A Whole Latte Sass

by Marguerite Labbe

  He was not one to turn down Reva’s oatmeal pecan and chocolate chip cookies, especially hot out of the oven. “I need to shove something in Ryan’s workshop. I know he’s not working on anything at the moment, and I’d like to borrow it for a few weeks.”

  Reva had the house all decorated for the holidays, from stockings going up the staircase to a Christmas village set up on the sideboard in the dining room. Down the hallway, the tree was decorated with scarlet bows and candy canes, fully lit, and holiday music played on the radio. She’d made a home for his friend, a warm, welcoming home, and Ryan deserved every bit of that happiness.

  “Wow, Reva, you’ve really done it up.” Trask nabbed a hot cookie off the tray and inhaled its scent before taking a bite. Maybe he should pick up some Christmas decorations, nothing crazy, but something that he and Felipe could put up tonight. It might make it seem homier for him.

  “If you’re going to do it, do it all the way.” Reva slid another tray of dough into the oven. “Let me grab my jacket and I can help you.”

  “Thanks.” It would definitely go faster with two people, and the table wasn’t that heavy with the drawers taken out, just awkward to get in and out of a truck all by himself. “I found something special at one of those places they call an antique barn when half of them are full of junk. But repurposed junk could turn out mighty nice.”

  “I can’t wait to see what you’ve dug up.” Reva pulled her hair out of its messy knot and jammed a battered hat over the long black locks. She’d never been one to mess with her appearance, and Trask almost never saw her in makeup, but she had an appeal to her that went beyond beauty.

  “Oh, she’s gorgeous,” Reva said when Trask pulled off the cloth covering the table. “You don’t have room in that dinky place of yours. What are you planning on doing with it?”

  Trask gave her one of his slow smiles to let her know he was teasing as they eased the sucker down. “You angling for a wedding present, Reva?”

  Her dark eyes turned serious. “You being there as Ryan’s best man is the only present we need. Don’t think I don’t know what you did for him. How you helped him out of that nightmare.”

  “Ryan’s a fighter. To me, sponsoring someone helps me out just as much. Keeps me on the right path.” Trask fumbled the gate latch with one hand and nudged it open. “I’m really proud of Ryan. He’s come a long way in four years.” And in that time he’d become one of Trask’s closest friends.

  “What are you doing for Christmas?” Reva asked as they maneuvered the table into the little workshop.

  “Not entirely sure yet.” Trask ran a hand over the tabletop, envisioning it done. He couldn’t wait to get started, but it couldn’t happen tonight, not with Felipe visiting. “I suspect Felipe will have a large say in that.”

  “Felipe… that the boyfriend Ryan told me about?” She didn’t have an edge to her voice, for which Trask was grateful. It meant that despite Ryan’s dislike of cosplayers, he hadn’t been telling tales to Reva. Maybe Ryan had decided to wait and see before passing any further judgment.

  Boyfriend. That label didn’t fit Felipe. He was more than a boyfriend. Trask wasn’t quite sure what he was or how he’d gotten to feel so right in only a few months, but he couldn’t deny it. “He’s Felipe. He’s undefinable.” Trask carefully covered the table with the worn blanket again. He’d get to work on it the moment their weekend was over. “He’s going to go nuts over this.”

  “There’s a house for sale down the street,” Reva said with a thoughtful look in her eyes. They left the workshop, and she pointed down the way. “Small place, though considering your loft, it’ll probably seem palatial. It’s got a big fenced-in backyard for your girl.”

  Buying a home. Trask shoved his hands in his pockets. That was a big change. Maybe one he’d been considering for a while, but not something he would want to rush into. Still…. Trask paused to take a look around him. The neighborhood was nice, older with lots of trees and a few hidden parks. Though there was nothing about it that made it seem like it was near the city, they weren’t actually that far from the Den. A ten-minute drive on a bad day.

  He had the money for a good-sized down payment, the credit to negotiate a decent mortgage… it was a big step, though. “Where’s it at?”

  Reva grinned, her eyes gleaming with delight. “It’s the little Lowcountry-style house, corner lot at the end of the street. It’s been on the market for a bit.”

  Trask knew what that meant and gave her a sideways glance. “I take that it needs work.”

  “Nothing that a man who likes that sort of thing would mind. The covered porch is rotting and needs to be redone. The roof needs to be replaced, but the foundation is sound. The interior is dated, but I doubt you care about that.” Reva gave him a friendly nudge with her elbow. “I’ll admit I looked into it. I was thinking of flipping it with Ryan’s help, but then I thought about how happy he’d be to have you down the street and how happy your girl would be to have that yard. It’s a win all around.”

  Trask couldn’t deny that Sophie needed more space. It wasn’t fair to keep her so penned in. The loft had been a welcome space when he’d moved in after his last stint at rehab. But that was a long time ago, and if he was honest with himself, he’d admit that he’d been feeling for a while it was time to move on.

  “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at it.” Trask tucked his work gloves into his back pocket. “Know any good contractors if I’m interested?”

  Reva beamed. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  Trask couldn’t help but smile in return. “Somehow I thought that might be the case.”

  He talked with her a few more minutes while she packed up a box of cookies and then rode down the street until he saw the house Reva mentioned. The flowerbeds in front of the windows were overgrown with weeds. Trask would probably just plant some no-fuss bushes. No reason to get fancy. The place needed a good coat of paint, a little sprucing up, but nothing he hadn’t taken care of at Joe’s place.

  Trask got out of his truck and peered through one of the windows. It looked as if there was more space on the inside than it seemed from the outside. Reva was right. It might only be one level, but his entire apartment could probably fit in this living room. Trask shoved his hands into his pockets, attempting to quell the little shot of excitement. No sense in jumping into something because of pure emotion, but damn, he did like the bones of the place.

  He went around to the backyard and smiled. Oh wow, Sophie would just go nuts. There was room to play fetch, to race around in circles, shady trees for her to flop under when she finally wore herself out. The sun porch was a sagging mess that would have to be completely torn down. But then he could expand it another few feet out. He loved being out on his balcony in almost any weather. This would be even nicer.

  Whistling to himself, Trask grabbed one of the realtor’s business cards, tucked it into his pocket, and headed to pick up Sophie before going to work.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  FELIPE LOVED the Den. He loved everything about it. The scent of paper with lingering traces of powdery incense. The sounds of geek talk and the rolling of dice if a game was going on in the back. And the best of all, Trask’s slow, welcoming smile and Sophie’s bark of recognition. It made Felipe’s heart leap and gave him a sense of coming home. Don’t get him wrong, he loved his apartment. He loved being so close to his family, and he valued his own space. But lately, coming home felt a little lonely.

  “Sophie, stay,” Trask ordered when the young dog would’ve raced pell-mell through the store to greet Felipe.

  Felipe smiled in sympathy as her whole body quivered when she obeyed with a little whimper. Lady was long past that stage as she walked sedately beside him, sniffing the air. “Hey, baby,” Felipe crooned as he got down on his knees and hugged Sophie. “Want me to take them outside? Sophie can jump all over me there until she’s satisfied.”

  Trask leaned down and brushed his hand over Felipe’s arm in a
warm welcome. Felipe knew better than to expect to be kissed breathless when there were customers in the store. Dakota wouldn’t have let that stop him, but then again, Dakota had zero care for niceties like that. No wonder he and Felipe had driven Brenden nuts. Neither one of them cared if they were giving others an eyeful. This, though… the anticipation was really nice because he knew when Trask did lay his lips on him, he would be all in the moment with him.

  Felipe tipped his head back to meet Trask’s gaze. There was a wicked glint in his dark eyes that made him catch his breath. “I don’t know,” Trask said in a low rasp. “You going to let me do the same later on?”

  Felipe grinned at him and stole a quick kiss anyway. “I think I can be persuaded if the offer is tempting enough.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Trask promised. And oh, it was a promise that made Felipe tingle. He should definitely engage in more phone sexy talk if this was the reception he received.

  The Den was hopping. Customers browsed through the shop, making a mess of the games and trade paperbacks. Ryan was checking in on the games in the back and restocking the snacks. Every table had something going on, and Felipe itched to check them out. No, first he’d see to the girls. Then he’d see if Trask wanted some help straightening up the front. Then maybe he could horn in on a game.

  “Hey, Ryan,” Felipe called as Sophie ran for the doggie door, diving between the legs of a guy standing at the war game table. Felipe winced. He should’ve held on to her collar or brought the leash. He had to remember she was still learning. He looked down at Lady. “That’s your daughter, not mine. Go on, girl.” He nudged her after Sophie.

  “Felipe, how is it you always contrive to make an entrance?” Ryan asked in exasperation.

  Felipe eyeballed him. He had a pretty good radar for when someone found him annoying. But like Brenden, Ryan’s prickly attitude seemed to have abated slowly since he began dating Trask. Maybe Trask was some kind of secret asshole whisperer. “There is nothing contrived about my entrances, thank you. It’s just art, baby.”

  Ryan snorted and shook his head. “Whatever you say.”

  “I say I’m going to go wear out those two for a bit.” Felipe jerked his thumb toward the backyard. “Then I was thinking of picking up the shelves up front. It’s a mess.”

  “Thanks.” Ryan’s grimace softened. “A whole flock of teenagers came through. They heard about the two-for-one deal and put a serious hurting on the graphic novels. I didn’t want to face it. Last time that happened, some fucknut spit chewing tobacco inside a few of the books. I wanted to hunt them down and strangle them.”

  That was just some demonic shit right there. The holidays brought out the absolute worst in some people. “Man, I would’ve totally given you an alibi. Strangling’s too good for them.”

  With a shake of his head, Felipe joined the dogs outside. It was one of those cold, misty days where the damp sank right into Felipe’s bones. He warmed himself by chasing Lady around, then letting himself be chased by Sophie in return. He played with them until Sophie’s run became a trot and when he tossed one of her toys, she just looked at it as if trying to decide if she had the energy to fetch it. She’d nap with her mama for a good bit now.

  When he came back in, Ryan gestured toward the stockroom. “If you’re going to organize, you might as well restock. My fiancée baked some cookies. Feel free to take some.”

  “Thanks, man.” Cookies sounded good, but not as much as a hot cup of coffee. Felipe rubbed his chilled hands together and sought out Trask’s pot. Trask was ringing up an impressive sale of miniatures and paints, but the pot behind him was freshly brewed. Felipe slipped in behind him and resisted the urge to squeeze Trask’s butt. He should get a fucking medal for his restraint.

  “Where are the girls?” Trask asked in a break between conversations.

  “Lady will stay outside all day if you let her. She’s sprawled out in that little shelter in the yard, and Sophie’s found a warm spot snuggled in next to her and is snoring by now.” Felipe took a sip and sighed in delight. Oh, that was just what he needed. “I’m going to restock your graphic novels.”

  Trask shot him a grateful look. “You don’t have to do that, but I appreciate it. It’s been crazy.”

  “I also didn’t grope you in front of the customers,” Felipe said in a low aside and preened at the amusement in Trask’s eyes. “Do you appreciate that too?”

  “That’s more of a mixed bag,” Trask murmured as another customer approached with a stack of board games. “My sense of what’s appropriate is grateful. The man who’s been missing you, not as much.”

  Felipe lightly blew across the back of Trask’s neck and laughed softly at the goose bumps that formed. “I’m sure you’ll thank me later.”

  “Oh, trust me, imp, you’ll get what’s coming to you.”

  Snickering, Felipe carried that promise with him as he got to work cleaning up the mess that browsers left behind. He finished up the game section, replenishing the shelves and making notes of what Trask was out of when the store cleared for a few blessed moments of quiet.

  “So, the loft I have, you’d say it’s too small, wouldn’t you?” Trask asked in the lull.

  “It’s small, but you’ve somehow kept it from feeling cramped.” Felipe glanced over his shoulder at Trask, who had poured himself a cup of coffee and was taking the opportunity to sit a moment.

  “Yeah, I’m sure that’ll change when Sophie gets full-size,” Trask said in a contemplative voice. “I’ve been thinking I should move, someplace bigger, you know. A friend clued me in on this house for sale.”

  “Whoa, you’re thinking of buying a house? Where?” Felipe paused in the middle of reorganizing the Vertigo trades.

  “Neighborhood not far from here. Quiet place, lots of trees. I think you’d like it.” Trask leaned his head back and closed his eyes as he took an appreciative sniff of his mug.

  “I didn’t know there were neighborhoods around here with lots of trees.” Richmond had many different scenes, from rows of strip malls to crowded old neighborhoods with wandering streets and worn exit ramps off the interstate. But the only areas he saw with trees were the neighborhoods near the racetrack, and those houses looked as if they cost a shit-ton more than what Felipe wanted to contemplate.

  “There are plenty of spots. Richmond’s not everything you see from the highway.” Trask let out a sigh, the familiar sound that escaped every time he took the first sip from a fresh cup of coffee.

  Felipe’s hands went back to what they were doing, though he’d ceased to see the books he was shelving. Did that mean he was thinking of taking their relationship to the next level? Felipe took a firm hold of his inner romantic and gave it a rough shake. That was ridiculous. This was for Sophie, not the two of them. It was too soon to think of moving in together. But it might happen. Dammit, Felipe wanted it to happen. He was in love with the silver twerp, and the oblivious man couldn’t see that. Felipe wanted to tell him, but that just might scare his Tin Man off for good. He seemed to be leery of talking about his emotions.

  “Something wrong? You’ve gotten awfully quiet.”

  “How long have you been sitting on this?” Felipe’s whirling thoughts needed a vent.

  “Just heard about it after we talked this morning,” Trask replied, neatly bursting Felipe’s rant that was dying to come out. Trask hadn’t been holding out on him. “Ran by the place. It needs some work, but—”

  “What kind of work?” Felipe jumped all over that as he turned around, putting his hands on his hips.

  “Well, I’m not quite sure yet,” Trask said slowly. “I only got a quick look around. I sent a message to the realtor, but I don’t expect to hear from her until Monday. Though it’s been on the market awhile. She might pounce sooner.”

  “Trask Briscoe, you’re not thinking of biting, are you? You need to get an inspection first.” Felipe paced up and down, waving his hands. He’d seen some real messes. New homeowners who’d come to his dad e
xpecting miracles. No way he would let Trask go down that road. The man needed a damn keeper. To further his irritation, when he glanced up, Trask had the audacity to look amused. “What’s the damn address?”

  Trask crossed his arms. “What are you thinking of, imp?”

  “I’m thinking that I’m a contractor’s son. I’ve seen my share of money pits. I want to examine this place before some lady in a pink suit and matching shoes makes you her bitch.” Felipe drilled a finger in his direction.

  Trask’s lips twitched, damn him, and Felipe sent him a narrow-eyed glare, silently daring him to smile. “I would feel relieved if you took a look at it,” Trask said solemnly. “I wouldn’t want to be anybody’s bitch but yours.”

  Trask was teasing him, and any other day Felipe would stick around to give him the same in return, but he had a place to check out before that realtor called back ecstatic over hooking a sucker. Felipe retrieved his jacket as Trask stood up, his eyes widening in surprise. “You’re going now?”

  “Yep, text me the address. There’s still a little daylight left, and you said it’s not far.” Felipe needed some time to get his spinning thoughts, hopes, and fears together. “Won’t take me long. That way if the realtor calls, you can let her know if you’re interested in a walk-through.”

  He felt Trask’s gaze on him as he walked out, but he didn’t try to stop Felipe. It didn’t take him long to find the place. The houses were too close together, but considering this was on the edges of the city, Felipe couldn’t really complain about that. And he could not see Trask living in the middle of seeming nowhere like Felipe did.

  Still, he liked the feel of the place. Old trees thrust up into the sky, filling the horizon and giving the neighborhood a sense of home. This was worlds away from Trask’s studio with its steel and concrete view. The little house could easily hold both of their apartments, probably had two bedrooms at least.

  Felipe sat in his car for a good fifteen minutes, eyeing the house and gnawing on his lip. Just say Trask was thinking of asking him to move in. Could he be happy here? It wasn’t like he could pitch a fit after the place had been bought. Slowly, Felipe emerged and walked around the place. The yard would take some serious work to keep up. It wasn’t his favorite thing to do, but if he could get Trask shirtless and outside on a hot summer day, that would be worth the sweat.