Here you are, sir.” The friendly young man behind the register assisted him and wrapped up his order with a smile, handing him the shopping bag with all the food, as well as the cakes Gideon and Rico had given him to take home.
“Thanks. And thanks again, Gideon, Rico. Sam and I will be in touch about the final menu, and please let me know how it goes with Marcus.”
On his way home, he stopped to get himself a coffee and decided to sit for a while in the warm, pleasantly scented coffeehouse. Zach wondered if the handsome, tattooed man sitting next to him, readingOn the Roadby Kerouac was there simply to be in the company of strangers, or if he was interested in socializing with people who had similar interests as his own. Like the young woman giving him furtive glances over the top of her e-reader.
How would these total strangers initially meet, and how would social media play a part? Zach thought about everything he’d done today and continued to watch the woman watch the man reading. Zach feverishly began to take notes on his phone, staring off into space every once in a while only to start up again when a fresh spurt of ideas hit him. He stopped only once, and that was to plug in his phone so he wouldn’t lose battery.
Shadows draped across the room, veiling tabletops and the customers’ faces with the oncoming darkness. The man who’d initially caught his attention had long since departed as had the young woman. When Zach glanced at the time he was startled to see it was almost five p.m. He hadn’t gotten so involved in anything other than the wedding or him and Sam since they’d met. It had been almost six months since he’d had an idea for a new social media app, and this one excited him.
While he’d been in the zone and working, his mother had answered him, agreeing that the food looked good, and wishing them luck, nothing more. Perplexed over her less than excited response, Zach heeded Sam’s advice and merely answered:Thanks, and nothing further.
He backed up his notes and unplugged his phone. Zach made sure to go to the counter and leave a generous tip for the baristas; he thought it only fair since he’d hogged a table for so long.
The air seared with a sharp bite upon exiting the warm cocoon of the coffeehouse, and Zach put his head down into the wind. It always blew coldest right off the river, and he increased his stride down the block toward home when his phone rang. He waited until he turned the corner and the rush of the wind died down across his face, before pulling out his phone.
His favorite picture of Sam flying his kite, head tipped up to the sky and eyes crinkled with laughter flashed up on the screen. Impossible to imagine they’d been together only about a year and a half.
“Hi, what’s up?”
“Are you home yet?”
“Almost. I’m down the block, why?”
“Because I finished earlier than I thought and I’m coming home and want you to be there.” That gravelly-edged voice tinged with desire sent a hot thrill shooting through Zach.
“Oh yeah? What’s the plan?”
Sam chuckled in his ear. “You’ll have to wait until I get home now, won’t you?”
