Hidden Desire book 1 (Un)Control(led)

Chapter 11. Sweet and Sour.

It was almost three in the afternoon when Briel wiggled out of the protective shell Benny tucked him into. First thing he saw was the bright green post-it on his chair.

'Text me when you wake up. I'll bring you something to eat. B'

Briel checked his phone to find that no one tried to reach him meaning that, as always, Benny was true to his word and took care of everything. He quickly send a message feeling hungry. That was a good sign. It meant that the forced rest did its work and leveled him out. Checking his emotions he confirmed that he felt stable. To prove this to himself and Benny, he showered and dressed before he arrived.

Benny silently observed him eating throwing him small reassuring smiles.

"Are you ready to get up and move out?" Benny asked and Briel nodded.

"Good, because Kincade is waiting for you at the bakery and be prepared he has a fan-club now."

Putting his boots on, Briel looked up in surprise.

"How did that happen?"

Benny rolled his eyes and pointed at himself.

"I told them he arranged for a corrective sole and bought you orthopedic shoes."

"Hm", Briel hummed. "Yes, that would make them happy."

"He also asked me to give you this", Benny said holding up a iPhone. "It's a two sim phone", he explained. "A straight line to the man himself."

"Give me", Briel motioned.

He needed to talk to Kincade before they could continue.

-Meet me here at five-

Licking his lips he send the link to a tiny teahouse that served a delicious cheesecake.

"You and your sweet tooth", Benny shook his head.

Arriving early Briel studied the menu and calculated the cost of tea and cakes for two. To be sure he consulted the cashier.

"Will twenty dollars be enough for this?" he pointed at the menu biting his lip.

Scanning his hopeful face and shabby clothes she gave him a comforting smile.

"That will cover it nicely, Sugar", she assured him. "Just find yourself a table near the back where its warmest. I'll send Pritt over to take your order."

Briel looked around and found the perfect table near the wall and with a clear view on the door.

"I'm waiting for someone. I'll order when he arrives", he said, nodded and made his way to table, leaving behind a curious cashier.

'They served all kinds here, so someone looking like the young man was by no means unusual', the cashier mused, 'but the man that entered five minutes later fell into a category of his own. The young man didn't seem to notice the man who made a beeline for his table. What she would give to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.'

Biting his lip Briel looked at the two phones in front of him. One a top brand, latest model, large screen smart phone that sparkled back at him. The other one, a no brand hand-me-down from Mrs. Chen's son, pre-paid phone with a tiny screen full of scratches. 'They seemed to reflect his situation painfully obvious.' However its look, his old phone worked fine. If it broke down he'd replaced it with another no brand model which would also suit his needs perfectly. Nobody ever tried to steal his phone.

He hoped to convince Kincade that his version of upgrading his life was too much. Not just buying him clothes, but also showing him the appartement. It left him with too many variables.