Oh my god.
“Hi,” I manage because, apparently, that’s the extent of my verbal abilities when faced with such a cute guy up close.
“Hey, I don’t usually do things like this.” He licks his lips nervously. “But I couldn’t help noticing the stickers on your laptop. And um…I was just wondering…uh…whether you’re single.”
My heart is pounding in my ears, and I suddenly understand why people in rom-coms always spill their coffee at crucial moments because my hands are shaking like I’ve had twelve espressos.
“Uh…yeah, I’m single,” I manage to get out.
“Great. Do you want to go on a date with my brother?”
My brain does this weird stuttering thing, like it’s buffering. Did he just say…brother? His brother? My mental GPS is recalculating because this conversation just took a turn I didn’t expect.
I blink rapidly. “You want me to go out with your brother?”
Cute Coffee Shop Guy hastens to explain. “Yeah, I noticed you reading a book by Kurt Vonnegut, and that’s his favorite author. And you’re obviously a Giants fan.” He nods at my orange-and-black cap. “And so is he. And he’s vegetarian.” He gestures at the back of my laptop. “I thought you guys might have a lot in common.”
“Oh…right.”
I’m still not sure how to process this. One second, I thought I was being asked out by a guy I’ve been checking out for the last few weeks. The next, I’m being passed along like a LinkedIn recommendation.
“Here’s a photo of him. His name is Travis.” He flashes his phone screen in front of me. “Are you interested?”
I glance at the photo on his phone, and it feels like I’ve suddenly developed a medical condition where I forget how to form words or possibly how to breathe. WebMD probably doesn’t cover this.
Because the photo on his screen shows a guy with all of Cute Coffee Shop Guy’s features, but amplified. Gorgeous green eyes behind glasses. Dark hair with a slight curl. Strong jawline with slight stubble that walks the perfect line between “I’m professionally put-together” and “I might build you furniture with my bare hands.”
His smile is a little crooked, like he’s perpetually skeptical of something but might be convinced otherwise.
He’s adorable. Hot. Handsome. Gorgeous.
My mouth goes dry. There’s no way a guy like that should need his brother trawling coffee shops for dates.
Is this some elaborate prank where they’re going to film my reaction for TikTok? Or is it an organ harvesting scheme where they lure you in with the promise of a hot date and then literally steal your heart?
But if there’s anything I’ve learned from moderating the QueerWaystoFallinLove lightbeam of ShareYourGlow for the last two years, it’s that you don’t know how love will find you.
So maybe, maybe, this is how my love story begins? A cute guy in a coffee shop deciding to play matchmaker between me and his even cuter brother?
I take a deep breath. “Um, yeah, I guess I’m interested.”
CHAPTER FOUR
TRAVIS
I fell for my upstairs neighbor through passive-aggressive noise complaints. It started with me leaving notes about his 2 a.m. tap-dancing (he’s an insomniac baker, it was his mixer). He’d reply with baked apology goods. There were six months of increasingly flirty notes and carbs before we actually met face-to-face in the hallway. I was NOT prepared for how hot bakers could be. We’re living together now, and I have earplugs so I can sleep through the mixing.
TruthGuardian
You’re seriously trying to tell me someone would mistake mixing with tap-dancing?
SunshineGuy
Have you HEARD a KitchenAid with an unbalanced dough hook at 2 a.m.? It’s basically the Lord of the Dance.
TruthGuardian
Six months without meeting? In the same building? What were they doing, coordinating schedules to avoid each other?
