Desperate Measures (On Hold)

Chapter 1

The coffee warmed his hands as he slid it across the counter to the waiting customer. They smiled and thanked him before leaving, the little bell jingling as they opened the door. 

He glanced down at the time on the kiosk, blowing out a breath when he saw that he had five minutes left. Just as he was about to go out back to grab the broom, the bell jingled and he turned around as a male entered the shop. He was bundled up against the cold, the collar pulled up around his face and a fedora pulled down, hiding most of his features. Until he lifted it up and the breath left Reese's chest. 

The male had golden brown skin and strong features. High cheekbones that accentuated his lips. Thick lashes rimmed bright green eyes that were staring straight at him. Reese found his voice. "What can I get for you?" 

He kept his gaze trained on the kiosk, avoiding the male's intense stare. His voice sounded as rich as the rest of him looked, a slight accent showing through the Canadian tone. Reese rang him through before starting on his order. It was a simple coffee. Black with two sugar. 

Reese handed him the coffee, eyes snapping down to where their fingers brushed. The male smiled as he thanked him, not noticing the way Reese had frozen, watching as the male left the coffee shop. 

Then the sound of an alarm blaring snapped him back to reality and he turned off the tablet's obnoxious ringing, moving to the front to lock the door so no customer's could come in as Reese shut the place down for the night.

It had been one year since he graduated from high school. One year since he lost everyone in his life. He had plans to go to college straight after with a football scholarship but he never got one thanks to a certain redhead he'd rather not think about ever again. 

He graduated with good marks but since he was expecting to get through with his football, he had nothing else going for him. All the universities he had intended to go to had rejected him and he wasn't ready to face the fact that he might have to settle for community college. He didn't even know what he wanted to do with his life yet. 

It was safe to say his parents had been disappointed in him and forced him to get a job so he wouldn't be sitting at home wasting his life away. No, he though, because wasting his life away at a coffee shop was better. 

Once everything in the store was properly shut down, Reese stepped out into the cold night. It was only five but daylight saving's had just switched over and darkness coated the sky early. A light flurry of snow had started and his breath came out as a cloud in front of him. 

He walked to the bus stop, denied the car his parents got him for his birthday until he went back to school. 

However, he wasn't alone when he got there. That male was standing against a brick building behind the stop, his coffee clutched in one hand and his phone in the other. Reese quickly snapped his gaze forward to avoid being caught staring. He shivered as a gust of wind blew by, bringing with it a flurry of snow. That's when he realized he had forgotten his jacket back at the shop. 

He looked back up the street and debated going back for it but when he checked the bus times, it said five minutes. He sighed. If he missed this bus, he would have to wait twenty minutes for the next one. 

He stayed at the bus stop but the flurry had quickly turned to heavier snow, quickly coating the street and sidewalk in a thin layer of white. Reese rechecked the bus schedule only to see that the bus had been delayed seven minutes. 

"Here."

He looked up at the male and the outstretched hand holding a jacket. Underneath, he saw that the man had on a suit. Black dress pants, button up shirt, blazer and tie. The whole package. Reese looked back down at the jacket, sneering. "I don't need your pity."

The male blinked before smirking. "It's not pity. I forgot to leave a tip for the coffee. Take my jacket as an apology."

Reese frowned, looking at the jacket again. It looked expensive and far too big. "I can't-"

The male dropped it over his shoulders and started walking away. The warmth that immediately surrounded him cut off any protest that was forming on his tongue. He watched the male disappear into the snowy night, pushing his arms through the holes in the jacket just as the bus pulled up to the stop.

Reese found a seat in the back of the bus, the jacket spilling down past his knees. He was right when he thought it looked expensive. The material was thick and warm, not itchy like cheap wool jackets. Judging by the suit the man had on, Reese would bet he had a good job too.

Leaning back in his seat, he watched out the window as the bus left downtown, moving up to the residential area. It didn't take Reese directly to his house but stopped on the main road just a couple blocks away.

Normally, Reese didn't mind the walk but as the weather got colder and colder, he found he liked it less. He wasn't looking forward to this week when he wouldn't be getting home until ten every night. Today was Sunday so the shop closed a little earlier but for the rest of the week, he would have to stay in until nine. 

When he got to the house, it was brightly lit by Christmas lights. His mom loved decorating for every occasion but Christmas was her favourite. She went all out with green, red and white lights hung along the railing going up to the front porch, over the shrubs along the front of the house and in the windows. 

He could see the Christmas tree glittering through the open window as he walked up the steps, eagerly stepping inside out of the cold. 

His mom came in from the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. "Oh good, you're just in time for dinner."

He followed her into the dining room, slinging the jacket over the back of his chair before taking a seat. The smell of garlic and thyme assaulted his nose as his mom set down a plate in front of him. It looked like fettuccine Alfredo but his mom liked to experiment with flavours so he wasn't surprised by the assortment of spices he detected. 

"Where's dad?" He asked around a mouthful of pasta. 

"Right here." His father stepped into the room, still in his work clothes. He pushed his glasses onto his head as he sat down, allowing Reese's mom to serve him before she sat down herself. They ate in silence until Reese's plate was nearly empty. It was then that his father interrupted the peace. "Reese, do you remember your uncle Kayin?"

Reese stopped chewing, eyes snapping up to his father's. It took him a minute to swallow with the help of a long drink of water. "Yes... Why?"

"Well he's coming to stay with the family for Christmas." 

Reese's mouth went dry and it took him a moment to respond. "Why?"

His father's dark gaze cut to his. "Don't make this a problem, Reese. Your uncle misses you and he's having a rough time since him and his wife divorced. I'm not letting my brother spend Christmas alone."

His heart began pounding in his chest, his appetite lost. He said nothing else, pushing his plate away and leaving the table. He felt his mother's worried eyes on him as he disappeared up the stairs to his room and collapsed on his bed. He pulled the stranger's jacket up to his chest, falling asleep to the scent of sandalwood.