Page 59 of Scoop Me Up
He frowned, brow dipping low before he exhaled slowly. “You’re right. Ellie.”
“Exactly. Coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
I got dressed quickly and Gabe went to his own room to put on clothes before dipping into the bathroom to take care of his own hygiene. A few minutes later, we met in the kitchen, the coffee maker hissing as it heated up. I reached up to grab a couple of mugs from the cabinet and Gabe put his arms around my waist, pressing his lips to my neck in a kiss that made my skin heat with desire.
“Trying for an encore?” I asked with a chuckle as I set the cups in front of me.
He opened his mouth and nipped at the sensitive skin, causing me to press my hands to the countertop and suck in a breath. As he kissed my neck, he rocked his hips forward, pressing an erection into the crease of my ass, and my breath hitched, my body aching for him, my own cock stirring.
A moment later, Gabe pressed one final kiss to my neck before backing away, leaving me. I groaned, dropping my head forward for a few moments while I caught my breath. “You bastard,” I muttered. He chuckled darkly behind me. I should have been annoyed at the tease, but all I could think was,I could get used to this.
The coffee was ready quickly and I poured us each a mug, Gabe taking his to the table without a word. I joined him and we sat quietly, sipping our coffee.I could really, really get used to this.
It felt in part like the life I’d always wanted. A partner, quiet domesticity, sweet kisses and steamy nights and everything in between. We chatted quietly about nothing in particular—Gabe’s plans for the day with Ellie, my plans to head to the ice cream shop to see where things stood.
“What do you want to do when I get home?” Gabe asked. Hearing him call my househomecaused a lump to build in my throat. Before I could respond, he touched the side of my foot with his own and raised his eyebrows suggestively.
“That’s one option,” I said with a laugh. “Let’s just play it by ear.” I had to admit, I was relieved that he wasn’t running away after his first sexual experience with someone other than a cis woman.
Soon, though, it was time for Gabe to leave. He got in his rental car and headed out, leaving me with one last, lingering kiss, and as he pulled out of the driveway, my heart ached. Thewhat-ifspounded through my head with every heartbeat.
“Stop it,” I muttered to myself. “You’ve got to stop.” I didn’t want to spend the day ruminating on whether Gabe really cared about me. I wanted to trust him and let go of the fear.
A little while later, I walked into town to run errands, including a visit to the ice cream shop. I needed to swing by town hall too, and possibly the hardware store. It was nice out and it occurred to me that I might stop by the farmer’s market in the town square while I was at it. As I walked, I ran into the parents of a student. They stopped me to chat and it hit me that I’d actually miss this part of teaching too—building and maintaining relationships with the families.
“Sam,” Marybeth said, pulling me into a hug. “We’re going to miss you.”
I frowned, furrowing my brow, and hesitated before I spoke. “Miss me?”
She shrugged and gestured to her wife. “Anna and I heard you’re moving on from teaching.”
“Oh,” I said, trying to suppress my surprise. “That’s true.”
“Well, I hope your next adventure is just as amazing for you.”
Not long after that, I came across Olivia Hayworth, a part-time art teacher at the school, who also stopped me. “Sam, I hear you’re leaving us,” she said, sounding disappointed.
I nodded. “I am. I’m opening an ice cream shop, finally.”
Her eyes lit up. “That’s great! If you need someone to draw a mural on the walls, let me know.”
“Of course, Olivia. Thanks for the offer. I’ll keep you updated.”
The scene repeated several more times, with nearly everyone I came across telling me they’d heard about my departure from the school and how sad they were that I was leaving. When I asked someone where they’d heard the news, they’d shrugged and waved their hand vaguely.
“You know. News gets around.”
There was zero doubt in my mind that Ms. Finch had something to do with it. Part of me was annoyed that the cat was out of the bag so soon, but mostly I was relieved. I didn’t have to make an announcement or be dramatic about it. Parents already knew. All I had to do was finish out summer school, pack up my classroom, and go.
Once my errands were mostly done—I’d filed my business license at town hall, officially naming the shop Scoops on Maple—picked out paint colors and tile at the hardware store, and decided to skip the farmer’s market for the day, I headed to the shop to see Luke, who’d agreed to work overtime to help get it ready.
I pulled open the door and spotted Luke quickly, helping to install the counters. The flooring had already gone in, which blew my mind, as it had been less than a week. As I approached, Luke raised his head and looked at me.
“Sam!’
I grinned, unable to conceal my excitement. “Hey, Luke. It’s looking great already.”
