All The Ways We Touch [MxM]

six - secrets are special

"You've been here before?" Turning from the bright turquoise building to Katie, he shook his head in confusion. "When? Why? With who?"

Pulling her hair into a tight ponytail, she ran her fingers down her jumper dress, trying to clear it of any wrinkles or stray pieces of lint. "They make really good drinks."

"Wait. You like someone here, don't you?" Grinning, he wiggled his brows and reached out, plucking a stray hair off of her sweater.

"So do you, apparently." Katie turned and looked up at him sticking her tongue out. "Which is still kinda strange to think about. Honestly, though, I'm just glad you're finally coming out of that freeze."

"I haven't been in a freeze!" He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked back at The House. Sure, he could barely tolerate any gay guy he'd met in the past few years, but he was just picky, not completely turned off to romance and love and intimacy entirely. Or so he told himself.

Seeing the way he took offense, she decided to let it go. Like Vera, she and the rest of his group of friends had all been concerned by Elliot's complete disinterest and rejection of any romantic potential. Hell, they'd have been happy if he was out hooking up with random guys, anything besides his perpetual loneliness. They didn't think it was healthy for him to be so closed off, though they knew it was more complicated than a lack of desire. Reaching out, she gently touched his arm. "You said his name's Jamison?"

"Yeah," he murmured dreamily, relaxing when the image of him came to mind. "Do you know him?"

Wrinkling her nose, she glanced at the building and then at Elliot. "Are you sure he's gay?" While she didn't know a Jamison there, the guy she did know had never come across as gay. Though now that she thought about it, he'd never come across as anything. Just a non-threatening male that made damn good lattes and that kept quiet while she and Wren would chat. Still, she didn't want to burst his bubble and hoped that she was wrong and that her gaydar was only oriented toward women.

Shaking his head, Elliot raised a brow. "No, but I know there's a spark between us. I'm telling you, Katie, I can feel it when I look at him. When he looks at me, I just feel so..." Trailing off, he sighed lightly. "Hopeful."

Squeezing his arm, she gave him a warm smile. "Well then, let's try and be each other's wingmen," she suggested and entered the café.

As the bell rang over the door, both Jamison and Wren perked up and turned around, welcoming smiles on their faces.

"Hey, how—" Jamison stopped as soon as he saw Elliot, sighing. While he'd half-expected him to have come lurk the day before, he wasn't expecting it today. It wasn't that he didn't want him there, he just wasn't ready to deal with Wren's reaction.

'Why'd he sigh? Did he not want me to come?'

"Hey Katie, how's it going?" Wren asked, popping her hip to the side so she shrunk down a little. "Your usual?"

"Hi Katie," Jamison echoed, turning to the coffee bar to begin to make her coffee.

"Hey!" Katie said, looking up at Wren like she wanted to take her right there on the counter. "Yeah, be it you or Jam, nobody makes a pumpkin spice latte like you two."

'Jam? He goes by Jam here? What?' Elliot looked between Jamison, Wren, and Katie. If Katie knew Jamison, albeit as Jam, her wondering about his sexuality was slightly distressing. Did she know something he didn't? Or did Jamison just seem straight?

"It's all about keeping the wrist loose," Wren said, pointing at Jamison as she rang her up. "And let's see a fantastic example of it with the final spice topping."