Page 4 of Heart of Glass

“Okay, so what’s the plan? Are you just going to stand here until the sun comes up in the morning?” With a frustrated sigh, he took Lachlan’s bag, draped it over his own shoulder, and moved to stand in front of him, blocking his view of the crosswalk. “Close your eyes.”

“Excuse me?”

“C’mon, Lachlan, just trust me. Close your eyes and take my hand.”

The plan had so many flaws, but Xeno was right. He couldn’t stand on the corner all night like a Vegas prostitute. Lachlan liked the barista, but he’d just met the guy. How did he trust someone he’d known for only an hour? Without another viable option, however, he had no choice but to go along with the idea.

Gripping his cane in a white-knuckled grip, he lifted his left hand and pressed his palm against Xeno’s, hyperaware of the warmth that spread from his fingertips to his elbow at the contact. “Okay. I can do this.” His head spun, his eyes watered, and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, but he blinked twice, steeled his courage, and closed his eyes.

“One foot in front of the other,” Xeno encouraged, tugging gently on Lachlan’s hand. “Which of your books is your favorite?”

“You want to talk about my books?”

“Why not? C’mon, I’ll tell which one is my favorite.”

“Tell me first.” Lachlan held tighter to his cane, but his pulse had slowed slightly, and he didn’t feel like he might pass out anymore.

“Affairs of the Night. Ray and Bryce were perfect for each other, and holy damn, I never saw that ending coming.”

The third book in hisAffairsseries had put him through the emotional wringer, but those were the types of stories he loved the most—the ones that left him feeling exhausted at the end. “They’re all special to me, but I have a soft spot for that one as well.”

“How much research did you have to do for that car chase? Did you do a ride-along with the police?”

“Nah, nothing as exciting as that. I just watched about a million action movies, mostly police dramas.”

“You’re right, that’s kind of boring.”

Lachlan snorted. He’d never professed to lead a glamorous life. “Okay, movie snob. What’s your favorite film?”

“The Notebook.”

“Liar.”

“Fine, I don’t know. I can’t think when you put me on the spot like this. I have pretty eclectic tastes, though. I watch a little of everything.”

Lachlan could relate to that. “Okay, favorite comedy?”

“Super Troopers.”

A shudder rippled through him, and Lachlan wrinkled his nose. “Slapstick comedy? I don’t think we can be friends anymore.”

“Hey, Lachlan?”

“What?”

“Open your eyes.”

Lachlan hadn’t realized they’d come to a stop, but when he opened his eyes, he found Xeno standing in front of him, still holding his hand and grinning from ear to ear. “I did it.”

“You did it.” Releasing his grip, Xeno coughed once and shoved both hands into his jacket pockets. “Which way from here?”

“Around the corner and two blocks down on Whistler.” And the quicker they made it there, the better. The darkness closed in around him, suffocating him, and he had to get off the street.

Turning in the direction Lachlan had pointed, Xeno clicked his heels together and offered his elbow. “Shall we?”

With a regal nod, he linked his arm with Xeno’s and sighed. “Thank you. I’m sorry about this. You probably think I’m a total loser.”

“Are you kidding me? We all have our issues. I’m scared of spiders.”

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