Danny and James (I know real original title, but my creative juices are in a drought. Blame it on the school system. If anyone has a better suggestion, let me know) m/m…good stuff in later chapters…I hope…
"I'll have a regular cappuccino with only a little bit of whipped cream and a reasonable amount of sprinkles. Don't overdue it."
James gave the customer a pleasant smile and didn't comment that Mr. Johnston came in everyday and ordered the same thing. He went to the back counter where the cup of caffeine had been waiting since the other employees had seen Mr. Johnston walk into the small cafe.
"Here you are sir. That will be 2.25."
Another hour and James had a few small burns on his hands from spilt coffee and his face was starting to hurt from smiling.
"James, go on your break, Sara is here."
Grabbing a freshly baked cookie, the twenty year old went out back, enjoying the cool fall breeze.
James Stepsin, an average height, average weight, average hair, pretty much average kid, lived in Nebraska and went to college in the next town over from the cafe.
James' longish brown hair swept across his face in another gust of wind. He didn't know how long he had been outside, but all to soon the back door opened.
"Am I needed?" He asked the young girl who came out.
"No, it's really slow right now." Sara was still in high school and unlike James, grew up in Nebraska. "So how have you been?" She asked while pulling her long blonde hair into a messy bun.
"The same."
"The same, huh? You really need to get laid, James."
"And I suppose you're the expert."
Sara gave him a smug smile that told him way too much about her personal life.
"God, kids these days." He chuckled as Sara tried to slap his arm, but missed.
"Look, there's this really cute guy inside. He's just sitting there. Go talk to him."
"I can't just go up to random, unsuspecting guys and hit on them."
Sara gave him a mock confused look. "Why not?"
He was about to list off a bunch of perfectly good reasons, but Sara cut him off.
"Look, it's obvious he's gay, so don't worry about that." She continued before he could protest. "He's extremely good looking and his fingernails are clean. So there you go, gay."
Before he could comment on the stereotyping she was doing, he was being shoved back onto the cafe.
"Over there." Sara shamelessly pointed to a guy sitting at a window table.
James had to admit; from what he could see around the book the guy was reading he was really cute. Short blonde hair and what looked like brown eyes. He seemed well built, most likely tall. He was definitely a college student. He at least looked the part. Unlike James who still felt like he should be in high school.
"You want me to talk to him?"
"Just go over there and ask if he needs a refill. If he looks interested in you - go for it." Sara said it like it was the easiest thing in the world. But for the naturally shy James it was anything but easy.
She pressed one of the coffee pots into the brunette's hand and gave him a little push in the right direction.
Before he even knew what he was doing, his feet had led him to the mystery guy's table.
"Excuse me, do you need anymore coffee?" That couldn't have been his voice that just talked was it? It was definitely his heart that was pounding against chest, probably loud enough for the guy to hear.
Looking up from his book the guy stared at James for a second, seeming to think of an answer.
"No thanks, I won't be able to concentrate with too much caffeine." He said indicating the book that he was reading.
James nodded his head, but wasn't really listening. This guy was gorgeous now that he could see his whole face, and so familiar...
Blue eyes widened as he remembered back to his high school on the other side of the country.
"I'm sorry, but are you Danny Reynolds by any chance?" The man looked at him again.
"Yes, do I know you?"
"Oh my- you probably don't remember me. We didn't really hang out at all,"
"Holy shit, James Stepsin!" What James originally thought were brown eyes, he now knew they were actually a golden color and they sparkled with recognition.
"Yeah, that's me." James smiled.
"Wow, how are ya? You work here now? Please sit, can we talk or do you need to work?" He was still out going and full of life, just like James remembered him.
"Yeah I can talk for a bit." He took the seat across from him.
"So you do work here then."
"Yep. I go to school at the college."
"No way, I'll be starting classes there next week." Danny announced. He showed him the paperback he had been reading. "Literature and journalism."
"That makes sense, weren't you the editor of the school paper and tutored freshmen in english?"
Danny chuckled and James found himself really liking that noise. "Yeah, that's right. What are you majoring in?"
"I got in on an art scholarship. The school is trying to improve the art program and my work helps them out I guess." James admitted.
Neither of the two noticed that they talked all through the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. They had been so caught up in remembering high school and what they've been up too, the time seemed to slip by. Even though in school the two never hung out with the same people, and Danny had been the ever so popular class president. They were still able to talk like they had been best friends.
It wasn't until James felt a hand on his shoulder did he realize how long they had been talking. Following the arm up to it's owner he smiled when he saw who it was.
"Hey Joey. How long have you been here?" James said. His best friend Joey stood behind him and gave him a knowing smile.
"Not too long, but we got to go or we'll miss the movie." He said with a wink.
"I'm sorry James, I've been keeping you to long." Danny said, automatically being the polite gentleman that his mother brought him up to be.
"No, I had fun even though I completely skipped out on work. It was nice to catch up." He smiled when he realized that he wasn't even nervous talking to him anymore.
"Yeah, we should do this again. Here," He took a pen out of the book bag he had under the table and ripped a corner of a page from his book. He wrote something down and handed it to a curious James. "That's my number. If you want to get together sometime and hang out, just give me a call."
James stared at the paper as a big grin broke out on his face. "I will. And this is Joey by the way. My roommate. Joey this is Danny, we went to high school together back in New Hampshire."
"Nice to meet you." Joey said.
"Well, I'm actually running a little late as it is. I'll see you around hopefully. It was nice meeting you, Joey." With another smile in James' direction he took off through the door.
"So, I see you finally gave in to Sara."
"Shut up."
Later that night, Joey and James were eating their chinese food and watching the latest in reality tv, cause nothing else was on.
"So tell me about this Danny kid." Joey said breaking the comfortable silence that had settled while watching people eat cockroaches and duck eggs.
James sighed as he remembered his day spent talking to his old classmate. "There's nothing to tell, he's just a kid I went to school with."
"Liar. There is something to tell. I saw how you smiled when he gave you his number. What's up?"
James looked past the okay sized tv and out the window, remembering the four years he spent in school in NH. James was the quiet kid who liked to draw and Danny was the gorgeous kid who everyone loved. He had his own fan club of girls that flirted and fawned over him. He was smart and didn't pick on the freshmen like his friends. James discovered he was gay as a sophmore and naturally had a crush on the most popular guy in the school.
Only problem was Danny didn't really know who he was. Until senior year and they were partnered for an art project. Danny was only taking the class for the credit and James was taking the easy class because so was Danny. They got to know each other and all through the staying late at each other's houses and trying to teach Danny how to draw a reasonable looking...anything, James never tried anything. Cause Danny was straight. And James was a chicken.
"Earth to James." Joey waved his hand in front of his best friends face, effectively bringing him out of the daze he was in. "That bad huh?"
"What are you talking about?"
"He was your first crush wasn't he?"
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"But did you see how hot he is! How could I not have had a crush on him! I'm pathetic. I shouldn't still like this guy. I got a C in art because of him!" James moved his plate of chicken and rice on the coffee table and sulked into the comfortable couch.
"James, you're not pathetic. Did you ever get anywhere with this kid?"
The look that he received was all he needed for an answer.
"Okay, well did you ever try?"
"He's straight."
At that Joey had no choice but to laugh. He laughed even harder at the look James was giving him for laughing.
"It's not funny!"
"Yes it is." After a few more seconds, Joey calmed down and was able to be a little more serious for his friend. "That guy is anything but straight. He gave you his number, that has to be something. Besides, there's just something in the way that he was looking at you. And he has clean fingernails. Definitely gay."
"What is it with the fingernail thing? But you think so? You think he's gay?" James looked so cute; Joey couldn't help feeling a little jealous that this Danny was getting all his attention. But he pushed those feelings aside and smiled at James.
"You should call him."
Okay, this is my first story here, so be kind. But constructive criticism is helpful. Review!
Ryen