A Whole Latte Sass

by Marguerite Labbe

  “If I thought you were going for the mac-n-cheese, I wouldn’t worry.” Ryan twisted his lips into a sour expression.

  “If it’s the age difference thing—”

  “Nope,” Ryan interrupted with a shake of his head. “You’re both grown adults, and I have no doubt Felipe knows what he’s doing. You’ve been alone a long-assed time. I know I’ve given you a hard time about finding someone, but a guy like that will break your heart and move on to the next conquest.”

  Ryan was in love and headed for years of wedded bliss, and ever since he got engaged, he’d obsessed over the idea of Trask finding someone. As if he hadn’t been taking care of himself for years. As if he had a heart to break.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Trask grabbed his coffee. “I’m going to check out how the gaming tables are going. See if anybody needs anything.”

  To his relief Ryan didn’t attempt to get in a final word. Trask was sure he’d get an earful about Felipe in the next few weeks. The cosplayer was already in Trask’s thoughts enough without the added reminder. And he wasn’t quite sure when Felipe had taken up that quiet space in his brain. It was something to consider.

  Chapter Two

  “JUST BECAUSE you two have unnaturally long legs, I don’t see why I have to sit in the back,” Felipe complained.

  Morris glanced at him in the rearview mirror, and Lincoln ignored him, his head down over a game on his phone. “We’re all making sacrifices. I have a surfboard on top of my car. Do you know what a pain that’s going to be when I go down that dinky-assed road of yours after dark?”

  “You loved my cosplay.” Felipe slouched in the seat and stared out the window restlessly. He wasn’t entirely sure Trask would show up despite his words. He was the ultimate definition of a lone wolf, a sexy, silver, drool-worthy wolf.

  “That’s not the point.” Morris pulled into the parking lot, and Felipe got a whiff of smoke and meat that made his taste buds sit up and take notice. The food was killer here, and the fact that the restaurant could usually accommodate their crew when they descended after a show was a huge plus. “What’s got you so worked up tonight?”

  “Nothing,” Felipe scoffed. “I’m fine.”

  Morris parked the car and shot Felipe a disbelieving glance. “Whatever.” He nudged Lincoln. “The next time there’s a show in Richmond, I’m kidnapping your brother. He would salivate over this place.”

  “Good luck with that.” Lincoln smirked. “I plan on rubbing it in his face how much he missed out.”

  Felipe envied Morris and the happiness he’d found with Theo. They were the most unlikely pair Felipe had ever seen, and yet they made it work. Felipe had been skeptical when he’d met Theo. He was a jock, for Chrissakes, and a non-geek, foodie twerp, but he gave back sass for sass, and Felipe had to respect that. Besides, he’d never seen Morris so happy and relaxed, and he’d known Morris for years.

  Felipe wanted that joy for himself. He wanted the house, the dogs, and the happily ever after that went with it. The only thing he didn’t want out of a connubial blissful future was kids. Nobody was going to out-drama-queen him, and he knew his DNA. If he bred, he’d be forever competing with a mini-him, and that would be good for no one. He planned to be a doting uncle for all the twerps Morris and Theo were likely to get. Those two screamed parenthood and adulting.

  The early-fall night air held a chilly nip after the recent rain. Pumpkins, sheaves of Indian corn, and a scarecrow decorated the raised wooden porch of the restaurant. This was Felipe’s favorite time of year. It was a nonstop celebration from Halloween to New Year’s. The Ren Faire was going full tilt, which gave him extra excuses to wear costumes when there wasn’t a show.

  The restaurant was long and dark with the aroma of smoked meat lingering in the air. It made Felipe think of a village tavern. In the kitchen window, one of the cooks carved a brisket into slices, and Morris’s eyes lit up with glee.

  Felipe peered over into the bar area, scanning the clusters of rough wooden tables and booths filled with con rats. Out of the many familiar faces, the one Felipe wanted to see was missing. His stomach dropped with disappointment. He’d thought he’d made his interest clear. Well if Trask wasn’t going to bite, that was his loss. They were the best fucking gaming group this side of the Chesapeake Bay. They could find another GM.

  “Come on.” Morris plucked his sleeve. “Stop daydreaming. I’m hungry.”

  “You’re always hungry,” Felipe muttered and followed Morris back to their usual corner. A quick glance at his phone showed no new messages. He tried telling himself that maybe Trask got held up packing and unpacking, but he wasn’t an optimist. He let Theo own that cheery shit.

  Felipe stalked over to a table and sank down in the chair. Not even the scent of slow-cooked ribs could cheer him up now. He wanted to bitch to Morris, but Lincoln was there. Besides, Morris found his fascination with Trask amusing. Morris always did have a problem with seeing potential in a relationship. He focused on problems that weren’t really problems, like age differences, which didn’t mean shit if you were compatible.

  Morris eyed him with one heavy brow lifted but kept his commentary to himself as he doled out menus. A flicker near the door caught Felipe’s attention, and he sat up straight as Trask came into the restaurant. Damn, he was sexy. It should be a crime to be that yummy. Angled black brows arched over eyes almost as dark, and his hair was mostly silver with some black still woven in. He had a short silver beard, also shot through with a little black, but it had to be a genetic thing because he wasn’t really that old. Still, the silver hit all the right buttons for Felipe.

  He was lean and covered with tattoos from his entire torso and arms down to the words emblazoned across his fingers. Felipe had seen them enough to be intrigued. “Clean” and “Life” on the left hand and “Death” and “Love” on the right. There was a story about them, he just knew it.

  Felipe lifted his hand and caught Trask’s attention. “Move your oversized self next to Lincoln,” he ordered Morris. “We’ve got company.”

  Morris shot a startled look over his shoulder, then slid in next to Lincoln as they switched spots. “You invited Trask? Don’t get me wrong, I like him, but I know your agenda.”

  “I’m just trying to talk him into running a trial game with us.” Felipe pulled out Trask’s chair as he approached. Clad in jeans distressed enough to be interesting, an open flannel shirt with a tight black tee underneath, he looked good enough to eat. The scooped neck of his shirt allowed Felipe a glimpse of the top of his chest tattoo. Some kind of tree with fully leaved branches spreading across his shoulders. Undressing him would be like unwrapping a gift, and Felipe was dying to know what other pictures decorated his body and what they all meant.

  “That would be kind of cool.” Morris rubbed his hands together. “At this point, it’s been so long I’ll take anything, even a pity game.”

  “That bad?” Trask asked as he got close enough to hear the tail end of Morris’s remark. He swept the table with a measuring look, then met Felipe’s gaze with a slight smile. “I’m very relieved you didn’t cut that gorgeous hair. I was a little worried when you stopped by my table earlier.”

  Startled, Felipe put a hand to his hair. “Cut my hair? For a costume? Aw hell naw. That was a prosthetic.” He thought about it a second. “Okay, maybe for the right costume. It would have to be a killer, though. I love my hair.”

  “Yeah.” Trask’s smile widened. “It looks good on you.”

  Felipe preened. He did have amazing hair. “Trask, you know Morris, and this is Lincoln. Morris is going to be a stepdaddy when he gets hitched.”

  “Brother-in-law actually,” Morris said as Trask sat down. “Felipe likes to tease. Lincoln does not need another mother hen.”

  “Dude, I love your store. Old Dominion Magick Den, right?” Lincoln asked. “How long have you had it?”

  “About twenty years now.” Trask opened the menu. “It’s almost walking distance from here. It started
off as more of a New Age thing. I still have some incense, tarot, crystals, that sort of stuff. Then I went into comics for a bit, still have some graphic novels, but the last ten years or so it’s been mostly games of all kinds. People come, hang out for a bit. It’s a good gig.”

  Twenty years. Felipe was toddling when Trask owned his own business. That was kind of cool. Felipe did have a type. He liked men who were enterprising and not afraid to take risks.

  “It’s a pretty cool place. I’ve been there a couple times. Wish it was closer to Southern Maryland. We only have one game store. I’m greedy. I want more.” Morris set down the menu as the waiter approached.

  “At least you have the one.” Felipe grimaced. “We have nothing in Chuck County.”

  “You could move to Richmond. You’ve got some serious talent,” Trask suggested. “I carry some of your compilations, so I know you have fans. You’d do well here.”

  A pleased smile crossed Morris’s lips. “Good to know, but I’m afraid I’m pretty settled where I am. My fiancé owns a family restaurant back home, second generation.”

  “There will be blood in the water before Theo gives up the bistro,” Lincoln said. “But I’m not sticking around Solomon’s Island. It’s too quiet there.”

  “Oh yeah, you’re not going anywhere.” Trask looked around the restaurant. “I keep hearing about this place. It’s pretty popular, been around awhile, I think. Not sure if it’s family run, though.”

  “Enough chitchat.” Felipe crossed his hands together on the table and caught Trask’s gaze. “How about a test game? We could come to your shop,” he added in a wheedling tone.

  Trask pursed his lips, hollowing his cheeks in a way that emphasized the fine bones of his face. “Look, I’m not against the idea, but you guys are pretty scattered to come all the way down here. How can you get together regularly?”

  “It’s no different than making the time to go to a show. Sometimes we plan it around a con if we’re all going to the same one.” Felipe shot Trask a winning smile. “We make it a point to get together once every four to six weeks. We usually take turns going to each others’ houses.”

  “That time frame seems doable. I don’t get many days off from the Den,” Trask replied slowly. “So, if you wouldn’t mind hoofing it down to Richmond, I’ll run a game or two to see if we mesh.”

  “Whoever is hosting usually does the bulk of the feeding, but even if we use the Den as our central place, we can still take turns potlucking it,” Morris added with a hopeful smile. “Like Felipe said, we’re used to traveling all around. The only ones it was sometimes an issue for were Brett and Daphne since they have a kid, but they’re actually the closest to you, so they’ll probably love the idea.”

  “Do you have any particular game in mind?” Trask asked, his expression thoughtful.

  Felipe and Morris exchanged excited glances. Oh, this was going better than he hoped it would. “Before our last GM was deployed, we were doing a sweet campaign of Shadowrun,” Felipe said. “Though we’re open. We’ve done all kinds of campaigns, some home brewed.”

  “We like a good character-driven campaign,” Morris added. “Not so much into the hack-and-slash and treasure grab. We’ve done some Call of Cthulhu, D&D of course, just about every edition. Feng Shui was fun. Scion….” Morris trailed off, tugging on one of his long dreads as he thought. “So many games, really. We’ve been doing this for years.”

  Trask nudged his chin toward Lincoln. “How about you? You’ve been playing too?”

  Lincoln shook his head. “I joined in after their GM left. Mostly we’ve been playing card or board games. I haven’t really role-played, to be honest.”

  “I think you’ll be a natural,” Felipe assured him with a wave of his hand. “You make up character backgrounds for your Munchkin cards.”

  “That would be a telling sign,” Trask agreed. “We could easily do a one-off Star Wars game. I’m assuming everyone knows the world. The D6 version is an easy game to pick up, and it doesn’t take long to make characters.”

  “I thought it would take more to convince you than this.” Felipe sat back as the waiter came to take their orders. Trask had caved in like a sandcastle under a coming wave. Maybe it meant his resistance to the idea of a date was crumbling too. Felipe would pounce all over that weakness.

  “You have been nagging me for months.” Trask folded his menu and added it to the stack. “I gave it a lot of thought when I was unpacking the van. You’re right. I’ve been feeming hard for a good game. If you can convince the others to come to Richmond, I’ll give it a try.”

  Felipe gave his order, and to his surprise, Trask only asked for the salad bar and some mac-n-cheese. It was like the man lived off caffeine and air. Felipe leaned over and lowered his voice. “The ribs really are good here. So’s the sausage. I promise.”

  Trask leaned in as well. He had super dark eyes. Darker than his own. Felipe just wanted to sink into them. “I’m a vegetarian.”

  Felipe wrinkled his nose. “For real? Why?”

  “It’s one of my rules. I gave up meat ages ago.” Trask sat back as Morris regarded him with a horrified expression.

  “One of those superhealthy things?” Morris asked. “My mom’s into that craziness, and Theo’s managed to get me to give up processed food, but there’s no way I’m ever giving up meat.”

  “Something like that.” Trask tapped his tattooed fingers on the table. “No drugs, alcohol, caffeine. After a while of doing that, I ended up going vegetarian too. I seriously considered going vegan, but damn, I do love cheese. I ended up never making that jump.”

  “No caffeine? You mean all that coffee you suck down is decaf?” Felipe shook his head as Trask smiled in acknowledgment. He was crazy. “I’m sorry. I could’ve suggested another place for dinner.” There were plenty of options around here.

  A pained expression crossed Morris’s face, but he nodded in solidarity, and Trask laughed. “It’s okay, really. I don’t mind. A few years ago, the aromas would’ve seriously given me second thoughts, but not anymore. Besides, I’ll go out of my way for a good mac-n-cheese.”

  “You should try Theo’s,” Lincoln said. “He makes it from scratch.”

  “Those are the best,” Trask agreed. “I don’t have the patience for it myself, so it’s a real treat when I get it.”

  “So are there any other rules I should know about?” Felipe asked. He admired a man who had a code. He had one himself. But he had no time for someone who was too rigid.

  Trask’s eyes smiled, though his mouth remained straight. “No dating players. Leads to too much intergroup tension.”

  Felipe turned to Morris and Lincoln. “Sorry, we’re going to have to find a new GM.”

  The corners of Morris’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “You’re staking a claim?”

  “Totally.” Felipe smirked at Trask, who looked thoroughly bemused, as if he couldn’t figure out if Felipe was serious about his attraction or teasing him. Felipe liked that look on him. He usually had this unapproachable attitude, an air of solitude about him that always seemed a little sad. Like the Tin Man who wanted to be a part of a group and loved but didn’t know how to find his heart. “No casual dating. Okay, then. How about marriage?”

  He caught Trask at the wrong moment, and he sputtered out the sparkling water he’d just taken a sip from. Felipe handed over a wad of napkins as Trask thumped his chest and coughed. “Sorry about that.”

  Morris shot Felipe an exasperated look. “Trask, please ignore my friend. He goes from zero to a hundred in no time, and anything is liable to pop out of his mouth.”

  “I’m flattered, really I am.” Trask wiped his eyes as he recovered. “But I’m not the marrying kind of man. Come to think of it, I’m definitely not a casual dating kind of guy either, which probably explains my lack of a sex life. But there you are.”

  “Your problem is too many rules. Rules are good for a guideline, but they can be taken too far.” Felipe made room as their food arrive
d.

  Morris rubbed his hands together, eyeing his platter with an unholy gleam in his eyes. “If you want me and Lincoln to hold Felipe back, just give us the word. Theo gave me that exact same determined look when I was laying out all the reasons why we didn’t fit. We even quizzed each other on our lack of knowledge about everything that was important and failed. Both of us botched.”

  “Now look at you.” Lincoln snickered and nudged Morris. “A total goner.”

  Felipe glared at Morris, but his friend did not seem impressed in the slightest. “Yeah, such a hardship for you,” he said sarcastically. “You’re so upset over being nabbed.”

  “Good point.” Morris tied back his hair and picked up a rib. “Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “On that note, I’m running away to the salad bar.” Trask picked up his plate and sauntered off. Felipe watched him go and turned to his own food with a shrug. He had his sights set on Trask. The man wasn’t going to escape that easily.

  Felipe pointed his fork at Morris. “Just you watch, that man is mine.”

  “It’ll be a mess,” Morris predicted. “Your personalities couldn’t be more different.”

  “Your track record for recognizing compatibility is suspect.” It had taken Morris forever to recognize he was in love with Theo. Felipe had seen it before him. But he had to give it to him; once Morris committed, he’d done it wholeheartedly with no reservations. “Just watch and be amazed. That man is going to adore me.”

  Chapter Three

  TRASK CHECKED the stock of snacks in the Den’s small pantry and went into the back room to get more sodas, packaged cookies, and chips. They disappeared faster than the protein bars. The store was empty on a midmorning Monday, and he expected it to remain that way. There might be a regular or two to come in and clean out their comic stash, but most of them wouldn’t show up until after this week’s new issues hit the shelves.

  There were no tournaments or games scheduled for tonight, though a few kids might pop in after school for a round or two of Heroclix, Pokémon, or Magic the Gathering. He liked to keep his Mondays quiet so he could recover from the weekend and the cons. He never missed his home group meetings on Monday night, so he tended not to schedule events that evening for Ryan and Gillian to juggle.