* / 𝖜𝖆𝖞𝖋𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖗

Trying his hardest to put the smell of the food to the back of his mind, he focussed his attention on the stranger. “Thanks, man. It’s looking pretty neat here so far. Definitely a change of pace, which can only be a good thing.” refusing to elaborate, he decided to focus on one aspect in particular, one which kept the spotlight off of himself. “My little buddy had a bad accident a few years ago, left him blind. His family were putting their work first, so, I busted him outta there. Said we’d go somewhere with less noise and here we are.” he gestured  outward. “Damn good pick, if I do say so myself. What about you though? You been here long?”

Romeo had taken the past few months to truly get settled in this town and with that he had discovered some of the best places to eat and this food truck was surely one of them. He nodded, “That’s really great to hear. Glad that you’re settling in well” he listened to what had happened to bring the other and his buddy here, “Wow, that’s really great of you to do that, man” he nodded. The other seemed to be a fairly selfless person to do that. Romeo explained, “Yeah, I moved in here a few months ago. Moved to town to open up my barber shop down on Main” he explained.

…

Zach did feel a little bad that he was mostly taking Trey out for a meal because it was free, but a big part of him was glad to see the man again. He hadn’t had much time to hang out outside of work, and Trey clearly hadn’t been to the shop in a while, so even if it wasn’t for the giftcard, he would still have wanted to meet up with the man. 

“Yeah maybe you should swing by again soon…” Zach teased as he reached over and ruffled the young actor’s shaggy head of hair. He actually didn’t hate the look, though any chance to have his favourite customer in his chair was good for Zach. “And you say that like we’re not getting drunk tonight….” he said looking over at Trey “Expensive whiskey is the best whiskey…and I’m sure this place must have that fancy tequila.” 

Trey smiled as they continued to walk to the restaurant. He was honestly grateful just to have an excuse to eat out somewhere fancy. While the idea of Zach getting tipped with a coupon to a fancy restaurant was funny to him because the person clearly didn’t know Zach, he was glad to be benefitting from it.

As Zach’s hand ruffled his hair, Trey shrugged, “Maybe I should. Going to need it cut for my next role” he looked at Zach. He definitely wanted to see Zach more and he truthfully did need a haircut, especially considering the fact he was about to start filming his new movie soon. Trey smirked at Zach’s comment about getting drunk, “You’re right” he nodded, “They better have the fancy tequila. Though I can’t promise I won’t get into trouble later if I drink it” he teased as his hand reached up to smooth back his hair.

…

Zach scowled jokingly at the other man “Well, a customer gave me a coupon- so I didn’t want to waste it.” he shot back. He probably shouldn’t have told Trey he was only going for food because it was free, but he would have clocked the coupon eventually. 

He watched as Trey got his phone out. Quickly sorting a table. Zach couldn’t help but be impressed, he was glad everything was swiftly sorted. “That’s awesome, Trey. Thanks…” he patted the man on the back. 

“You book the table, I’ll get dinner.” he joked. Flashing the gift voucher at the other man and then sliding it back into his pocket. “I’m glad we can hang out like this- it’s been a minute.” he nodded.

Trey rolled his eyes when the other admitted that a customer had given him a coupon and he didn’t want to waste it, “I should have figured” he commented in a bit of a snarky tone before shrugging. Truthfully, he wasn’t opposed to a free, fancy meal.

Trey sorted out the reservation and smirked as Zach patted him on the back. He didn’t know if he should touch Zach back in return or just keep his hands to himself so he just figured he would go with the latter of the two options, “Seems like a fair enough trade to me” he slipped his phone back into his pocket as they walked.

Trey smiled when Zach mentioned it was nice for them to hang out since it had been awhile, “Yeah, it is nice” he agreed before joking, “I’m sure my hair appreciates it too since every other time we hang out a good bit of it gets chopped” he laughed, “Or my liver since you peddle me drinks” the actor teased.

..

“Ah yeah and then have you drag me to all these fancy places? I don’t think so, Trey.” Zach nudged him again, this time a little harder than before, but still jokingly.

Zach couldn’t even lie, he appreciated the comment about him not having a belly. He had started the gym again recently and it felt nice to hear, though he in no way was fishing for that. 

The young barber suddenly stopped. Wincing at how stupid he had been. “Fuck.” he cursed himself. Realising he hadn’t called to make a reservation at all. “-I forgot. Do you think it’s too late?” he looked at Trey with a worried look.

Trey shook his head, “I mean, it was your idea to do this in the first place, right?” he teased with a grin as he nudged Zach back again. 

As soon as Zach stopped in his tracks and looked at him, cursing, Trey actually felt more confident. Despite the fact that Zach didn’t have reservations, Trey was used to doing things off the cuff, “Oh? it’s not a big deal” he shrugged.

Trey scrolled through his phone in order to check and see if there was anyone he was owed a favor by and landed on a name, “I can get us a table, no problem” he shot one of his old friends a text message and shrugged off how big of a deal it was and hoped his connection would pay off.

….

“Didn’t think so…” Zach joked “-Maybe I’ll just steal Romeo’s clothes more often, just not the tank tops….he’s too attached to those..” Zach smirked as they walked. 

He rolled his eyes when Trey clearly lied about not ordering a wine cooler. He knew that if Trey could get away with it in a fancy place he probably would, just as much as Zach would order a beer. 

“Trying to get rid of this beer belly of course….” Zach half joked as he rubbed his stomach “-And I’m going through a bit of a whiskey phase, nothing better than a glass of straight Jack…”  he explained. He also had started to hate the smell of beer too, Zach was going through a lot of change it seemed. 

“Or you could just buy clothes that you can wear to nice places” Trey teased the other as they walked. He still had yet to meet Zach’s room mate, but he sounded like an absolute character.

Trey rolled his eyes at Zach’s mention of a beer belly, “What beer belly?” Trey asked teasingly as he eyed the other’s stomach and it didn’t seem like it was an issue. Trey definitely wasn’t a huge fan of beer and preferred whiskey so he supported the change. 

“That’s pretty fancy of you” Trey had to admit as he nodded his head. That was definitely something he could see one ordering at a fancy restaurant. “Did you make a reservation?” Trey asked, out of the blue as it just dawned on him.

….

Zachary laughed. “Well you’re right, and if you like it so much maybe you ought to take me shopping, Trey.” he half joked. He didn’t completely hate how the shirt felt, and it certainly looked as good on his arms as a sleeveless t, maybe he’d keep it up. 

He walked out of the door with Trey and waited for him to lock up before walking down the street with the young actor. He looked up, rolling his eyes at the beer comment, and nudging the man lightly. “-Yeah? and I bet you can’t order a wine cooler or white claw either, Trey….” he shot back “-And I’m taking a break from beer- so there’s that.”

Trey shook his head, “That would be an absolute nightmare” laughing at the thought of taking Zach shopping, an activity the other clearly detested, “Plus, I don’t think they have enough clothes in town for me to overhaul your wardrobe” he teased.

Trey then walked down the street alongside Zach and nudged him back when he made the comment about the white claws and wine coolers, “I’d never” he lied with a sheepish grin. “A break from beer?” Trey asked, absolutely shocked, “Today’s the day of shocking news isn’t it?” he asked jokingly. Then he asked, “Is there a particular reason for the break?” trying to see if the other was being serious.

…..

When Zach heard the word fancy to describe where they were going he always rolled his eyes. He didn’t do fancy, ever. He was happy with a dive bar, a glass of whiskey and a bowl of fries. He didn’t like how out of place fancier places made him feel, but it was probably too late to back out now, and it was free, so at least he didn’t have to worry there.

“Do I not strike you as a fancy guy?” he teased. Clocking the look on Trey’s face. “This place better not be too fancy though, I suck at knowing which knife to use or which glass to pour wine into..” he shrugged. “But that’s why you’re here.” he shot Trey a wink.

Trey would take advantage of just about any opportunity to go somewhere fancy. As he finished up in the mirror, he smirked at how he had managed to make himself ready for a fancy outing. As he thought of the rugged barber being anywhere remotely fancy, he laughed, “Absolutely not” he answered honestly at Zach asking if he struck him as a fancy guy, “I’m just impressed you’re wearing a shirt with sleeves” he teased.

…

“Sorry, meant to say a male room mate who isn’t built like fuckin’ Hercules.” Zach joked. He had personally never met the Mayor, but he had seen him in pictures, he was certainly a big guy. Not Zach’s type though.

Zach entered the house and watched as Trey headed up the stairs to get changed. Assuming he really wouldn’t take that long, but he was soon proven wrong. He didn’t mind though. Taking a seat on the couch. He was sat for almost half an hour, scrolling through his phone and checking his watch, but he didn’t mind. Living with Romeo meant he knew what it was like waiting on somebody to get ready for so long. 

When Trey came back down the stairs Zach stood up. Almost laughing when he walked past him and to the mirror. “-No you can not.” he agreed nodding his head. 

After waiting for a moments for Trey to check himself out, Zach sighed. Heading over and looking at them both in the mirror, similar to how they spoke back at the shop. “You look great. Stop fucking with your hair, and lets go.” 

“Or do you need to take a selfie or something?” he added jokingly.

Trey rolled his eyes at even the mention of his ex in a positive light. It was true that his ex was built like a God, but that didn’t mean Trey had to admit it, “Yeah, sure” Trey shrugged it off as he looked at Zach before going upstairs.

For Trey getting ready this fast was pretty decent. After all, he tended to be quite fussy over his appearance due to his career and he was glad that Zach hadn’t left or been snarky with him when he returned. As he checked himself in the mirror, he positioned his hair perfectly and took his sweet time as he smoothed out his clothes. He couldn’t help but crack a smile when Zach told him he looked great, wondering if this was Zach or the persona he put on at work to charm people, “Almost done” he told Zach as he turned back to the mirror for just one final glance.

“No selfies needed” Trey joked back with a smile before he continued the banter, “Though I might have to get evidence of you in such a fancy place. It’s hard to imagine” he teased. When he realized that it could sound odd, the usually suave actor made a bit of a weird face.

…

Zachary shrugged. “I’ve never even heard of it.” he looked at Trey once more up and down. Not minding what he was wearing, but maybe this place was fancy. He wouldn’t have cared either way though. To him comfort is most important. 

“Thank you….perks of having a male room mate.” he smirked. Leaning against the doorway. “You can go change if you really want to. I don’t mind waiting till you’re ready.” he nodded. 

Trey laughed when he heard the other say that he hadn’t heard of it. Of course he hadn’t. Trey had nothing to say except to shake his head at Zach, smirking, “Yeah, well, I have a male room mate and don’t get those perks” he commented.

Trey then smiled as the other said he wouldn’t mind waiting while he changed, “Thanks” was all he said as he flashed a smile at Zach as he walked up the stairs to get ready. A greater part of thirty minutes passed as Trey changed into a more formal outfit; a dress shirt and matching pants and jacket. He walked back down the stairs and was curious to see if Zach had even stayed around to wait. “Can’t go to the Lighthouse Inn looking like a tourist” Trey commented with a sly smile as he approached Zach. “Let me just fix my hair then I’m set” he walked past the other to the mirror he had in the foyer and checked himself out.

….

For once, Zach wasn’t completely hating what Trey was wearing. It was nice to see the man look a little more relaxed, and the hair, though he’d usually love to cut it, he wasn’t hating it, it definitely worked with the beard too. Preppy actor boy was looking a lot less, preppy. 

Zach smirked in relief when Trey said yes. Pulling the gift token out of his pocket and glancing a quick look at it. “Uh….some place called The Lighthouse Inn? I’ve never fuckin’ heard of it, but it apparently does pretty good food.” he shrugged. 

He looked down at his outfit after. “I always wear this jacket….” he looked back up “And the shirt? it’s laundry day- this is Romeo’s shirt. It was either this or one of his muscle fit tanks…” he joked. 

Trey was honestly glad that Zach had invited him out to grab some food. He hadn’t yet planned what he was going to make for dinner so it was one less thing to think about. Plus, he always was down for a free meal.

He was slightly embarrassed that he looked a bit disheveled compared to his typical well put together state, but he didn’t mind much. He looked at the other’s token and then his eyes widened a bit at the mention of The Lighthouse Inn, “The Lighthouse Inn?” Trey asked, smoothing back his hair.

“If we’re going there, I’m going to have to change” he looked down at his clothes and then back at Zach. He laughed at the other’s response, “If you say so” he wanted to tell Zach that he looked good this way, but contemplated it a moment, “The shirt suits you” he nodded, making the compliment about the clothes and not him.

˙ ˖ ✶ Romeo

Tiberius couldn’t lie about how excited he was to see the shop, as the more Romeo spoke of it, the more he could see the way his eyes lit up at the mere mention. It was cute to see a man so proud of what he could make with his very own hands, and having fun doing something you love, there was nothing better than that. “Honestly, that doesn’t sound so bad with you saying it.” ty chuckled, not really knowing his this night took such a great turn, but he really couldn’t complain not when one of the most gorgeous guys he’d ever seen in his life was holding him so close. “Hey, maybe that’s amazing for business, you could put me on display but it’s a look but don’t touch policy, than only you’re allowed to break, cause yeah, you can definitely look, touch, kiss, do whatever you want.” he grinned. “If you’re not having fun doing what you do then you’re doing it all wrong, because life is too short to just get stuck in something monotone that makes you hate you life.” he shrugged. “I had no clue I had a total dream boat next to me, but hey I really think that’s why the resale value on my home skyrocketed.” Ty giggled. He could really get used to the feeling of kissing Romeo, of those sweet soft lips, that scruff on his face, those eyes, it was hard not to be smitten. “alright, show me your world, peter pan.”

Romeo laughed, “Oh, yeah, that’s not a bad idea” he stroked his chin and pretended to contemplate the idea of putting the other up for display, “Show off just how good I am with my hands by letting everyone see you” he shrugged his shoulders at the idea in a nonchalant manner. He was enjoying the carefree banter between the two of them and the lack of pretense that came with it. He nodded excitedly at the other’s commentary about doing what you love as a career, “Absolutely. You have to do what you’re good at and what makes you happy” he advised, realizing just how corny he probably sounded, though he didn’t care. Romeo then leaned in to kiss the other once more as they approached the shop. He grabbed his keys and unlocked the door before reaching and flicking a light switch to light up the place, “Welcome to my world” he smirked as he shut the door behind them and then strode to the middle of the shop, hands proudly placed on his hips as he looked at Ty, “What do you think?” he asked, genuinely interested in the other’s answer.

This was the last person Copper wanted to run into right now…well, second laster after Dean obviously.  It wasn’t just that things between Copper and Romeo were strange right now that made him feel this way.  No, even more than that, Copper didn’t want someone he really liked, someone like Romeo, to see him like this.  This was Copper at his worst, frantic and scared and weak; it wasn’t a side he wanted someone like Romeo to see.  Copper felt like a loser, a coward, a waste, and Romeo was strong and brave and just wonderful in every single way.  Already Copper felt incredibly inferior to him, but that was even truer in moments like this.  Copper was just about to run off even though he could tell that Romeo was concerned, but then Romeo asked him not to go, and he was so genuine in his request that Copper just couldn’t.  Things had been weird between them, Copper hadn’t made that up, but it seemed Romeo still wanted him in his life, at least in this moment.  Wiping more tears away as Romeo so sweetly smoothed his hair out, Copper just leaned in and hugged the other man, burying his head in his shoulder.  Although Copper wasn’t like fully crying, more tears came, though some of it was relief, relief that that hadn’t been Dean, relief that Romeo still cared for him in some way.  “I’m sorry,” he repeated.  “I’m sorry for being such a fucking disaster.  I don’t blame you for not wanting to be around me.  Why would you?  I’m nothing.”  All of this was said in a muffled voice as Copper’s face was still against Romeo’s shoulder and neck.  In his worst moments, Copper felt like this, and he hated his lack of self-confidence.  But there was very little about himself that he liked; pretty much just his hair.

Finally Copper pulled back and wiped his face, not caring that everyone around them knew he was crying.  “I thought I saw him,” Copper said, his voice so quiet it was almost a whisper.  “I thought I saw Dean.”  And that was when Copper realized that he had never mentioned Dean to Romeo, so he explained vaguely, “Dean…is my ex, and he’s crazy.  He…”  Trailing off, Copper looked around, still not feeling comfortable or safe; he felt like Dean could come popping out of the crowd at any second.  “Can we go somewhere private please?” he asked Romeo.  “If you want to hear what happened, that is.  I…I want to tell you even though I don’t normally talk about it.”

Romeo honestly didn’t know what was going on or what to do. So he just continued to try and calm down Copper by running a hand through his hair in a calming, repetitive motion as he held him close. He scoured his brain to try and come up with the perfect words to say to the cute man he was holding. Truthfully, Romeo was at a loss for words and bit down on his lip as he raked his brain. “You’re not a disaster” Romeo told Copper with a nod of his head. He certainly didn’t view him that way and wasn’t going to start seeing him in that light. Romeo was just looking for a way to cheer the other up and at least gain some insight into what was bothering him.

Romeo frowned when he heard Copper talk so low of himself. He thought highly of the handsome barista and couldn’t envision why Copper wouldn’t see what he saw. So he just continued to hold the other close as they stood there. “Saw him?” Romeo questioned, trying to think about what that could mean and who the him was. Romeo then nodded as he listened to Copper talk about Dean. “Oh...” he trailed off, jaw clenching at the thought of the other being hurt by an ex, either emotionally or physically. Romeo nodded at the suggestion eagerly, “Yeah, let’s go back to my place?” he offered as he raised a brow. His embrace around the other stayed firm as he planted a kiss to Copper’s forehead, “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine” he told the other, “But if you want to talk, I want to know” he promised.

‘‘‘‘Date Night’‘‘‘ || Trey & Zach || @seastheday

Zach was nervous. He didn’t get nervous often. Usually playing it cool, but as he walked up to Trey’s front door the nerves hit him. He had been gifted some gift card voucher thing from one of his clients for a meal at some local restaurant and after lying about having a boyfriend the customer still gave him the gift. Telling him to take his boyfriend somewhere nice. Not one to waste a tip, no matter how crappy the tip might be, Trey was the first person who came to mind. 

He assumed Trey wouldn’t see it as a date, just two friends hanging out, and he’d probably find the story behind it all funny. He was also probably one of the few clients who could hold a conversation that didn’t solely revolve around how rich they were or ‘handsome’ Zach was.  

So there Zach was stood in front of Trey’s door. He had made a change to his usual look today,keeping the same old leather jacket and skinny black jeans but deciding on a rolled up navy blue shirt, it was more formal than he usually wore, but this still wasn’t a date. He kept telling himself that.  

He was also nervous about coming face to face with the Mayor. Trey’s ex, and someone Zach had fortunately yet to meet. But when pressed on the doorbell and waited, he was pleasantly surprised when the door swung over and Trey was stood there looking back at him, no ex fiancé in sight. 

“Hey, wanna go grab some food?” 

Trey had spent the day doing a bunch of preparation work for his next film. Dressed down, for him, in just a white polo shirt and a pair of navy blue shorts, he was on the phone on his agent when he heard a knock at the door. At first, he thought about not answering it since it was most likely just some solicitor or something he wouldn’t be interested in.

Then he shrugged his shoulders and figured he’d go and check it out since he had no clue where his ex was, and even if he was home. Their house was quite sizable and they certainly weren’t communicating well. 

As he opened the door, he saw Zach standing there dressed up compared to usual, in a leather jacked and rolled up shirt. Trey tried not to let his eyes linger on Zach as he raised a brow, “Hey” he said as his hand brushed back his somewhat shaggy hair. It had been a good while since he had been in for a trim with Zach and he felt somewhat guilty.

Regardless, seeing Zach was a welcome surprise to the actor. He was a bit surprised by what the other asked him. “Oh, yeah, sure” he shrugged before asking, “Where?” with a raised brow, taking a step or two back so the other could enter the foyer of his house, “You’re not usually this dressed up” he commented, a bit suspiciously.

As he walked through downtown Lighthouse Cove, Copper looked at his phone again and frowned.  What’s wrong with him? he thought somberly.  For the last week or so now, Romeo had been acting distant with him, standoffish and even cold.  A few times Copper had gone to the shop to visit him, and Romeo had been stiff and unwelcoming, like Copper’s presence was a nuisance, so he hadn’t gone by in several days now.  He hadn’t come to Copper’s work at all, he never texted Copper first, and when he did reply to Copper’s texts (which wasn’t always), they were short, clipped responses.  Today the same thing happened, with Romeo sending him a series of one word replies to Copper’s attempts to start a conversation.  Something was definitely wrong, and Copper was pretty sure he knew what:  Romeo had finally opened his eyes and realized that Copper was a waste of time.  While he was upset that Romeo had realized this, he was even more upset that he had deluded himself into thinking that he could ever be good enough for Romeo.  The man was way, way out of his league, and Copper had always known it, but now it seemed that Romeo knew it too.  You’re so fucking stupid, Copernicus, Copper thought bitterly as he put his phone back into his pocket and kept walking.  So stupid.  Well Copper wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.  Everyone always figured it out eventually, realized that Copper was a waste, everyone except psychopaths that is.  Or maybe Dean had too; maybe that was why he had stabbed him.

Close to tears now as he walked, Copper just wanted to go home, but as he was walking, he glanced over his shoulder like always and instantly froze in his tracks.  Is that…? he wondered, heart pounding in a second, breaths shallow and uneven.  Walking toward him through the crowd was Dean - he had found Copper, and now he was coming for him.  FUCK! Copper thought, terror flooding him, and then he began sprinting down the sidewalk, pushing people out of the way as he ran.  Barely watching where he was going, Copper had one goal in mind:  he had to escape from Dean.  Feeling like he was close to passing out from the fear, Copper felt tears on his cheeks but didn’t stop.  He glanced back over his shoulder again to see Dean still following him, and as he did that, he slammed into someone, both of them falling to the ground.  “Oh shit, I’m sorry - oh,” he stammered when he realized who it was.  “Romeo,” Copper stated, and for just one small second, he forgot about Dean.  But then it all came rushing back, and Copper stood and helped Romeo up as well, telling him in a shaking voice, “I’m sorry, I have to go.”  He looked over his shoulder again, and Copper froze yet again:  the man was closer now, and it wasn’t him.  It wasn’t Dean.  Now Copper felt immensely foolish, especially since he’d made and idiot of himself in front of Romeo.  And he was still scared, unable to shake that so quickly, and Copper ran his fingers through his hair and wiped his eyes just for more tears to replace them.  “I’m so sorry,” Copper told Romeo.  “I’ll go.”  He hated that he was crying in front of the man right now.

@seastheday​

It was a fair assessment that Romeo had been growing more and more distant with Copper. It wasn’t at all a reflection of his feelings towards the adorable clumsy guy, but more of the fact that this was what Romeo did best: run from any semblance of commitment. The barber was also put off by his interaction with Dion and figured that it probably wasn’t the best idea to jump into something with a detective’s younger brother. Especially when that detective seemed to be as protective and overbearing as Dion. Still, Romeo would be lying if he said that he didn’t have a soft spot for the barista. It was hard not to. So instead of pulling his typical trick of completely ghosting the other party, he sent short responses. The truth was that he still wanted to hang out with Copper despite everything else, but he was just put off by his interaction with Dion and all of the strings that seemingly came with hanging out with the other more. So his past few days had been filled with a lot of work and a lot of drinking to get his mind off of the situation and hopefully gain a bit of clarity as to why he was feeling this way and ultimately what he was going to do about it.

Romeo was walking home from work back to Lighthouse Cove, his thoughts occupying most of of his mental energy as he made his way back to his house. So it came as a big surprise when he was bumped into and knocked to the ground by someone. “Holy fuck man” he looked at the other person and quickly realized it was Copper. His heart raced a bit and he felt like a jerk for cursing at the other. He sure hadn’t been watching where he was going. “Hey” Romeo smirked as he looked at Copper, unsure of what he could say or even what he wanted to. He felt like an idiot just saying one word, but that was all that would come out. As they both stood up together it was evident that Copper was upset about something, on the verge of tears even, as they stood there looking at one another. “What’s wrong?” Romeo asked instinctually as he spotted tears in Copper’s eyes. He was incredibly confused and just hoping that he hadn’t done something to make the other upset. Romeo smoothed out his clothes and reached out to smooth back the other’s hair, not being able to resist touching him in some capacity, “Please don’t go” he said simply, in a low tone. He wanted to be around Copper so long as the other was alright with him. “Sorry for what?” Romeo asked as he inched closer to the other.

Miles turned as the other gestured to the food truck. His eyebrows raised and he nodded his head, quietly figuring he should have noticed it before now. “I’m not going to lie, it looks pretty amazing. In a weird - I’m not quite sure what’s going on - kind of way.” he smirked. “I’m Miles. My little buddy and I just moved in.” his attention left the other and back to the food truck again. “I think I’m going to have to try one of those. The smell just hit me on the breeze, there and reminded me I didn’t grab anything before I headed out.”

Romeo nodded, smiling, “It’s pretty great to be honest with you. I’d definitely recommend grabbing some dinner from it. Or lunch. Or whatever” he rambled. Romeo was always glad to make new friends in town, “Great, welcome to town” he smiled. It surely was in the barber’s best interest to try and be friendly with as many as possible. Plus, the other seemed to have decent taste in food. “What brings you to town?” he asked curiously, hoping that he wasn’t prying too much.

Unable to see the other pointing, he kept his gaze where it originally had been, in the vague direction of the other with no particular focus. “Bagels would be perfect, actually.” he smiled, “I’m from New Jersey, so it’ll be like I never left.” he took a moment to fish around in his pockets, putting his phone away and fighting with the button that kept it secure. He screwed his face up as his attention returned to the other. “I’m real sorry, but, if you wouldn’t mind letting me follow the sound of your voice or something. I’d really appreciate it.”

Romeo realized that the other couldn’t see where he was pointing so he agreed, “Absolutely, I’ll show you the way. Trust me, you’ll get addicted to this place and have the directions memorized by next week” he teased. Then Romeo nodded, “Bagels are the best and these ones are pretty damn good if I do say so” he realized he was starting to sound like an absolute local, but he didn’t care much. If anything, he was glad to share the hidden secret of this bagel shop with someone.