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Eric looked up from the counter. His shift at the bistro was almost over, and he was getting both hungry and tired. He looked forward to just going home and sleeping on the couch with his cat while watching TV. But instead, there was a handsome stranger there at the counter, casually looking at the chalk menu behind him. The guy had been here in and out four or five times a week for the past month, not really saying anything besides his order. Eric though he was cute, in that puppy dog way, with his earnest blue eyes and curly brown hair. He’d been hoping for the courage to ask him out, but didn't seem to have it. Most of the time he hated it when customers asked him out, it put him in an awkward place. The man was wearing a tuxedo, which was out of place, but then, this was Washington DC, and that could be the uniform for all sorts of things. He wondered if the guy was single, and if he preferred the company of men. He hoped the guy would ask him out.
“Any luck deciding?” Eric said with a soft smile.
“I think I’ll have the beignets.” The man said with a smile in return.
“Good choice. Anything else?”
“Two coffees.”
Eric looked around a bit. Aside from the two of them, the bistro was empty.
“Is this to go?”
“Yeah, that’d be swell.”
“Ten bucks and fifty cents, please.”
Eric smiled at that, and moved to the counters next to the oven, getting out the bowl full of beignet mix he made this morning. Preparing the beignet dough on a tray, he put them into the preheated oven. As he turned to the stranger.
“Swell, huh?”
“It’s a word. I get old timey when I see cute guys.”
Eric blushed a little. So, this guy was definitely ‘part of the club’, as his ex-boyfriend had put it when discussing men who were attracted to men.
“You think I’m cute, huh?”
“Adorable.”
“Thanks, but you still have to pay ten bucks and fifty cents for the coffee and beignets.”
The man tapped his forehead, as if just remembering, bringing out his wallet from his jacket pocket. “Oh, of course.”
He handed over some cash, “Name’s Aaron, by the way.”
Eric took the cash, put it in the register, and gave Aaron his change. “Eric, nice to meet you.”
“So, this your place?”
“Yep, opened it up last month.”
“Native of DC?”
“Heavens no. I came here a couple years ago after finishing college. But you know, you set up shop where the people are, and there isn't a lot of money where I come from.”
Eric poured two plastic cups of coffee, and fastened the plastic lids onto them.
“So, why the monkey suit?”
“Benefit fundraiser tonight. Hoping to make a good impression with some people with a lot of money.”
“Oh? You a politician?”
Aaron chuckled at that, Eric liked the sound of it.
“No, I work for Monroe Foundation, we build sustainable communities overseas for developing nations.
“Oh? I think I’ve heard of that. Isn’t that the one sponsored by that Ohio congressman or something, made by that two day filibuster?”
“Yep, that’s the one. Well, her and a whole bunch of people who want to look good in the newspapers.”
Eric smiled, and quickly checked the oven, they were almost ready. He got out the powdered sugar and honey.
“I was supposed to have a date tonight, but he cancelled.” Aaron emphasized the word, ‘he’. That confirmed it, he was gay, or at least bi. He was elated. Then, Eric felt a momentary twinge of defeat as he realized the guy wasn’t single. Aaron had a date, one who cancelled, but still had a date.
“Yeah, if you’re not too busy after you close, I’d like to invite you.” Eric froze for a moment, did he just say what he thought he said?
“To come to this benefit?”
“Yep, it’ll be nice to have someone to talk to who I can look at without having to figure out if they’re being genuine or not.”
“Genuine? What makes you think I’m genuine?”
“You got that look about you. You don’t like you’d be dishonest to anyone. Honest to a fault.”
Eric was blushing again, and he wanted to stop it. He wasn’t a fourteen year old girl being asked to prom, but then again, it’s not every day a dashing man in a tux comes in and invites you out on a date, and to a benefit as well. A problem emerged in his mind.
“Okay, but I don’t have a tux…” What was he doing? Why was he trying to find reasons to not go?
“That’s fine, as long as you have a suit.”
Eric thought back to his suit meant for weddings and funerals in his small room he used as an apartment/closet. “I have something that could do.”
By then, the beignets were done, and after adding the powdered sugar and a small container full of honey, he put them in a small box next to the coffees.
“So, why the two of each?” Eric asked as he handed them in a small bag to Aaron.
“I figured if you said yes, you could share with me as a snack if you wanted it. If you said no, I could have something pleasant to eat before I go to a party with hundreds of people.”
Eric smiled at that, and walked over to the shop door and switched the small placard from 'OPEN' to 'CLOSED'.