Page 9 of Fangs & Fur

The line moves quickly as three people hustle around the cramped barista's corner. A showcase lights up the front, showing off handmade pastries. Some are topped with berries and other fruits, while some are dusted with icing sugar or nuts.

I eyeball a specific raspberry tart that looks tasty. With the last customer in front of me finishing their order, I step up to find the cashier smiling warmly at me. He looks about my age, with an almost identical build. With our short stature and thin frames, we could be mistaken for brothers from another mother.

“Welcome to The Oracle’s Roast. What can I get started for you?” He chirps at me, and I'm filled with a sense of warmth and comfort.

“Ugh, can I get a…” I struggle to think of anything, given there's not a single drink board in sight. And maybe the fact that I have a half-drunk coffee at home that I'm totally cheating on right now.

“A caramel latte with a sprinkle of chocolate shavings and a raspberry tart?” The cashier questions.

My mouth grows dry, and that warm feeling washes from my soul faster than Nyx had magically appeared in the living room last night.

My heart jolts. “How did you know?”

The cashier laughs uncomfortably and scratches the back of his neck. The movement makes his name tag reflect the warm lights above us, and I glimpse his name. Tyler. I also notice the Pride Flag badge pinned to his collar, too.

“Trick of the trade, I guess.” He rushes through his words, waving his hands in front of himself as if trying to distract me from the way his face blushes.

Seeing Tyler so clearly uncomfortable and feeling the line grow behind me, I bite my lip and force myself to shrug it off. “In that case, yes, I want all of that.”

Tyler breathes out a sigh of relief, his fingers dancing across his tablet as he makes the order. I pull out my phone to pay when he raises a hand. “No need. Welcome to Moonfell, Noah.”

Okay, what the hell? He knows my name, too?

As I open my mouth to confront Tyler about his clearly psychic abilities, he beats me to the chase. Avidly pointing at my laptop that I hold across my chest, he frantically squeaks, “Your name is on the laptop!”

I freeze and look down. Sure enough, printed on a cute sticker with vampire teeth biting the text, ‘Noah’s Vamptop’ is stuck to the front panel. Now I'm the one to let out a sigh of relief.

“Sorry,” I awkwardly laugh, “It’s been a long few days.”

My tart is plated quickly and passed over the counter before Tyler speaks. “I apologize for that super weird moment. I can say some dumb stuff.”

I grin. “All is forgiven. And so do I. I write books for a living.”

Tyler’s eyes light up, and the coffee machine behind him hisses and groans as it makes my coffee. “That’s awesome! You’re welcome to use this space to write for as long as you need.”

I check over my shoulder and immediately find a seat by the window. “Thank you,” I say as I pick up my plate and my freshly made coffee, but then I hesitate. “Are you sure I don't have to pay?”

Tyler gives me a knowing smile. “All first orders are free at The Oracle’s Roast. Didn’t Xan—” He abruptly stops, his smile drops, and his eyes look vacant for a split second before he snaps back into his smiling self. “Please enjoy, Noah!”

I shuffle away and check over my shoulder as I make my way to the vacant table, only to find that Tyler is back to serving the next customer as if our entire encounter never happened. I shake my head and grin to myself, depositing my coffee and tart on the table and taking a seat.

For a moment, my laptop sits untouched as I slowly sip my latte and take a bite of the pastry, immediately regretting only getting one when the crisp tang of raspberry explodes on my tongue.

Tyler bustles around the counter, handing out takeaway coffees, restocking the showcase shelves, and wiping down the countertop. Yet, besides the countless patrons that come and go, Tyler never drops his smile, as if he truly enjoys what he does. I’m sure if the chatter and coffee machine noises disappeared, I could probably hear him humming as he went along.

Finally, I turn to my laptop and pry it open, my manuscript already dashing across the screen. Beyond my imaginary bubble of fantasy, townsfolk wander the sidewalk on their way to work as the sun rises, casting the mountains in a wonderful glow. I sip my coffee and begin typing away, the chaos of the cafe falling behind me as my mind falls into the words.

So far, my manuscript is nearly complete, and I'll be sending it to beta readers next month, yet I can't help but wonder whether the characters are unreasonably boring. With a vampire-and-werewolf romance, surely nothing could ever get boring. But as I sit in the slowly emptying cafe, I look out the window at the main street of Moonfell and question every detail of my book.

I can’t remember why I started writing romance novels. I only know that it feels like the best way to escape. After years of silence from my family and Richard’s abuse, my stories seem to be my best friends. They’re my own little worlds of hope and happiness that maybe one day I might experience for myself. At least my optimism hasn’t dwindled, despite my past.

I bite the inside of my cheek and hit backspace a little too hard as I clear the latest sentence.

“You look like you need a pick-me-up.” Tyler’s cheerful voice cuts through my thoughts, and I look up from my screen to find him sliding another raspberry pastry across the table.

I finally feel my shoulders relax, and I let out a breath I've been keeping in. “Thank you. I’ll pay for this one.”

Tyler laughs, “Honestly, it was the last one left, so it’s fine. We have a great customer base, so I'm sure one pastry won't bankrupt us.”