Page 17 of Infamous Heart

“Second date?” Xander’s question set me back in my chair. After nearly being killed by a villain and finding out Sebastian wielded light like a weapon, we hadn’t really talked about a follow-up.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” I jumped at the sound of Chad’s voice. The barista had been hovering behind me, listening to the conversation. He had a knack for always being present when we discussed dating tragedies. “They can’t all be winners.”

“It’s not like that. I originally met him to talk about a job opportunity. He thought it was an excuse for the date and was a little shocked I brought my portfolio.”

They all leaned back in their chairs, shaking their heads. Leave it to them to judge my naiveté.

“But then the flirting started. I—We had a moment,” I concluded.

“Rule number seven,” Chad rested a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Never end a good date without scheduling the next.”

Shit. That made sense. I think it was obvious that I was into Sebastian, but without confirmation, did he think the night was blown? I assumed he had been dwelling on outing himself as a superhero, but perhaps he wasn’t into me? Oh, God, this quickly spiraled out of control.

“Ignore Chad,” Alejandro said. “His marital bliss has softened his dating advice.” He flashed a smile at the barista.

“Don’t let these vultures intimidate you.” Xander pointed at the three men, scowling. “But really, Griff, you can’t say you had a moment without telling us.”

“Legos.” It was comical to think that something so juvenile had been the moment that gave me butterflies. “He plays with Legos.”

If I had said it to anybody else, they would have laughed, or thought I was being a fool. A man playing with a children’s toy would set off red flags, a massive warning that the man hadn’t grown up. But they knew my obsession with superheroes, and they’d spent hours with me in the comic bookstore going through back issues. They raised their coffee mugs in a salute. These were my people.

“That deserves a coffee on the house.” Chad gave me a quick hug before darting behind the counter to deal with the barrage of customers.

“It sounds like you need to set up a second date.” Bernard clanked his mug against mine. “You deserve it, Griff. We need somebody in this group to find some serious love. Maybe then these two wouldn’t be such jaded bitches.”

I spat my coffee into my cup. Bernard had a knack for being reserved, but when the claws came out, he struck with precision. While Xander and Alejandro should be angry with the man, they both nodded in agreement.

“Do you think he’ll let you play with his Legos? And just to be clear, by Legos, I mean his penis.”

Leave it to Alejandro to skip the romance. I wanted to give him the finger. But after lying in bed last night, fantasizing about Sebastian, naked in my bed, it was on my mind. As he so delicately put it, I wanted to play with Sebastian’s Legos.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, giving me the perfect opportunity to dodge the question. I held up my finger as I fished for the phone. Blocked? It was probably a telemarketer, but on the off chance that Sebastian might be calling, I answered.

“New rule,” Xander said, “no phones at breakfast.”

“Vetoed.” Alejandro shook his head. “I might get a booty call. You know, important bar tending business.”

“Vetoed,” Bernard checked his phone. “Centurions saving the world trumps breakfast.”

They continued to rattle on, arguing over the rules of breakfast, for which there were always too many. I turned in my chair, holding the phone to my ear.

“Is this Mr. Smith?” The voice had a deep timber, almost sultry in how smooth the words rolled out.

“It is. May I ask—“

“It’s Damien Vex. Sebastian Taylor phoned this morning to discuss a meeting he had with you last night.” The man’s voice bordered on accusatory. I couldn’t quite tell his feelings about my drinks with his art director.

“Oh yeah, he looked over my portfolio.”

“He believes you’re quite a talented man, Mr. Smith.” I bit my lip, thankful he couldn’t see my face turning red. “From the superheroes we feature to the staff I employ, my business revolves around talent. Are you available to meet?”

“Uh,” This was happening faster than I could have hoped. “I mean, absolutely, Mr. Vex. I’d be glad to discuss opportunities at Revelations.”

“I trust Mr. Taylor’s instincts, but I take a great deal of care knowing my employees and the skeletons in their closets.”

“I understand. Thank you for the opportunity.” Truth be told, it sounded more like a police screening than an interview. The man had a confident manner, but it was hard to ignore the subtle threat. Did he know about Sebastian? Was that his meaning? My mind reeled with the possibilities.

“I have availability later today. I’ll have my assistant reach out to set up a time.”

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