Sort-of Soulmates

Chapter Six: Alex

Hey patient readers!

I've finished writing the second book of the Café Latte trilogy (just one chapter and the epilogue left to upload!), and so my focus shall be entirely on this for a little while! I'm in the Last Six Months of my PhD right now, and that means a LOT of my focus is going to be on that. Once August finishes, I'm free, baby.

For now, please enjoy this chapter and thank you again for your patience during this time! In six months, I'm taking a health-related break from school and work, and I'll be writing full time. God I cannot WAIT.

Love, Cam

♡

What I had intended to do was kiss Dylan the way I would kiss a boyfriend in front of my friends and family, to practice. I certainly hadn't intended to kiss him in a way I absolutely fucking would not kiss him in front of my friends and family.

Luther eyed the kids running around the café putting stickers on everything. They were very cute, way cuter than they were in the ad campaigns for EverAfter. He looked at me and said, "I can feel you getting broody."

"Shut up."

"I'm pretty sure I can feel your ovaries ripening from here-"

I threw a pastry at him, which he caught and immediately started eating. Glaring at him, I said, "I am not getting broody. I just think they're cute, that's all. And I'm glad I've given Joshua a break, because it looks like he's going to keel over at any given moment."

Luther eyed the half-asleep man sat at the table near the window. "Gotta say, he is a solid advertisement for not becoming a single parent, isn't he?"

"His wife is just home sick," I elbowed him. "Oh, hey, can you ask Abigail if she'll fill in on Saturday? She owes you one, and I've been invited for lunch with Dylan's sister and friend."

Luther took out his phone and texted Abigail. I peered over his shoulder to see what he was typing.

Luther: yo, calling in my favour. Need you at the caf 11-3 Saturday

A moment later, a reply came through.

Abigail: sure, where you going?

Luther: nowhere, Alex has a date w his boyf

I tried to intercept it quickly, but he sent it. I groaned loudly. "Luther, I hadn't told her yet."

Luther grinned. "Yeah, I know."

I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket, checked that no kids could see, and flipped him off before dashing into the kitchen. I reluctantly answered the phone. "Hello?"

"You have a boyfriend?!"

Abigail's accusatory tone was loud and crystal clear through the kitchen, and she sounded pissed. I hesitated and said, "Well, sort of."

"Well, sort of? How can you sort of have a boyfriend?"

"Well, okay," I allowed. "He's my boyfriend. But it's very new! Like, yesterday was when we decided to stick a label on it."

Technically, that was not a lie.

"Well, it'd sure as hell be nice to know before Luth asks me for shift cover for you!"