Of Coffee and Other Wonderful Things

(A Gay Romance Story)

James Hester is from bright and sunny California, where the temperatures are hot and stay that way. After having troubles with writing his most recent book, "Lust of the Evening", James uses all the money from his savings account to move to Dunstead, a small town in Washington. He hopes that drastic change in scenery will help make his writer's block disappear with a snap of fingers. It doesn't quite work like that, though, James quickly learns. During the first week of moving, James manages to break his coffee machine, the one thing that keeps him going when the days get rough. Unable to spend a full week without a cup, James seeks out one of the local coffee shops. There, he meets a man named Benedict Sears, a beautiful half Mexican god who he instantly hates, due to his unnaturally good looks. Ever since James was young, he had been extremely insecure about his almost less than average appearance, and meeting this beautiful boy throws bad memories at him like a 90 mph fast-pitch.

Benedict Sears, known by most as Ben, is one of the only employees at Le Beau Café, the local coffee shop in Dunstead that gets just enough business for it to stay afloat. Five years ago, Ben moved from Illinois taking his younger sister, Lucy, to escape a dark past that still haunts him. One day he meets James Hester, a homoerotica writer who just recently moved to the town, and he is instantly intrigued by the long haired, glasses wearing grump who reminds him of someone he used to know. He is immediately thrilled when he figures out that the mysterious man lives in his apartment building, just a floor below his.

James and Ben learn to make amends with their demons, live with themselves and each other, and fall in love. All of which begin in the seemingly uneventful and boring town of Dunstead.