Otis snorted quietly. “Sawyer, this is Aurin. Aurin, this is the town’s new police officer.”
Otis gave Aurin a look that silently said,“The one we were talking about.”Sawyer pretended not to care. He was the new guy in town, after all.
Aurin chuckled quietly, taking in the finer details of Sawyer’s face. “How fascinating.”
Uhhh, again, what the hell?
“Pardon?”
His smile was saccharine. “How nice to meet you. Oh, I do hope you like it here.”
That was amusing, too, apparently.
Sawyer shook it off. They were bound to be talking about him. Best to get it out of the way early, he reckoned.
“So, uh…” Sawyer nodded to the empty café counter. “Is there coffee today?”
“Oh yes,” Aurin said. “Dylan’s away, but I can help you with that.” He stepped out from behind the counter, his gait more a glide than a walk. “Follow me.”
Sawyer ordered his coffee, and Aurin began making it. “So,” he hedged, a small smile on his pretty lips. “New to town. Move here solo? Someone joining you once you’re settled? A wife? Girlfriend?” Then he shrugged. “Boyfriend?”
Wait.... Was he asking if Sawyer was on the market?
“Uh, solo,” Sawyer said. He was going to add that he’d been solo for some time but stopped himself.
Aurin’s smile was immediate. “Well,thatis good news.”
Sawyer swore he heard Otis snort from across the store.
Yeah, there was definitely something going on.... “Why is that good news?”
“I mean, it’s less complicated that way,” Aurin said, then began to froth the milk so the noise put an end to any hope of conversation.
Aurin was the sultry, impish type who did more than ping on Sawyer’s gay radar. He was very twinkish, a bit fem, and while that sure was cute, he was not Sawyer’s type at all.
He didn’t have the heart to tell Aurin that all the flirting wouldn’t do him any good. Sawyer wasn’t interested. Even if he was interested, which he was not, Sawyer liked his partners on the more masculine side.
More like Ciaran...
When Aurin handed over the coffee, Sawyer paid and aimed for a casual tone. “So, uh, the antiques store,” he began.
Aurin’s gaze shot to his, his smirk back in place.
“Not open today, I see. I was wondering just how busy an antiques store would be in a town like this.”
Aurin’s honey-coloured eyes danced with humour. “Interested in antiques? Or the store owner?”
Sawyer balked. “What? No, no, I was curious about how a store like that stays open when there’s no passing customers.”
“Ciaran and Fray are out diving today. That’s what Ciaran does. Shipwreck treasure hunter.”
Oh.
Oh, that was actually kinda cool.
“His clients are mostly online. Auction houses, museums,” he added.
And that made total sense.
