Small town or not, the coffee shop—Grinding, the sign told me—was bustling, although the line still looked manageable in the seven and half minutes I estimated having left. The studio was only two doors down across the street.
“Do you think he lives up to his name?” Avery asked.
I weaved my way around a woman with a stroller and narrowly avoided tripping on what I thought was a chocolate Labrador as I fell into place behind a man a head shorter than me in a sheer, oversized constellation-print shirt. He glanced back at me and obviously registered that I was new in town but didn’t say anything.
“Who?”
“The local mechanic,” Avery said. “God, keep up, I’m being lecherous here.”
“I’m not likely to find out,” I said.
“You should. I mean, you should try to seeadick, while you’re there. Have a little no-strings fling with one of the locals. You could post pictures of someone tall, dark, and handsome and make it very clear they were railing you to within an inch of your life and then Piotr would know you’d moved on and he’dfume.”
“Isn’t Kieran sniffing around already?” I asked. I knew now that Piotr didn’t care about me. Never had, never would.
“You’re hotter,” Avery said.
“I’m getting old.”
“Felix, you’re twenty-nine. I think they’ll hold off on shipping you to the retirement home for another few years.”
“Hang on, I need to order,” I said as I approached the head of the queue.
“Get me something fun,” Avery responded as I held the phone against my chest. Some part of me wished Icouldjust order them whatever sounded the most ridiculous. That we were aboutto meet up and walk to the theatre together like we always used to. That the last six months hadn’t happened.
But they had. And I’d never walk to the theatre again. And that was that.
“New face!” the barista enthused, beaming at me. No nametag. There probably wasn’t a need in a town this small. “What can I get you?”
That was an excellent question. I hadn’t bought Amelia coffee in a while. Last time I had, it’d been… cold drip, with a splash of oat milk, I thought.
Nothing, I’d learned recently, lasted forever, though.
“I don’t suppose you know what Amelia from the dance studio across the street usually orders?”
Small town. Couldn’t hurt to ask, right?
The barista’s face lit up. “Ooh, you’re Felix! We’ve heard all about you. Welcome to Otter Bay. First coffee’s on the house for a friend of a friend, and I’ll throw hers in, too. And a couple of the dirty chai blondies my incredible husband just put on our menu. She’s had three this week already.”
I raised an eyebrow. But then, Amelia was retired now. I supposed she could have three blondies a week.
The phraseincredible husbandalso caught my attention. At least I wasn’t the only gay man in town.
“I’ll get started on hers. You look like a black coffee kinda guy? Three shots?”
“You’re good,” I said, surprised.
“I am,” he replied, getting started on the drinks as promised. “Iggy, by the way. And that’s Theo,” he added, nodding to the dog sniffing politely at my shoes. “If he’s bothering you, I’ll ask him to leave you alone.”
“He’s fine,” I said. “Can I…?”
“Pet him?” Iggy lit up. “Absolutely, but he’ll be your friend for life.”
I stepped out of the way and crouched down, stifling a hiss at the movement.
My phone rang. I swore under my breath and swiped to answer it.
“You hung up on me again,” Avery said. “How do you still not know how to use your phone?”
