“Er…sure.” Urien nodded.
“You must be new to Dinetell. I thought maybe you were trying to, you know, get to know people. Make connections in town.” Sam smiled. “That’s really nice, actually. A lot of people who move here stick to themselves.”
Urien stared at him. “You think we’re...”
“Being friendly, which is great. Dinetell can feel small sometimes, but people are welcoming once you settle in.”
“Right.” Urien’s voice sounded strained. “Friendly.”
“I mean, the tips and flowers are a bit much.” Sam laughed, trying to make it a joke. “But I appreciate the thought. Really.”
Urien picked up his coffee with both hands, gripping the cup like it might escape. His knuckles had gone white, and he quickly put the cup down again.
“I should go.”
“Oh, okay, then. See you around?”
“Yes.” Urien backed toward the door, still holding Sam’s gaze. “You’ll see me around.”
He left without drinking any of the coffee.
Maya appeared at Sam’s elbow. “That was weird.”
“He probably had somewhere to be.”
“He looked like you’d just told him his dog died.”
Sam frowned at the door. “I just asked if they were friends.”
“And?”
“They are, apparently, they live together. I’m guessing they must be new to town.”
I’m sure I would’ve noticed them if they’d lived here a while.
/~/~/~/~/
That evening, Basil wound between Sam’s legs while Sam opened a tin of the expensive stuff - chicken in gravy, Basil’s favorite.
“You’re spoiled,” Sam informed him. Basil purred, unbothered by the accusation. Sam filled the bowl, set it down, then leaned against the counter while Basil ate, thinking about the three men who’d allseemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
They must have just moved to Dinetell, perhaps they came from overseas. That would explain a lot - the eagerness, the slightly off social cues, and the way they all seemed determined to make an impression. Maybe they didn’t know many people yet and were trying to be extra friendly to compensate for being outsiders.
Gods, Sam felt like such an ass. He’d been suspicious of Rux’s phone number, had genuinely worried Mabon was mocking him with those tips, and had nearly refused Urien’s flowers because they seemed too much.And they were just trying to be nice.
Sam pulled his phone from his pocket, opened his contacts, scrolled to Rux, his thumb hovering over the call button.
What would he even say?Hi, this is the barista you gave your number to a week ago. Sorry I didn’t call. Ithought you might be a stalker. Want to grab a drink?
That was hardly a way to make a good impression.
Hi, it’s Sam from the Daily Bean. Thanks for the number. Coffee sometime?
That was better because it was casual and friendly… but “coffee sometime?” They could get coffee anytime they came to the shop.
This shit is hard.Sam locked his phone without texting.I’ll do it tomorrow.
Basil finished eating and jumped onto the counter, licking gravy from his whiskers.
