by Jools Louise
“Me, too,” Kaden added. “And can I order that to eat here, and add three more of the same, for my mates, to go. I told them I’d get dinner tonight.” He grinned. “I’ll eat first, though, I’m starving.” He flinched suddenly, glancing at Noah and Fly, who at one time had been starved nearly to death.
“You should be so lucky,” Fly shot back with a sassy flick of his wrist. He rolled his eyes at Noah, as though being starved to death was no big deal.
Kaden gave a startled laugh and nodded. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Noah said, laughing again as he keyed in their orders. He took their money, got three trays, and then busied himself getting the drinks.
“You can take a break if you like,” Shark said as he retrieved the fried chicken from the fryer, and began making up the orders swiftly. “We should be able to handle the rest.”
Noah looked at the door, as another ten customers wandered in, and shot Shark a look. “Ya think?” he asked, shaking his head. His leg ached like a bitch, but he ignored the pain, needing to help his friends.
“Let me help,” said a voice behind him. Drew, his brothers, and his mom, Kathleen, had just entered the restaurant.
Sherman came in with Chaz, and Noah glanced at the clock. It was now seven thirty, and they had another three hours to go until closing. He looked at the wolverines, raised a brow, and got a nod in response.
“Come on over,” he told Drew, who had offered. The kid was eighteen, and was wanting a part-time job. It looked as though he’d just been hired.
Drew grinned, hugged his mother, and then came barreling around to the food side.
“Wait up, short stuff,” Noah said. “You need to wear the uniform.” Drew groaned, then looked sheepishly over at Shark and Oliver, who grinned back smugly.
“No uniform, no job,” Oliver chirped, laughing as he loaded curly fries into cardboard holders.
“Damn,” Drew said, eyeing Noah’s outfit.
“Back there,” Noah said, jerking his thumb to the room in back, which had some lockers and spare uniforms in different sizes. “If you groan again, I’ll make sure you get a hair net to match the apron.”
“Shit,” Drew said, and darted off to get changed, emerging a few minutes later. He flushed when his brothers, and mother, all clapped loudly, then took a bow.
“Wash your hands,” Noah advised, and waited for Drew to comply. “Watch for a bit, then you can take over the till while I load trays, okay? It’s pretty straightforward, just like a smartphone…just make sure to get the right meal size. The prices come up right over here, so you can track, and you can switch between each customer like this.”
Drew nodded, and paid attention for the next few minutes. He was soon up to speed, and Noah was able to concentrate fully on filling trays while the teenager took orders and payments. They switched halfway through, so that Drew could manage both sides of the service counter. An hour later, they had slowed down a little. Noah grabbed a burger and fries for himself and went to sit with Fly and Alfie, who shared a table with Kaden, Flint, and Moe, leaving Drew and the wolverines in charge.
“You’re limping more,” Fly whispered. “Are you okay?”
Noah nodded. “Just aching a little, is all.” He rubbed his knee surreptitiously under the table, and felt Fly’s hand on his thigh. “It’ll get better. I just haven’t worked for a little while, so intensely.” Noah kept his voice low, not wanting to make a big deal.
“Are you okay?” Shark asked as he came over to sit with them, bringing his own meal. He looked tired but happy.
“I’m fine, boss.” Noah smiled, winking. “Just my old bones playing up a bit, that’s all. I’ll take an anti-inflammatory later, then I’ll be fine. Besides which, I live with a first-class masseur, so maybe he’ll help out, as well.”
“I’m sure we can come to some arrangement,” Fly said flirtatiously, smirking at Noah’s surprise.
“Oh, this is so good,” Alfie said suddenly, biting into his burger. He’d chosen a single-decker, with a grilled chicken breast, crispy bacon, crispy onions, sauce, and a juice. A pile of home fries sat on his plate, steaming gently.
“Yeah, I’m famished after all those clients,” Fly agreed, wrenching his gaze from Noah’s and grabbing his burger, the same as Alfie’s, tucking in greedily.
“I think you’re a hit,” Kaden said, winking at Shark, who preened at the praise.
“I’m glad,” Shark said, looking relieved. “I just hope this continues…just maybe not at this pace.”
“Things will slow down a bit, for sure,” Kaden said. “But with this kind of cooking, delicious by the way, I reckon this place will have a steady trade. You should advertise for more staff.”
“Are you hiring?” a soft voice asked. Cullen, a fox shifter, came over, and looked hesitantly at Shark.
“Hey, Cullen,” Kaden said with a smile. “Aren’t you working with Ryder?”
“I was,” Cullen said, shrugging, looking unhappily down at his Reeboks. “I don’t think I’m cut out for that kind of thing. I quit a week ago, and was planning on leaving town.”
“Don’t leave,” Alfie said gently, pulling a chair out for Cullen to sit on. “You’ve settled in well, here. It’s not a bad thing, if you’ve decided you don’t like law enforcement. Just think, if you work here, you’ll have all the food you can eat, and a bright, sparkly uniform, as well.”
Shark laughed at Alfie’s gentle dig about the uniform. “Alfie’s just jealous,” he said airily, smirking at the leopard shifter, who grinned back. “We decided to make this place fun and quirky, hence the names of the meals, and the restaurant. Eating chicken is a feel-good experience. Not to be underrated.”
Cullen smiled a little. “The food’s amazing,” he admitted. “I just had the Super Cluck with cheezy fries.”
“If you want to come over in the morning, we’ll show you the operation,” Shark said, smiling back. “Then we can work out shifts for everyone. With three employees, plus me and Oliver, it should be a cinch. We were looking at running the place ourselves, after all the rumors that started, and people being mean to us. I’m so glad you want to work for us.”
“I wouldn’t put too much credence in the mutterings of idiots,” Cullen said firmly. “You’ve had a successful night, because Sage isn’t full of morons, thank goodness. Most people here are pretty good at making up their own minds about who is trustworthy or not. You and Oliver have worked really hard at your culinary classes, at the college. It’s time you reaped the rewards. This restaurant was a great idea.”
Shark looked at Cullen, and grinned. “You’re hired,” he said, reaching over to shake Cullen’s hand. “Obviously, a man with such great taste, and an even better line in buttering up the boss, is someone we need to work with.”
Cullen laughed at that, his sherry brown eyes twinkling merrily. “I was actually being serious, but if it gets me a job, it’s all good.”
“Dude, welcome to Feeling Clucky,” Noah said with a chuckle.
Cullen grinned, nodding. “I’m only doing it for the uniform,” he said, with a teasing look at Shark, who flipped him off.
“Just wait until you see the hats,” Oliver called from the counter, where he was wiping down with Drew.
“Hats?” Fly asked, sounding slightly appalled.
“Noah, why don’t you show Fly your hat?” Shark said smugly.
Grinning, Noah retrieved his little peaked cap from his pocket, and plopped it onto his head. The peaked bit was in the shape of a chicken’s beak, and it had a pair of beady eyes on either side, a little red comb on top, and several jaunty plastic feathers adorning it. To top off the whole ensemble, it even had a pair of wings, like those of the mythological messenger, Mercury, one on each side.
Fly’s mouth opened, then closed, with no sound coming out but a faint whimper.
“I got one, too,” Drew called, donning his hat, too. Noah laughed at the kid, enjoying the stunned surprise on Fly’s face.
“This
is a day for celebrations,” Noah said, kissing Fly’s nose. “We all got jobs, Feeling Clucky is a success, and for the first time since I’ve known him, Fly is speechless”
Everyone laughed at that one, and even Fly smiled, before flipping the bear shifter off. “Sweetie, I was merely searching for the right one to describe your appearance,” he drawled back, arching one brow mockingly. “I find that my vocabulary doesn’t extend that far.”
“I’ll help you look later,” Noah retorted, smirking as he studied the blush on Fly’s pale cheeks. “I may need a hot bath, and someone to wash my back.” Then he looked over at where Oliver and Drew were shutting down. “I need to help, though,” he said, rising to his feet, trying to restrain the wince of pain.
“Noah, you don’t need to do that,” Shark said, placing a hand on his arm. “We can manage, now, with Drew’s help. You get on home, you’ve done more than your share today. We can’t thank you enough.”
Noah glanced at his boss, then over at the counter, seeing Drew shooing him away. He laughed and sighed. “That would be good,” he said, feeling his knee throbbing in earnest now. “What time should I be here in the morning? Same time?”
“Sure,” Shark said agreeably. “Cullen, why don’t you come by then, too, for eight o’clock, so we can get set up. We sold a lot of stock, so I’ll defrost more chicken for tomorrow. We’ll need to marinade in the morning, and there’ll be a lot more prep.”
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Noah said, smiling. Waving at Drew, he began to limp out, hearing Fly hurriedly say his good-byes to Alfie and Kaden, before following quickly.
“You’re in pain,” Fly said accusingly.
“Yes,” Noah murmured, glancing at his friend and lover. “It’s not as though it’s the first time, and it for sure ain’t gonna be the last.” He wrapped an arm around Fly’s slim waist as they headed for the escalator to the lower level, and the staff exit. “Shit, I forgot to get the rest of my uniform.”
Footsteps sounded behind them, running, and the pair turned around to see Oliver racing after them, a large carrier bag in his grasp.
“Here you go,” he said, handing the bag over. “There’s four shirts, and four pairs of pants, plus a couple of extra aprons. If you need more, just ask. We ordered a few standard sizes, plus the extra-bear size ones, for you.”
Noah grinned, and hugged Oliver gently. “Thanks, boss,” he replied. “I had a good time today.”
Oliver looked pleased, and hugged him back. “I had fun, too,” he said. “I know not everyone gets the uniforms,” he said with a narrow-eyed stare at Fly. “We like them, though, and we’re hoping they bring the fun factor back to Sage.”
Fly eyed the wolverine shifter sheepishly, then reached out and hugged the man, as well. “Oliver, I’m so glad you decided to stay,” he said warmly. “I didn’t mean to be insulting about the uniforms, that’s just my snark coming out. I hope you didn’t take too much offense. I’m sorry if I was too harsh.”
Oliver gave him a kiss on the cheek and squeezed him tightly, then pulled away. “Fly, honey, we’ve all been through the wars, haven’t we? If anything, our time in that godawful mine taught me that whatever else those pricks did to us, they didn’t break our spirit. I love your snark, and I wasn’t offended. You’re style personified, and we’re building a fast food empire with silly hats and a store called Feeling Clucky. We take our business seriously, but don’t ever apologize for being you. You were the one who kept us going, and inspired us to open our restaurant.”
Fly blinked at Oliver, looking astounded. “I did?”
“Yes,” Oliver replied, nodding. “You kept saying how you were going to change your life, and when you got out of that mine, you were going to do the job you wanted to do, not what everyone expected you to do. And you have. You’re working as a masseur, and you obviously love what you do. You never gave up. So we didn’t either. Even if it took us a little longer to get there.”
“You had to get the training, first,” Noah said gently. “Taking those culinary classes was a great idea, and gave you the confidence and the skills to produce a quality product. If you’d gone in without knowing anything, the restaurant wouldn’t succeed. Instead, you’ll be the talk of the town…for all the right reasons.”
Fly nodded in agreement, and Oliver blinked back happy tears. “Thanks, guys,” he said. “We’re glad we stayed here. We love this town, and for the first time, we feel at home, have our own apartment and our own business. Life’s good.” He glanced back at the restaurant and smiled. “I’d better get back. See you in the morning.”
“See you, boss,” Noah said, as Oliver scurried off again.
“Did he mean that?” Fly asked as they began walking again, taking the escalator down a level, then heading for the staff exit door.
“About you inspiring them to keep going?” Noah asked. Fly nodded. “Well, sure,” Noah said, stopping to kiss his mate in a toe-curling, dick hardening way that had them both panting for more. “You kept a lot of us going, refusing to give up, always talking about when we got out, not if. You stopped us thinking about quitting. Even when it seemed inevitable that we would die down in that mine. You’re one of the strongest people I know…attitude and all.”
Fly flipped him off, and they left the mall, bantering amiably, as they usually did, this time with laughter and more than a hint of sexual heat. Both knew that when they got home, the tension would ignite once again. They’d only scratched the surface that morning.
Chapter Five
Fly was concerned about Noah, who was stoic to a fault, and refused to tell Fly how much his leg was hurting. The man had endured a nasty beating, after he’d been kidnapped by Flashpoint’s morons, and Fly knew that the big bear shifter was hurting far more than he was letting on.
“I’ll start your bath for you,” Fly said as they entered their apartment, tugging off his gold, sparkly jacket and hanging it neatly on a hook by the door. Noah nodded silently, and went to sit on the large sectional couch, groaning a little as he took the weight off his leg. Fly watched as his lover closed his eyes, pain etched into the man’s face, and sighed, realizing that Noah was a grown man, not a child. He wouldn’t appreciate Fly fussing over him.
“What’s wrong?” Noah mumbled drowsily. “I can hear you staring.”
Fly rolled his eyes. “Hear me?” he asked, huffing. “You shouldn’t have…”
“Yes, I should,” Noah interrupted. He opened one brown eye and met Fly’s golden gaze intently. “Those boys have had more than their share of trouble, as we have. The idiots who are trying to stop them realizing their dream are not going to succeed. I couldn’t leave them in the lurch, and if a little pain is the price for making them happy and their business a success, then I’ll do that ten times over if I have to. This leg is healing. It’s just hurting because I’ve been a lazy bum for the last few months, since I left my job working at the grocery store.”
“You went to work too soon,” Fly scolded gently, coming to sit beside Noah. “Lugging boxes put too much strain on your knee. I’m glad you came to your senses.”
Noah reached for him, dragging him over to sprawl on top of his big frame. Fly felt his blood pressure rise, his cock thickening in anticipation. “Baby, I love that you care about me,” he said huskily, rubbing his big hand along Fly’s back, cupping Fly’s ass firmly and squeezing. Fly shuddered, loving the feel of raw power beneath him, the bear shifter’s body taut with muscle, his thick cock burgeoning against Fly’s belly.
“Of course I care,” Fly whispered, kissing Noah’s jaw tenderly, inhaling the scent of chicken, cooking oil, and Noah’s own unique aroma. “I worry about you. Without you in that mine, without your strength, I wouldn’t have been as strong. I was about ready to crumble at the end.”
Noah kissed him tenderly, his tongue brushing Fly’s in a kiss that scorched Fly’s nerve endings, sending his pulse racing. “Baby, we all were,” he admitted. “Then, in that horrible cage, at the fight camp,
all I thought about was surviving so that I could return to you. I had to come back, to tell you how I felt. I’ve been falling in love with you for the longest time.”
Fly deepened the kiss, moaning as Noah began to grind his cock against Fly, using both hands to knead Fly’s taut butt cheeks until Fly thought for sure he’d self-combust. “I hoped you’d feel the same as I do,” he murmured against Noah’s delectable mouth. “I just didn’t know how you could. We’re so different.”
Noah smiled, nipping at Fly’s lower lip. “Opposites attract,” he replied, sucking on Fly’s tongue, then kissing him again hungrily until they were both panting with need. “We’re different in a lot of ways. You’re slender, I’m big and muscly. You’re a reed, I’m a tank. You’re a style queen, I’m definitely not.” Noah nibbled at his lover’s lips tenderly. “All in all, I’d say we were the perfect match. You’re sexy as fuck, and I can’t get enough of you. Your smell like sunshine, you feel like a walking wet dream, and if I don’t get inside your tight little ass, I’ll embarrass myself in my nice new pants.”
Fly emitted a tiny giggle, blushing furiously at the sexy talk. He knew exactly how Noah felt.
“How about I run that bath,” he murmured, his cheeks bright red, easing away reluctantly. “Then we can continue this discussion in a little while.”
He grinned as Noah groaned in agreement. Fly scrambled off his lover, trembling with need as he went into the bathroom, flipping on the faucets, and tipping some soothing bath oils into the hot water. Tea tree and eucalyptus had a pungent odor, but would help to soothe Noah’s aching leg.
Stripping off his clothes, he placed them neatly on a chair in his bedroom, then went back to check the water level. Noah was there, naked, looking hot as fuck as he stood with his huge cock slapping against his toned abs, his six-pack a thing of beauty. He was a bear in every sense, his body hair thick and silky-looking, covering his chest and trailing downward to the trimmed bush at his groin. Fly had a moment of penis envy, eyeing the man’s big dick, until he saw the hungry assessment he was getting from Noah’s big brown eyes. He preened, loving that look on Noah’s face, the one that told him the bigger man wanted to gobble him up.