Chapter 2

Trevor thought Christian would’ve come out of the closet by now, but that day had not yet arrived. Still, they were only in their twenties, so there was time. Trevor preferred shaggy-haired dreamers, whereas he imagined Christian’s type being buff and crew cut with a gym membership. They never spoke about the possibility of Christian being gay, but Trevor thought his gaydar was right on the money. When Trevor came out of the closet, Christian had hugged and supported him, never really asking anything other than if it made him happy. As he looked back to that moment, he thought Christian looked envious, but thought maybe he read too much into it.

Excited to see his friend, he trotted to the door, turning on lights and flipping more chairs over on his way. Christian grinned and made a grand motion at Trevor’s outfit. He looked down and saw his shirtwas on inside-out, his jeans unzipped, and his shoes untied. Laughing with Christian, he turned the keyand motioned for him to enter while he hurried to the back of the café to straighten up his appearance.

Trevor always wanted to present himself professionally, and maybe even a little bit flirty, since you never knew what sexy dreamer might come walking in the door. He wasn’t the type to be constantly fixinghis hair or making sure his clothes were pressed and immaculate, like some of his club friends, but he didn’t want to look like he just rolled out of bed either.

He had a preppy/grunge type look to him that clashed with the looks of the guys he socialized in clubs with. They were more of the glittery-nail-polish, makeup, and rainbow-colored-clothes-type guys and he loved them all for it, but he was a more of a subdued people watcher.

Trevor reset the timer and put more treats in the ovens while he left the rest on the cooling rack. This was his favorite part of the day, creating treats and having the place smell delicious. He loved working with the customers too, but this was what made him the happiest.

“Hey, what’s up man? Long time no see!” Christian sat at the counter while Trevor made his latte. Hisfriend looked around the bakery, grinning from ear to ear. “What’s different here?”

“What?” Trevor saw what Christian looked at and grinned too. “Yeah well, I told you the last time youcame in here the colors were too dull. I had to brighten up the room.” They laughed as they admired the brightly colored splashes on the wall and the matched throw pillows on the couches. Trevor hoped it wasn’t too much, but the room needed to lighten up a bit.

A few local business owners were known to remark “there is always such a crowd” with the emphasis on crowd. Trevor liked to say he had all walks of life frequent his café, although he had to admit the crowds were boisterous at times, mostly on the weekends.

“Hey, I heard there’s a new owner at Escape. Have you seen him yet?” Christian asked, knowing Trevor used to frequent the bar.

“Really? I haven’t been there in months. This place keeps me busy—no time for late nights.” Trevor chuckled, putting on a pouty face. He tried the club hopping and going out while still running the café,but he knew if he were to be successful, he had to be on full alert, and not tired or hung over every morning. Not that he minded, this was his dream. He wouldn’t change it, but he did need a good night outsoon.

“Yeah, I ran into Sam and he was all swoony over him.” Christian laughed uncomfortably. Sam has had a thing for Christian ever since Trevor introduced them. He always flirted outrageously with him. Trevor sometimes thought Christian might reciprocate the feelings, but at other times doubted it. He couldn’t figure Christian out.

“Hmmm, he didn’t mention it to me, and I saw the rat yesterday.” Trevor laughed. “Maybe I’ll pop over there for a drink sometime to check out the goods myself! You want to come?” Trevor asked, knowingthe answer would be no. Christian always said “To a gay bar? No, I’m not into that,” and as soon as Trevor’s question was out, that was exactly what Christian said. Trevor chuckled to himself.

“Escape is not a gay bar. It’s a gay friendly bar,” Trevor told Christian as he walked to unlock the door and flip over the Open sign.

“Yeah well, it’s a mostly gay bar and anyways…it’s not my thing.” Trevor could see Christian considering the idea, but Christian being Christian, he wouldn’t brave those elements. Escape never got rowdy per se, but on dance-night the guys were out on the prowl. Some of his club friends would get all gussied up and prep for a night on the town and a hook up. Not Trevor, he was a people watcher. He enjoyed dancing yes, but he liked to watch people and observe more than get into the mix. That’s where he got a lot of his inspiration.