Page 90 of Found in Obscurity
He didn’t let go of Kit’s arm though, and Kit hadn’t seen Lorin’s eye twitch quite that way before. Lorin huffed and headed to the register. Kit tilted his head as he watched after him.
Was Lorin a little bit jealous too? The thought made him very smug, he wasn’t gonna lie. Clearly his flirting and mating techniques were top tier.
Lorin settled the bill as quickly as he could, marching back to them with a few bags, and together they walked out of the store and around the corner to the café.
Glenn was right. It was charming. All sunflower yellow details and delicious-looking pastries in the display cases. The inside smelled of freshly baked bread and sugar. Kit felt his mouth water as they approached the counter. He glued his nose to the glass, eyeing a richly glazed donut.
“I think he wants a donut,” Glenn whispered very loudly.
Kit would have been offended at being mocked, but he did really, really,reallywant that donut.
He turned to Lorin and blinked a few times, hoping it came across as cute.
“You’ll have a hard time saying no to that face,” an amused voice said.
Kit glanced up to find the cheerful, rounded face of the woman behind the counter. Her blond hair was tied up in a messy bun, a tiny dormouse tucked inside it so only two beady black eyes were poking out. Clearly her familiar. She had an apron with the café’s name on it over an impressive baby bump she was cradling with one hand. A magazine full of baby furniture with a few things circled was open to her right.
“Millicent.” Glenn greeted her happily, drumming his fingers on the counter. “How’s the bump treating you?”
“Like a punching bag. And stop using my government name. It’s Millie to anyone who isn’t my harpy of a mother who stuck me with it,” she said with a sigh before turning her gaze to Lorin. “Nice to finally meet you.”
She didn’t add anything else, no addenda that held veiled meanings, but also not pretending she had no idea who he was. Kit decided he liked her.
“Thanks,” Lorin said shyly, adjusting his long hair nervously. “Nice to meet you too.”
“What can I get you other than the donut?” she asked with a wink at Kit.
Lorin ordered a tea and two coffees, and they grabbed a table in the corner. Kit didn’t even wait to sit before he was tucking into his treat, lumps of sugar falling everywhere.
As he was trying to enjoy it, he felt people watching them. Kit was always hyperaware of people—that hadn’t worn off with the bonding and mating. Cocooned in their bubble, it was easy to relax, but out here in the big wide world he still kept up an acuteawareness of his surroundings, no matter how much fun he was having.
His paranoia had come too late to help him five years ago, but it had kept him safe since he’d escaped the coven that had taken him. So he recognized when eyes paused on their table every few seconds, how steps faltered and whispers carried. The way Lorin was starting to shift uncomfortably and glance around them let Kit know he wasn’t the only one who had noticed.
Until one older witch plucked up the courage—or the audacity—to actually approach their table, looking down at the three of them.
“So…the prodigal grandson makes his return to our small town and starts making friends,” she said. “How nice of you to remember we exist. Are we finally good enough for you to grace us with your presence again?”
“Lita,” Glenn said sunnily, his smile never falling, but there was an iciness in his eyes that had never been there before. Apparently, he didn’t like everyone like Kit had thought he did. “I see you know Lorin. And this is Kit, his boyfriend.”
“Hi,” Kit said, beaming at the word boyfriend. It didn’t really mean much when they were bonded so much deeper than that, so much stronger, but it still sounded nice. He liked it.
The woman rudely ignored the fact that Kit even occupied time and space, taking a breath to say something more as Glenn tilted his head and leaned closer.
“I’d love for you to join us, but I have found a really odd mark on a very intimate part of my body and was about to confide in Lorin about it in great, excruciating detail,” Glenn said. “I don’t suppose you’re interested in hearing about it?”
She made a disgusted face but wasn’t deterred. It wasn’t until Millie called her name from behind the counter that she paused.
“Lita, your order is ready!” she called sweetly. “I managed to rush it for you. I know you have places to be.”
Lita huffed and made her way to the counter, grabbing it before leaving with her pointy nose in the air. Millie watched her leave before rolling her eyes, walking out from behind the counter, and approaching their table.
She grabbed their empty cups. “Don’t listen to her. She had the same attitude with me when I dared to go to college somewhere else.”
“Me too,” a guy from one table over grumbled, mostly to himself. “She’s mean.”
Millie didn’t wait for a reply, simply walked off with a sincere smile. Kit watched Lorin watch her go, a complicated but contemplative look on his face.
“She really is deranged. I wouldn’t worry about what she says,” Glenn said.