Page 2 of Filtration Play
“Can I go get you a drink?” Jules asked.
“Latte.” Ollie scanned the front of the shop. The empty lounger by the door seemed like a good place to people-watch. The board game café was bustling today. Most of the tables by the massive bookshelves of games were filled with people, all focusing on whatever their choices for the afternoon were. The exposed brick warehouse-style building was huge and gorgeous, and the high windows allowed the golden late afternoon rays to spill in unhindered.
A hulking, muscular guy worked at the front, emanating a calm energy. He had a pencil in hand, staring at whatever he doodled on the paper before him. The guy glanced up and offered an up-nod. “Need help with anything?”
“Nah, just here with Jules.”
Who had vanished, probably to the back to ravage his boyfriend.
Ollie’s stomach twisted again, the itch growing stronger by the moment. He pressed his fingernails against his palms, the slight sting not nearly helping enough. Being here wasn’t the distraction he’d needed tonight. He wanted someone to step inside his body and take control. To be so consumed he couldn’t focus on anything else.
“You family?” the guy asked.
“Ollie. His brother.” Omitting “youngest” had been a frequent trend lately. He’d been babied by the family his entire life. He was so damn tired of being viewed as too young, too little, too fuckinganything that diminished the fact that he’d grown the hell up. That he was carving out a space for himself in the world.
“I’m Hunter,” he said. “Jules is the best.”
He fucking was. That was what always complicated their relationship. He and Amelia had called him Saint Julian a lot when they were being little shits, but having such a perfect older brother made it hard to feel like he’d ever measure up.
“Damn right.” Ollie grinned, but his insides squeezed tight.
Julian reappeared with two drinks in hand, and he placed one on the end table next to Ollie. A second later, Cal emerged, his hair mussed and his lips reddened as if Jules had mauled him back there. The two of them were the perfect pair: Cal, a broad-shouldered, gentle guy who wore more flannels than a lumberjack, and Julian, who had sweetness in spades, a nurturing part of his personality that led him to become a nurse. Granted, his brother had claws when necessary.
He wanted what they had so damn badly, that perfect connection, but how could he find someone for him when he couldn’t even find himself?
“Heard you joined the ranks of bisexual.” Cal swept in for a hug. “Welcome to the club.”
Ollie pushed himself up and accepted the crushing warmth. When Julian and Cal had started dating, Cal had been a few inches taller, but Ollie had shot up a bit more over the last few years.
“Thanks, man,” Ollie said, glad Cal wasn’t making a huge deal over it. When they pulled back, Julian beamed. Ollie kept his arms open and shook his head. “Come on.”
Julian squeezed him tight, and Ollie hugged him back hard. “I’m so happy you told me.”
Guilt swarmed through him that he’d kept his bisexuality quiet for so long. It wasn’t like he didn’t love his family because he adoredthem. His siblings might be spread out for college and shit, but the whole gang showed up for the holidays, birthdays, and any other damn occasion they could come up with. And with five siblings plus Dad, it made for a full house.
Ollie had been tired of feeling like the afterthought though. The fuckup.
Yet again, he was back where he started after another failed relationship.
“Want to play a game?” Cal asked.
Ollie wrinkled his nose, and Julian’s shoulders deflated. Fuck, he wouldn’t let his brother self-sacrifice. “You go play, Jules. I want to chill for a little bit.”
Julian’s brows scrunched together. “But I brought you here. I’m not going to leave you by yourself.”
“Rude of you to disrupt my people-watching,” Ollie said. “If I get bored enough, I’ll pop over to check out Candyland or whatever the fuck you’re playing.”
Julian rolled his eyes. “You fucker. All the games on those shelves and you pick Candyland?” He gave him another sad puppy look. “Are you sure?”
Ollie lifted the latte to his lips and took a sip. “Shoo, already. There’ve been too many feelings today. I’m getting hives.”
Julian shook his head, and Cal slung an arm around his shoulder as they headed over to one of the open tables. This wasn’t the first nor the fiftieth time Julian had tried to rope him into board games, but they just weren’t Ollie’s bag. If he wanted to problem solve, he’d crack the lid on a Toyota Tacoma—the latest project at work—and tinker around. Vehicles always spoke to him better, which was why he’d gone straight to trade school instead of college.
He settled in the seat and took another sip of the latte, letting the comfortable hum of Tabletop Tavern wash over him.
The door cracked open, and the breezes swept in, along with someone new.
Their short purple hair caught his attention first, a burst of color, but their sharp jawline and expressive eyes did next. Even though they were about medium height, they had the sort of presence that dominated a room. The leather jacket they wore, the tight jeans that showcased compact thigh muscles, all of it brimmed with danger, with adventure, and he couldn’t look away. He wasn’t sure of their gender, but hey, he was bi, and hot was hot.
