by M. J. O'Shea
Gray felt like he was living in some sort of alternate universe. Somewhere that he could just show up at the pub with a boy who he’d clearly been with all night and everything would be just fine.
“I’ve got to go into work,” Gray finally murmured. “I’m bound to have upset tenants after the storm last night, and I didn’t get all of my accounting finished last week.”
“You sure?” Arlo asked into his neck. “We could always go back upstairs and pretend the real world doesn’t exist for a few hours longer.”
“I really can’t.”
Arlo nodded even though he looked like he wanted to argue. “That’s fine. I can go work on this new cupcake idea that’s been giving me trouble.”
Sawyer and Leo’s heads both snapped up. “New cupcake?” Leo asked.
Gray laughed. “You have both of them so whipped,” he murmured. “Them and the rest of the town.”
“Yes,” Arlo said with a grin. “It’s the drugs. You were right. I’ll get you eventually. It’s gonna happen.”
Gray had already dived in and started tickling Arlo before he realized what he was doing. Flirting with Arlo. Loudly. In public. Sawyer and Leo were both staring and holding in their grins.
He decided he didn’t care. For a few minutes out of his orderly predictable life… he simply didn’t care.
Arlo spent a long afternoon in his bakery with Clementine, dreaming. He mixed almond flavored cake batter with flecks of candied cherry and baked it up light as air and thought of Gray’s kiss. He folded pale, fluffy mascarpone frosting with tiny bits of crunchy toffee candy and wished he had Gray back in his bed so he could run his tongue down Gray’s spine again and again until he could taste nothing else but his skin. He hadn’t gotten enough, the night before, not nearly enough.
Arlo groaned and piped clouds of frosting onto the cooled cakes. He took a bite of one and shivered when everything he’d felt the night before went rushing down his own back in silvery delicious chills. The cupcakes were perfect.
He’d have to throw away every last one of them.
Arlo went back to the pub after the delicious but disastrous cherry toffee cupcakes. He brought a few with him despite his resolve to throw them in the garbage – he hated to waste desserts, always had – but he felt a little guilty handing them to Sawyer and Leo. Sawyer, in true form, grabbed one of the cakes out of the box and took a huge bite. Arlo could see the chills that went down his back. Sawyer closed his eyes and groaned.
“Dude, you could be a gazillionaire with these things. Take your show on the road, and you’d have fans following you from city to city looking for their next cakegasm.”
Arlo chuckled. “It hasn’t happened yet, so I highly doubt it.”
“Do you open a bakery everywhere you stop?”
Actually no. Arlo tended to get kitchen jobs at restaurants and bakeries. He’d never opened his own place before. “This is my first.”
“I think that means you’re staying here.” Sawyer winked at him. “After this morning, I think Baxie will finally approve of that plan.”
Arlo felt the hot blush crawling up his neck. “I hope so.”
“Lemme try one of those cupcakes,” Leo said. He reached for the box.
“Maybe you should take one to Jake. Then you two could do more than, like, hold hand and talk about Keats and knitting with his grams.” Sawyer gave Leo a particularly lewd look and an exaggerated hip thrust. Leo blushed but laughed. Sawyer, with his brash nature and zero filter, might have been challenging sometimes for quiet Leo and careful Gray but he was possibly the best friend either of them could ask for. Arlo was starting to think the same for himself.
Speaking of…
Arlo felt him the second he came in. He was scared that whatever magic had happened that morning, the kind that had nothing to do with his powers and everything to do with him and Gray’s unbelievable chemistry, would be forgotten and things would be back to the way they’d been for far too long.
He didn’t need to worry. Gray slid up behind where Arlo was perched on a stool and cupped his hip.
“Hi,” he whispered.
“H-hey.” That one whisper was enough to make him want to melt off his stool.
“Have you had dinner yet?”
“No.” Even if he had he’d eat it again.
“You want to grab a booth?” Gray asked.
“You don’t want to sit here?”
Gray always sat at the bar with his friends.
“Nah. I want a squishy seat. You two think you can join us?”
Sawyer looked back at the office. “Sure. I can get Ma to bring me some dinner. We’ll eat in a booth. Lemme go grab some plates and stuff.”
The four of them crowded into a booth, and Arlo sank into Gray’s side. Gray cupped his hand around Arlo’s thigh like they’d been doing it forever and after a small private smile, launched into grilling Leo about Jake, which Gray seemed to find very entertaining. Arlo loved to watch him smile and laugh, see that armor of his rinse off and the real version of Gray come through. Leo gave him a few quizzical looks so he must’ve seen it himself.
Arlo decided not to say anything. Instead, he let their familiar banter wash over him and enjoyed what he’d definitely never expected – it was like the voice in his dreams, the Gray who was comfortable, open, and happy.
Eventually, Sawyer and his mom came out with a huge bowl of Caesar salad and what looked to be a cheesy pasta dish. Sawyer also had a breadbasket and pile of plates and silverware. It felt like they were in someone’s home rather than the neighborhood pub. Arlo supposed it was home in a way and it felt amazingly good to be part of it.
“There’s some of the cake we ordered left over from last night too,” Sawyer said. “If you guys don’t want it, I’m sure I’ll find a use for it later tonight.” He rubbed his belly.
“I’d like some,” Gray said.
“Yeah. Me too.” Leo raised his hand like he was worried he’d be left out of the cake party.
Carrie grinned. “I’ll bring out four slices of it.” She wagged her finger at Sawyer. “But that’s it for you. Me and your dad still want our slices.”
“I can make you another,” Arlo said. He’d be happy to bake an extra cake for the family that had started treating him like one of their own. He already had felt awful charging for the strawberries and cream cake he’d made them on special order the day before. He’d been excited by the storm so the cream cheese frosting had tasted a bit wild, like the wind. He’d added a general dollop of happiness with his whisk and called it good. The cake had looked delicious.
“Don’t worry,” Sawyer said with a grin. “I’m sure I’ll come up with another idea for you tomorrow. I hate the days when you’re closed.”
“He’s gotta have one day off,” Gray said. He moved his hand from Arlo’s thigh to sling it over his shoulders and squeeze. Arlo didn’t miss the looks from Sawyer’s mom and the other two guys. Apparently, it wasn’t just him that Gray hadn’t been overly affectionate with because they looked pretty damn shocked.
“I’ll leave you boys to your dinner.” She leaned over and kissed Sawyer on his head. “If you want after you’ve finished eating, just bring the dishes back and you can be done for the night. It seems like we’re going to be pretty empty.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
“I don’t want you to leave,” Arlo whispered against Grey’s lips. They’d finished dinner and cake and two beers before Gray had moaned that he needed to get home and get ready for work the next morning.
“I’d be happy to stay here all night,” Gray whispered.
“So stay. We’ll set an alarm and you can go home early to change.”
“Arlo…”
He was worried that he’d pushed Gray too hard.
“Just to sleep. I only want to sleep in the same bed as you.”
Gray looked torn, but then he sighed on a smile. “Okay. But I have to get up super early.”
Arlo chuckled. “I run a bakery. I think I�
�m okay with early.”
The next day was busy, of course, because Arlo was caught in whatever slow motion dream he’d ended up in the night before and couldn’t seem to get out. Of course that meant he had a steady stream of customers all morning, lines of lunch eaters ready for spiced cocoa and whatever treats he had on hand that day, and a big pile of giggling girls burst through his door after school. He even had McKenna, who told him she didn’t have class every other Monday since she’d taken a few extra classes the previous year, taking orders and keeping the trays full. She was great, and her presence helped, but Arlo felt like he could barely keep up.
All he wanted to do was clear the people out of the room, close the shop and run to wherever Gray was, on the other side of the town square in his office, driving Arlo crazy with his absence. That’s what he wanted to do. Arlo thought about kissing him the night before, crowded up against the brick wall of the Tilted Shamrock, dragging him upstairs for more kissing and cuddling, about how the last thing he’d wanted to do that morning was get up and leave his warm bed and Gray and he nearly groaned out loud.
He looked over and saw McKenna filling in a rack of cupcakes — but the cakes she was lining up perfectly didn’t look like the apple cinnamon ones he’d put out earlier. In fact, they looked suspiciously like the last of the cherry toffee cakes he’d made the day before that were filled with lust and kisses and an absolute disaster if anyone got their hands on them. He’d must’ve spaced and put them in the refrigerator instead of the garbage.
“Sweetie, where’d you get those?” he asked. Arlo held his breath while he waited for the answer he knew was coming.
“They were on a tray behind the last of the apple cinnamon in the fridge. I tasted a bit of the frosting — they’re toffee, right? Amazing.” McKenna shivered, and Arlo panicked. He panicked hard.
“I wasn’t planning to sell those. We should probably put them back.”
She gave him a quizzical look. “Then I’ll buy them. I want to eat them all if you’re not going to let other people.”
Oh god.
Arlo was in a nightmare. Visions of couples stripping down in public danced through his head, and he wanted to fall on the floor and die a short but painful death.
“I’ll take one too. They look divine.” Carrie, Sawyer’s mom who Arlo had been busy ringing up pointed at the display.
“Oh, I made those last night. They’re not from today. Just an experimental recipe.” Please don’t take them. He’d put out treats charged with thoughts of Gray before but nothing was like that. They’d be enough to cause an orgy.
Carrie rolled her eyes. “Put four in my box will you sweetheart,” she told Mckenna, and then pointed at Arlo. “You’d better charge me for them, mister.”
Die. That’s exactly what Arlo was going to do. Die.
McKenna was still there helping him when the other two sisters piled in. Luna was giggling, which Arlo had figured out long ago was her typical state, and Fallon looked suitably morose in all black and a thick black knit cap over her moon-pale skin and fall of blonde hair. Gray was the only non-blonde in the family. His hair tended more toward sandy with glinting coppery highlights. Arlo should know. He’d somewhat creepily watched Gray sleep in the morning sun for a few minutes before he woke him up.
“Did you save me some shortbread?” Luna screeched at McKenna.
“No, and chill out. You’re in a store. You know better.” McKenna gave her a scolding glare.
“Sorry, Mack. Sorry Arlo,” Luna said.
Fallon gave Arlo a tentative smile, and McKenna shoved one of the toffee cupcakes at her. “Try this. They’re practically orgasmic.”
Arlo wanted to reach out and tear the cupcake from Fallon’s hands, gently, of course, but he let it go. Better her than Luna. The last thing he needed was an elementary school girl experiencing her first blush of sexuality because of him.
Fallon took a huge bite of squishy cake and Arlo’s special toffee frosting and flushed. She looked up at Arlo, then down at the floor.
Oh.
It wasn’t anything new for Arlo. He’d had girls and women crush on him before. Though, it was his first experience with the sibling of a guy he was seeing. He decided to pretend he hadn’t noticed.
“Can I get you some hot cocoa ladies?” Arlo asked.
He lifted the ladle out of his vat of cocoa invitingly. Arlo got a happy squeal from Luna in return and a shy yes from Fallon. He’d put extract of Valencia orange in the cocoa that morning, a hint of cardamom, and a touch of adventure. It tasted like a villa in Spain, or a rooftop garden in the heat of Marrakesh. The girls sipped appreciatively, and then scampered off to find a seat and do their homework. It had become a tradition for them to stop by every day for treats and homework time. Arlo hoped he wasn’t taking away from their mother. He got the impression somehow that he wasn’t.
When Gray got to Arlo’s bakery, he found a pair of blonde girls whispering over their books and a rather flushed Arlo running around behind the counter with McKenna boxing orders and handing them to him.
“Do you guys need help?” Gray asked.
Arlo noticed him and gave him a slow, melting smile. “I think we’re good,” he said.
McKenna, however, shoved a plate with a cupcake and a tall paper cup brimming with hot cocoa into his hand. “Give this to Mrs. Robinson,” She told him.
Gray dropped his work bag beside the counter and took Mrs. Robinson’s order over to her. He helped run orders and box treats until the customers thinned out.
“I didn’t there were that many people in Baxter Hollow,” McKenna muttered when they finally had the shop to themselves. She grabbed a cupcake that had been hidden on the back counter and took a bite of it. “Jesus,” she groaned as she licked a bit of stray frosting off of her lips. Her cheeks went a bit pink. “What the hell does Arlo do to these things? They’re better than –” She cut off and gave Gray a long look.
“I don’t want to know,” he said. He waved McKenna off. “Really. Don’t want to know.”
“It’s too bad Arlo’s dating my big, dorky brother or I really would want to know what he’s up to at night,” McKenna said with a sigh.
“Oh my god.” Gray nearly choked on his own breath. “We’re not. I’m not…” They were though. He and Arlo were something for sure. There wasn’t any point in pretending otherwise after the past couple of nights.
“Right.” McKenna rolled her eyes. “Go kiss your man. I’ll see if the girls are done their homework.”
Gray scooted around to the kitchen side of the counter and found Arlo wiping off a counter in the back room. He looked absolutely exhausted. Gray took the rag from his hand and wrapped his arms around Arlo’s waist. It was shocking how easy it was to touch someone when he really wanted to. A bit terrifying still, but easy at the same time. He always figured he’d be the guy who’d rather keep his hands to himself. Not even close.
Arlo sighed into the hug and put his forehead against Gray’s. “It’s been such a long day. Good but long. We’ve never been so busy.”
“I think word is getting out about this place. I saw some people in here I didn’t even recognize.”
“From out of town?”
Gray shrugged. “I can’t think of another explanation.”
Day-trippers from Portland and Bangor had come into Baxter Hollow now and again to look at the quaint shops, the trees, and the surrounding farms. It wasn’t unheard of, especially in the fall when the leaves turned glorious colors. Gray thought Arlo’s bakery was special enough to make a trip. Maybe he was biased.
“I missed you today,” Arlo murmured. “It felt good to wake up with you.”
“I missed you too,” Gray said. He tipped his head up and kissed Arlo, slow and soft. Just like every other time, the world disappeared as soon as their lips touched. Gray shuddered and pulled Arlo closer. A whistle pierced the air from the other side of the bakery counter. Gray groaned into their kiss. “Never have sisters,” he said.
&n
bsp; “A little too late for that one,” Arlo answered with a breathless sigh, like he’d been lost in the kiss as well. “Maybe we can trade. I’ll take yours if you’ll take mine.”
“Yeah. No. Yours terrifies me.”
Arlo cackled out a huge laugh.
Arlo was cleaning up for bed that night when he heard a pinging at his living room window.
What the hell?
He was worried for a moment before he realized nothing happened in Baxter Hollow and whoever was outside was either an errant family member of his or… Gray. Arlo smiled. He struggled with an old creaky window until he got it open.
“What are you doing here?” he whisper shouted. It was late. He’d have to be up in a little less than five hours for work.
“I couldn’t sleep. Can I come up?”
Gray gave him the most charming smile he’d ever seen. Like Arlo could say no to him.
“I’ll be right down to let you in.”
For a moment, he thought about making Gray a key, but then he realized it had really only been two days and a month of torturous waiting. It wasn’t quite time for happily ever after just yet.
Arlo jogged down the stairs and let Gray in. He grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs to his apartment door.
“Have you ever tried tea?” He asked jokingly. He knew about Gray and his obsession with tea.
“Yeah. That didn’t work tonight. I needed something else.”
“Like what?” Arlo asked. He leaned forward and dropped a slow, light, kiss on Gray’s mouth. “Like that?”
“Yeah. Like that.”
Gray tugged on Arlo’s t-shirt and pulled him towards the bedroom. Arlo had to hold himself back from cheering out loud. He started stripping as soon as they were in there. He never had any patience when it came to Gray – wanted to feel their naked skin, as much of it touching as he possibly could.
“My turn tonight,” Gray said. “I didn’t get to do nearly enough last time.”
“O-okay.” Arlo gulped, his throat all of a sudden dry at the thought of Gray touching him. Gray wanting him. Just… shit.
