Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1
“Here you are, love,” Blair said to Greta, one of his favorite repeat customers, as he slid a chai latte across the counter for her.
Greta tittered, as she did every day. She was in her early nineties but gave most fifty-year-olds a run for their money. Full of life and laughter and always with a kind word for Blair.
“I met a lovely young man today,” she said. Another thing she did on the regular: try to couple Blair up. “I think you two would get along famously.”
“Now, Greta,” Blair teased, as he did whenever she mentioned some new potential beau. “You know I’m quite happy being single. I have my coffee shop, my cat, and you to flirt with.”
“Oh, you.” She fanned a hand over her face, and a light blush colored her cheeks. She picked up her to-go cup. “See you tomorrow, darling.”
“You should take her up on that,” Traci, his full-time barista, said as she returned from the stockroom, arms laden with two bags of fresh coffee beans.
“On what?” He played it off.
Traci rolled her eyes. “Let her matchmake you. You need a boyfriend.”
Blair snorted. He didn’t need a boyfriend. So what if he sometimes saw happy couples in public and felt a twinge of longing for the same. Didn’t mean he had to do anything about it.
“Like I told Greta, I’m happy as I am.” And he was. Most of the time.
“Uh-huh.” Traci didn’t sound convinced, but let it go.
Blair knew she cared. She’d been his first hire when he’d opened his coffee shop in Vancouver’s West End, and over the years had become one of his dearest friends. But he truly wasn’t interested in the dating scene. Dating was exhausting. Not to mention, lingering stigmas regarding his status narrowed the pool of eligible men.
Greta’s visits signaled the end of the morning rush, so Blair took advantage of a quiet shop to do a little extra cleaning before the lunch crowd arrived. The bell over the front door jingled with the arrival of a new customer. Blair looked up and his breath caught.
He’d never seen the man before, but hoped he’d become a new regular, because wow . The newcomer appeared a little older than Blair’s thirty-six, a few inches over six feet—thanks to the height chart on the inside of the door frame—with a lean frame. Stylishly dressed in a tan-colored three-quarter length coat over a white mock-neck sweater, black jeans, and suede loafers. Square jaw sporting dark stubble, full lips, and straight nose, but Blair couldn’t tell his eye color from across the shop. His hair was a messy, dirty blond, either styled so or because of the ever-present winds that rolled off the waters of English Bay across the street.
Blair imagined what those shiny locks would feel like sliding through his fingers. He sighed inside. That was a man Blair could be convinced to dip back into the dating waters for. He was completely Blair’s type, and, unfortunately, out of his league.
“Welcome to Bliss Beans,” Blair greeted, fighting the urge to bounce on his toes. His excitement growing with each step the man took toward him.
The handsome stranger nodded in Blair’s direction, but didn’t make eye contact. He stopped a few feet away from the counter and looked at the menu board. Except Blair wasn’t sure the man was seeing the writing on it. Up closer, his eyes were a beautiful chestnut brown but held a haunted look similar to those Blair had seen too many times in the weekly support group he helped with. Not that that was the reason, but he recognized the signs of shock and despair when he saw them.
The bell jingled again, ushering in a trio of ladies who stopped in for coffees and lattes after their yoga class around the corner twice a week. Blair glanced at the troubled man, who seemed no closer to ordering, and shifted his attention to the ladies. After taking care of their drinks, and shrugging off Traci’s waggling eyebrows, he turned his focus to the haunted man who still stood in the same spot. Expressionless, shoulders slumped, and gaze distant.
“I’m thinking you might like an iced cinnamon honey latte,” Blair said, pushing a full smile into his words. A little boost of sugar usually helped with the aftereffects of shock.
The man jerked. His features tight as he shifted on his feet and cleared his throat.
“Sorry. I guess I zoned out there.” His words were apologetic, and his chuckle was self-deprecating, but that dazed look remained in his pretty eyes.
That didn’t stop Blair from biting back a whimper at the man’s smooth, deep-timbred voice.
“No worries. I know there’s a lot to choose from,” Blair said, keeping his voice soft and tone light.
The man nodded. “What you said sounded good.”
“The iced cinnamon honey latte?” Blair confirmed, and at the man’s nod, he smiled. “Coming right up. May I get your name?”
He seemed confused for a second, and then said, “Jake.”
Jake of my dreams .
Jake paid and then stepped to the end of the counter while Blair started making his drink.
“Nice out there today. Now the rain has stopped, eh.” Blair cringed inside. He wasn’t one for small talk, especially about the weather, but he found his thoughts and tongue oddly tangled up around Jake. Something he hadn’t encountered since he was a teen, where his mind went completely blank when his high school crush was nearby.
Jake nodded but remained silent, while Blair’s brain got stuck on an alphabet hamster wheel, trying to come up with something witty and flirty to say. Maybe get a phone number.
Traci flashed a knowing smile at Blair and winked. Ugh . Was he blushing? His cheeks felt hot. Great. Crushing on a customer who looked like he was having the worst day of his life. Go, Blair .
“I hope you enjoy the latte,” Blair said as he placed it on the counter.
A hint of a smile teased the edges of Jake’s mouth, and he mumbled a quiet thank you before turning and leaving.
Blair stared after him with a strange sensation of loss tugging at him. He watched as Jake stood on the sidewalk for a minute before crossing the street. Watched as he sat down on a bench overlooking the bay. And continued watching as Jake sat there, still as a statue. The only movement was the breeze ruffling though his hair.
“Wow.” Blair started at Traci’s voice right beside him. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you just met the love of your life.”
“ Puh-lease .” Blair rolled his eyes and nudged her shoulder, but her words were already burrowing under his skin. “Get back to work, slacker.”
She laughed, singing about a crazy little thing called love, as she wiped the counter.
“That song is before your time,” he called after her, an annoying pout in his voice.
Traci sang louder.
Blair shook his head and went back to work, too, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Jake. Wondering what had put that troubled look on his face, wishing he could do something about it, whatever it was. He bet Jake had an amazing smile. Too bad he’d probably never see Jake again.