Page 1 of Baby Boy

PROLOGUE

AVERY

Avery Webber tried to hide the dejection coursing through him as he pushed through the doors of his faculty advisor’s office building. He’d known the meeting wouldn’t go well but he’d already canceled twice and had figured it was time to face the music. He had waited too long to sign up for classes. Even though he could only afford to go part-time, and was lucky the university allowed such a thing, Avery hadn’t been able to get into any of the classes he’d need.

His advisor, a balding man who spoke in a monotone and smelt of old cheese, tried to help but there were just no openings. His only choices were to wait until next semester or take alternative classes. Avery had taken the two classes he could get into and afford, a human sexuality course and mythology. Both interested him but he couldn’t use either as part of his major. That is, when he managed to pick a major. Avery was well aware that he was behind everyone else his age. While other twenty-two-year-old students were busy starting careers and settling down, Avery worked three part-time jobs and was a part-time student.

There was nothing permanent in his life.

It wasn’t how he wanted to live but Avery didn’t know how to fix how screwed-up everything had gotten in his life. His apartment sucked, two of his jobs sucked, he didn’t have many friends, no family, and no one to lean on. He was alone and the decisions he needed to make were getting harder and harder.

Just like with school. He needed to decide on what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. But how was he supposed to make such a momentous decision when he couldn’t see past paying his rent for the month?

He’d managed to get enough money scraped together to afford a few classes by picking up more shifts, but all that work made it impossible to actually get enrolled.

Avery wanted to explore and learn. Why couldn’t he just go to school and take classes he thought were interesting? Because he was a loser that was why. His guidance counselor in high school had helped him fill out financial aid applications but he hadn’t realized how expensive the other parts of college were. Like living in the dorm, the food plans, and books. Jeez, books were fucking expensive. He’d managed to get through his first year by eating ramen noodles the entire time and only drinking water from the fountain. He’d saved bottles that other students had thrown away and filled them with water from the bathroom. His roommate had found it gross and told everyone in the dorm, so Avery was ruthlessly taunted. It had been hell.

He’d taken the second year off to concentrate on saving money but that had been even worse. He’d had to move out of the dorms and get an apartment, but then there was electricity, water, gas, transportation and other expenses, so he was back to living on ramen. He’d been able to go for half a semester last year and now he’d messed up again.

Growing up sucked.

He was failing at being an adult and Avery didn’t know how to fix himself. He tried, oh how he tried his best, but he just didn’t adult well.

Laughter flowed from coeds sitting across the quad and he ducked his head, pulling his jacket tighter around his body. It would be just his luck to run into someone he knew when he was in such a foul mood. Not only did he have that horrible meeting but now he had his shift at the coffee shop he worked at three days a week. Avery usually enjoyed his jobs but the depression that had batting at him was strong. He’d always struggled with his thoughts, even though his grandma had done her best to raise him right. Avery just hadn’t fit in with the kids in his hometown. He was too weird and different. So not much had changed since he’d been nine and moving in with the older lady in a tiny two-bedroom apartment.

He shuffled along the sidewalk, dodging strangers for the ten-minute walk until he stood in front of the small corner coffee shop. Luckily the latest cold front had held off and the ice expected wasn’t just yet. By Thanksgiving there would be plenty of snow and ice and walking was going to suck. He breathed in deeply, already able to smell the strong espresso beans the coffee shop used.

Avery had lucked into the job and was grateful that the owner, Cathy, had the patience of a saint. Cathy’s parents had owned the shop before retiring to Florida. Cathy had been working in the city at the time but had returned to run the family business. She’d targeted the student population of the nearby campus and business had boomed. She was a smart lady, and never asked him what he wanted to do with his life.

Cathy had noticed him coming into the shop daily, even when he couldn’t afford more than a small plain cup of coffee, and asked if he was looking for a job that would work around his schedule. She let him pick up extra shifts and always gave him leftover bakery goods that would get thrown away if he didn’t take them home. Even now, two years later, Avery still got the bulk of the leftover pastries.

He opened the door and stepped inside with a forced smile. It was going to be a long afternoon after working sixteen hours the day before between the restaurant and delivering food.

There was a small afternoon rush and the sounds of conversation, the espresso machine, and milk being steamed helped him get out of his head. He took a deep breath before rolling his shoulders.

“Avery!” Jasmin, his best friend, called. “Help!”

Getting his feet moving Avery rushed across the room and behind the counter. Jasmin looked stressed and he couldn’t have that. “What’s up?” He wasn’t late. His shift didn’t start for another thirty minutes.

“I’m so glad you’re always early,” Jasmin said as she took the money from the teenage girl at the register. “Ginger got sick and had to go home. Cathy offered to call someone else in, but I knew you’d be here soon.”

Avery dropped his backpack and shoved it under the counter before he grabbed a brown apron from the shelf. He’d put his stuff away in the back later. “What do you need?” He was always happy to help.

“Two pumpkin spice lattes and a chocolate delight mocha,” Jasmin told him.

Avery didn’t comment on the pumpkin spice order. He couldn’t stand the flavor but in fall and winter it remained one of the most popular orders. “On it.” He preferred the dark chocolate mocha with its rich fullness that blended well with the strong espresso flavor.

His mind cleared as he worked the espresso machine. All he needed to worry about was fulfilling the order for the customers and making them happy. Sometimes he couldn’t please everyone—people were cranky after all—but here he felt in his element. Like he wasn’t screwing everything up. With a small smile, he made and passed out drinks for what had to be ten minutes straight.

“Wow!” Jasmin exclaimed as she leaned against the counter by his side. “I think the wintry mix forecasted has everyone out doing last-minute things before it hits. I was about to lose my mind.”

As he cleaned up his area, Avery side-eyed her. Jasmin was pretty, if you didn’t mind the goth look. Avery didn’t mind. Her dyed black hair was pulled up in a bun and the dark ring around her eyes made the green pop. She even wore black lipstick. Any color came from the brown coffee apron she wore on top of her black T-shirt and jeans. “Itissupposed to be pretty bad,” he responded.

“I know,” Jasmin said. “It’ll either have us being completely empty or packed full for the rest of the night. Thanks for the help. I knew I could count on you.”

“No problem.” He finished wiping down the machine. Jasmin had become his best friend— only friend really—and he would do anything for her. “I’m going to put my stuff in the back.”

“Okay.” Jasmin waved him off.

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