Dangerously Sweet (MxM)

Chapter 9

Kalen Davis:

I haven't seen Marco again, since that day in the street. Although, his words still echoed through my head constantly. 

I've yet to see Sorren again either, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Truth be told, I was thankful to be away from him. I had to continuously remind myself he was a dangerous man who lived a dangerous life- a life I did not fit into. It helped that he stopped coming around because I knew that if I was in the same room as him, those same thoughts wouldn't have as much effect on me as his presence did. 

However, my heart ached to be away from him. I hadn't known him for very long but his visit to my cafe easily became my favorite part of the day. I looked forward to our encounters, blushing and butterflies included. He made my body feel like it was on fire, but in some sappy good way. He made me question everything but accept anything.

Even though I hadn't seen Marco or Sorren, I did continuously see another face. This time it was familiar to me. I recognized him as the man who 'freed' me from the office and walked with me out to the SUV that took me home.

However, we haven't spoken since he started showing up. He kept to himself, away in the corner, but it was obvious he was watching. For what reason, I had no idea. How long would they keep this up? It's already been two weeks.

I told them I wouldn't rat. I told Sorren I wouldn't rat. How much longer was I going to need a babysitter before they forgot about it? Because that's what I was trying to do. Forget about it. Except they weren't really letting that happen. 

I continued through my business today just like I normally do, even with an extra set of eyes trained on me the entire day. Sarah had the day off, so the new hire from two weeks ago maned the register. He was a nice guy, but he was shy and young, still in high school. He was basically incapable of talking to me, always stumbling over his words. 

Sarah teased that he had a crush on me, but I always shooed her taunts away. She liked to say, Eric, the boy, acted the same way towards me as I do towards Sorren. I again threatened to fire her, but like usual that had no effect on her behavior.

The day passed quickly, as usual, while I was lost in thought. Baking and serving our customers was second nature for me. It was something I loved, so it came naturally. Before I knew it, Eric was getting ready to end his shift. I always let the other words off an hour before closing time, as the opening and closing tasks were simple enough for me to complete on our own. Once they left, it was routine for me to start closing the story slowly until it came time to lock the doors.

The man in the corner, whose name I've yet to learn, began to gather his belongings too. It was different than our normal routine, so I took notice. For the past two weeks, he always waited until closing time to leave; he would wait outside for me across the street. Then, depending on where I went, he would also follow, keeping a good distance from me but never losing sight. 

Today was different. He was leaving too soon. For some reason, that had me cautious. While I wasn't a fan of being stalked, I was a fan of routine. Today it seemed my routine was changing- again.

When he rose, he made his way to the counter, waiting patiently for my attention. When I refused to turn my focus to him fully, he cleared his throat, eying me up and down. 

I huffed and made my way to the register. Every day he came in shortly after we opened, purchased a coffee and treat, and took his place in the corner. Never did he speak to me, only to my employees. Never did he leave early. And, never did he order again.

What was going on today?

"Yes? How can I help you?" I asked feigning politeness. I wiped my hands, wet from cleaning dishes, on the apron I wore every day.