Page 80 of Looking for Group
“I think it works,” said Tinuviel, finally. “It’s very you.”
Sanee seemed less convinced. “So, you’re saying that your essential self is ‘A wizard has turned you into a whale. Is this awesome? Y/N’?”
Drew shrugged. “I think it’ll make him laugh.”
***
An hour later, he was anxiously circling the designated Starbucks, trying to psych himself up to go in.
To be honest, he couldn’t figure out what scared him most: the possibility that he wouldn’t fancy Kit, or the possibility that he would.
Finally, he pulled himself together and walked through the door. It wasn’t particularly crowded in there, and he scanned the tables looking for…what? Someone ordinary and blondish and reading a book.
There was only one guy reading. Or, at least, only one guy reading a paper book.
But if Drew’d had to describe him, he wouldn’t have gone with ordinary.
He’d been expecting some kind of hopeless geek-boy. But the young man at the table was, well…elegant, somehow, his chin propped on one long-fingered hand as he read.
Drew was really beginning to wish he’d worn a shirt.
Kit was wearing a shirt—a dark-blue one with embroidery down the sleeves—and his hair was blondish, as he’d said, but it was a rich, dark gold, slightly curly at the ends, as if he had his own personal stylist hanging out backstage.
Basically, he looked like a catalogue model, or the popular one in a boy band. Kind of slim and lean and clean-cut. The sort of guy you could take home to meet your mum.
He glanced up, saw Drew, and gave him a slightly quizzical, slightly hopeful expression.
And so Drew had no choice but to walk over there and pretend he wasn’t totally outclassed.
“Solace?” he said. Shit. “I mean, uh, Kit, right?”
The boy nodded and, slowly, a little bit shyly, smiled. It wasa good smile. Partially because it was a touch hesitant, like he didn’t give it to just anyone. “Hi, Drew.”
Drew panicked. “I’m just going to grab myself a coffee. Do you want anything?”
Kit nodded towards the mug already on the table. “I’m fine.”
Right. Okay. Stupid question. “Be right back.”
There was a longish queue, which was sort a relief and sort of not. It gave him time to freak out at a safe distance while he was pretending to pick a muffin. But he was still close enough that he was very aware of Kit, well, being there. Being a real, physical person, and not just a bundle of internet. And he wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to be looking, or not looking, or smiling, or waving, or what.
Things were so much easier on a rock in a cave under a swamp.
He got himself a latte and, since he’d been staring at them, a white chocolate and raspberry muffin, and mooched back to sit down.
“Uh, hi,” he said. “Uh, again. Uh, how are you?”
Kit put his book aside. “Honestly? I’m still a bit nervous.”
For some reason that really helped. “Shit, me too.”
They grinned at each other, kind of awkward, kind of not.
“We missed you at the raid on Monday.”
“Sorry. I’m trying to get this water to look right. It’s even less interesting than it sounds. Who MTed?”
“Morag, and Bjorn brought his tanking alt. So that was fun.”
