Chapter 10
This is fine.
Not at all. Perfectly fine.
Cass already posted the content of the poster on social media.
Anonymously, but with his number. And the weirdest single thing about it all is that his boyfriend of seven months is perfectly cool with the search.
He not only gave Cass his blessing but even joked that the troll better keep the mask on while he and Cass fuck, because he wouldn’t have covered his face if he wasn’t ugly.
Yet more proof that Logan knows nothing.
Oh well, at least making the flyers together was a fun activity. We even used a whiteboard to brainstorm design ideas.
In the past few days, I was struggling between keeping things as they were and actually wanting to look attractive. I couldn’t dress up at home for no reason, because that would be weird, but I didn’t want to wear the shirt with the hole anymore either.
Slob Catch-22.
So one day I made a big deal of accidentally-on-purpose pouring bleach on it, and then being all oh-well-now-I-have-to-throw-it-away.
In hindsight, I doubt Cass would have noticed if I stopped wearing it, but when I plan something, I follow through.
So here we are, entering Rainbowology on a Wednesday afternoon, with a whole stack of posters printed at home.
Aaron waves at us from his usual table, but I offer him a tense smile because talking to him is the last thing I want at the moment.
Quinta nods our way from behind the espresso machine and already gets to work, surely knowing our coffee orders by heart at this point.
But as lovely and thoughtful as that is, only two people can agree to put up the flyers in the shop, and one of them smiles at us from behind the counter.
Levi intimidated me at first. Very tall and built like a lumberjack from Vermont, he would be a force to be reckoned with.
It’s not hard to believe the stories of him picking up and throwing unruly customers out the door.
His dense blond hair is tied into a bundle at the back of his head, and his beard, while tidy, makes him look more mature.
Then again, he is almost fifteen years older than me.
As burly as Levi is though, he has a bright smile, likes to joke around, and is friends with everyone.
Cass waits until a customer in dire need of a panini gets it, but once Levi is free, he approaches. “Hey, Levi! You got a moment? I want to talk to you about these flyers I made, and your cafe is the best place I can think of for them to be seen.”
“Oh really, what’s the emergency?” Levi asks, and I can’t help but let my gaze linger on his thick forearms with colorful tattoos. At least he’s modest enough to wear a loose T-shirt.
“I’ve been kissed by a troll, and I need to find him,” Cass says and places the little poster on the counter before pushing a folded bill into the tip jar next to it.
Levi’s thick, pale brows rise as he picks it up. Moments later, he lets out a low snicker. “Slutting around with strangers again? Naughty.”
I’m just standing there at Cass’s side, but my face goes aflame, and suddenly my sneakers seem to be a very interesting color I must examine in detail. Is that who my Cass is?
Cass laughs. “I wish, but I only got a teaser kiss, and I need to find this guy. Unless of course a regular possibly mentioned to you that he dressed up as a troll for Halloween…”
Levi smirks and lifts his hands palms up. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“That’s a relief,” Cass mumbles as Quinta places two coffees in front of us and whistles, pulling the poster out of her boss’s hand.
“Wowsie! Is this how desperate you’re getting? A troll? Is he a better kisser than Logan boy?”
She doesn’t have to say that she doesn’t particularly like him for it to be obvious, but Cass doesn’t react to the challenge. “Maybe I hope a BJ can turn him into a prince?”
She rolls her eyes with a big grin. “Okayy, cock talk. Imma show myself out.”
I snort, but my ears still burn. “A BJ didn’t change Logan,” I mumble before I manage to bite my tongue.
Levi won’t let it slide though. “Ooh, Matt’s learning around you, I see,” he says to Cass.
“That’s definitely a lesson to learn for every young man.
No amount of good sex can make up for a lousy personality.
Unless it’s a one-night stand, of course.
” He leans against the counter and winks at me. I’m left speechless.
What is happening? Is he flirting with me?
“I don’t need advice,” Cass says, offering Levi a stiff smile as he pays for our coffees. “Can you put those up?”
Levi snorts and flags down a server, who comes over to take the flyers. After giving her instructions, he leans over the counter, as if he wants to make a point about being taller than Cass. “There. Happy? Any other wishes, princess? What if I’m the troll?”
“No, and you’re not,” Cass says and hands me the paper cup.
Levi shrugs. “I’m just messing with you, but it looks like this is serious business. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
As we turn away, Aaron gestures at me with a question in his eyes, but I move my hand by my throat to signal that he should cut it out.
“Does he also not like Logan?” I ask innocently.
Cass takes a slurp of his caramel iced latte and meets my gaze with a neutral expression. “He’s protective since we hooked up once. I guess he just thinks we’re too different.”
I barely contain my voice in disbelief. “You hooked up with Levi?”
Cass glances back with a small smile. “I know he’s older. But also, kinda hot.”
I look back at Levi handing someone a bowl of salad. He’s wearing a black apron over his T-shirt, and I wonder as my gaze slides over his thick arms and to his beard. Do I think he’s hot?
Maybe.
He has cute freckles all over his big nose.
“Did you top?” falls out of my mouth on its own accord.
Since I first heard about Cass wanting that, I can’t get it out of my head.
Cass blinks, as if he’s baffled by the question, but in the end, offers me a playful smile and leans in. “Oh no. No. Definitely not.”
The idea of him under Levi is somehow even hotter.
So hot, in fact, that my dick is interested.
Down, boy.
“I’m learning a lot about you.” I laugh and take a deep breath.
While I’m jealous of every single man who’s put his hands on Cass instead of me, knowing that Cass had all this fun in the past two years doesn’t put me off.
In fact, it makes him more vibrant and desirable in my eyes.
I want him to be crazy about me in a way that’ll make him keep all the details private and only communicate information about our amazing sex life through blushing cheeks and mysterious smiles.
“You wanted complete honesty, so I’m no longer holding back,” he says and pushes the tote bag containing the remaining flyers into my hands. “Speaking of honesty though, I need to take a leak. Hang on to these.”
I sigh as I watch him walk away, wondering which brand I send a tip to for designing jeans that fit his ass so well.
“You could be a bit more subtle when ogling him.” Aaron startles me so much I drop the bag, but as least he also scoots down to pick up the flyers that slipped out of my hands.
“Jesus Christ, you move like a cat.”
He smirks.
“It’s not a compliment!”
“What the fuck are you doing?” Aaron asks, waving one of the flyers in front of my face.
I sigh as we both rise. “It’s a bonding thing. It’s not like he’s gonna find him.”
His eyes open wide, and he drags me farther away from the counter, to an area with unoccupied tables. “He is literally looking for you. Why are you participating in this charade?”
“I can’t tell him it was me. That would be weird as fuck, and I don’t want to dissuade him when he’s so excited cause… it’s adorable, okay?” There. I said it. I’m growing accustomed to voicing my feelings.
Aaron’s arms drop. “He wouldn’t be doing this if he wasn’t serious. He’s projecting on that character you pretended to be, and you’re playing with his feelings.”
I’m taken aback. “N-no. I would never. He’ll be over it next week and we’ll have a fun thing to remember.”
“Very fun, mhm. So you’ll just wait while he fucks Logan, and possibly someone else instead of telling him it’s you he liked kissing so much? Will you also wait as he dumps Logan and gets together with someone who doesn’t avoid him for two thirds of the week?”
My insides frost over. “Don’t prod me. I’m not ready. You have no idea what it’s like. He might not like me that way, and what then? An eternity of awkwardness after which we slowly drift apart.”
Aaron’s lips press into a pale line, which makes him reminiscent of a Tim Burton character. “None of my business. But I assure you that he will find out, and it will be a thousand times worse than whatever could occur if you told him.”
I’m afraid he’s right, but I don’t need him to know that. “All I ask you to do is keep an eye on Logan so we can find out what skeletons hide in his closet. And for the record, I don’t think they’re fucking right now.”
Logan has barely visited and the mood between him and Cass has been sour.
Good.
“Aaand here he comes,” Aaron says, and I turn around to spot Cass walking toward me in his favorite dark green hoodie, and with a wide smile on his face. “I have a good feeling about this. Hi, Aaron.”
Aaron waves at him, then stuffs his hands into his pockets.
Cass looks between us. “What? Did I miss something?”
Aaron shrugs. “Matt was just saying the troll could be someone who already knows you.”
I want to strangle him but keep my cool and give Cass a bright smile. “Yeah, maybe some sad, horny, desperate ex, but then, you’d know how your exes kiss, so it’s a dumb idea.”
I shiver when Cass’s eyes focus, as if he were browsing through every single guy he ever hooked up with, but then his phone pings, and he pulls it out. My heartbeat quickens as his tanned face flushes at the sight of whatever he received. “It’s him!”
Aaron gives me that I-told-you-so look, but my mind is blank.
What.
The.
Fuck.