Dangerously Sweet (MxM)

Chapter 8

I was grateful she didn't ask too many questions and also didn't seem too pissed with me for not contacting her either. Instead, she giggled like a schoolgirl while teasing me about how Sorren had likely swept me off my feet and straight into his bed and that's why I was unreachable the entire day. I did nothing to argue her assumptions away, they were a better thought than the truth anyways.

I made a mental note to give her a raise in pay because after yesterday she definitely deserved it. 

Once the latest customer left, it was just me and yet again another mysterious man in my coffee shop. Only, this one wasn't at all captivating like the last. 

It was almost two in the afternoon now, so I would be closing the shop soon. I started my daily routine of closing tasks from behind the counter while continuously eyeing the lonely stranger in the corner. 

He wasn't watching me at this very moment, but that didn't make me feel any calmer about the situation and the tension building in the room. With us alone, my thoughts started to spiral.

What if he was here to do something bad? Maybe he was here to threaten me or worse- hurt me. I knew yesterday was too good to be true- being let go so spontaneously. It had to have been a trap. I knew it was a trap.

I was lost deep in my worries, so much so I wasn't even cleaning the dishes anymore. My hands were frozen in place, clutching the coffee mug in one hand and the dish rag in the other. I could feel my chest pull tight as the panic set in. I shut my eyes tight and tried to take deep breaths as I could feel my body begin to tremble. 

Just as I started trying to think of what to do, conjure up some plan to protect myself for when the man made his move, I heard the front door of the shop open. When I spun my head around to look, the man in the corner was gone.

I stood alone in the coffee shop.

Great going you paranoid ass, I grilled myself.

I mean, I genuinely almost gave myself a full-blown panic attack from mere overreacting.

Clearly, yesterday was messing with me more than I had first anticipated. I shook the thoughts from my head and got back to the closing tasks ahead of me so I could go home. I hadn't slept well last night, and I definitely needed a nap or something to clear my head.

After a couple more minutes, I was ready to close the shop. Heading out, I switched the lights off and locked the door behind me. Usually, I stopped by to see Art in the alley, but today I didn't have the energy to see him. Instead, I made a straight shot toward my apartment.

My apartment was only a few blocks, so I usually enjoyed the walk. It gave me time to get fresh air and think of lighter thoughts. 

That wasn't going to be possible today though because when I raised my eyes from the sidewalk, I saw a familiar face just across the street, on the other side. The same man from the coffee shop. 

So he had left, but he was still nearby. 

He wasn't currently looking in my direction, but the fact that he was still around brought back the same uneasy feeling I had in the coffee shop. If he had something planned, I wish he would just get it over with. And if he didn't, then I wish he would disappear. My heart and mind wouldn't be able to take much more of this.

I tried my best to keep my eyes off the man as I continued my way down the street, but they would periodically flick over to him. It didn't help that he was walking in the same direction as me, always in eyesight.

It all seemed too coincidental.

I hurried my pace, slipping past the other people on the street to get to my apartment. If the strange man was tailing me, I wasn't planning on sticking around to chat about it.

Today was the fastest I'd ever gotten to my apartment from the cafe before. At the door, I fumbled with my wallet to get the keycard out, not bothering to notice the other man again.

"Kalen," a gruff voice rang out directly beside me. I jumped into the air, whirling around to face the culprit, and found the man who was previously across the street now in front of me. 

I pressed my back into the wall of the building behind me, gawking at the man. I prayed one of my neighbors would walk through the front doors so I could slip inside to safety but to no avail.

My voice shook, "y-you know my name?" was all I could dumbfoundedly think to say.

I noticed a slight eye roll from the man. This close to me, I could tell he was easily in his forties. His dark black hair was peppered with gray flecks, showing his age. His beard mirrored the same color, with thicker gray streaks peeking through. The corners of his eyes were showing signs of wrinkles and his eyebrows were thick as they furrowed.

"Of course I do kid," he scoffed. "I knew where you worked, you think I wouldn't find out your name?"

Great, my own personal stalker.

"W-what do you want? I don't carry any cash on me. I can-"

He cut off my stumbling words, "Calm down, will you?"

My cheeks tinted pink, but not from nervousness or embarrassment. No, a wave of anger started brewing in me. "I'm sorry. Calm down?" I seethed. "You've practically been tailing me the entire day, stalking me home and I'm supposed to be calm about that?" I scoffed, pushing myself off the wall to stand tall in front of the man. "I think you need to explain yourself before this becomes just as unpleasant for you as it has been for me."

The man looked at me, a hint of shock crossing his features. Truthfully, I had no plan and I definitely had no idea how I'd be capable of making him feel unpleasant, but again- faking it until I make it.

 We stood in silence on the street for a moment, me glaring up at him and a small smile shadowing his lips. It was until I cleared my throat in irritation that he spoke again.

"I've been assigned to watch over you..." he reluctantly shared. I tilted my head to the side, pursing my lips at him, causing him to continue. "I've been assigned to watch you."

"That sounds more believable. By who? Sorren?", I questioned. When he looked away and didn't respond, I knew my answer. "But why?"

Before I even asked, I already knew the answer, even if the man before me didn't share one. Sorren didn't trust me, or at least he needed to make it appear that he didn't. To appease his people. They obviously weren't happy with my release. 

Even so, why would the man assigned to watch approach me? Isn't the whole point of tailing someone to be anonymous so they don't know?

"Why are you here? Talking to me?" I asked aloud.

The man chewed the inside of his cheek, looking anywhere but at me. "Listen, kid. You might not think so, but I say this because I care. Stay away from Sorren, okay? Stay away from all this. You don't know what you're getting into. You don't know..."

He started moving away from me, but not before his hand darted out to grip my hand, shoving a card into my grasp. "If you need anything, give me a call. But, I need you to understand. You're in danger if you don't stay away."

My head reeled as I watched the older man briskly walk away. Danger? More danger than yesterday? More danger than that creepy blonde kid?

I stood for a moment longer on my own until I could focus enough to scan my keycard to get into the building. I made it to my apartment door on the fourth floor, closing the door behind me before I remembered the card that was clutched in my hand.

When I looked down at it, the name read Marco.

.x.

Another mystery man in the cafe, how do we feel?? 

Also, I really like building Kalen's character. He has a very timid, fragile energy about him, but if you can't tell, in the heat of the moment he shows a little bit of fire. I hope as a reader, you are able to notice the depth of the characters I've created. I will be interesting to see how much of their personalities I can show off and their backgrounds I can explain as the story progresses.

Have any questions about the character's so far?? Feel free to ask away in the comments and when I get a decent amount, I'll host a Q&A!

Be sure to comment, vote, and follow for regular updates! <3