Page 3 of To Cuddle A Gremlin (Monsters in Love Side Stories #1)

CHAPTER 3

Kaz sent Crash a gift

Crash opened gift and received a shiny unicorn.

Crash: Thank you. You didn’t have to. It’s too much. You can’t afford this

Crash: Kaz? How’s it going?

Crash: You haven’t been on in a bit.

Crash: Are you okay?

S ebastian stood in his closet, trying to decide what to wear for work. The week had been long, and all he wanted to do was flop out on the couch and snuggle with Tiger, his big orange tabby. But landlords needed rent, and Tigers required food. Slipping on a pair of dark blue slacks and a button-down shirt with tiny dragons, Sebastian nodded at his mirrored self. The dragons were subtle, allowing him a secret thrill. No one would be able to see what they were unless they stood close. Today was the day. He was going to stop hiding at the library and resume his lunchtime at the diner.

Winter had begun to make its appearance as the air became brisker and the hint of snow threatened. Sebastian grumbled as he squished the black toque over his head and pulled on his thicker gloves. Stepping outside, he shivered and picked up his pace. The cold walk would get his blood moving and warm him up.

Sebastian ducked inside the busy café so he could purchase a Friday treat for his coworkers. Becky was pouring coffee for the dining room guests, and the other morning server, Ren, stood at the cash register, ready to make the to-go coffees for the takeout guests.

“Hey, Ren.” Sebastian bobbed his head. Ren returned the greeting with a big smile. He was quick at completing orders.

“Good morning. Are you getting coffee for everyone?” Ren tapped a few buttons before looking at Sebastian.

“Just Sammi, Jake, and me this morning.” Sebastian appreciated having his coffee order memorized. Staff remembering what he liked gave him a warm feeling of acceptance and positivity.

“Great. Tony’ll make them for you.” Ren’s nose twitched before sneezing. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to do that.”

“No worries. Is Tony in a good mood this morning?” Sebastian braced himself for their mercurial boss. Tony intimidated Sebastian with his gruff mannerisms. He never smiled, and every time he prepared Sebastian’s collection of drinks, he did so as though he was doing Sebastian a favour. Straightening his shoulders, Sebastian shuffled down to the coffee bar where the older version of Isadore growled.

“I’ll be with you in a sec,” Tony grumbled, his gaze flicking up once while steaming the milk. “You’re the guy my brother likes.”

Sebastian swallowed wrong and began coughing at Tony’s admittance. Why would Tony tell him that? No way would Isadore like him. It couldn’t be true, could it? He tried to deny what Tony said, but the steel green eyes dared him otherwise. Both Tony and Isadore struck him mute in different ways.

“Whatever. I don’t get it, but he becomes so friggin’ dopey, which annoys me.” Tony passed him one of the hot beverages before starting the next drink. “I guess if I turn my head at a certain angle, I can see what he does. You are cute in a delicate fawn sort of fashion.”

Sebastian nodded and shook his head, baffled by the turn of conversation and happy at the same time. Was Tony trying to bullshit him? Isadore liking him wasn’t real. It had to be wishful thinking. Being polite was the best option. If Tony was lying, then Sebastian hadn’t shown his hand, just in case. But what if it was true? God, he’d have to figure out how to act like someone who knew what they were doing. “Thank you? I think?”

Tony passed him the last two drinks before flicking his fingers at Sebastian. “Take your drinks and go.”

Sebastian hurried to the library with his tray of coffee. His cheeks were glowing with cold and possibly incandescent joy. He had to assume Tony hadn’t been lying. He was too much of an honest person to lead Sebastian on. The grin refused to disappear from his face as he slid into the staff room where Sammi scrolled through her phone.

“Someone is in a happy mood this morning,” Sammi murmured as Sebastian deposited the tray on the work room desk. He flattened his mouth, embarrassed at being caught smiling. Sammi tilted her head to the side as she studied Sebastian. “Was he at the café already?”

“What? No! I didn’t see him. Just Ren and Tony. Who said… Tony said Isadore likes me,” Sebastian’s cheeks grew hot. Sharing what Tony told him had Sebastian doubting the likelihood. Especially when Sammi’s eyes widened. “Why would he say that? It can’t be true. Is he trying to make me not go back? Tony terrifies me.”

“Oh, Sebby. Relax. This is a good thing. You want Tony’s approval.” Sammi patted Sebastian’s cheek. “Lucky you, having Tony realize how special you are.”

Rolling his eyes, Sebastian tried to ignore the fluttering butterflies in his stomach to be the mature man he was. “Tony’ll probably do something to my coffee.”

“Oh, he will not. Next time you pop by the café, smile at him. That’s it. Nothing else,” Sammi instructed.

To get Sammi off his back, Sebastian agreed. “Fine. I will. I promise I will smile at Tony and greet him.”

“Ooh, what’s going on? Are you talking about the yummy man at the café? He is such a sweet boy. His coffees are divine, and his grumpy expression makes us all swoon.” Mrs. Gordon placed her collection of thrillers on the desk while jumping into the conversation.

“Yes, ma’am. How are you today?” Sebastian scanned each item while chatting. Mrs. Gordon was a patron with a penchant for murderous stories and nonfiction.

“I love listening to you and Samantha. I feel so young with you.”

“You’re so sweet. You want to live my life for me?” Sebastian joked, relaxing into his librarian persona. The people on the other side of the desk were comfortable, and he didn’t have to stress about what to say. The same chatter dominated every conversation.

“Young man, if I had my chance to relive my younger years, I’d jump on that in a heartbeat. However, this is something you need to do for yourself. Allow yourself to be chased by Isadore. Don’t dillydally until he’s given up,” Mrs. Gordon advised. “Regrets don’t keep you warm at night.”

“See, even Mrs. Gordon thinks you need to get some balls and talk to the man. We’re gonna start a pool here to see how long it takes for you to initiate the conversation.”

“Thank you for your vote of confidence,” Sebastian muttered. His friends were right. He had to find his ability to approach Isadore without stammering. It wasn’t fair he made Isadore do all the heavy lifting.

When lunchtime rolled around, Sebastian grabbed his bag out of the fridge and sat at the crowded table. The peace and quiet was almost too much after the busy morning. He was glad he had decided to bring food rather than braving the café.

“Really, Sebby? You’re brown bagging again?” Sammi growled. She was dressed to go outside with her scarf loosely wound around her neck. “If he’s at the café when I get there, you’re coming down to see him too.”

Swallowing his bite of casserole, Sebastian shook his head. “Sammi, I had a rough morning. I made a delicious meal for myself. I just want to enjoy some quiet. Please?”

Sammi scowled before stomping off. Sebastian ate another forkful before staring out the window. Social batteries could run low at work as well. He still had a long afternoon to get through.

“Sebastian, I heard Samantha trying to convince you to go after the young man at the café. Are you sure this is the direction you’d take?” Jacob, the branch manager, placed his dish in the microwave and pressed a button. Jacob was an older man with thinning, pale hair and kind eyes. He was the nicest person to work for and always willing to listen.

“She’s—you know. She’s Sammi. Very—” Sebastian waved his fork around as he attempted to find a diplomatic way to describe her. “It’s easier if you let her talk.”

“If Samantha getting involved in your courtship is going to cause trouble, you must tell her that her suggestions aren’t helpful,” Jacob lectured. “This sort of interference has a good chance of blowing up in everyone’s faces. So be careful.”

“Yessir. Thank you.” Sebastian lowered his head and focused on his meal. While being chastised by his boss on his lunch had Sebastian’s stomach churning, Sebastian accepted that Jacob was right. He had to tell Sammi to step back. “Sir, would it be alright if I worked on the reference floor this afternoon?”

Jake nodded. “Remember, hiding is not the answer. You must be clear with Sammi about your boundaries.”

“Yessir.” Sebastian finished his pasta before playing on his phone. As the lunch hour disappeared, Sebastian plotted ways to explain to Sammi why her method wasn’t in Sebastian’s best interests. Every idea was flimsy, with no substance to back it up. The afternoon on the upstairs reference desk flew by. He answered questions about bestsellers and what movie was the one everyone was talking about. Sammi phoned a few times to encourage Sebastian to chase after Isadore, but the desk was too busy for Sebastian to fully engage.

When the evening librarian came to take over, Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief. Patrons with password issues or book requests for the latest social media sensation overwhelmed him. Being helpful was good, but tiring. He didn’t have a quiet moment to stew about his problems. How could he approach Isadore without appearing a creepy stalker?

The wind was bitter on his walk. He peeked in corners to see if Isadore was hanging around, but he was alone. Of course not. The outside was cold. No one would want to wait in the freezing air for a bumbling fool.

Once at home, he logged into his game and checked to see if Kazmier had left any messages. Still nothing. Concerned, Sebastian sent another private message. Was he obsessive? Possibly, but Kazmier helped Sebastian fight through anxiety by suggesting breathing techniques. He listened rather than offering suggestions. Sebastian was comfortable with them. And not being able to share his day ratcheted up some of his worries.

As Sebastian lay in bed, unsettled but tired, he made the resolve to approach Isadore sooner rather than later. And he’d mention his plan to no one, so if he failed, only he’d be upset.

“Okay, Sebby. Today is the day you talk to Isadore. If you like him, it should be easy to say something. Isadore isn’t that scary. He’s really sweet,” Sammi insisted, placing a piece of reinforced tape on the spine of a book.

Shrugging, Sebastian passed her another one from the processing cart. Sammi had been after him all morning to approach Isadore, and he had reached his breaking point. This was what Jacob had warned him about the previous day. “I’m fine with how I’m doing this. Sometimes, nodding is good, like saying hi without words. I don’t need to rush. If it’s meant to be, we’ll connect, but nothing has to start until I’m ready.”

“Sebby, you shouldn’t be okay with living in a social rut. You have to get out and take life by the horns. You’ll be happier if you check this off your to-do list.” Sammi reached up and squished Sebastian’s cheeks between her cool hands. “You deserve someone. You’re not the weirdo freak your family calls you. You’re amazing.”

“I deserve a lot of things, Samantha, and one of them is not to be pestered about Isadore every day.” He stepped backwards, letting her hands slide off his face. Her comment about his family stung and wasn’t relevant to the conversation. Was he so much of a pushover that boundaries didn’t exist in her mind? This had to stop. “Sammi, I’m fine, really. I am happy with how my life is at the moment. Honestly, if you continue to push, bad things will happen. You’ve seen it.” Sebastian grinned to take the edge off his comment. His day needed to be done now.

“Okay, okay. I’ll lay off. I just think if you tried harder, you could get everything you’ve always wanted and be happy.” Sammi pushed the cart back to its spot and shut down her station, ending the impromptu interrogation.

Shoving his toque over his ears, Sebastian braced himself for a cold walk home. He accepted humans were social creatures who needed others to feel complete. And even he longed for someone to share his joys with. Sebastian didn’t have a family who delighted in his victories. They wanted him to be traditional, have a wife and children, and do everything they did. When he ventured to the house he grew up in, Sebastian smiled and nodded, not wanting to get caught up in their daily drama of who wronged them at the time. But that was a problem for a different day.

“Hi, uh, wait up?” A husky voice came out of the blue, startling Sebastian into meeping. He meeped. Of course.

Pasting a smile on his face, Sebastian turned and discovered Isadore, rosy-cheeked and smiling. He drank in the sight of Isadore bundled up against the cold. His beautiful auburn hair was covered by a hat with earflaps. Isadore slid his hand down Sebastian’s arms, grazing his fingers.

“You look cold.” Sebastian lifted his hand toward Isadore’s face but pulled back at the last second. “You could have stepped inside the library.”

Isadore shrugged, like he was okay with the blustery day. “So it’s a bit nippy. This is nothing compared to my home realm. I can see why your people would have issues.” He shuffled closer to Sebastian, his torso blocking the wind.

“Yeah, this weather. The temps dropped again.” Sebastian cringed. He had Isadore literally within his grasp, and the conversation sucked.

“How do you mean?” Isadore cocked his head in puzzlement. Sebastian worked through what he said and blushed.

“The weather. It’s got a bite with the temperatures falling.” Make it stop. Please, oh God, stop the inane words from leaving my mouth. Get the right ones instead.

“Oh yes, I understand. Anyway, I was wondering if you—” Isadore started with a bright smile. Sebastian waited, his breath held, curious and anxious about what Isadore wanted to ask, when Isadore’s phone rang. With an aggrieved expression, Isadore turned away and answered it professionally. Sebastian stepped to the side to give an illusion of privacy and watched the slow traffic.

“Sorry ‘bout that. Work phone.”

Sebastian nodded. “No worries, pal. It’s cool. Totally cool.”

“It’s just a mix-up at the Centre for new residents. Dammit.” Isadore sighed. “I wanted to do this right. Shit. So, lunch? Tomorrow at the café? Say one-ish?”

Sebastian nodded, startled at how quickly Isadore brought up going out together. He’d never be able to ask the question without pondering the ramifications, analyzing every angle.

Isadore clasped Sebastian’s coat sleeve and gave Sebastian that perfect smile. “I really gotta go help Adam. I would have loved to have chatted longer. But tomorrow, right?”

“Right,” Sebastian agreed, nervous and excited at the same time. Isadore nodded once more before spinning around and heading toward the centre of town. His three-quarter wool coat flapped around, but he looked so cool, as though he was from the movies.

A silly grin made a home on Sebastian’s face as he stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and aimed for his apartment. The frosty air was a balm on his heated cheeks. He had a date. Sort of. He had a lunch date with Isadore. Oh shit. I have a date. With a person. A person who I like.

This could be good. Or it could be bad. And Sebastian wanted it to be good so bad.