Page 62 of Trade Deadline

He’s eating one of the strawberry vanilla cupcakes he must have set aside when I open my eyes. He’s got frosting stuck in his stubble and a tiny bit on his chin. He licks off the frosting from his fingers, his tongue curling around the digit before disappearing between his lips. My cock jerks excitedly behind my fly.

Thank God I’m wearing an apron.

“That wasn’t a normal day,” I say, dropping down opposite him.

I rest my head back on the pink leather and close my eyes again. We have never sold out before lunchtime.

Yeah, I had a limited selection on offer, but I still baked the same quantities.

“You really do this seven days a week?” Blaine asks.

“Yeah, it wasn’t the plan originally, but at the moment…” I keep my hands busy by folding a napkin several times. “We opened the shop about two years ago, and things were going really well… Until they weren't. We ended up having to replace equipment, then we had things go wrong in the house that weren’t covered by insurance.” I sigh. “We took out a few loans, maxed out credit cards… It’s been tough, and Jacob’s taking it really hard.”

Blaine’s expression softens, and I want to argue when pity filters into his eyes.

“Sorry, you didn’t come here to listen to my woes.”

His brows furrow. “Alex, I want to hear anything you want to tell me, whether it’s happy or sad. I’m sorry you’re in such a shit position; is there anything I can do?”

I shake my head. “I couldn’t ask that of you, but thank you.”

He opens his mouth, then closes it again. For a moment, he just stares at me, his eyes searching for something.

“Your grandparents would be so proud of you.”

My breath gets lodged in my throat.

They were my rocks throughout the grief of losing my parents, the agony of my teenage years, and realizing I was gay. I was worried about their reaction, but they just sat me down, opened up their arms in a hug, and told me how much they loved me, how proud of me they were, and that all they wanted was for me to be happy.

“I hope they are. They passed shortly after we opened. My grandma had been sick for some time, and was taken to the hospital after a blood test. We found out that she had leukemia, and she passed away three weeks later. Then, within a week, we lost my grandfather. The doctor couldn’t give us a reason behind his sudden passing, the only thing they said was it was more than likely from a broken heart.”

My voice cracks. My chest tightens, like the weight of an anvil pressing against me, and my vision blurs. Jeez, I’m really freaking emotional today.

Blaine takes my hand, the warmth of his skin against mine startling me from my thoughts. He rubs his thumb in soothing circles over the inside of my wrist, supporting me as I go on.

“They’d been together since they were fifteen. Seventy years together is a lifetime. I can’t even begin to imagine losing someone who has been by your side your whole life.”

“Fuck, I’m so sorry for your loss, Alex. I know it’s only words, but I’m so sorry.” He squeezes my hand, his eyes brimming with sympathy. “You two are doing incredible. They’d be so fucking proud of you and what you’ve achieved. Yeah, it probably feels like shit at times, but I mean it—if I can help in any way, I’d be happy to.”

Taking a deep breath, I blink away the tears. “Thank you for today. I didn’t realize how much I just needed someone to be there for me.” I give him a small, shaky smile.

His face lights up, but he downplays it by giving a sheepish shrug of his shoulders. “I think I aced it, to be honest.”

I laugh, grateful that he’s trying to lighten the conversation. “You did.”

“Those people loved me, and I think I look pretty fucking sexy in an apron.”

“Yeah, you do.”

He'd taken his hoodie off within ten minutes of being behind the counter, and the white apron against his gorgeous, bronzed skin. His thick, corded forearms and bulging biceps that looked ready to burst the seams of his athletic-fit Chicago Thunder tee.

Yes, it was very distracting, and oftentimes I found myself wanting to stand and stare, possibly drool a little. The thought of how he would look wearingjustthe apron ran through my mind a lot.

A dark brow kicks up. “Bet you’re wondering what I’d look like in nothing but an apron.”

I roll my lips to stop the laugh from coming out. “You got me.”

“I knew it!” He grins, stretching his arm across the back of the booth. “You think I’m hot, and you want to see me naked.”

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