Page 3 of Not That Ridiculous

His eyes were a soft, gentle dark brown, his hair was golden brown, and he had an endearingly crooked left incisor.

And right now, he was smiling at me, bemused.

I realised with a jolt that I’d been standing there, staring at him in silence. God knows for how long.

“What?” I snapped.

He blinked. “I said, hello.”

“Hi.”

“You all right, then?”

“Yes.”

“Raining like mad out there today.”

His hair was spangled with glittering raindrops and his rosy cheeks were dewy. I fought back the urge to dry him off with a tea towel.

“Yep,” I said. “It is raining.”

He heaved a sigh. “Me and Craig are re-laying Mrs Hughes’ back patio today. Going to get absolutely soaked, I reckon.”

Adam came up to the counter and formed a queue of one behind Kevin. I glanced uneasily at him, and back to Kevin.

“What’s up, Kevin?” Adam said.

Kevin glanced at Adam and smiled. “Hey, Adam.” His brown eyes came back to rest steadily on my face.

And that was how I knew Kevin was one hundred percent straight.

Even people who had known Adam all his life—me being one of them—hadsomesort of reaction to his beautiful face and to his presence. He loathed it, I knew, but we all had our crosses to bear. Being the most beautiful human being in the room at any given moment must be so hard.

But Kevin? When he looked at Adam, there wasn’t even a quiver of awareness. Nothing beyond his calm, uncomplicated friendliness.

“Usual for you?” I said.

Kevin nodded. “A flat white and a black Americano, please.”

The flat white was for him, the Americano for Craig.

“Any pastries?” I asked.

He was already inspecting the case. He leaned down and rested his hands on his thighs as he studied the offerings.

I waited patiently, until I realised that I was waiting patiently and that wassonot me. Shifting my weight, I turned to Adam with a raised brow.

“Glass of water please,” he said.

I gazed at him levelly. He didn’t want a glass of water. He’d never ordered a glass of water. Not once.

He’d come over to mess with me, I knew it.

He returned my gaze. He knew I knew it, and he was enjoying it.

“Help yourself.” I gestured at the small vintage water cooler I had set up on the far end of the counter.

I didn’t charge for tap water. Anyone who wanted a glass of water or a bowl for their dog could have one.

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