Searching For His Omega - Harper B. Cole Page 0,10

it could be like living here. Would I walk down the street and have people see me as Chet, the weird guy with the huge Victorian all to himself, or would I be Chet, the famous guy? Was this the kind of town where I would always be the new guy or was it the kind of place where after six months it felt like I’d always been there? Would I be too lonely without all the noise and hustle of the city to fill my nights with a false sense of being happy to have an empty apartment to eventually go home to?

My phone buzzed in my pocket with a long message from Glenn about something or other and reminding me that it didn’t matter if this was a place to settle down, I had a contract, and it would be a long time until I could even begin to think about something like this.

Seven

Stan

I hung the ‘Closed’ sign on the door but didn’t lock it as usual. Heck, I didn’t even close it. Chet’s crew had just driven up in a huge-ass van and were unloading equipment. They were traipsing mud in and out and getting in the way while the junior staff were cleaning the floor and wiping down the counters. It was pointless. It was chaos in the café, and if I tripped over one more wire, I’d strangle someone with it.

The staff were coming in early anyway tomorrow, but they’d have to sweep and mop one more time. I was a neat freak and the dirt on the floor set my teeth on edge. I was late to take my anxiety meds and wished I could race upstairs. My therapist was weaning me off them and I’d be done with them soon. It was earlier than I would have liked which added to my irritability.

Half the town was outside, some had set up deck chairs on the sidewalk while others lounged on the hoods of their cars. Most had food and blankets and appeared to be spending the night. Luckily, I had ear plugs at my place, though I suspected I wouldn’t get to bed for hours.

Teenagers and townspeople of all ages were angling for a sight of Chet. Most of them clutched his photo, and every time they caught a glimpse, they’d scream and shout his name.

Give me strength! I had no idea he was such a big deal. But I had to admit he was all business. He was polite to the fans when he came in, signing a few autographs and taking selfies, but very professional once he started work.

A wardrobe assistant was having him try on different colored shirts and doing what one of the crew told me were screen tests. Chet standing near the counter. Behind the counter. In the kitchen. This was going to take all night and I was beyond exhausted.

His producer and lighting guy had been skulking around the shop at different times of the day testing the light and driving the staff nuts, though they were nice enough.

We’d gone over what would happen tomorrow and probably the next day and who knows how many sessions they’d need. Chet would sample a few different coffees, which is where the pairing suggestions came in. Which flavor coffee went best with which of the baked goods and why.

Then he’d do a tour of the kitchen and watch Charlie, our head baker, make molasses cookies. He’d try his hand at the old-fashioned espresso machine and chat to some of the townspeople inside the café and in the rose garden while sampling popcorn cookies and chocolate butterscotch haystacks. Plus, he’d include a short history of the building and talk to old-timers who remembered it when it housed the local council.

It sounded straightforward, but I’d caught one of the crew grumbling to his friend about the possibility of having to do take after take. Handling grumpy customers who complained the coffee didn’t taste like the instant stuff they made at home was a cake walk compared to this.

I was beginning to regret agreeing to Abrar’s suggestion, but when I gazed at Chet, naked from the waist up, trying on his tenth shirt and getting a glimpse of those pecs, it was worth it. And my cock agreed.

But finally with cameras, lights, and filming paraphernalia seemingly where they were supposed to be, and Chet having done a walk-through, the producer called it a night and reminded everyone they had to be on set