'Til There Was You - Jerry Cole Page 0,9

glared at Austin and then turned about-face and wandered back toward the register where his coffees were being made.

And as for Austin? He just stared, dumbstruck, his mind unable to even come close to fathoming what had just happened.

“If you had asked me ten minutes ago how my morning was going to go down, I would not have guessed. A fight in Scouts’ Honor is much more of a lunch-time thing,” the stranger joked.

Austin hadn’t been paying attention. He was still half-watching Charles, half-watching the closed bathroom door, half-wondering what had just happened. At the sound of the stranger speaking directly to him, he snapped himself back into the moment and mumbled a, “Hey...”

“He speaks!” the stranger laughed. “I’m Finn,” he held his hand out for Austin to shake. “Sorry about that just then – but I couldn’t help but overhear what he was saying. And I hate bullies. Thought I’d step in before things took a nastier turn.”

Austin didn’t take Finn’s hand. He was still looking at that bathroom door, desperate now to leave before Freddy came out. If Freddy saw him standing here right now... he didn’t even want to think about it.

“Is everything all right?” Finn asked. He looked Austin’s worn down, shoddily-dressed frame up and down, concern etched across his handsome face.

“Oh... yeah, it’s fine,” Austin lied and shook his head as if shaking himself into the moment. “I just have to... I need to go...” he took a step back toward the door.

“It’s like that is it? Sleep with me and just run,” Finn joked and pretended to look despondent.

Austin’s eyes widened in horror. “No—I mean, no I didn’t mean to be rude. I just – thanks; that wasn’t what it looked like—” His eyes flicked to the closed bathroom door. “I just need to...”

“It’s fine, really – hey, before you go.” Finn reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small card. “I heard some of what that guy was saying to you. If you need anything... please...” he offered the card to Austin, who took it without paying attention.

“Thanks.” Austin indicated the card. “And thanks again for... yeah...” He smiled a tight-lipped smile and then looked to the bathroom door just in time to see it opening.

And that was it for Austin. Without so much as a glance at Finn, he turned tail and fled from that café like it were on fire. Once free, he kept at the same pace until he was well down the street, around the corner and as far from Freddy as possible. It was only then that he stopped to reflect on what the fuck had just happened... after bending over for some time to catch his breath, of course.

Firstly, there was the incident with Charles. Austin decided pretty quickly that Charles had made it all up. Probably out of jealousy. Maybe even Freddy had been speaking about him so much that Charles wanted to take him down a peg or two? Yes... that seemed most likely.

And secondly... who the fuck was that guy? Finn? He had come from nowhere, swooping in like Superman to save the day. He had looked a little Superman-like too, albeit with more flair. And definitely sexier too. Fuck, in hindsight he was that. Austin looked at the card that he was handed, and scoffed.

Finn Connor, Life Coach Specialist: “How to Finish First in the Game of Life”

Austin didn’t know if he should have been insulted or not.

He pocketed the card and slowly slunk down the sidewalk and back in the direction of his apartment. He had nothing else to do today but reflect on what had happened between he and Freddy, and how he was going to get him back. There was a chance he might need a couple more days after this one too.

And as for Finn the life coach? The only reason that Austin would ever go to one of his seminars or classes or whatever they were, would be to perv on Finn. Heck, for that reason alone it might even be worth it. The guy was very, very attractive. God damn, he was that.

Chapter Four

Finn was starting to feel nervous.

As he navigated his car through the parking lot, he could feel his arms already shake from anxiety. When he glanced in the rearview to double check that nothing was coming up behind, he noticed small spots of sweat appearing on his brow. And as he eased his foot off the gas while slowly pulling his car