“Right now, Gabe and I need to move downstairs.” Raphael puts an end to the discussion, pushing himself and Michael up.
“Downstairs?” I ask. There’s a downstairs?
Ramiel is the one answering with excitement. “To the new Chateau Donor.”
six
SULLY
I watched a movie with Ren yesterday where a girl was kidnapped by a man in a ski mask, and she later fell in love with him. I thought it was a little improbable, but when I fell asleep in my dream, I was the girl. My kidnapper wasn’t wearing a ski mask, but a shiny white mask. He proceeded to tie me to the bed and show me what being fucked meant. First with his hands and mouth, then with his bare dick. Whispering the filthiest things into my ears. He turned me toward him at some point, and there was no mask anymore. I could see his beautiful face, crystal clear. It was…Ezra. I woke up so turned on I had to jerk off under the sheets… It’s the first time I had a dirty dream about him. Am I the worst?
I get the last order of the day and turn to Jess to see if she heard it—she’s already filling the mug with coffee. Good. My feet hurt a little, and my thumb stings, the skin looking red from pouring hot water on it—hence me being restricted to the cash register for the rest of my shift.
Ollie and Rague opened this library café—Tomorrow’s Brew—to help young people from the wrong side of the tracks in need of a job and a place to stay. The rooms on the upper floors are available for a very low rent. It’s their way of giving back after having built a good life for themselves.
I try to come here once a month and offer a hand. That same hand makes a few, several mistakes, but everybody knows about me, and they are all nice—probably because I’m the owner’s brother. But I also think that broken souls recognize one another and try to be kind and understanding.
My shift ends, and I walk to the locker room to change. Randy, one of the waiters, walks in. As he puts his uniform on, he starts talking to me about an action movie he’d like to go see. I nod along. He’s very friendly every time I see him. Smiling and chatting away. We don’t have much in common, but having casual conversations is what people my age do.
“So, would you like to go to the movies? With me, together.” Randy suddenly asks.
It takes me a moment to register his words. My glasses get stuck in my shirt’s collar, and it takes a few seconds to untangle them. Is he asking me on a date? I straighten my glasses. His face is red, and his eyes keep flickering over my bare legs. I quickly take my pants from the bench and put them on. Before I can give him an answer, Lori’s head pops inside the room.
“Hello, boys! Oh, nobody is naked. Damn it!” The rest of his body makes its way inside. He sashays his round hips all the way to me like he owns the place—I always envied his confidence. Those second-skin jeans and the red high-neck lightweight puffer show every curve of his yoga-tight body. He hooks his arm around my bicep and smilestoosweetly at Randy.
“Rusty…” Lori starts talking.
“Randy,” I correct him.
He ignores me. “How’s…waitressing going?”
“Good?” Randy doesn’t seem sure.
“Fascinating! I dropped something back there.” Lori points behind the lockers near the door, bending and pushing his ass out a little too much. “Can you be a gem and get it for me?”
Gods, he couldn’t be more obvious.
“Sure,” Randy replies with the enthusiasm of a puppy. “But what is it that you dro?—?”
Lori interrupts him, giving him the most flirtatious of looks. “Please? I’ll be eternally grateful.” How does he act like a flirty coquette without bursting out laughing?
“On it!” I’ve never seen someone move faster than Randy.
“I still got it!” Lori mutters before yanking my face down to whisper into my ear. “Are you just blinking a lot, or is it Morse code for rescue me?”
I blink some more.
“Got it,” he winks at me.
I sigh with exasperation.
Randy comes back holding a…button in his hand. “Is this what you were looking for?”
Lori’s eyebrows lift in surprise for a moment. He quickly regains his fake persona though, giving the poor guy an overdramaticresponse. “Rupert. My hero.” He takes the button from his hand…and throws it behind his back, on the floor again.
“Randy,” he tries to remind Lori of his name, but my friend will never remember.
“Sorry, I need to steal this tasty morsel now.” Lori sends him a flying kiss. I just have time to grab my bag from the bench before Lori drags me toward the door and out of the locker room.
