✔︎ | Part of Me (Trilogy)

32 | straight Will would say no

I try to act chill. "Oh hey," I murmur, meeting his brown eyes, as they crinkle at the sides when he smiles. I hold out my hand to shake his, "You're uh, Axel's friend, right?" 

He glances down at my hand, a small smirk playing on his lips, before he shakes it, and I realize my hand is literally trembling. I curse myself in my head, and pull it away, tucking my hands away again. "Yeah," he nods as the barista gets him his coffee. "Jamie." 

"Right. Jamie..." I murmur as if I didn't remember his name. "Coffee huh? Do you have a long night shift?" 

Jamie chuckles, leaning against the wall as he continues to talk to me as I wait. "No, actually. I'm off duty. Just got off, actually."

"Hm," I murmur, chuckling, trying so hard to stop noticing him. I've had gay guys hit on me before, and I'm always flattered, but I've never felt any sort of attraction to any of them. Not saying that's what's happening right now, but I can't help to admit to myself that Jamie can really pull of that uniform. I clear my throat. "Coffee at 9 pm though? What're you up to tonight?" I joke.

"Well it doesn't affect me actually," he claims, and nods at me, "what about you? You alone?"

I nod. "Yeah, I'm doing some stuff tonight."

Jamie's brows climb his forehead. "Oh, okay... I may be off duty but —"

"—Nothing like that," I interrupt, laughing, and get my latte. I lean a little closer to tell him, "I'm looking for a place to start an auto repair shop. I'm thinking about moving here, but don't tell Axel or Avi. It's a surprise...plus, it's not definite. I'd have to find a babysitter and everything."

We walk out of the shop. "A babysitter?" Jamie asks. 

I nod. "Yeah. I have two daughters. Twins actually." 

"Really?" Jamie asks, surprised, and, trying his best not to pry, questions, "do you have a wife?"

I shake my head hesitantly. "My girlfriend and I recently split up." 

"Oh, that's—I'm sorry," Jamie says. He doesn't sound sorry, but he looks at me like he wants to make it all better.  

"It was for the best," I say, and sigh. "Well, I should get going." 

"Do you have a car?" Jamie asks. "Because I'm not doing anything. I could drive you to look at places." 

A smile spreads across my face. "Are you sure?" 

"Of course," Jamie smiles back, and gently places his hand against my back to lead me over to his car, saying, "this is my car." We get in and he asks me, "do you have addresses?" I give him a few, but every time I do, he gives me a reason as to why I wouldn't want to have a shop there. 

"Seriously?" I ask him after he tells me he busted a drug den in that same building only weeks ago. "Does Seattle just suck in general?" 

"Haha. Almost," he says, "do you got any other addresses? 

I give him the last one I thought might be worth looking at.

"Ah, yes," he says, and pulls off onto the street without punching it into his GPS. "We can take a look at that one." He glances over at me and gives me a wink, "that's near my apartment." 

I nod awkwardly. "Cool." I'm not sure why he had to add a wink to that. Maybe he was suggesting something; maybe he was suggesting I come back to his apartment later and...do things with him? I've had girls invite me back to their apartments before, and I've never been interested, but for some reason, I play along with this, because I am curious as to what's happening.