A Whole Latte Sass

by Marguerite Labbe

  “I hadn’t seen you since I brought you home from the hospital.” Trask squeezed his sponsor’s hand and tried to quiet the worry inside of him. Joe was showing his years tonight in the slump of his shoulders and the pallor of his complexion. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better. The medicine seems to be doing its thing.” Joe rapped his knuckles against his bony chest. “It’s going to take more than a heart scare to slow me down.”

  Trask smiled. “You’ll outlive us all just out of pure stubbornness.”

  “You going to speak at my anniversary meeting in a few weeks?” Joe stood up slowly and pushed the case toward Bethany, who picked it up to stow away. She shot Trask a friendly smile, and it seemed to him that those smiles had been getting a little friendlier each time they ran into each other.

  Trask had never made much of an issue about his sexual orientation during these meetings, though over the last ten years or so people in the Richmond area had become much more open-minded about things as the city began to change. Joe and Ryan knew, but precious few others. Because he was so closemouthed, that meant he occasionally had to dodge an interested lady, and in all his years, he’d never found a way to do that that didn’t lead to embarrassment for them both.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Trask assured him.

  “So you’ve met someone?” Joe asked, crossing his bony arms. The faded blue denim of his shirt matched his eyes.

  “I’ve known them casually for a couple years now.” Trask never suspected Felipe’s interest would turn toward him or how it would feel to be in his crosshairs. It was an interesting sensation, a little flattering, though it left Trask bemused if he were honest. “They’ve been after for me for a date for a couple months now.”

  Disappointment crossed Bethany’s face, but then she put on an easy smile. “Seems to me you should give it a whirl.” She patted his arm. “No harm in trying.”

  “You of a mind to get caught?” Joe asked with amusement glinting in his eyes after Bethany excused herself.

  “I have, twice so far.” They might as well call the Ren Faire day a date instead of describing it as a group hangout. If it ended in kisses, it should be considered a date. Maybe he was old-fashioned that way. “And have plans for a third.”

  “About time.” Joe clapped Trask on the shoulder. “You mind coming over a little later this week? I need some help pulling things from the garage. We can talk more about your new someone and what you said tonight.”

  There weren’t many people that Joe reached out to for help, and Trask felt honored to be one of them. “Don’t mind at all, just let me know when.”

  Trask was actually grateful Ryan wasn’t here tonight, because his share would lead to questions he wasn’t prepared to field yet. Not with Ryan’s dislike of Felipe and what he stood for. At least he’d been distracted lately at work, because Ryan hadn’t even questioned why Trask had taken a Saturday off.

  He was tied up with a visit from his soon-to-be in-laws and wedding planning, and it gave Trask a short reprieve, though he was sure he’d be dodging more concerns from Ryan soon. This would give him a chance to talk it out with Joe before Ryan stuck his opinion in there. Trask loved the man. He’d been friends with Ryan for years, but he wasn’t blind to how Ryan held on to perceived slights.

  “Will do.” Joe shrugged into his heavier jacket and fished out his keys. “You heading out?”

  Trask glanced over at Jason. The people around him had thinned. Jason was wringing his hands as he lingered. Afraid to step out the door. Trask had been there too. There probably wasn’t a damn thing he hadn’t tried to use as an escape when the pain, fear, and guilt got to be too much, and sometimes knowing that it would be worse when he woke up had only made him run toward it harder. Addiction was a vicious, ruthless beast.

  “I’m going to go see if Jason wants a cup of coffee.” Trask smiled, remembering one freezing spring night when Joe had approached him with an offer for coffee and conversation. The best way he could give back that gift would be to offer it to someone else.

  “I think that’s a fine idea.” Joe nodded his approval with one last clap to Trask’s arm, Joe’s way of expressing his pride. “You go on and do just that.”

  Chapter Nine

  “OKAY, THIS is the real test,” Felipe said as he opened the back door to his car and slid in before Waldo could make his escape. He liked to hide, hence the name Felipe had given him. With the puppy’s antics, he had no doubt Jaydon and the little fella would become best buds. He picked up the training harnesses and slipped them on Waldo first, then Sophie. They crawled over him, tails whipping, tongues lolling with happiness. “If you like Trask and he likes you, then I’m taking it as a good sign.” Felipe was a firm believer in a dog’s ability to recognize a closet asshole.

  He opened the door again. Waldo made a bolt for it and then looked back at Felipe with an almost comical expression as the leash and harness brought him up short. “Don’t worry. The Karlins have a fenced-in backyard. You can run amok all you want. But you might want to learn to come when Jaydon calls. Because that may give you more freedom, you renegade.”

  Felipe stood up and looked back at Sophie, who eyed the ground from the height of the seat. “It’s okay, you can do it,” Felipe encouraged. To his delight, she cocked her head and hopped down onto the floor, then onto the ground from there. “That’s my girl. That’s how you think through a problem.”

  He texted Trask to let him know they’d arrived and then let the puppies sniff around and play after being confined in the car for the last ninety minutes. Trask lived in a little complex off Broad Street, not far from his shop. It seemed like a nice enough place, but for the lack of greenery. Sometimes it sucked living in a rural county, but not when it came to the scenery. Felipe wasn’t sure he could trade his views of the forest for the wash of blues and grays from the buildings, even if he had the extra company and a more exciting nightlife.

  Trask ambled out of the apartment building in his shirtsleeves despite the chill and paused when he saw the puppies. “You weren’t kidding. They are adorable.” He crouched down, holding out his fingers to be sniffed as the puppies tumbled over to greet him. Now that was a sight guaranteed to tug at every one of Felipe’s heartstrings. He was a total sucker when it came to a man who loved animals as much as Felipe did. “Hey there,” Trask crooned in a soft voice. “I’m Trask.”

  That alone should have been Felipe’s clue during his doomed relationship with Dakota. The man had no time or patience for a pet. He bet Dakota would love one if he paused long enough to see what he was missing. But he would never give it a chance.

  Felipe walked over as Trask rubbed ears and wagging rumps with tattooed fingers. “Yeah. If it isn’t love at first sight for Waldo and Jaydon, then I’ve lost my innate ability to match a puppy with the love of its life.” And from the way Sophie was licking Trask’s hand and wiggling so hard that her entire body was in motion, her attraction to Trask was as strong as Felipe’s. Good. Trask needed some unconditional love, and Sophie needed someone who would challenge her intelligence and energy.

  Trask tilted his head back, his dark eyes warm enough to light up the overcast day. “I’ve got a spot for them ready upstairs. Hungry?”

  For a lot more than food. Felipe wouldn’t mind another round of kisses like the one he’d received when he last saw Trask. “Definitely.”

  “I hope eggs and toast are fine,” Trask said as he stood up. “I don’t really make anything fancy when it’s just me, and I wasn’t sure what to buy.”

  “You could’ve handed me a box of cereal and some milk.” Felipe’s pulse jumped as Trask brushed a kiss over his mouth. “Do that again and I’ll scandalize your neighbors.”

  “Well, we can’t have that.” Trask winked at Felipe and took Sophie’s harness from him. “Come on. I’ve got some toys with your name on them. We’ll pick out a few for you and your friend and send him off to Jaydon proper.”

  Felipe followed Trask
into the ancient elevator that rattled its way to the top floor. “So what have you got planned for the game today?” Felipe asked, his curiosity nagging him. He was looking forward to role-playing almost as much as he was looking forward to spending the day with Trask. It had been over a year since he had a chance to roll the dice.

  “You’ll see,” Trask replied with an enigmatic look. “And don’t think you can cozy up to the GM either. It won’t work.”

  Since Felipe had been considering just that, he assumed an innocent expression. “I would never stoop to such underhanded tactics.”

  “That remains to be seen.” Trask chuckled as he unlocked the door to his place.

  Felipe had an impression of a studio-style apartment before the door closed and he wrapped his arms around Trask’s neck. “I’ve been thinking of this since our last kiss.”

  He locked his lips on Trask’s, gratified by the man’s immediate response, and didn’t let go until they were both breathless. When he pulled back, he noted the bemusement in Trask’s expression with satisfaction. Felipe wasn’t going to be the only one thinking of doing that again late at night as he tried to sleep.

  “I think that was better than a cup of coffee.” Trask’s gaze dipped to Felipe’s mouth again. He leaned in, pinning Felipe to the door, his hands caging Felipe to either side of his hips. Felipe’s pulse jumped as their lips met again in a kiss that devastated his senses. Trask kissed like he was indulging in every moment.

  “Just coffee?” Felipe teased when he could think again. “Come on. A whole-milk mocha latte at least.”

  “If you knew how much I liked coffee, you’d take that as a compliment.” Trask crouched and unclipped the leashes to Sophie and Waldo’s harnesses. He pointed to a dog bed in the corner and a small pile of toys. “The bed’s new, the toys belonged to Spaz. I couldn’t seem to make myself toss them. There’s fresh water in the dish, and I bought a little puppy kibble for them so you wouldn’t have to worry about using yours.”

  Stunned, Felipe watched Trask walk away toward the kitchen. “And sexy on top of all that. I’m such a goner,” he said under his breath as he leaned back against the door.

  Sophie followed on Trask’s heels without a backward glance, as if she agreed with Felipe’s assessment, while Waldo moved around the main room exploring. Felipe was nosy, he’d fully admit it, and the way a man set up his living space said a lot about him. The bed was simple, big enough for two but barely, with a bedspread haphazardly pulled up. A comfortable chair sat in the corner with a bookcase on both sides and a fold-up tray stand nearby. The dog bed wasn’t far from the chair, and an old rug lay underneath it for extra padding.

  Waldo pounced on a squeaky toy shaped like a snake and shook his head ferociously. Felipe crouched by the bowls and half filled one with kibble. A gigantic flat-screen TV dominated one wall, with a sleek entertainment center beneath. The only decorations were a signed picture of Martian Manhunter, a gorgeous print of cherry blossoms, and several photos. Felipe crossed to the pictures. One was of Trask and a Jack Russell terrier with intelligent eyes. Another captured Trask, Ryan, and some chick Felipe had never seen before. Trask and an old man dominated the third. The final one was of an old lady with steely determination in the set of her jaw. She had to be family of some kind. She and Trask had similar bone structure. But that was the limit of the photos. There wasn’t even one on his nightstand.

  “Been here long?” Felipe asked as he came to the kitchen and leaned against the entrance.

  “Ever since the elevator was almost new.” Trask laughed lightly. He scrambled up a mess of eggs at the stove, moving around Sophie, who explored the area at his feet. “It’s so close to the shop that I can walk to it unless it’s a real shit day. And the rent isn’t bad. The yuppies haven’t gotten a hold of this part of Richmond yet. I have enough stashed away to buy a house, but I can’t see needing all that space, so I’ve just kind of stayed.”

  Felipe crossed to the toaster as it popped, and he laid two slices on each plate in front of it. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Sure.” Trask nodded to the fridge. “There’s butter in there if you want it and some raspberry preserves, which is my favorite. Coffee’s on the counter. Pour yourself a cup.”

  It smelled heavenly. Felipe did appreciate a good cup of coffee. He pulled out the preserves from the fridge. Just about everything he’d seen in the apartment was secondhand and worn with long use except for the TV and coffee maker. Trask’s setup was barista level. “Wow, that is some machine.”

  “I take my coffee seriously.” Trask slid the eggs on the plates and flipped off the stove. “Let’s carry it out to my excuse for a balcony. It’s where I keep my table unless it’s really bad out.”

  The air had a bite to it, but Trask seemed impervious as he walked out in his bare feet. Felipe was not that warm-blooded, so he grabbed his jacket before following with their coffees and condiments. Trask pulled out a chair for him at the wrought iron table, then sat down across from him, propping his feet up on the railing. The pups followed, taking the opportunity to explore every nook of the balcony. There wasn’t much to see but the somewhat run-down face of the city, but Felipe bet it was pretty at night.

  “I’d forgotten you said you don’t drink or I wouldn’t have invited you out to the bar that first night.” Felipe stretched out his legs and sat back with his plate in his lap.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Trask put a good-sized dollop of preserves on his toast and tackled that first. “You go to bars often?”

  “Not really. For one, there aren’t that many close to home that I’d feel comfortable at. Casey Jones isn’t bad, but then there’s the hassle of finding someone who’d take turns being a designated driver with me. Not many people want to drive out to my place after dark. And quite frankly, the idea of getting lit up on a Friday night doesn’t really have much appeal anymore.”

  A sympathetic smile crossed Trask’s face. “Was it a bad hangover or someone you picked up that made its appeal fade?”

  Felipe grimaced at the memory. “Hangover and the aftermath definitely played a part. This summer I’d gotten pissed about the relationship I was in, so I ended it and then drowned my sorrows and irritations in tequila.” Bless Morris. He’d sat with him the entire night listening to Felipe bitch and whine. Felipe pressed a hand to his stomach as it reacted.

  “I still can’t say tequila without being sick to my stomach. I woke up with a hangover to end all hangovers and not entirely sure if I was sober yet. Morris’s boyfriend was being annoying, and they were sucking on each other’s faces to add to my misery. To put a cap on it, I was stuck being social with my family for the rest of the day while my mom and lola made paella. It’s normally my favorite, and they kept trying to serve me more. When I finally escaped, I swore I’d never let a guy get me that worked up again.”

  “You are a quicker learner than I was.” Trask didn’t follow that tantalizing comment with more information to satisfy Felipe’s curiosity.

  “Not quite. A few weeks after that I got lit up after a con. It was in a brewery, of all places. And I was stuck in a car with Morris for hours the next day.” Felipe shook his head at the memory. “Actually, if I’m honest, Morris was stuck with me. Two miserable hangovers in a row were enough to make me realize that I’m more of a social drinker than a binger.”

  Trask made a noncommittal sound, though his attention remained focused on Felipe. He was a hard read. Felipe found that a challenge.

  “Besides, most of the people I hang with don’t get wasted. They may have a beer or two, Morris can kill a pitcher of margaritas on a long weekend, but that’s the extent of it.” Felipe glanced down at Waldo, who was looking at his toast with such hope in his eyes. “Don’t be a beggar. I’m not the sucker you’re looking for.” Felipe wagged his finger at the unrepentant pup before turning back to Trask.

  “Being tipsy is fun. But I have a hard time staying still unless I’m at my sewing machine and super focus
ed.” Felipe lifted his plate onto the table so Waldo wouldn’t be teased over his toast. “I’ve drawn a couple cool concepts for a costume while tipsy, but I once sewed a zipper on backward too. No more getting drunk for me. I don’t want to be that guy, you know the one everybody snickers over because he’s being a monumental asswipe while lit the fuck up.”

  “Yep, I have met that guy many times.” Trask gently nudged Sophie away from knocking over his potted plants. “Hell, to be honest, I’ve been that guy.”

  Now Felipe was intrigued. He could not picture Trask being that asshole. “You’ve got to give me more than that. What was it? Inappropriate comments, thinking you’re so clever when the alcohol hits you? That has gotten me into trouble a few times.”

  “No, I was a belligerent drunk.” Trask fisted his hands and lifted them up with an inscrutable expression. “I tended to let these do the talking for me when someone else got mouthy.”

  “Good thing neither one of us is in danger of getting wasted around the other. Because I’m mouthy sober. Apparently I’m worse drunk.” Felipe traced his finger over Trask’s knuckles. Trask was one big still water. Felipe had gone swimming enough to know deep and sometimes dangerous currents ran underneath still waters. “That’s pretty much my extent of drunk stories. It’s a sad lot.”

  “No, not at all.” Trask set his empty plate aside and drew up his legs. “I’m utterly incapable of just getting tipsy, so I stay away from any hint of it.”

  He seemed lost in thought as he looked out over Richmond and idly scratched Sophie’s head as she laid her paws on the chair and stretched up to meet his strokes. “You really are a sweetie, aren’t you?”

  Felipe tamped down a little spark of hope. He wanted a special home for Sophie. The way Trask had talked about his Spaz, and how long it had been since his boon companion had passed, made Felipe think maybe he was open to loving another. Felipe crossed his fingers that Trask would take to the puppy as much as she seemed to be taken by him. Trask lifted her onto his lap and smiled down at her as she nuzzled him. There was none of his usual guardedness in that look. “I shouldn’t do this. It’ll make you think it’s okay, and one day you’re going to be far too big to be on anyone’s lap.”