Chapter Eight #3
James was grateful that Luca had taken him under his wing.
James had been lost when he’d first tried to get a job in town.
Luca had hired him but the position was only for a few shifts a week.
If James hadn’t worked at the Coffee Cove, he wouldn’t have met Cal or believed that he had something to offer the Surf City Fire Department.
He would probably be spending most of his time flipping burgers or some other job that wouldn’t be taking him anywhere in life.
He glanced over at Luca as he placed the top on Brad’s coffee.
Truthfully, he was more than a little bothered that Brad had been mean to Luca. Yes, Luca had a sassy side, but the guy was just a good person. Not only had he claimed James as his friend but what he’d done for Dawson showed Luca’s true colors.
Dawson wasn’t just shy and quiet although that was how most of their patrons thought of him. Older by at least a decade than James and Luca, age didn’t mean much when it was a struggle for Dawson to just get through a day.
Something bad happened in the years that Dawson had served in the US military.
Dawson suffered from an intense case of PTSD.
They always let Dawson make the drinks instead of interacting with customers.
Luca had made sure that James knew how to make Dawson comfortable without drawing any more attention to Dawson’s needs.
Dawson had only been working with them since the fall semester had started. He was a full-time student while working and living with Luca.
Once again Luca had seen someone who needed help and jumped right in.
That was how Luca was.
So why or how did Brad get on the wrong foot with the nicest man in Surf City?
Returning to the counter, James slid Brad’s coffee over to Josh. He glanced over to see that Brad had settled on the back table where Scott usually hung out at. James pressed his lips together. If it came to choosing between the two men, James would always have Luca’s back.
“I’ll try to find out,” Josh whispered. “You work on Luca.”
“Yeah,” James agreed.
Luca strolled over with a smile and dramatically placed the iced coffee in front of Josh. “Here you go, man.”
James turned up his nose. “How can you drink that?” That drink contained way too much sugar for James.
“It’s so good!” Josh said, grabbing his cup. He passed over a five. “For Brad’s drink. I promised to pay.”
Luca sniffed.
“Thanks!” Josh backed away from the counter slowly while holding both drinks.
Luca waved his hand. “No problem.”
Josh caught James’s gaze once again before turning to join Brad at the table in the back of the shop.
“Everything okay?” James questioned quietly.
“Fine.” Luca blew out a long breath.
“Uh-huh,” James drawled.
“It’s fine,” Luca repeated.
“Not arguing,” James returned.
“Just…” Luca waved his hand. “I’m going to go work on the schedule for next week.”
Luca was going to go hide in the office. Normally Luca had to be reminded multiple times to complete the shop’s paperwork. This definitely wasn’t good.
“Let me know if we get busy,” Luca ordered before walking into the back.
James did his best to discreetly peer toward the back. Brad and Josh were sitting out, Brad facing the counter. And he was looking at the doorway where Luca had disappeared through.
What had happened?
The bell jingled as the door opened once again. With only Brad and Josh left in the place, it was quiet enough that the noise caught his attention. James plastered a smile on his face as he turned.
Oh! Jacob stepped inside and paused while looking around. James’s previous encounters with Jacob at the coffee shop had been stiff, leaving him with anxiety. Also afraid of saying something wrong. Not this time. This time Jacob was there to see him.
“Welcome to the Coffee Cove,” James greeted.
Jacob smirked as he tugged the hem of his sweater down.
He wasn’t in his usual well-fitting suit that he wore to school.
Or the more casual outfits that James had been gifted with seeing the last few days.
This mixture of dark-washed jeans and a tight sweater had James appreciating all the new sides he was getting to see.
After breakfast Jacob had informed James that he had a meeting in town and might try to stop by. James was glad to see him. There was something about the change in their relationship that felt new and exciting.
A few times James thought Jacob might be staring at James’s mouth. Like he had the same thoughts as James about what it would be like kissing. Other times James got the feeling that Jacob was trying to keep a distance between them.
Every time James thought he was making headway with Jacob, he would be cut down by something Jacob said.
Like the two of them wouldn’t or couldn’t be together.
Jacob was fine with acting like a Daddy to James if he wanted to explore age regression but was that it?
Did Jacob not understand that James wanted more?
Strolling to the counter, Jacob’s gaze darted around before settling on James.
“How’s your shift going?” Jacob asked quietly.
James smiled. Last week he’d have taken the question as an insult, thinking that Jacob was implying he couldn’t handle a shift at the local coffee shop.
Now, James could see that Jacob truly wanted to know.
That Jacob cared about the answer. “It’s been pretty slow.
We’ll get bursts of customers as people are coming back in town and go out to run errands. ”
Jacob nodded. “With school starting next week, most of the students will be returning soon.”
“Scott will be home in a week,” James told him. Had a week already gone by? It seemed just like a day ago that he was walking Scott and Michael out of the house and trying to ignore the professor.
“I’m sure you’ll be happy to have him back,” Jacob commented. He slipped his hands into his pockets while rocking back on his heels.
James shrugged, not really knowing how to put what he felt into words.
Jacob frowned. “James?”
“It’s fine,” he said.
That made Jacobs’s frown deepen. “You say that a lot.”
“Say what?”
“You say ‘It’s fine’ quite a bit,” Jacob told him. “I don’t think it is when you say that. Now that I’ve gotten to know you better.” He sighed. “I hope you can tell me what you really think.”
James checked that Brad and Josh were still across the shop and Luca was in the back before leaning closer. “I just haven’t had time to…you know.”
“There is no timetable,” Jacob assured him.
“I know,” James said with a roll of his eyes. “I’d just have to tell my brother.”
“You don’t have to tell him anything until you’re ready,” Jacob replied.
“Really?” James let his sarcasm lace his words. “You have a twin of your own. Do you actually think that Scott isn’t going to know something’s going on?”
Jacob dipped his head as he smiled. “True.”
“Now what can I get you, Professor? Your coffee is on me tonight,” James told him.
“I’ll take a chai latte, please,” Jacob ordered. “And I can pay.”
James waved that off. “I can give away one drink a shift. You’re my special person tonight.”
Jacob’s smile grew. “Okay. Thanks.”
Yeah, there was something going on between them and James needed to get answers. He wanted to explore with Jacob. With only Jacob. He just didn’t want to do so if he and the professor weren’t on the same page. Maybe it was time to make a decision like an adult.
Damn, sometimes being an adult was so hard. Even when being an adult meant he needed to be little. Now that was a weird thought.