Sometimes I think how weird it is that I'm sitting at a coffee shop planning alien sex. But then I think... "Yeah, but someone has got to do it! Alien sex won't write itself!"
Anyway, I hope you grow to like Sloan as much as Murry!
Be well,
~M.~ from C.M. Moore
***
*Chapter 2*
Job number one.
Sloan reached the coffee shop and parked his bike. As he walked in, Elijah glanced up from filling a coffee craft.
"I covered for you." His chubby dark-haired roommate set the air pot aside and started to fill a second one. "I told the boss you had a dentist appointment."
"Boss here?"
"Gone."
"Cool." Sloan headed straight to the storage room. He stripped off his coat, hung the garment, and then grabbed his apron. He was clocked in and brewing coffee in record time.
"You told me if you went with Reese again, I should punch you in the downstairs." Elijah grabbed the milk and began to steam the liquid. He kept his voice low so the young couple congregating around the counter didn't hear him.
"Why don't you then?" Sloan asked as he eyed his friend. Elijah was his height but not as muscular as Sloan, just chubby. As he worked, his friend used his wrist to push back the thick curls on his forehead. Normally, Elijah's shyness took over and Sloan was surprised the man said the word downstairs at work.
"I don't get you." Elijah offered a handsome smile to a frazzled woman as he handed her a mocha. After she walked away, his friend turned to him. "You said the secret meetings aren't even... um... enjoyable. He cries most of the time." Elijah's bright eyes scanned the room to make sure no one heard him as he continued. Most of the customers left. The crowd thinned to college kids on computers. "You said Reese treats you like shit. He is married with kids and is never going to come out of the closet. He's never going to be with you, and you're done meeting in seedy motels like a hooker."
"I just wanted to get laid," Sloan muttered. He didn't add that he spent the night with Reese crying the whole time, and the man didn't even get hard. Probably couldn't with how much he drank. Sloan got nothing last night. Instead of saying all that, he finished refilling the sugar container.
"Do what everyone does for that and get an app."
"I don't even have time to do that." Sloan wiped off the counters. "I have two jobs and we are still barely making rent. We're late and in about two days our shit is gonna get tossed onto the street."
"We will make rent this month so get an app and swipe whatever way you have to."
Sloan scratched at his three-day-old whiskers. Now was probably the time to tell Elijah that he lost all his money.
Just as he opened his mouth, the bells on the entrance chimed. Saved by a customer. Later he would tell his roommate that they were screwed and not in a good way.
Sloan swiveled his head to the entrance. He was happy for the interruption not only because he didn't want to admit that he was broke, but also, he didn't feel like dealing with his messed-up love life. He knew he had to dump Reese completely, but Sloan was lonely. Reese had been around since high school. He was comfortable like an old pair of jeans. Although Sloan was lonely and sad, he would never admit that out loud to anyone.
A group of women chatting entered and ordered. They grabbed their plastic cups and pulled out their phones to decide where to go next. As they walked out, so did a few more people who'd been sitting around the tables. The place was emptying as two men stepped into the shop. He thanked God for that. The men who strolled in were both tall. Sloan guessed them to be near six foot five or taller. They scanned the tables before they marched up to the counter.
"Hello." The shorter of the two spoke first. He had red hair and when he spoke, he barely moved his lips. As Sloan scanned them, he realized that their suits cost more than everything in Sloan's closet put together. Probably developers. Sometimes in crummy neighborhoods, the rich fat cats would buy up places. Yeah, theses were developers or lawyers.
"Hey." Elijah turned from the espresso machine and faced the newcomers. "What can I get you?"
The redhead looked Elijah up and down and a slow grin spread across his face. It reminded Sloan of a predator.
The fat man who'd entered with the redhead took a spot next to the muffins. His vibrant green eyes scanned the menu, but he didn't appear to be reading any of the items.
"Wait here, please," The redhead said to his friend.
The fat man jerked his head and his swinging jowls flopped on his collar. Sloan had never seen an uglier guy. His bald head had the lights of the coffee shop bouncing to the ceiling. But for how unattractive he was, Sloan was oddly drawn to the man's eyes. He'd never seen eyes like that. They looked like emeralds gleaming in soft moonlight.
Eyes like that had Sloan waxing poetic. That was a first.
"Are you?" The redhead gestured to Elijah. "Are you Elijah Smith? Screen name EJSmithy432?"
His eighteen-year-old friend glanced at Sloan and he shrugged. Ever since Elijah's family disowned him for being gay, he looked to Sloan for direction. That being said, even Sloan had never had someone walk up and call out one of his handles on a website. In a nervous gesture, Elijah gripped the side of his jeans. His young roommate was probably thinking his parents or someone from his old church sent these men.
"We talked online." The redhead pulled out a cell phone and handed it over the counter to Elijah. "Do you remember me? JP?"
"Right. JP." Elijah glanced at the phone and grinned. His shoulders relaxed. "The Learning Institute." Elijah turned to Sloan. "Can I take a break? Cover for me?"
"Cool." Sloan nodded.
Elijah walked to the other side of the room and sat at a corner table with the redhead. Sloan would have to ask later what the Learning Institute was and if JP was a teacher or something.
While the two men spoke in low tones, more people walked out of the coffee shop. Only a guy on his phone and a girl bent over a textbook and laptop remained.
