Foothills Pride Box Set

Chapter 2-2

I opened the door wider, and the room reeked. Tears came to my eyes as I looked over the cheerful room. Once upon a time, I’d wanted to have somewhere to make us happy before we went to work every day.

Now I wanted to howl. I wasn’t happy. My life had become a train wreck.

Again I felt Nameless’s hand on my shoulder.

“I don’t mind doing it all if you just tell me which closet I’m emptying,” he said even more softly. “I got your back here.”

I turned around and hugged him.

“Thank you. Thank you so much. I owe you big time.” I sniffled into his chest. “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but God, I’m so grateful.”

He hugged me back. In the background I heard the front door close, and Alex’s crying stopped. I could hear him snuffling up to us.

“Take your damn stuff and go, Jimmy!” He yelled it, as if this were his idea. “I don’t want to see you again.”

My bartender turned to him, and Alex scurried away into the bathroom.

“I’ve got a couple of duffel bags in this closet.” I pointed across the room. “And my stuff’s in there.” I pointed to the chest next to us. “If you could get it into the duffels, I’ll clear out the closet.”

I looked up at him and took a deep breath.

“Thank you,” I added softly. “Thank you so much.”

We worked quietly. I could hear Alex moving around in the bathroom, starting the shower, then getting into it. Nameless packed quickly, taking piles of underwear and T-shirts and stacking them neatly with sure movements, as if he’d packed a lot before.

I still didn’t know much about the guy and continued to be shocked at how much nicer he was treating me than the person who’d said he loved me. This all felt slightly surreal, as if I’d stepped into someone’s novel or movie or something. I wanted to wake up and have life go back to what it was, until it occurred to me my life was s**t then and was looking up with my new friend in it now.

While Alex was in the shower, I zipped into the bathroom and scooped up my stuff. I left my body gel and shampoo in the shower. I could buy more of those. I squirted all of the lube into the toilet and left the bottle floating in it, then I peed. And flushed twice. I wasn’t above petty revenge, it seemed.

I grabbed my favorite kitchen equipment—things I’d bought with my money. And my bartender and I were out of there before Alex reappeared.

My Jetta was stuffed by the time we got everything into it. Considering I didn’t think I had very much and we hadn’t even taken any of the few pieces of furniture I owned, I guess I hadn’t had an accurate picture of the unencumbered life I thought I lived.

Oh, well.

“So where to?” Nameless but Handsome asked, he and his bike next to my car window.

“Um, I guess I’m going to put everything at the coffee shop while I figure out where I’m moving permanently. Just follow me.”

I drove to Penny’s, the shop I co-owned with Felicity, my friend from high school. She liked math and all things business. I liked decorating, cooking, and coming up with new coffee and tea drinks, so we were a match made in heaven.

Penny’s was located in an indoor mall, in a corner alcove with an upscale clothing store on one side and a killer shoe and purse store on the other. It’s a two-story shop, with our offices upstairs and enough storage space to open a ballroom if we wanted. Our inventory went in and out so fast, most stuff didn’t get past the back door and kitchen area, so upstairs was relatively empty.

When I drove up to the loading dock, Felicity shot outside almost before I stopped.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a smacking kiss on the lips.

“So how was it, birthday boy? Did you get the shock of your life?” she asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

“Huh? How was what?” I asked as NBH—Nameless but Handsome—roared up behind me and turned off his bike.

She looked over at him, her eyes getting really wide.

“Oh, my!” She bent toward me and whispered in my ear, “Where did you pick up this present?”

Then she looked at my car.

She backed away from me as she stared at my s**t.

“What the f**k happened, Jimmy? What did that s**t do? You moved out?”

“Uh, can we carry some of the stuff inside while I tell you?”

“He didn’t take you to San Fran to the play and the really cool gay bar, huh?” she asked.

“You mean Alex? No. Was he supposed to?” I loaded my arms, then nodded at the car. “He had another surprise in mind.”

“And who’s this?” She grabbed a couple of the bags. “Do I know you?”

“Hi, I’m the bartender down at Stonewall. Call me Stone.” He lifted some of the big stuff from the car.

I wondered if this was what he told everyone instead of giving them his first name or if he was just trying to provoke me.

Whatever, it was working. I was provoked.

“I’m Felicity Long. What happened?” She did not look like a happy camper.

He looked at her, smiled—well, grinned actually—and answered, “That’s Jimmy’s story to tell.”

He readjusted his grip on the enormous pile he was holding.

I had to get it together. I couldn’t just let him and Felicity stand there, so I juggled my load and held the door for them.

“Where do you want to put this?” Felicity was looking around the crowded back area.

“In the storage room. It’s pretty much empty right now, yeah?”

She nodded and started up the stairs.

“Okay. Where do you want to put your stuff up here?”

Stone climbed right behind her, and I went upstairs behind him.

“I guess over in the back, by the old couch.”

I put my stack of hanging clothes down on the couch, making a mental list. I needed a clothes rack. There was a gifty, upscale housewares place a few stores down that was open until nine, so I’d stop there later and pick one up. When I got back from dinner.

Felicity and I talked as we walked up and down the stairs carrying more stuff. Dan and Brad were working the coffee shop, so Felicity, as usual, wasn’t really needed. She just liked to hang around the shop, chatting with the people who stopped by and generally basking in the idea of being a business owner.

We’d both worked a lot of shitty jobs for even shittier people before we saved the money for the shop, so we didn’t hide our pride in being grown-up, small business owners. We were even about to open a second shop down the street from the saloon in Old Town. We’d visited the former bank building a few times and were ready to put in a bid for it.

The plan was I’d be the manager there, and Felicity would be the manager here. Penny’s Too on Main Street would be the late night person’s go-to place after Stonewall closed and the cozy place for weekend pastry or croissant and all-day coffee in a town with a lot of know-nothing rednecks. The customers who stopped by Penny’s here at the mall said they’d support another coffee place near the old-line downtown restaurants and bars, so we thought it’d work out. Felicity had run some numbers and said we’d be fine. More than anything I trusted Felicity.

That’s why I was surprised about her San Francisco comment. Did she want to move back there?

“That Alex. What a s**t,” She’d put down her armload and was staring at my pile of stuff. “We all gave him money to take you to San Fran to go to the show you wanted to see, and take you out for dinner, and then spend the night there.”

I was stunned.

Behind me, my bartender muttered, “Wish I’d known that when we were at the apartment.”

“Why? What would you have done?” Felicity asked.

“Gotten in his face. Gotten it all straightened out.” He looked fierce and protective and adorable.

“Good for you.” She smiled at him as if he’d done something courageous. “Not enough people take care of Jimmy.”

“What? I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Thank you very much,” I squeaked.

The bartender gave me the eye and laughed sourly. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been watching. But it didn’t happen.”

Suddenly Felicity and Stone were solid friends. I watched as they bonded—over me.

In disgust, I turned around and clomped down the stairs to the car. I could take care of myself. I didn’t need a bodyguard. Just friends. That was enough.

We got everything moved into the space, then Felicity was called away on a minor emergency when some kid accidentally flushed his blankie down one of the toilets.

“So, food?” I asked the bartender, still stunned at how someone with no name had quickly won over Felicity. She was usually suspicious of the men I introduced her to.

He nodded at the mention of food.

“Take the bike?” he asked.

Oh, yeah!

* * * *

We went to The Raven’s Nest, a fairly new restaurant with a broad menu. I figured I could get one of their salads and a broiled lamb chop while he could chow down on something more substantial. He didn’t disappoint me.

“So how long you owned Penny’s?” He was slicing into a thick semi cooked steak.

“Co-own,” I corrected him.

“Right. Didn’t know that. And you’re ready to expand into a new place?”

“Oh, you mean the second coffee shop.”

“An entrepreneur, huh?”

“Whatever.” I waved away business talk. I was more interested in my new-found freedom. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. Shoot.”

“How hard is it to learn to ride a motorcycle?”

“Why?”

I laughed and shook my head. “I want to get one.”

“That all you want in life?” he asked with a grin.

“No, I also want to know what your name is.” I met his grin and added a little tilt to my head.

“Okay. I’ve been thinking about this name thing for a while. How’s this for a deal?” He put down his knife and fork and leaned into the table, stabbing me with his eyes. “How about we make it a friendly little challenge? I could tell you you had to guess until you got it right. Or what might be more fun is I’ll give you a week to guess my name. Seven chances. Every day you can ask a few questions, then come up with what you think my stupid ass first name is. If you’re right, I’ll take you out to a gourmet dinner in the city or Tahoe.”

“And if I’m wrong?”

“You owe me a kiss. One per wrong answer.” He leaned back in satisfaction.

“Just a kiss? One measly kiss?”

“Oh, I don’t want the measly ones. I mean a real, God of Love kiss. Something to set my ass back a couple a notches.”

What? A kiss? Now I really laughed. Right. Me, giving him a humdinger of a kiss? Right. Who were we kidding?

Then I got it. He was joking, just like he’d been when he said he’d have to kill me if he told me his name.

What did I have to lose? I either got a dinner or a kiss. And in the end, his name. His real name. This time I was going to call his bluff. Seven kisses with him? Not too much punishment in my book. Totally win-win.

“Okay, you’re on.” I c****d my head at him and grinned. “But what do I call you in the meantime?”

His returning grin looked downright wicked. I almost jumped across the table and gave him his first non-measly kiss.

“How about Big Guy?” he smirked.

“Okay, BG, works for me,” I laughed back.