“It's everywhere, Ian. No matter where I turn, it's pumpkin spiced everything! I seriously cannot escape it.” Turning to check for cars before crossing the street, I talked on the phone via the Bluetooth device that rarely left my right ear. “I don't care how tasty it is, why can't we at least make it through September before we're knee deep in pumpkins? That's all I want to know.”

I eased my way through the crowd of people on the sidewalk. I ignored the stares and odd glances passed my way from the idiots who didn't see the blinking light of the earpiece I wore. I walked around the corner, ducking my head as I passed under the low red awning over the front door of Fairytale Florals. I grinned I as saw Ian sitting next door at a table he'd saved for us at The Glazed Bun.

Glancing across the tables that formed the patio seating area, his eyes flicked over the other patrons until he saw me. I waved a hand silently with an amused smirk. Ian turned off his own phone, dropping it down on the table in front of him as I made my way over to join him.

“What? You can't even say good-bye before you hang up the phone? Ass.” I laughed as I slipped into the empty seat across from Ian.

“Kinda pointless to say good-bye when I'll be saying hello a few seconds later, don't you think?” Ian smirked. “Hello, Rafe.”

“Oh, shut it. Did you order coffee yet?” I looked around for the server, anxious to get a dose of caffeine.

“Yep. I ordered you a pumpkin spice latte.” Ian threw his blonde head back and laughed at the stony glare on my face. “Chill out, Rafe. They're bringing coffee out soon. I'm just screwing with you.”

The waiter came up right then, a tiny little red-headed omega with bright green eyes and an even brighter smile. Efficiently setting empty coffee mugs in front of us, he then put a slim silver carafe of coffee in the center of the table.

Digging into the front, waist level pouch of his shamrock green apron, he chirped at us in a nasal sing-song voice: “Hey, cuties! Meet Tom! Tom is all yours today.” With a sly wink he added as he openly checked us both out, “Your server, that is. Tom's number is negotiable, but let's get through breakfast first, m'kay?”

I grinned up at the sassy little guy as he pulled packets of sugar and containers of creamer out of the apron pocket. With a quirked brow, I leered at him suggestively. “Well, I really hope that number is negotiable if you're already giving up your cream.”

Tom looked at me with his head tilted slightly, as if sizing me up. With a nod, he said: “You'll do. And baby, Tom would never give up the cream at the first meet-cute. And definitely not until after someone buys Tom a drink or three! Let Tom just put that right out there, m'kay?”

He pulled out the menus that had been clamped under his arm and set one in front of each of us. Ian caught the omega's small, delicate hand as he put the menu down on the table. Stroking his thumb over the back of Tom's hand, Ian asked with a flirtatious wink: “Can I hear more about this giving up of your cream? And how soon can I buy Tom a drink or three?”

Tom winked and pulled his hand back. Pointing at me and then back to Ian, he said: “Oh, you two are trouble! Good thing Tom loves trouble, right? Now be a couple of good little alphas for Tom and look over your menus. Tom will be back soon to take your orders, m'kay?” He blew a noisy kiss at us and sauntered away, swinging his round little butt as he went. The black uniform trousers hugged his curvy globes to perfection, and Tom obviously knew how to work that to his advantage.

Ian drew in a sharp breath, and said: “Dibs.”

I shook my head with a grin. Casually, I reached for the carafe and began to pour myself a cup of coffee as I spoke. “Dibs? Seriously, Ian? You do realize that Tom is a person and not the last piece of pie at Thanksgiving, right?”

“Yeah, and I also realize that I got here first and waited forever for your slow ass to show up. For making me wait, I get dibs. Plus, let's be honest. That little twink would eat you for dinner.” Ian's matter-of-fact words combined with the earnest expression on his face totally cracked me up.

My eyes narrowed as I shook my head. “Fair point. Now hurry up and pick out what you want to eat. I have an appointment with the realtor after this.” I added a cream and two packets of sugar to my coffee before finally taking a drink. “Ah. Nectar of the gods. I tell you, I don't know how non-coffee drinkers survive the day.”

Ian watched me affectionately, his fingertips tapping out a steady rhythm on the tabletop. “Realtor, huh? I guess that means that you're putting down roots and sticking around here in Hollydale?”

I nodded with a shrug. “I've been thinking about it, and you're right. There's nothing left for me back home, and I can write anywhere. But I need to get my own place. No offense, Ian, but your couch just isn't that comfortable.”

“Yeah, but the rent on it is more than fair.” His green eyes glinted with pleasure at the idea of my moving here permanently. He'd been bugging me to make this move for the past several months now.

“Zero price for zero comfort? That's more than fair, I suppose.” I tilted my head and looked up at the clear blue sky overhead as I pretended to think for a minute. I looked back over at Ian and said with a shrug: “No. In fact, you should be paying me for sleeping on it. The massage bills and chiropractor fees alone are more than what a month's rent at a decent hotel would be.

“Yeah, I suppose it would seem that way.” Ian nodded in fake agreement. “Except that I'm not paying for your happy endings. You can pay your own masseuse bills, my friend. And the decent hotel wouldn't have my charming face and a fridge full of beer.”

“Ah, good point. Forgot about the beer. Well, anyway, I'm meeting up with a realtor to see what is up for sale around this tiny town. I don't have the highest of hopes that anything here will compare to my place back home though. I don't mean to sound like an ass, it's just that there are more amenities in the city.”

Ian shot me a wry grin. “True that. However, what we lack in amenities, we make up for with loads of charm.” He waved his hand as if showcasing the row of cute little shops that lined the small main street around us.

Tom came bustling over to take our order. He must have been in a rush, because there was a minimum of sass before he zipped off again after making sure that we were good on coffee.

As Tom was heading our way with an expertly balanced tray a little while later, Ian was saying: “You know what you need, Rafe? You need a night out. Let's go to the bar tonight, have some drinks, and let you experience the local nightlife before you become a resident of our fair town.”

“Does this place even have a gay friendly bar or club? Because I'm not exactly in the mood to deal with a bunch of ignorant rednecks or turn down lonely ladies all night. No offense.”

Tom set our food down as I was speaking. After he'd emptied the tray, he hugged it to his chest as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.

“Oh! Tom knows the perfect place!” He turned to Ian, his lithe frame practically vibrating with excitement. “Have you been to the O-zone Lair?” At Ian's smiling nod, Tom turned back to me and explained.

“The O-zone Lair is an Alpha/Omega friendly club. The downstairs is pretty low-key, but upstairs? Oh, my lands! Honey, you and those killer green eyes would be in serious trouble upstairs.”

He looked around then leaned in closer to speak in a stage whisper. “Tom loves the freaky party upstairs!” Standing tall again, he turned to Ian. Fluttering his eyelashes, he pouted a bit before talking in a fast clip.

“Are you two studs going there tonight? Tom is always up for a night at the big O. Tom has the cutest little omega friend that really needs to put down his book and get out for a night on the town too. That is, if you would like some help convincing your buddy here that Hollydale isn't a completely boring little burg?”

Ian flicked a glance in my direction. At my slight nod, he held out his phone to Tom. “Put your digits in, baby boy. I'll text you when we know what time we're heading over, if that's okay?”

Tom took his phone and tapped the screen with a flurry of his fingers. “Here you go, lover boy. Tom just hopes that this wasn't a misguided attempt to get Tom's number and then leave Tom sad and lonely on a Saturday night when you're too shy to show up.”

Ian's mouth dropped open. “Have people actually done that to Tom?” I grinned as Ian automatically fell in with Tom's habit of speaking of himself in the third person. Ian took his phone, catching Tom's fingers in his as he did.

“I would never do that to a beauty like Tom. Now tell me baby, can Tom really bring a friend for my buddy Rafe over there tonight? Because I think I'm gonna be busy letting Tom show Ian here the second floor.” Ian pulled Tom's fingers up to his mouth and kissed those delicate fingertips before releasing them.

Tom giggled as Ian's eyes still roamed brazenly over that trim little body. “Ooh, Ian.” He was downright purring at this point. “Tom is just going to have so much fun showing Ian the second floor!” He turned to me then. Tilting his head thoughtfully, Tom looked me over one more time. “Okay, Tom will make Milo come out tonight and meet Rafe. This will be fun, Tom promises that Rafe will enjoy the big O.”

After Tom left us to eat our food, I rolled my eyes at Ian. “The O-zone Lair? Seriously? And do I want to know what goes on up on the second floor?”

Ian winked at me. “There's a reason why the locals call it the big O, and it's not an abbreviation. That's all I'm saying, if you catch my drift. But hey, just stay downstairs and have some boring vanilla fun with Tom's buddy. There's a full bar, a dance floor, and from what it sounds like, the company of a pleasant little bookworm omega. Which is the perfect date for a writer. What could possibly go wrong?”

I took a bite of my spinach omelet and rolled my eyes. I couldn't begin to list the things that could go wrong, but I knew that Ian would have a rebuttal for every argument that I could name. No, it was just easier to go along with it. Ian and I both knew that he'd win in the end anyway. Besides, who knows? Maybe I'd actually have fun tonight.