GENRE: Gay Interracial Romance
LENGTH: 6,226 words
RATING:

Nick works as a stock boy at a local grocery store. He doesn't mind the work -- it's a way to help pay for college. Still, there are some days when he hates his job ... like when he's trying to flirt with a sexy young businessman named Kevin, and other customers keep interrupting.

When Kevin returns to the store just to see him, Nick once again finds himself in an embarrassing situation -- this time, cleaning up broken pickle jars on aisle three. But something about him interests Kevin, for whatever reason, and their second encounter leads to a lunch date, and the promise of so much more.

EXCERPT:

I glance up and flash him a quick smile before dumping the crap from the dustpan into the trashcan. "What's on your mind?"

"You."

The way he says it makes me stop and look up at him again. He's staring at me openly with those piercing eyes. Now I realize just how close he's standing, his legs just inches from me. It'd be so easy to just reach out and run my finger down the crease of his pant leg, but I'm sure I smell like pickles and I'm not that bold anyway.

At least he's thinking of me. The thought makes me grin like an idiot and he smiles back. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"As in dating?" God, I'm a fool, of course he means as in dating. "I mean --"

Kevin laughs. "Yeah," he says, "as in dating."

Suddenly I'm dizzy and my head feels like it's swimming, my fingers tremble and I don't think it's just the pickle juice anymore. Without looking at him I shrug again. I don't want to get my hopes up here, but who am I kidding? My heart is already racing like an overeager puppy and any moment now I'll roll over on the ground to wallow in the pickle juice, I'm that excited. Still, I'm proud that my voice sounds nonchalant when I manage to say, "Not really."

"As in you'd go out with me?" Kevin presses.

I sweep the handheld broom a little too hard and pickle juice sloshes over the top of the dustpan, splashing my hand and wrist with cold liquid. Smooth one, I think, grimacing as I shake the crap off, and Kevin laughs again. I could just die right now, I'm glad he thinks this is funny ... but he's asking me out, I remind myself, or at least I think he is. "Maybe," I say, wiping my hand on my apron as I stand.

Kevin smirks at me. "Don't be so definite, Nick," he jokes. "I could wait a lifetime for that maybe to turn into a yes."

You don't have to wait that long. "Okay, yes."

Damn, it's the only thing I've been thinking since I first saw him, the two of us together and now he's back here asking me out and when did someone start making my dreams come true? When he smiles at me, I can't help but grin back, and he's asked me out, we're going out, I don't know when or where or why but it's a date. I rub my hand over the short cut of my hair ...

Shit, I think, suppressing a groan. Tell me I didn't just smear pickle juice all over my scalp.

I did. With a sigh, I toss the dustpan into the trashcan and mutter, "You sure you want to go out with me?"