Chapter 3 #2
My feet carry me across the patio and into the garden, the cold grass tingling my bare feet, and my sleep shorts useless at keeping the shiver away from my skin. Nonetheless, with my hot coffee, I explore the perfectly kept garden.
As I wander and hum to myself, I slowly become more aware of what I'm actually looking at. Winter is close, and flower season isn't until spring, let alone the blossoming cherry tree. I look up at it, wondering if it’s frozen in time, similar to the house.
My mind churns, and after last night's spooky noises, I wonder if the rest of the town is just as strange. I’ve never heard of the place before, and despite its remoteness amongst the mountains, the town carries a kind of warmth and life that I want to explore more of.
Sipping my coffee and taking another glimpse up at the cherry tree, I decide on what I'm going to do for the day.
Despite having a few chapters of my manuscript to edit, my day is fairly empty, and it isn't even past 7 in the morning.
So I quickly turn for the house and hurry inside, finding Pumpkin and Nyx still in their same spot.
Barging into my room, I choose my outfit of the day and undress.
But as my fingers slip around the band of my shorts, I pause.
The weight of the note fills my palm as I pull it free from my pocket and take another look at Xander’s handwriting.
I don’t have it in me to throw it away like anyone else would.
Maybe it’s the years of a loveless relationship that has my heart squeezing at the small piece of paper.
So I hurry to my drawers and slide it to the very back, beneath my folded underwear. Where it will be safe forever.
Throwing on my day outfit, I snatch up my laptop and car keys and basically run out the front door with my half-drunk coffee sitting in the sink.
Oh well, I have things to do! People to meet!
Turning my car on and pulling away from the curb, I follow the same route I took yesterday to find my way back into town. Now that it isn't raining, the main street is filled with pedestrians, cyclists, and children in strollers.
“I guess Xander isn’t the only early bird in town,” I chuckle and find an empty car space beyond a bustling, warmly lit coffee shop.
Clutching my laptop to my chest, I step onto the sidewalk, locking my car and sniffing the wonderful smells of freshly baked pastries. The morning sky is still dim as I teeter towards the open door, following my nose as my stomach rumbles. I guess a night of spookies can make a man hungry.
The line moves quickly as three people hustle around the cramped barista's corner. A showcase lights up the front, showing off handmade pastries. Some are topped with berries and other fruits, while some are dusted with icing sugar or nuts.
I eyeball a specific raspberry tart that looks tasty.
With the last customer in front of me finishing their order, I step up to find the cashier smiling warmly at me.
He looks about my age, with an almost identical build.
With our short stature and thin frames, we could be mistaken for brothers from another mother.
“Welcome to The Oracle’s Roast. What can I get started for you?” He chirps at me, and I'm filled with a sense of warmth and comfort.
“Ugh, can I get a…” I struggle to think of anything, given there's not a single drink board in sight. And maybe the fact that I have a half-drunk coffee at home that I'm totally cheating on right now.
“A caramel latte with a sprinkle of chocolate shavings and a raspberry tart?” The cashier questions.
My mouth grows dry, and that warm feeling washes from my soul faster than Nyx had magically appeared in the living room last night.
My heart jolts. “How did you know?”
The cashier laughs uncomfortably and scratches the back of his neck. The movement makes his name tag reflect the warm lights above us, and I glimpse his name. Tyler. I also notice the Pride Flag badge pinned to his collar, too.
“Trick of the trade, I guess.” He rushes through his words, waving his hands in front of himself as if trying to distract me from the way his face blushes.
Seeing Tyler so clearly uncomfortable and feeling the line grow behind me, I bite my lip and force myself to shrug it off. “In that case, yes, I want all of that.”
Tyler breathes out a sigh of relief, his fingers dancing across his tablet as he makes the order. I pull out my phone to pay when he raises a hand. “No need. Welcome to Moonfell, Noah.”
Okay, what the hell? He knows my name, too?
As I open my mouth to confront Tyler about his clearly psychic abilities, he beats me to the chase. Avidly pointing at my laptop that I hold across my chest, he frantically squeaks, “Your name is on the laptop!”
I freeze and look down. Sure enough, printed on a cute sticker with vampire teeth biting the text, ‘Noah’s Vamptop’ is stuck to the front panel. Now I'm the one to let out a sigh of relief.
“Sorry,” I awkwardly laugh, “It’s been a long few days.”
My tart is plated quickly and passed over the counter before Tyler speaks. “I apologize for that super weird moment. I can say some dumb stuff.”
I grin. “All is forgiven. And so do I. I write books for a living.”
Tyler’s eyes light up, and the coffee machine behind him hisses and groans as it makes my coffee. “That’s awesome! You’re welcome to use this space to write for as long as you need.”
I check over my shoulder and immediately find a seat by the window. “Thank you,” I say as I pick up my plate and my freshly made coffee, but then I hesitate. “Are you sure I don't have to pay?”
Tyler gives me a knowing smile. “All first orders are free at The Oracle’s Roast. Didn’t Xan—” He abruptly stops, his smile drops, and his eyes look vacant for a split second before he snaps back into his smiling self. “Please enjoy, Noah!”
I shuffle away and check over my shoulder as I make my way to the vacant table, only to find that Tyler is back to serving the next customer as if our entire encounter never happened. I shake my head and grin to myself, depositing my coffee and tart on the table and taking a seat.
For a moment, my laptop sits untouched as I slowly sip my latte and take a bite of the pastry, immediately regretting only getting one when the crisp tang of raspberry explodes on my tongue.
Tyler bustles around the counter, handing out takeaway coffees, restocking the showcase shelves, and wiping down the countertop.
Yet, besides the countless patrons that come and go, Tyler never drops his smile, as if he truly enjoys what he does.
I’m sure if the chatter and coffee machine noises disappeared, I could probably hear him humming as he went along.
Finally, I turn to my laptop and pry it open, my manuscript already dashing across the screen.
Beyond my imaginary bubble of fantasy, townsfolk wander the sidewalk on their way to work as the sun rises, casting the mountains in a wonderful glow.
I sip my coffee and begin typing away, the chaos of the cafe falling behind me as my mind falls into the words.
So far, my manuscript is nearly complete, and I'll be sending it to beta readers next month, yet I can't help but wonder whether the characters are unreasonably boring.
With a vampire-and-werewolf romance, surely nothing could ever get boring.
But as I sit in the slowly emptying cafe, I look out the window at the main street of Moonfell and question every detail of my book.
I can’t remember why I started writing romance novels.
I only know that it feels like the best way to escape.
After years of silence from my family and Richard’s abuse, my stories seem to be my best friends.
They’re my own little worlds of hope and happiness that maybe one day I might experience for myself.
At least my optimism hasn’t dwindled, despite my past.
I bite the inside of my cheek and hit backspace a little too hard as I clear the latest sentence.
“You look like you need a pick-me-up.” Tyler’s cheerful voice cuts through my thoughts, and I look up from my screen to find him sliding another raspberry pastry across the table.
I finally feel my shoulders relax, and I let out a breath I've been keeping in. “Thank you. I’ll pay for this one.”
Tyler laughs, “Honestly, it was the last one left, so it’s fine. We have a great customer base, so I'm sure one pastry won't bankrupt us.”
I smile gently at him, and my fingers itch to snatch up the tart and shove it down my throat. Instead, I take a sweeping glance across the cafe and realize it's practically empty, aside from a few customers who also sit at their laptops.
“So, um…” Tyler wrings his hands together over the front of his apron, “Because you’re new to Moonfell, I was wondering if you wanted a tour of the town? Or maybe someone to hang out with?”
For the first time, Tyler seems unsure of himself. As if he can't trust the words he’s speaking. Saving him from embarrassment, I respond quickly and give him my best smile.
“Yes! That would be wonderful. A friend would be nice too.”
Tyler’s shoulders sag as he lets out a relieved sigh and slides into the chair opposite me. “So what brings you to Moonfell?”
Knowing this question is bound to arise, I swallow the strange taste of guilt, “I guess for a fresh start.”
Tyler nods in understanding, his eyes looking distractedly at the mountains beyond the town as he chews the skin on his lower lip.
I shift in my seat, unsure of what to do until he finally returns to the current moment and gives me a shy smile, hiding under his blond hair that falls across his brow.
“Sorry. I zone out sometimes.” He murmurs, “My dad used to get annoyed at me when I did it, so I try not to.”
“It’s okay, I live in dreamland when I write my books. Zoning out is part of the job.” I chuckle.
Tyler lets out a strained laugh but avoids my gaze and instead picks at the hem of his apron. “Did you have plans tonight?”
I shake my head. “Not that I know of.”
Xander hadn’t said anything in his note about dinner, so I guess my schedule is clear tonight. Yet as I sit before my new friend, I do wonder what Xander is up to. Is he bored at work, or is he busy with whatever security guards get up to?
My imagination runs wild with visions of him sitting in a dark room with countless screens before him, all surveilling the town as he watches closely. A shiver skates over my skin at the idea of Xander watching me now.
“Did you want to go to Church?” Tyler breaks my thoughts.
Church? I didn't peg the cashier as a religious type.
Tyler must read my look of confusion as a blush creeps up his neck. “It's the nightclub.”
Realization hits me like a bus. My eyes widen, and I nearly yelp, “Oh! I’ve been meaning to check it out. It would be nice not to go alone.”
Tyler laughs easily and flicks away the strand of hair from his forehead. “I usually go dancing. The first level is a nightclub, and the basement is the kink club.”
My heart rate spikes. “Do many people go?”
Tyler nods, “Plenty, especially the fact that it has a tier system. Normies get one night a week and—” He pauses, and his eyes grow wide.
“And?” I urge, curious about the club.
Tyler shifts. “Uh, special patrons get more access while others get limited. But you can pay for special access.”
I nod. “It sounds just like most nightclubs.”
Tyler chuckles uncomfortably, “Sure. Yeah. Anyway, I'll be there around 8 tonight. See you there?”
“See you there.” I smile at him and watch as he hurries out of his chair and disappears into the kitchen, the butler door swinging behind him and leaving me to consider that might have been the most unusual encounter of my life. At least I made a friend out of it.