Chapter 2

“It’s just the way it is,” he said, knowing he sounded pretty lame.

“I see. Okay. Well, see you.” Drew looked crushed, as though he’d lost his best friend. Ridiculous, of course. But he looked so sad as he turned away that Mark couldn’t stop himself.

“Coffee. Fine. Where?”

Drew turned around and his eyes flashed so mischievously Mark decided he’d been had.

“There’s a coffee place in Cannery Village in Newport Beach. It’s called Java Central.”

“Newport Beach?” Mark frowned. “All the way down there?”

Drew shrugged. “It’s near my work. How about two on Wednesday?”

“In the afternoon?”

The kid laughed. “Well, certainly not in the morning. Come on, Mark. You can bring your cell with you. Surely that will leave you connected to the business world.”

Mark’s cell chirped to life as though the mere mention of it caused it to ring. “Hold on.” He glanced at it and answered, “Yeah, Eddie. I know. Give me a minute.”

“Two on Wednesday?” Drew asked.

He sighed. “All right. What’s the name of this place again?”

“Java Central in Cannery Village,” Drew said, rather patiently.

“Okay. See you then.”

* * * *

Drew returned to Steve, who was now talking to his brother, Adrian. Steve handed him back his beer and Adrian thrust a plate of burgers at him.

He picked one up and took a bite before he responded to the brothers’ curious looks. “I have a coffee date on Wednesday.”

“Wow, really?” Adrian asked, looking Mark’s way. “I’m impressed. Nathan and Barnaby say he’s a total workaholic.”

Steve grinned. “If anyone can get him to come out of his shell it’s our Drew.”

“Hardly. I was just persistent.”

“We’ll see.” Steve put his hand on Drew’s shoulder. “Let’s go find Heather and see if we can get Nathan to make us his famous margaritas.” 2

Drew kept an eye on the clock in his family’s gift shop in Cannery Village. It was nearly two. He wondered if Mark would even show. Part of him figured he wouldn’t. He’d been sort of surprised Mark had agreed in the first place.

The gift shop, owned by his mother and stepfather, was one of those typical shops one found in seaside harbors. It contained T-shirts, sweatshirts, California knickknacks, sea life statues, and pictures…basic souvenir type stuff. It had been in the Village for years, since Drew was just a boy. Just then, the shop only had two old ladies as customers gazing at the hats in the corner that said Newport Beach on them.

“Ma, I’m going to take my lunch break if it’s okay,” Drew called to his mother, who was in the back area.

“Okay, honey, I’ll be right out.”

Drew waited for his mother to appear behind the counter and then he hurried from the shop and down the few doors to Java Central.

A perusal of the small coffee shop indicated what he’d feared. No Mark. He sighed with disappointment. Even though he expected it, he still couldn’t help feeling cheated.

“Hey, Drew, you want your usual?” Louise asked. She was a college student and pretty with red hair and freckles.

“Yeah, thanks,” Drew said, walking up to the counter to wait for his coffee. When the little bells tingled above the door he didn’t even turn around. He just paid his money and moved over to add cream.

“May I help you, sir?” Louise asked.

“I’d like a regular coffee, please.”

Drew turned quickly. “Mark!”

Mark raised a dark eyebrow. He was dressed in a navy suit and carried a briefcase. He really was handsome in a very polished sophisticated way. His eyebrows looked like they’d been shaped even.

“You did say two on Wednesday at Java Central, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah, I did.” Drew grinned. “I’ll be over at that table by the window.” He took his seat and waited for Mark to come over and join him. When he did, Drew couldn’t keep his happiness from showing.

“You look pleased with yourself,” Mark commented.

“No, I’m actually pleased with you.”

“How so?” Mark reached for a packet of real sugar, not the fake stuff, Drew noticed. He added it to his black coffee.

Drew shrugged. “Honestly, I expected you to stand me up. I’m glad I was wrong.”

“I almost did. This isn’t exactly convenient for me.” Mark glanced around the shop. “Where do you work anyway?”

“At a gift shop a few doors down.”

“You going to college?”

He laughed. “How old do you think I am?”

“I don’t know.” Mark shrugged, stretching his suit coat across his broad shoulders. “Not much over twenty-one.”

“Wrong. I’m twenty-seven and my college days are over. I have a degree from the California Institute of Art.”

Mark frowned, clearly in disapproval. “Then what are you doing working at a gift shop?”

Taking a sip of his coffee, Drew shook his head. “The shop belongs to my parents. Last year my stepdad was diagnosed with cancer. He’s having trouble running the shop so I’m helping my mother out for now. Before that I’d been teaching art at the Institute. I’ve had to take a leave of absence and move back to Newport Beach.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Any relationship with your father?”

Drew shook his head and reached for another little cup of half-and-half to add to his coffee. “I don’t have a father. Well, I don’t mean I was hatched or anything. Mom was artificially inseminated. No clue who the donor was.”

“It’s very admirable of you to give up your life to help them.”

“I don’t consider it giving up my life. Anyway, what about you? Why don’t you tell me about yourself.”

“Me? I’m boring as hell.” Mark took a long sip of his coffee.