Page 6 of Fruit and Flash

Taking a sip, I hum at the sweet flavor. “This is delicious!”

“Enjoy,” the bartender tells us and moves to a new customer before I can ask his name. He’s probably straight, anyway.

“That’s Nate, he owns the place,” Ezra tells me as we move to an open table.

“Oh?” I perk up. I love a self-sufficient man.

“With his partner, Kit,” Ezra adds and I deflate.

So he isn’t straight, but he’s taken. I was thinking he might be a nice distraction from my farmer fantasy. Well, it was more than fantasy, since I gave him a blow job, but the idea of Hayes had been blown up to so much more in my mind. It was highly possible he wasn't as tall or handsome as I remembered.

An internet rabbit hole one night led me to find one picture of Hayes online from his high school football days. He only had a bit of facial hair then, and no cowboy hat or jeans, sadly. Maybe it’s better I don’t see Hayes again and ruin the illusion I have of him. No one can live up to the memory I’ve built him up to be.

No, I’m here for work. Not play.

“Ezra, tell me about your new line?” I asked to get the conversation rolling.

It’s the right thing to say, and Ezra lights up. He tells me about the concept and vibes he’s going for, and I get my phone out of my pocket to take notes. If I’m going to help him build his social media presence, I need to start planning.

While I have my phone on the table, I also take pictures of my drink, the decor, Ezra with his hands and face animated, and have Olly take a selfie with us all using his longer arm. I’m in themiddle of thinking up hashtags and tagging them on my socials when the sound of the door opens and closes.

“Might get busy soon,” Ezra comments. “We should order some food.”

“Yeah, there’s a baseball game tonight,” Olly adds, and I look up to see a giant TV tuned to show a baseball field. I’m not into sports, except surfing, but I get the appeal of gathering to enjoy it together.

Looking toward the bar to see what’s going on over there, I see there’s two men in plaid, short-sleeve shirts with the taller one in a tan cowboy hat. His ass looks amazing in tight jeans, one pocket worn from the wallet he has tucked there. A wild thought has me wanting to replace the wallet with my hand and I clear my throat.

“What kind of food do they have?” Avery asks.

“Oh, your usual bar food,” Ezra answers. “Filling but not overly complex.”

The men finish ordering and turn to face the room, laughing and looking toward the TV by the pool tables. The shorter man is handsome, of Asian descent, and is wearing shorts over sandals. His clothes match the weather, but he’s instantly forgettable when I see the man beside him.

Broad shoulders, a thick beard and manicured mustache, and that same tan hat I remember frame the face I thought I’d exaggerated. He’s hot in a rugged, lumberjack way. His arms are bare, covered in hair over tanned skin. Not light brown like me, but darkened by working in the sun every day.

Hayes is standing across the room from me.

What are the odds? Considering it’s a small town and we’re in one of the only places to get a drink, maybe not that low. Still. Wild. Would he be interested in a round two?

“Order a couple appetizers to share,” Ezra says and I realize I’d tuned out their conversation.

“I’ll come with you,” I blurt and stand. Thankfully, Ezra takes my eagerness as general enthusiasm and links his arm with mine.

As we get closer to Hayes and his friend, I realize how weird it would be to come onto him. I have no clue if he’s out. I decide to go for a simple hello when Hayes finally catches sight of me and freezes. I’d like to think I’m witty and charming, but I don’t move or make a sound either.

“Leon, Hayes! Good to see you two,” Ezra greets them, and now I have a new worry. Is Hayes dating the man beside him?

Chapter four

Hayes

Afteraquickshowerand shirt change, I’m reluctantly driving Leon into town. Parking on a side street, I note how the spots are mostly full even though the sun just set. The Foggy Basin of my childhood was only farmers and half the storefronts were closed. Now we have multiple places to eat and even tourists. Not big, but definitely busier.

Since my farmstand is always busy, I can’t complain. Hell, maybe someone will even catch my eye. I could use an end to this dry spell. But will it be men or women who I’m checking out? Holding the door of Pints & Pool open for Leon, it hits me I can look at both.

Damn, maybe I did need to go out if that just occurred to me half a year after I hooked up with a man.

“Let’s get drinks first,” Leon says, leading the way to the bar where Nate is polishing glasses. “Hey Nate.”