he had people who showed up on time, ready to work, bright-eyed and focused, right?
Aaron was about to start refilling the pastry case when his cell phone rang. He dug it out and glanced at the screen. His sister’s face—bright red lipstick and thick eyelashes, with liner tilting up at the corners—smiled at him from her profile picture. Apart from the fair skin and green eyes, they looked nothing alike. She was voluptuous and curvy, where Aaron was lithe and lightly muscled. She bleached her light brown hair, and Aaron didn’t even bother to touch up the few silver strands he’d found in his. “What’s up, Mandy?”
“The water level,” she said flatly.
“I know, right? It’s supposed to be gorgeous tomorrow. Go figure.”
“Okay, that’s long enough talking about the weather.”
“You started it.”
“How’s it going?” she asked.
“Fine. Good. Little slow today, but I’d figured as much. You?”
“I’m fine. Look….” Getting down to business was one of her strong points. “Dad called. He’s cleaning out the garage, and we have to come by soon to pick up some boxes of our stuff.”
“What stuff?”
“Just ‘stuff’ is all he said. Knowing our parents, it’s your old G.I. Joe drag doll and my box of decapitated Barbie heads.”
“We were weird children.”
“If they kept that stuff, we had weird parents, so it’s not entirely our fault.”
Aaron couldn’t argue with that. “True.”
“I’ll tell Mom we’ll come over tomorrow, do the family dinner thing and all. Sound okay?”
“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll see ya then.”
****
Closing time didn’t come soon enough. Fifteen minutes before Aaron could flip the sign on the door and turn the lights off, the place filled up with—of all things—a wedding party. Twenty-seven people, including the flower girl, all cheerfully complicated his Thursday night. They were meeting for the rehearsal dinner, but the restaurant they’d picked had unexpectedly shut down due to an electrical problem. Aaron took pity on them and the bride’s puppy-dog eyes and told them they could celebrate for one hour.
He’d already let Simon and Clara go home early, but thankfully, Justin showed up and helped him throw together dozens of hot chocolates, lattes, and Americanos. Aaron fed them what little he had left from the day and a few things he found in the freezer—some tiny quiches, chocolate croissants, and bacon bagels. Maybe it wasn’t the rehearsal dinner they’d dreamed of, but everyone had food and they all seemed happy, laughing it off.
As he locked up, Justin waited for him.
“Look what I just bought.” Justin’s devious grin told Aaron he didn’t want to see whatever was on his phone’s screen, but he looked anyway.
“You bought a paddle and red leather cuffs from your phone?”
Sighing happily, Justin tucked his phone in to his pocket and swung his closed umbrella around as if he were dueling someone. “Technology is a glorious thing.”
Aaron had to agree, though he’d never bought sex toys on his phone. He liked to make those kinds of purchases the old-fashioned way—from the comfort of his own bed with his laptop perched on his knees. “I’m sure the boyfriend will be happy with them.” Aaron managed an honest smile with his words.
“Not as happy as I’ll be, but I’ll make it up to him.”
“Please do not share the details.”
“You’re such a prude.”
“I’m not a prude. I just have a smaller pool of kinks than you do.” Aaron laughed and slung his arm over Justin’s shoulder. “And I’m not as prone to oversharing as you are.”
“Fine, you’re not a prude. But I still say you should expand your horizons a little. Get online and find a kinky guy, try it on for a night or three.”
“I’ve hooked up online,” Aaron said with a shrug. “It was good, fun, but… I don’t know. I guess I’m just ready for a guy like….”
“You?”
“I guess, yeah. Someone who likes to sit
Aaron was about to start refilling the pastry case when his cell phone rang. He dug it out and glanced at the screen. His sister’s face—bright red lipstick and thick eyelashes, with liner tilting up at the corners—smiled at him from her profile picture. Apart from the fair skin and green eyes, they looked nothing alike. She was voluptuous and curvy, where Aaron was lithe and lightly muscled. She bleached her light brown hair, and Aaron didn’t even bother to touch up the few silver strands he’d found in his. “What’s up, Mandy?”
“The water level,” she said flatly.
“I know, right? It’s supposed to be gorgeous tomorrow. Go figure.”
“Okay, that’s long enough talking about the weather.”
“You started it.”
“How’s it going?” she asked.
“Fine. Good. Little slow today, but I’d figured as much. You?”
“I’m fine. Look….” Getting down to business was one of her strong points. “Dad called. He’s cleaning out the garage, and we have to come by soon to pick up some boxes of our stuff.”
“What stuff?”
“Just ‘stuff’ is all he said. Knowing our parents, it’s your old G.I. Joe drag doll and my box of decapitated Barbie heads.”
“We were weird children.”
“If they kept that stuff, we had weird parents, so it’s not entirely our fault.”
Aaron couldn’t argue with that. “True.”
“I’ll tell Mom we’ll come over tomorrow, do the family dinner thing and all. Sound okay?”
“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll see ya then.”
****
Closing time didn’t come soon enough. Fifteen minutes before Aaron could flip the sign on the door and turn the lights off, the place filled up with—of all things—a wedding party. Twenty-seven people, including the flower girl, all cheerfully complicated his Thursday night. They were meeting for the rehearsal dinner, but the restaurant they’d picked had unexpectedly shut down due to an electrical problem. Aaron took pity on them and the bride’s puppy-dog eyes and told them they could celebrate for one hour.
He’d already let Simon and Clara go home early, but thankfully, Justin showed up and helped him throw together dozens of hot chocolates, lattes, and Americanos. Aaron fed them what little he had left from the day and a few things he found in the freezer—some tiny quiches, chocolate croissants, and bacon bagels. Maybe it wasn’t the rehearsal dinner they’d dreamed of, but everyone had food and they all seemed happy, laughing it off.
As he locked up, Justin waited for him.
“Look what I just bought.” Justin’s devious grin told Aaron he didn’t want to see whatever was on his phone’s screen, but he looked anyway.
“You bought a paddle and red leather cuffs from your phone?”
Sighing happily, Justin tucked his phone in to his pocket and swung his closed umbrella around as if he were dueling someone. “Technology is a glorious thing.”
Aaron had to agree, though he’d never bought sex toys on his phone. He liked to make those kinds of purchases the old-fashioned way—from the comfort of his own bed with his laptop perched on his knees. “I’m sure the boyfriend will be happy with them.” Aaron managed an honest smile with his words.
“Not as happy as I’ll be, but I’ll make it up to him.”
“Please do not share the details.”
“You’re such a prude.”
“I’m not a prude. I just have a smaller pool of kinks than you do.” Aaron laughed and slung his arm over Justin’s shoulder. “And I’m not as prone to oversharing as you are.”
“Fine, you’re not a prude. But I still say you should expand your horizons a little. Get online and find a kinky guy, try it on for a night or three.”
“I’ve hooked up online,” Aaron said with a shrug. “It was good, fun, but… I don’t know. I guess I’m just ready for a guy like….”
“You?”
“I guess, yeah. Someone who likes to sit
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