The five of diamonds was right there, and the cursor ignored it in favor of turning over the next set of three cards. Was Sam really that bad at solitaire, or did he suspect Jack of spying?

Jack sipped at his comped latte, his suspicions mixing into each other. Missy had to know he'd been kidnapped. Granted, it was in the paper. His miserable face had graced its pages once more, looking worse than the first time around. He would like to go one day without wondering if people were being nice out of pity.

He sighed to himself, ready to take over Sam's failing game.

"Might I persuade you to allow me to buy you another coffee?"

Jack snapped his laptop shut and stared up at the newcomer with wide eyes. The owner of the smooth Southern drawl had chestnut brown hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a smattering of light freckles. He was the very picture of a clean cut college kid who would look amazing leaning against the railing of a yacht or lounging on a sailboat.

Then the question and situation registered.

Even if the guy looked to be a little younger than Jack, age didn't mean anything with vampires running around. And now that he thought about it, the guy did have a creepy vibe to him.

Logically, not everyone was a vampire out to get him. Jack was being overly paranoid. The chances that he managed to stumble across another vampire were slim to none.

"No, thank you?" He gnawed at the inside of his lip.

"Already with a lucky someone or not looking?" the young man asked, his smile lopsided and regretful.

"I guess." Jack thought he was getting better at politely turning people down with minimal reasoning, but he could do without the practice. He could also do without the temptation. It wouldn't matter anyway. He was pretty sure he hated sailing. Doubt clawed at his stomach.

"Too bad for me, hm? I hope you feel better that this handsome stranger thinks you would make a delightful boyfriend." His tone was light and friendly without a hint of hurt or anger.

Jack wished he had that sort of confidence, flirting with the edge of obnoxiousness. It was the natural confidence of a creature that could start over if it screwed up.

"Not a delicious boyfriend?" he muttered through his overwhelming bitterness. He cringed internally and slowly dragged his eyes up, hoping he hadn't been heard.

The man's eyes widened as he covered his mouth and quickly sat down, leaning in close. "Am I that obvious?" he asked in a low whisper.

Jack's instincts had been right. Wonderful. "I've had experience," he cautiously replied. He quickly glanced to the counter, and felt a bit of relief that Missy was slowly cleaning a mug, her suspicious glare glued to Jack's table partner.

"Oh, then no beating around the bush!" The shift in demeanor was immediate. The young man's easy confidence returned, and he leaned back against his chair. "I'm visiting my lovely cousin. I say cousin, but I mean sponsor. I'm just looking for some company for the few months I'm here. No real commitment, no obligations. Just some friendly dates. I loathe eating alone, and I would greatly enjoy the company when trying out local eateries."

A temporary boyfriend just fell into his lap. The safest thing to do was to politely decline the offer. "Maybe?"

Then again, he could use the practice of having a vampiric rebound since he was incapable of making smart decisions. The dumber, the better.

"Name's Augie."

"Uh… Kyle. Why me?" His body spray had to be working. He reeked of delicious orange and vanilla.

"I'm hoping you're completely in the know. I saw the buttons."

Jack glanced down at his shiny new laptop bag, decorated with a small collection of enamel pins Tara insisted he needed. She had also decided said pins needed their backs permanently glued in place, much to his dismay.

Which brightly colored pin had a double meaning? The logo for that stupid fairy game Tara was addicted to? He had added a dumb little smiling green bat because he hated himself. That had to be it.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"I've always appreciated the ace flag's color scheme. A sophisticated combination. Ah… It's easier than explaining or lying without relying on the kink scene," Augie said, making the vaguest of gestures to his lower body while looking away.

For once, Jack didn't have to explain his disinterest or make something up to avoid embarrassment. Too bad the occasion was wasted on a vampire and not worth celebrating. "I guess that makes sense."

"So? May I buy you a coffee?" Augie eagerly prodded.

Everything in Jack's past told him to say "no." But when offered with such a charming Southern drawl? Augie's voice was as smooth as top shelf bourbon served up in a pretty package of collegiate business casual and freckles. How the hell was he being picked up as arm candy when he was the one that wanted to be surrounded by pretty people?

Pretty people who wanted to buy him things. And suck his blood.

"How old are you?" He may as well find out how deep of a grave he was robbing since he doubted Augie was younger than him.

"I served in the Civil War."

It was time to pack up and head home.

"Right," he said, leaning over to unplug his laptop.

"Oh! No! Not like that. Well, at first, yes," Augie hurriedly whispered. "My father had me join as punishment for having a habit of losing slaves and being the spare son. I somehow became lost in a northerly direction."

"I guess being a deserter's a step up," Jack reluctantly admitted.

Augie's smile was wide and hopeful, and it wore at Jack's defenses. It was a great smile that showed off the slight crookedness in Augie's teeth, giving off a sense of authenticity.

Maybe the whole "third time's a charm" thing rang true. Candace had said his future was looking decent. "Yeah. You can buy me a coffee. But I'm not making any liquid donations in return," Jack said as he twisted the power cord to his laptop.

"Disappointing, but I do believe I am self-sufficient enough to find sustenance elsewhere."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" He shouldn't feel a pang of insult. Not being on the menu was a good thing.

"I suppose not. I found it to be a touch disconcerting when I found out what I needed to do in order to survive," Augie admitted with a small grimace and shrug. "I never take more than I need. My sponsor would murder me in a most painful fashion."

The smart thing to do would be to turn Augie away. But Jack was lonely and hurting, and having a nice little band-aid for his heart might help. He hoped it would help. Short rebound relationships were normal. Tara kept mentioning that he should find someone. This would prove to everyone that he was fine and not hung up on his creepy ex.

"Have I changed your mind?" Augie asked, disappointment seeping into his voice.

"Not…exactly. I uh…" Jack wanted to date for all the wrong reasons. Pretty face, rebound, proof he could do this. Proof that there had to be a vampire out there that wasn't a stuck up ass. And Augie said he'd only be around for a few months while visiting. Temporary. If he fucked it up or got caught being crazy, then he wouldn't have to worry about accidentally coming across Augie. No ducking into an alley at the sight of a familiar face or car.

"Yeah. We can try this." Jack raised his eyes from Augie's growing smile to his nose.

"Then let me start by getting you that drink. What would you like?"

Jack huffed a small laugh. "I like everything, so...surprise me." It was always interesting to see what others got him. There was a pang of loss over Kieran's guess of using just enough sugar and cream to take the bite off the coffee with an added hint of caramel.

"I'll be right back."

He felt a small sense of pride. He'd navigated a conversation without embarrassing himself or getting mind fucked.

At least, he didn't think so. Jack ran through the conversation, and nothing came up hazy. There was no dropping rush in his stomach that normally came when thinking about past conversations with Farragut. Was he in the clear? He wasn't about to make eye contact just to be certain. He was pretty stupid, but not that stupid. Normally.

Augie returned with a pair of mugs, and Jack eyed the one set before him, immediately recognizing the standard café latte. No frills, no experimenting, no excitement.

"Thanks," he said and took a sip. No surprise flavors. Not even a shot of the hazelnut syrup Missy had been trying to talk everyone into. Temporary, convenient, and low effort, Jack reminded himself.

"Have you been to Le Noir Polet?" Augie asked, his eyes lingering on the front window, tracking people as they walked by.

"Not really." Not exactly a lie. Jack hadn't physically been in the restaurant.

"Would you be opposed to joining me for dinner tomorrow night?"

Jack had been hoping for a little more of a buffer between meetups, but he didn't want to ruin his chance at a distraction. A distraction that reminded him of his ex, but it still counted on some level. He was sure of it.

"Sure. Yeah, that'd be...nice? I can meet you there after work. After I get cleaned up." After he spent the whole day fretting.

"I'll meet you at seven? Will that be enough time?"

Resisting the urge to back out was harder than Jack was expecting. "Seven works for me."

"Wonderful!" Augie rapped his knuckles lightly on the table before pushing away. "Abiento, Kyle!"

"Wha—" Right. Fake name. That was going to be awkward. But since Augie wasn't sticking around, he should be okay. He would just have to warn everyone. Or explain if it came up. "Sorry. Uh, later!"

image [https://i.imgur.com/eZY0YUq.png]