2 p.m.

This time wasn’t as busy as the mornings or late afternoons when most people got off work. Still, Bean & Blossom was buzzing with life, and Joshua and Avery both had their hands full.

Avery heard laughter from the right, which brought a smile to his own face. Zoey, the little girl who usually came to the café dressed in princess gowns — and today was no exception — was celebrating her birthday. She usually came with her grandparents, but today she also had her parents with her, along with other children. They had reserved a table in the corner so they wouldn’t disturb anyone, but the children’s laughter still carried all the way to the counter, where the blond barista was busy preparing a special hot chocolate to make Zoey’s day even more special.

If the other guests were bothered by the café being louder than usual, they didn’t show it. Avery was convinced it was thanks to Joshua and the kind of people he attracted to the café. Bean & Blossom was his baby, as he liked to say, and since he had built it from the ground up, he had also been its first employee. Many people had been coming here for years just to talk with him and hear his words of encouragement. Whether it was a bad grade in school or a tough breakup, Joshua always knew what to say and would add a sweet treat “on the house.” That was the kind of man he was.

The bell above the door jingled, and the barista looked up. Even though he knew this hour was reserved mostly for loyal customers, his favorite still hadn’t arrived. Not that he would dare call him that out loud.

David and Nick came in every day at 2:15 p.m. As they once explained, after their small talk had advanced beyond simple professional greetings — an upgrade that officially placed them in the category of customers Joshua would call family — this was the only time of the day when both brothers were free to grab coffee together.

Nick was the older brother, and David, at twenty-eight, the younger one. That was also something Avery had picked up over the time they’d been coming here. It had surprised him, because the moment they walked in, Nick, with his soft smile and wind-tousled hair, contrasted sharply with his brother’s stoic expression, tailored suit, and perfectly slicked-back dark hair that made him look as if he had just come from another business meeting. At first glance, Nick Scott looked younger. But it wasn’t their ages that had surprised the barista the most.

Nick was charismatic with an attractively handsome face and a smile that could make knees weak. Yet, from the moment he walked through the door until the moment he left, all of Avery’s attention belonged to David.

His eyes kept drifting back to him, hoping he wouldn’t notice. He only realized he had failed when Joshua placed a hand on his shoulder one day and warned him not to end up with a broken heart. They were both convinced that David was straight. Probably with a wife and child. A family provider.

The blond barista had almost made peace with that until the night their paths crossed somewhere he would never have expected.

During the day, Avery was just another employee at the café. He wore a black apron and tied his long blond hair back in a low ponytail to keep it out of the way. Still, it earned him the nickname "Angel," and customers never called him anything else.

But at night, three times a week, he became the complete opposite.

Despite arriving at the club, fittingly named Burning Temptation, in casual clothes — usually a dark hoodie pulled low over his head — and slipping in through the staff entrance, the moment he stepped onto the main floor, he became the main attraction.

In his half-naked state, Diablo — with a long black wig, a mask adorned with black and red crystals, and curved horns attached — was the perfect vision of hellish temptation, just as expected of him. Most nights, he wore tight leather pants or shorts, but Burning Temptation also held themed evenings. Although Diablo didn’t perform on stage with the strippers (at least not always), he and other companions still had to match the theme.

The club had two types of half-dressed employees: some danced on poles, and others kept lustful men company at tables. They were tasked with talking, flirting, and keeping the guests inside for as long as possible so they would spend as much money as they could.

There were also other ways to make extra cash. Both strippers and companions could be rented for private shows in the upstairs rooms. The lowest fee was fifty dollars for thirty minutes, though customers could always tip more if they wished. However, they could only be booked once per hour — whether for thirty minutes or the full hour — before they had to return to the floor and give attention to the other guests.

Then there was also another kind of buyout, though Avery had never experienced it himself. His boss Stanley, though no one ever dared call him that to his face, did not approve of his employees doing anything with customers during working hours. But if someone wanted to spend the rest of the night with one of the boys, they could buy him out by paying the amount it cost Stanley to let him leave. It wasn’t cheap, yet some people didn’t hesitate to pay for a single night with a stripper.

Of course, it was always on a voluntary basis, and Stanley never let anyone touch his employees without their consent. Though he was gruff and had no problem showing his displeasure, he still treated them with respect.

As Diablo, Avery was the most sought-after companion. One night, someone even offered $10,000 for his buyout. But since he refused, the man — despite his protests and threats — had to leave and was never allowed to return. Stanley’s bouncers carried him all the way to his car, and they later told Avery that he had tried to fight them even though he didn't possess a fraction of their strength.

That experience was enough to make Avery careful about how close he allowed customers to get. He had strict rules about how he could be touched, and as it turned out, the more authoritative he was, the more he attracted people. Apparently, most folks had a fetish for taking orders.

Diablo was always the one in control—until a familiar face walked through the doors of the club.

The first time Avery saw David at Burning Temptation, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He was still dressed in business attire, complete with a tie, and wore the same professional expression. However, the moment their eyes met, Avery realized there was much more hiding behind his polished exterior.

By now, David was a regular not only at the café but also at the club with the exception that while Angel was just another barista to him, in Burning Temptation he was the main course. Whenever he walked through the doors, everyone knew they had to say goodbye to their favorite demon, because David never hesitated to pay top price to have him all to himself in one of the private rooms.

It hadn’t always been this way. He had come to the club a few times with Nick, and at first, it seemed like they were only there for drinks and not for the view of half-naked men. Then, David requested that Diablo sit at their table. What began as a casual conversation with both brothers soon turned into more intimate moments when David paid for his first private performance. Avery feared that David would recognize him up close by his voice or his eyes but that never happened.

With that realization, Avery’s confidence grew. He would sit in his lap, fingers toying with his tie as he pulled him closer, while his thumb brushed along the ridge of his Adam’s apple. He always leaned in just close enough for the older man to feel his breath on his face, and though their lips were only millimeters apart, and he could see David’s eyes flicker again and again to his mouth, he knew he could never kiss him. Though he wanted to.

Avery could hardly believe his ears when the young CEO first confessed his desire. According to his own words, Diablo was the only man he had ever craved, and though he wasn’t allowed to touch him any further, David remained faithful. Or at least, that was what he claimed.

The world worked in ironic ways. While Avery had a crush on David, the CEO’s eyes were fixed only on Diablo. It was a secret the young barista had long since accepted, and although he had initially hesitated to tell the truth, he knew that if the secret were revealed, David’s interest would most likely fade. So, selfishly, he remained silent, savoring what little he was given.

Some might say it was sad, but Avery — always the optimist, as life had taught him — liked to think he had the best of both worlds.