A Whole Latte Sass

by Marguerite Labbe

  Now that was an annoying entitled twerp, but he was a client. “If we must.”

  Abby sat back and opened up the client’s message on her phone. “Want to hear my idea?”

  “Yes, Oh Devious One.” Felipe pressed his palms together and gave her a little bow.

  “We give the costume to him at the price he wants and negotiate on the timing. Hold up, hear me out.” Abby lifted her palm as Felipe drew himself up, ready to deliver an indignant retort. “However, in return, we get free advertising on his website for the next convention and a free table in a decent location.”

  Felipe calculated the cost of the table and the contacts they were likely to make at that show. The guy would still be getting a bargain in his opinion, but in the long run, it should work out in their favor. “Sometimes I like the way your mind works. But he can’t be a dick about how long it’s going to take us to make this for him, and he can’t go spreading how cheaply he got it. I’m not trading our talent and hard work all the time.”

  “Just on special occasions?” Abby asked with a laugh.

  “Exactly so.” Felipe picked up his latte, stood up, and kissed the top of her head. “On that note, I’m driving to Richmond. I have makeup sex lined up. You’d better get to work putting the finishing touches on your costume for the final show for the year or I’ll whip your skinny little ass during the contest.” He was recycling his Link costume. He missed that one, and he’d never run with it at this con, so he might have a chance at the prize.

  “At least I took out that bastard at Tiffany’s show.” Abby smirked, her eyes glinting. “Winning a contest never felt so good. He’s not still harassing you, is he?”

  “Nah, he’s moved on to the next person who’s irritated him. I suspect if he shows up at the same con I’m at, he will attempt to renew hostilities. But I’m not playing anymore.” Felipe shook his head and shrugged into his coat. “Life’s too awesome to be worried about it. A guy like that is going to be perpetually upset at someone, and he’ll never understand the part he’s played in his own drama.”

  Felipe paused as he grabbed his bag. “Hey, if I ever get like that, shoot me.”

  Abby laughed long and loud, her eyes sparkling with sudden mischief. “It would be my pleasure.”

  “Duchess, sometimes you’re scary.” Felipe pointed to his eyes and then at her to indicate he was watching her.

  “You’d better believe it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  TRASK LEFT the Chinese takeout on the top of his truck and released Sophie from her harness. She let out a bark of delight, her whole body wiggling. “I think you like this place even more than the loft.”

  They certainly spent enough time at the Den, where Sophie had her own bed, her other box of toys, her admirers, and the little fenced-in yard she could hang out in when she wanted to be outdoors. She didn’t even have to wait for Trask to get up like she did at the loft. When Trask built the space years ago for Spaz, he’d added a doggie door, and Sophie adopted the practice with joyful abandon.

  “Sit,” Trask ordered, pulling out her leash and a small treat.

  The puppy immediately sat down, head cocked as she waited with semipatience for the treat in Trask’s hand. He had to give it to her. She caught on quick. She wasn’t the biggest fan of the leash, but this was Richmond, not Felipe’s backyard, and Trask wasn’t going to take a chance on her getting hit. “That’s my good girl,” Trask cooed, giving her the treat as he leaned down and received a wet swipe of her tongue across his cheek.

  “We’ll go to the store tomorrow and get you a new collar and harness since you’re growing so fast, and a new leash since you’ve half chewed this one to pieces, again. Then we’ll go to the park and chase the ball until one of us collapses first. I suspect it’ll be me.”

  She barked her agreement, her tail waving madly as she leaped to the ground.

  “Come on, Sophie. Let’s go relieve Ryan so he can get home. Then it’s going to be just us tonight.” Trask retrieved his dinner and headed for the Den. It should be a fairly quiet night. The kids playing Pokémon and Magic would be leaving soon. A couple of the war games crews had booked one of the tables until nine, but they’d be engrossed in their own world and unlikely to lift their heads until it was time to go.

  He tried to figure out the odds of getting Felipe to engage in a conversation with him and decided they weren’t good. Man, when Felipe got mad, he took it seriously. And Trask had zero ideas of how to fix the situation, but he was beginning to think that forty-eight hours of disquiet was enough. It was either time to say it had been fun and walk away or make the drive up to Maryland to see if he could get Felipe to smile again. And there was no question about what his choice was. He missed the imp. If Felipe still wanted to sulk, well then he’d reevaluate their options.

  Ryan lifted his head from the magazine as Trask and Sophie entered. There was a sour look on his face that Trask recognized. He only got that expression when one person came around. Trask’s heart skipped a beat. Wow, he didn’t really think that was a thing. He’d always thought that was some nonsense that romance writers made up. But that was a definite skipping.

  Trask shook his head and pushed his thoughts into a more practical bent. No, he was reading too much into it. Felipe would not come all the way to Richmond without texting first to see if Trask was available. It was too long of a drive on a maybe. People didn’t do that, even if Felipe did not fit into any usual category.

  “What’s put that look on your face?” Trask asked. He set the food on the counter and bent down to release a dancing Sophie, who was so excited he had a difficult time unhooking her. As soon as she was free, she raced to the back with joyful barks. Trask winced and told himself she’d settle down soon and then he wouldn’t have to worry about her taking off like that. “Kids screwing around in the back?”

  “Sophie!” A very familiar voice from the back room tugged at Trask’s heart. He shot Ryan a sharp look.

  “When did Felipe get here?” Trask hadn’t expected he’d return without cajoling after Felipe stormed out. But now that the moment was here, Trask had mixed feelings about it. Felipe had put him in a state of agitation, and Trask didn’t much like that situation. The man had him turned around, that was for sure. Oh, screw it. He’d been this close to driving up to see him. He wasn’t going to take that back because his feelings might have been a tad bruised.

  “About fifteen minutes after you left.” Ryan folded his magazine and tucked it into his messenger bag.

  “And you didn’t text me?” Trask asked in exasperation. That had been two hours ago.

  “I didn’t realize you wanted an alert every time a customer walked in here,” Ryan responded in a cool tone as he grabbed his coat and slipped it on. “He’s been keeping himself occupied and out of trouble, so I thought it best not to bother you.”

  Ryan had been hoping Felipe would get annoyed and leave again. He didn’t understand Felipe’s patience when he had his mind set on a goal. Which begged the question, was he here to talk or to end things? He’d thought Ryan’s animosity toward Felipe had faded after the con, but it seemed like it had come roaring back. “Anything else I should know about?”

  “Nope.” Ryan shouldered his bag. “Just tell me one thing. You planning on letting that kid catch you again? I know who’s put that brood in your eye, so don’t deny it.”

  Trask smiled faintly at Ryan’s phrasing. “Probably.” Ryan made an exasperated sound and headed for the door. “Who says I want to escape?”

  Ryan shook his head and left without another word, which made Trask feel a lot more comfortable. He didn’t think he should be airing his laundry at the Den where everybody could overhear it. Ryan’s attitude toward Felipe would probably swing a few more times, but overall he seemed to be softening. As he turned toward the register, he caught a glimpse of Felipe out of the corner of his eye.

  Trask faced him with a wary look. He did not want a scene at his store, and he was never quite sur
e which way Felipe was going to jump. Felipe’s expression was subdued, which was a look Trask didn’t like on him because it just didn’t suit. His heart panged as he held out his hand to him. “Come here, imp.”

  A relieved smile crossed Felipe’s face and he bounded over, engulfing Trask in a hug. Trask held him close and shook his head as Felipe drew back. “No kissing, I’m at—” Felipe’s lips were on his before Trask could finish the thought, and his hands fisted in Trask’s hair.

  “Some rules are made to be broken,” Felipe said with a chuckle as he released Trask.

  “You are a shameless rule breaker.” Trask tapped the end of Felipe’s nose, feeling much lighter than he had a moment ago.

  “I behaved. I didn’t kiss you the way I wanted to kiss you.” Felipe shot him a flirtatious glance before his expression turned more serious. “Can I stay tonight? I wanted to talk to you, and I need to say I’m sorry.”

  Trask had half expected Felipe to want to hash it out right away and was grateful he had been wrong. He definitely hadn’t expected an immediate apology. “Tonight works for me.” He tapped the bag on the counter. “Hungry? I have some bean curd in a brown sauce. Pretty good. Some steamed rice to go with it.”

  Felipe peered into the bag with a shake of his head. “You really are serious about this vegetarian stuff, aren’t you? Do you ever cheat?”

  “I don’t fall apart if I accidentally eat something that someone made that has meat in it. And there have been times when I’ve been given tea and coffee with caffeine in it. That’s a little more irksome, but I’ve dealt.” Trask did not want to go back to caffeine headaches and insomnia. “The rest I’m very serious about. I go to NA meetings every week, and I won’t use or drink. Those are the only inflexible rules.”

  “It’s good to know you have priorities and it’s not all one way or no way.” Felipe set the bag aside. “I’ll take a pass this time. I’ve already eaten. And since you’re at work and a stickler for these things, I’ll return to entertaining the masses in the back while you be productive.”

  Trask caught his hand before Felipe could disappear on him. “Thank you for coming.” He brushed his lips over Felipe’s cheek, and Felipe squeezed his hand in response. “To be honest, I was going to head up your way after we closed. This whole situation was making me antsy.”

  “I’m glad I wasn’t the only one moping.” As Felipe strolled toward the back he shot Trask a look that swept heat right through him in more ways than one. He looked forward to satisfying that gleam in Felipe’s eyes even as his heart tugged again. Trask had been hooked and hooked hard by a pair of warm brown eyes and a mischievous smile that promised years of trouble.

  He sat down behind the register and rubbed his chest. He’d been in lust before. He’d been in relationships both quiet and compatible, and others that were combustive and dangerous, but not one of them had sunk into him like Felipe had. It was a little scary.

  Trask made himself a plate and realized he couldn’t walk away from what was growing between him and Felipe. He was a selfish bastard, but Felipe made him feel good in a guilt-free way. Trask enjoyed his time with him. Felipe’s observations about life and others entertained the hell out of him, and behind that sharp tongue was a sensitive man who he wanted to get to know more. Not that he expected it to last longer than a season, but it would be fun while it did.

  It was funny how the threat of having it disappear made Trask realize that he didn’t want to keep Felipe at arm’s length anymore. Once Felipe knew the whole story, well, at least he’d be prepared for Trask’s past and how it influenced everything he strived for now.

  The back room cleared out thirty minutes before the Den closed, and Trask locked the register and went back to see how much of a mess they left it in. Felipe was gathering the few abandoned cans and the empty wrappers of deck expansions that some of the kids had bought after the final round of play. “You didn’t have to do that, but thank you,” Trask said, and Sophie lifted her head at the sound of his voice.

  “I know how you like everything here to be neat.” Felipe tossed the trash into the basket and tied the ends of the bag together. “I know you’re not closed yet, but I can’t sit on this any longer. So here we go.” He straightened as if he was getting ready to face a firing squad.

  “You don’t have anything to apologize for.” Trask tucked a stray chair back in its place and searched for something to keep his hands busy. He was better at conversations when he was doing something.

  “No, I do.” There was a rueful tone in Felipe’s voice. “And for the record, I hate apologizing, but I’m not above doing it when I make an ass out of myself. I didn’t listen to you. I didn’t even try. I had it in my head what the situation was and stewed on it for too long. So when we finally got to talking, anything that didn’t fit my version of events didn’t get heard. I wanted a good fight and you weren’t giving it to me. It just pissed me off even more.”

  Mystified, Trask stared at Felipe. “You wanted to fight? Why would you want to fight?”

  “Because!” Felipe threw his hands up. “Yelling lets off steam and gives me an excuse to claw you during makeup sex. It’s just… I like a good argument followed by spectacular makeup sex.” His arms dropped to his sides, and he looked defeated. “Which I suppose is just the kind of drama you don’t want in your life. Getting upset means you care, and you didn’t get upset.”

  Trask set down the miniatures he was organizing and caught the front of Felipe’s shirt. “Come here,” he said gruffly, sliding his arms around Felipe. “If you’d dragged the group into it and got them all worked up, if you’d ruined the game, that’s the kind of drama I don’t want. A little arm-waving and raised voices aren’t going to scare me off.”

  “No?” Felipe asked in a hopeful voice, his mouth muffled against Trask’s chest.

  “No.” Trask kissed the top of his head. “I’m not going to get mad and yell. I’m just not. But it doesn’t mean I don’t give a damn. And it doesn’t mean I’d turn down a little clawing makeup sex either.”

  Felipe snickered, nipped Trask’s collarbone, and held him closer. “Good to know.”

  “I need to apologize too. I should’ve told you that I met your dad and he wasn’t too pleased with the thought of me and you together. The situation concerned you too.” He felt Felipe stiffen against him, and when Felipe lifted his head, that spark of anger was back.

  “You never told me what else you said to him. And I know I didn’t let you, but I’d like to hear it now.”

  “There really wasn’t much to it.” Trask shrugged and let go of him. “Not much more than what I already said. I admitted to doing time, though I didn’t say what for.” He glanced at Felipe to gauge whether that would set off another storm of emotion. “And I told him you needed your breakfast and I was going to see to doing that.”

  “Is that it?” Felipe asked with a disbelieving glance.

  “Mostly.” Trask tugged on his ear, replaying the conversation. “I might’ve told him to have a nice day, but not in a douchey kind of way. At least I hope not.”

  Felipe leaned back against the table and shook his head. “So I pretty much jumped to every wrong conclusion. I was sure there was something about me living upstairs that got under your skin. You had this look in your eye that I misjudged, but it pretty much set my back up, so I was misinterpreting every damn text you sent me. Then when you pulled out of Thanksgiving, I took it as a sign I was right, and you even tried to tell me about your friend and I still didn’t listen because sometimes when I get my head fixated on one thing, it stays fixated until someone smacks some sense into me. And to be honest, I think I have an automatic hate for people canceling plans, even plans that aren’t really set, and I’m sorry. That’s my past drama coming up to affect you and that’s not fair.”

  Well dammit, if Felipe could be that honest about his shortcomings, then Trask could admit his own hang-ups. “There was something about you living upstairs that got to me and talking with yo
ur dad, just not what you think. But I don’t care that you rent from your parents. I really don’t.”

  “I knew it!” Felipe straightened and crossed his arms. “I wasn’t imagining things. So what the hell is it, then?”

  Trask winced and looked away. He felt like an asshole for even letting it take ahold of him. “This is hard for me to admit, but I was jealous, that kind of scratch-your-eyes-out envious angst that I didn’t think I was capable of anymore.”

  Felipe stared at Trask in bafflement. “Why? Of what?”

  “You have a family. I don’t. And even when I did, they didn’t give a damn about me and I sure as fuck didn’t give a damn about them. The thought of my family living under one roof, even if I could come and go like you without having to encounter them… that would’ve been ugly more often than not.” Trask had been so damned tired of the ugly. Getting out of there had been his only priority, and nothing could’ve induced him to stay.

  “I see you, I see people like you with families that support you, dads willing to come out and say hey, I’m not sure if you’re right for my son, and it’s this crazy combination of damn… what’s that like? I want that. And terror that I wouldn’t even know how to live that kind of life if I had it.” Trask shook his head with a sigh, unable to look and see the pity in Felipe’s eyes.

  “I am very stingy about who I let in close.” He looked down at his tattooed knuckles. “I can count them right here.” He lifted one hand. “I don’t know if I can do more. But I’m willing to try.”

  “Whoa, okay.” Felipe sat down in a chair. “That’s a lot to churn through your mind.”

  Trask looked up at that. There wasn’t any pity in Felipe’s gaze, just a whole shitload of confusion. Not that Trask could blame him. How could he comprehend what it was like to have no one, though Trask would far rather be alone than be stuck with the family he was born in. How could he understand the ugly?