Jaejoong checked his phone for messages as he stood in line. Nothing but texts from his older sister and shipping confirmation for a package. He hoped it was the food he’d ordered last week. He needed it for his pet shop on Monday.

“Next!”

Jaejoong stashed his phone in the pocket of his red hoodie and stepped forward to the counter. He ordered without studying the menu posted high on the wall. “I’ll have a double Java Hut espresso.”

The blonde girl at the counter entered his order into the register and asked in a bored voice, “For here or to go?”

“To go.”

“Name?”

“Jaejoong.”

She scribbled his name on a paper cup then called the order over her shoulder. “Dub spro with legs!”

The girl tapped buttons on the register as a tall barista came up behind her and took the cup. Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Jaejoong’s eyebrows shot up. Who was that? He must be new. Jae came to this coffee shop at least twice a week, and he’d never seen this barista before. The new guy was handsome, with dark hair, high cheekbones, and a long, lean body. He had to be new. Jae would remember a guy this hot.

New or not, he was here now and Jae wanted a closer look. He turned to the cashier. “Wait! Changed my mind. Can I get that for here?”

The blonde girl gave him a tired “why are you trying to ruin my life?” look but managed to grit her teeth into a smile. “Of course.” She yelled over her shoulder again. “That dub spro's camping!”

The barista nodded and grabbed a small white and gold espresso cup. As he turned to the coffeemaker, Jae’s eyes dropped to stare at his denim-covered , nicely framed by the apron tied around his waist. Yum. His legs were amazingly long, too, Jae noticed, as he ran his eyes along the full length of them, from his sneakered feet back up to that perfect again.

“Would you like anything else?” Blonde girl verbally nudged Jae, snapping him out of his admiring reverie.

Yes, I’d like a piece of that hot barista behind you, Jae thought, reluctantly wrenching his eyes away from the tall man. But of course he couldn’t say that, so instead he muttered, “Just the coffee, thanks.”

The girl nodded and rang up his order. As he paid, she smiled mechanically, her eyes already shifting to the customer behind Jae as she said, “You can pick up your order over there, sir.”

Jaejoong nodded and cast one last appreciative look at the barista, then moved down the counter so the girl could serve her next customer.

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through Twitter while he waited, but his eyes kept being drawn back to the tall man working behind the counter. He moved with skilled precision, his arms performing a graceful dance as he assembled complicated drinks. Obviously, he was no stranger to making coffee. He must have worked at another cafe before this one.

The barista turned and walked toward Jae, his hands laden with several cups. He set them down on the counter and called out the names written on their paper slips one by one. “Matt!” A pause. “Lorena!” Another, longer pause as he studied the scrawled name. “Jar… Jail…”

“Jaejoong.” He took the tiny cup from the barista with a nod of thanks, but his cheeks heated with embarrassment. Up close, Jae could see that the guy wasn’t just handsome; he was a total knockout. His brown eyes were flecked with cinnamon, and he had a tiny beauty mark over his luscious mouth. The nametag pinned to his apron read “U Know.”

Yes, I know, Jae thought. I know exactly what I’d like to do to you.

“Sorry. They make it hard to read the names sometimes.” The barista smiled, showing perfect white teeth.

“That’s okay. People get my name wrong all the time.” Jaejoong stared hard at the man’s face, desperate to keep his eyes from rudely roaming down the length of that toned body.

The barista laughed, a deep, rich sound that made Jae’s toes curl. “Yeah, mine too.” He pointed to his nametag. “It’s actually Y-u-n-h-o, but I make it easy for them.”

“Two lattes and a small mocha no whip!” The blonde girl yelled, shooting Jaejoong a dark look for distracting her worker.

“Gotta go. Enjoy your coffee.” Yunho gave him a friendly wave as he turned and headed back down the counter.

“See you around!” Jaejoong called after him, finally giving his eyes permission to drop down to Yunho’s tight again. And linger in appreciation. He took a long drink of his espresso…and choked.

“Ow! Hot hot hot!” Jaejoong gasped in air to cool his burned tongue, sputtering coffee. He grabbed some napkins to blot his mouth, then fled before the y barista noticed his accident. But he’d be back.

***

“Hey, Jae!” Yunho set an espresso cup on the end of the counter and smiled. “Your usual.”

“Thanks.” Jaejoong felt slightly dazed by the barista’s blinding good looks, but he managed to grab the cup and smile back. “How are you doing today?”

“Can’t complain. How about you?”

“I’m good, thanks.” Jae ransacked his brain for something interesting to talk about. He’d been coming here every day for weeks now, just for these fleeting moments of conversation with Yunho. So far, he’d learned that Yunho had moved to town last year to help out a friend, that he liked sweets and dance music, and that being a barista was only one of many odd jobs he’d worked. But Jae wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything about Yunho. “Do you, uh… Do you have any plans for the weekend?”

Yunho nodded. “I’ve got a show on Saturday night. We’ve been practicing like crazy for it.”

Jae perked up at the new information. “A show? Are you in a band or something?”

Yunho laughed and waved his hands dismissively. “No, nothing like that. My friend Min and I have a dance act. Burlesque. They want us to perform between other acts to keep the crowd fired up.”

Burlesque? A wave of heat washed over Jae as he pictured Yunho doing a striptease, revealing his toned body inch by slow inch. He swallowed hard. “That sounds…enjoyable.”

“I hope so,” Yunho said. “If they like our act, we might get a permanent gig.”

“I’m sure they’ll like you.” Who wouldn’t love seeing a hot guy like Yunho strip down to the skin? Jaejoong had explicit dreams about it most nights. Okay, every night. “I’ll cross my fingers for you.”

“Thanks!” Yunho beamed another breath-stealing smile. “Hey, you should come. The more people supporting us, the better.”

Jaejoong’s heart started pounding hard in his chest at the casual invitation, and he struggled to calm himself. It wasn’t like Yunho was asking him out on a date or anything. He didn’t even know if the barista was attracted to men. But it was a step forward in their relationship and an opportunity to spend time with Yunho outside of work. There was no way in hell Jae was going to pass that up.

He tried to sound casual. “Sure. I might be able to come for a little while. Where’s the show?”

“Bolero. Over on East Avenue.” Yunho fished around in the pocket of his apron for a moment and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Jae with a sheepish look. “We couldn’t afford real advertising, so we wrote up some signs instead.”

Jae examined the hand-lettered flyer.

Was it suddenly hot in here? Jaejoong felt like he couldn’t breathe as he studied the ad and pictured Yunho on a stage under bright lights, moving his hips in a slow circle as he peeled his shirt off with a wicked smile. Flames through Jae’s mind, erasing all thoughts except that one. He could barely see the rest of the flyer, with the location and time.    

Yunho was saying something. Jaejoong tried to look past the dancing, shirtless image in his mind to focus on the man standing at the counter. “I’m sorry, what?”

Yunho gestured to the cash register, where Blondie was shooting eye-daggers in their direction. “I said I gotta get back to work. But maybe I’ll see you this weekend?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jae mumbled as Yunho loped over to grab a paper cup from the cashier. He looked down at the flyer again and breathed, “Definitely.”

***

A bright pop song blared through Jaejoong’s apartment.

I wanna love you more, love you more
I tried holding it in but nothing can stop me
This is how I love you; it grows every day…

He sang along to the lyrics absentmindedly as he dug through his bedroom closet. What to wear?

He’d done his research on The Bolero in advance of Yunho’s show and learned it was a dance club most of the time. Jae studied the pictures on their website, noting the skimpy dresses and heels on the girls and the tight-fitting clothes on the men. In one photo, a ripped male dancer performed in a suspended cage, wearing nothing but a g-string and leather harness. Jae frowned. This was his competition? How was he supposed to catch Yunho’s attention when there was eye candy like that dangling over the dance floor?

His cat Nene watched with wide-eyes as Jae clawed through his drawers, tossing garments every which way. He’d never realized it before, but most of his clothes were pretty dull and practical. T-shirts and button-downs with skinny jeans or dark pants. Hoodies. Some fashion jackets and ties. Fine for working in the store, but not for club-going. Nothing that screamed “look how y I am,” that was for sure. He scowled. What was he going to do? The show was tomorrow.

“Maybe I should go shopping,” he muttered.  

And then he saw them. Peeking out of the bottom drawer were his booty shorts. His sister got them for him as a gag gift, thinking her shy younger brother would never wear them. But Jae liked them; they were comfortable and easy to move around in. He wore them around the house or when he was working out and stretching. He’d never imagined wearing them outside his apartment. But now, thinking about the cage dancer, he pulled them out and examined them thoughtfully.

“What do you think, Nene?” He held the tiny shorts up so the tabby could see them. “Think these will grab Yunho’s attention?”

Nene yawned.

“Well, tough. They’re all I’ve got.”

A few minutes later, he was standing in front of the mirror wearing the shorts, hands on his hips. He studied his reflection. Not bad! He turned and looked at his backside in the mirror. Not bad at all. He had to admit the shorts did some very flattering things for his . He looked damn good in them, to be honest. Now, to find the right shirt to wear with them.

He tried on a dozen shirts before settling on a cropped black tank top. It looked good with the shiny red shorts and highlighted his shoulders and flat stomach. Although he didn’t show it off in public, Jae worked hard to stay in good shape. He exercised, watched what he ate, and lifted weights. Jaejoong flexed his arm in front of the mirror, eyes on his reflection. Helloooo, triceps! Yes, the outfit displayed all his good points.

He pictured himself walking casually into the club, wearing the booty shorts and tank top. Heads would turn and everyone would whisper, wanting to know who that y man was. Yunho would see him and his gaze would go hot, then he’d step down from the stage and ask Jae to dance. A spotlight would focus on just the two of them as they spun in a slow circle, lost in each other’s eyes…

A low snort escaped Jaejoong, then a full-on laugh. He shook his head and the fantasy disappeared with a poof. Nope. It would never happen that way. Never in a million years. If he wore this outfit to the club, people would stare all right. But they were more likely to point and laugh than ask “who’s that hottie?” And he cringed to imagine what Yunho would do. No, Jae didn’t have the guts to wear an outfit this revealing in public.

He cast one last look in the mirror and sighed. “No harm in dreaming though, right, Nene?”

She ignored him and her paw.

The doorbell rang. Jae turned toward the sound in surprise, then grabbed his phone to check for messages. Nothing. His last text was from Junsu, inviting him to a spa day. So who was at the door? Jae tossed the phone onto the kitchen table as he stomped toward the door, a little annoyed at the unexpected guest. Was it the maintenance guy? They’d better not be shutting off the water again!

Jaejoong yanked the door open, ready for an argument, but nobody was there. The hall was empty. A brown box sat by Jae’s feet. He frowned down at it. He wasn’t expecting a package. He peered down at the shipping label, trying to see who it was from, when a striped blur zipped past his feet.

“Nene, no!”

Jae grabbed the cat, who was halfway out the door already and lunging for freedom. He struggled with the determined ball of squirming fur for a moment, trying to push her back into the apartment. He leaned down between his legs and shoved her inside, but the move knocked him off balance. He staggered forward as the door slammed shut, closing the cat safely inside. Jae was about to sigh with relief when he heard it: the solid click of a lock catching.

Jae tried the doorknob: definitely locked. He quickly patted down his body for keys, but he already knew he didn’t have them. Where could they possibly be on an outfit with no pockets? As expected, his patdown produced nothing. Crap.

He was locked out of his apartment, booty shorts and all.

Jae’s mind raced. Think! He had no keys, no phone, and an exposed rear end. What were his options? Junsu had his extra key, but Jae had no way to contact him right now. Maybe building maintenance had a master key? Yes! They must have one. He could go down to the office and get them to let him in.

Armed with a plan, he crept down the stairs to the lobby. He’d decided against taking the elevator, afraid he’d run into one of his neighbors. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this, with his stomach exposed and his hanging out the bottom of the skimpy red shorts. Especially not Missus Pitts, the sweet old cookie-baking grandma who lived down the hall from him. She’d have a if she saw this much skin.

He trotted down the last stairs and pushed open the door leading to the lobby. A cautious peek around showed him nobody was there. Good. He ventured out, scooting across the open marble floor to the manager’s office. The office door was closed, which was unusual but not unheard of. Jaejoong was getting ready to knock when he noticed the sign:

Running Errands. Be Back Soon!

Crap.

How soon was soon? Jaejoong bit his lip as he considered his options again. He could wait here and hope the manager came back in a few minutes. Or he could go sit by his apartment door and try the office again in a little while. If he found a hairpin, maybe he could try picking the lock? He looked hopefully at the lobby floor, but it gleamed with a recent mopping. No random pins in sight. Then he shook his head. Who wore hairpins these days anyway?

Jae had just decided to risk giving old Missus Pitts a heart attack with his to use her phone, when he heard whistling. The cheery tune was coming from the back hall but getting closer. Jaejoong looked around frantically for somewhere to hide, but the lobby was empty. Not a sign or desk to crouch behind. He only had a few seconds before he was spotted, so he decided to brazen it out. What choice did he have? He crossed his arms and stared hard at the bulletin board by the mailboxes, trying to act like it was perfectly normal to read building announcements with his cheeks sticking out.

A man came around the corner from the rear parking area, his whistle trailing off into silence when he saw Jae. He stopped for a moment in surprise, his gaze sliding down the length of Jaejoong’s body before hastily snapping back up to his face. The two men stared at each other for a long moment.

It was Yunho.

Jae felt the burn of a blush creep up his neck into his face. He wanted to die of embarrassment. Of all the people in the world who could have turned that corner, of course it would be Yunho. Of course. Jae hadn’t even realized that the barista lived in his building. And now here they were. Staring at each other in awkward silence.

The painful moment ended when Yunho cleared his throat and went to open his mailbox. He gave a weak smile and nodded at Jae. “Hey! How’s it going?”

Jae tried desperately to be casual. Act normal, he scolded himself. He managed to answer calmly, “Fine. How are you doing?”

“Not bad.” Yunho opened his box and pulled the mail out.

Jae flailed around mentally for something to talk about. He saw that Yunho was wearing the same clothes he’d had on that morning at Java Hut, only without the apron. “So you’re off work now?”

“Yeah. I only work mornings. I practice most afternoons.” He kept his eyes riveted on the letters as he sorted his mail, tactfully refusing to look up at Jae’s exposed body and flame-red face.

“Practice? Oh, the burlesque dancing?”

Yunho nodded, still without looking up. “You’d be surprised how much competition we have in this town. If I miss a day of practice, it’s hard to catch up. Besides, Min would kill me.”

“Min…?”

“My partner. In my dance group.” Yunho looked up as he spoke, his gaze helplessly dipping down to note the exposed skin of Jae’s flat belly before darting away again. There was another long, awkward pause as the two men pretended that Jae’s near wasn’t happening. Yunho broke first. He stepped backward toward the elevator, raising his hand to wave goodbye. “Hey, nice chatting with you, but I need to—”

“Wait!” Jae blurted the word out, tamping down his shame to beg for help. “Can I borrow your phone for a sec?”

“My phone?” Yunho looked puzzled, but he was already fishing the phone from his pocket. He unlocked it and handed it over with another surreptitious glance at Jae’s legs.

Blushing harder, Jae took the phone with a grateful nod. He pulled up the keypad for a call, but then his mind blanked. What was Junsu’s number? He was so used to texting or autodialing that he couldn’t remember. And it was unlisted. Crap crap crap.

With an apologetic grimace at Yunho, Jae quickly googled the spa Junsu had said he was visiting today and then called them. The receptionist was frosty and wouldn’t confirm that Su was there. When Jae explained that he was locked out and needed his extra key, she thawed a bit and promised to pass the message along—IF Su was there. It was the best he could hope for, Jae realized, thanking her as he hung up. But it would be at least an hour, probably more, before his friend could get here. How could he kill an hour or two? He couldn’t go in public like this. He’d get arrested for indecent exposure. No, better stay here. Another hour of lobby lurking wouldn’t kill him.

He returned the phone to Yunho with both hands, bowing his head slightly in gratitude. “Thanks.”

Yunho took the phone with a nod, putting it back in his pocket. He hesitated a moment, then said, “I couldn’t help overhearing. You’re locked out of your apartment?

“Yeah, but it’s okay. My friend will be here soon.” Jae gave an airy wave of his arm to dismiss the situation. As he did, he felt his shirt ride up, almost exposing a . He hastily dropped his arm again, but not before Yunho got a major eyeful of bare chest. The barista looked, then looked away, studying the mailboxes beside Jae’s head as if fascinated by the tiny metal cubes.

Jae’s blush intensified.

Yunho cleared his throat and said, “You can come hang out at my place until your friend comes.” He gave a casual shrug with the offer. “If you don’t have anywhere better to go.”

Oh thank god. “Sure,” Jaejoong said.

As they waited for the elevator, Jae’s nerves got the better of him. He started to chatter. “So you’re working at Java Hut, huh?”

Yunho gave him the same easy smile he gave Jae every single morning when he handed him his coffee. “You know it.”

If someone took a color swatch of his face right now, it would be a dead match for “tomato.” Humiliation stung Jae, but Yunho’s charm made his heart beat faster too. “What I meant was, how is it there? Do you like it?”

Yunho shrugged again. “It’s a job. And the people are nice.”

Ding!

The elevator arrived and they got on. Yunho pressed the 7 button as he asked, “What about you? I thought you worked in an office or something, but now I’m thinking, uh….actor?”

Actor?

A hot wave of embarrassment ran over Jae as he realized Yunho was eyeing his shorts again. You couldn’t exactly blame him for thinking they were a costume, but still… Jae waved his hands energetically in denial. “No no no! It’s not what you think! I was just, um, working out and these clothes are comfy…”

Yunho smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You don’t need to explain.” Another one of those lazy, y shrugs. “They look comfortable.”

“Yes!” Jaejoong was amazed and relieved that Yunho understood. “They really are! I can move around freely.” He waggled his hips around to prove his point. “And they make my look g—” He stopped, realizing what he was about to say.

Another awkward silence fell. Was it possible for your entire body to blush? Jae felt like his was on fire with shame. He could never go back to Java Hut again after this. He might even have to leave town. Or the country.

Ding!

The elevator doors slid open and they stepped out. Jae trailed Yunho down the hall to his apartment, his eyes glued to the patterned carpet under his feet. He stood quietly while Yunho unlocked the door. He was afraid to say anything. Every time he opened his mouth, it somehow made his humiliation worse.

They walked into the apartment and Yunho tossed his mail onto the counter, clicking on lights. “Make yourself at home,” he said, heading toward a back hall. “I’ve got to get out of this uniform. I smell like Java Hut.”

He disappeared through a door into what Jae assumed was a bedroom. “There’s drinks in the fridge!” Yunho yelled from wherever he’d gone.

Jae looked around the room and a small thrill went through him. He was in Yunho’s apartment! It was almost worth the embarrassment he’d suffered to get this glimpse of the barista’s life. His eyes darted everywhere, drinking it all in.

There wasn’t much to see. Not in the living room, anyway. The room was decorated in neutral tones: white, gray, black. A white leather couch ran along one side of the small room, flanked by two mismatched dining chairs and a massage chair. The walls were bare except for a large picture in an elaborate silver frame. Curious, Jae stepped closer to examine it. It was a professional photograph of Yunho and another model-handsome guy dressed in fancy black-and-white suits. They had on thick guyliner and wore identical brooding expressions. Whew! Gorgeous.

“What do you think?”

Jae turned at the sound of Yunho’s voice and saw him gesturing at the photo. “What’s it from?” Jae asked.

“We used to do a whole dance act based on those old Hollywood musicals. It was fun, but we had trouble getting gigs. Then we switched to burlesque and suddenly everyone wanted to book us. It was like magic.”

Jaejoong wasn’t a bit surprised. Looking at Yunho in that picture made him want to tear the barista’s clothes off. But if Yunho preferred to peel them off himself, piece by piece, well…  Jae fanned his pinkened face.

“Want something to drink?” Yunho padded into the kitchen. He’d changed into loose sweats and his hair was a tousled mess, but it somehow made him even hotter than in the publicity photo. He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed after a night of wild . Another wave of heat ran through Jaejoong, only this time it wasn’t embarrassment. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his composure.

“How about a soda?” Yunho held up a bottle. “Or some juice?”

“Just water, please,” Jae said.

Yunho made them drinks, then strolled back out to the living room. He handed a glass of water to Jae. “Have a seat. Get comfortable. You might as well relax while you wait.”

“Sure.” Yunho was right. Jae should take advantage of this time with the barista, get to know him better. This time with his crush was like a gift from the gods.

“Here. Sit here.” Yunho motioned Jaejoong over to the massage chair. “You have to see how good this feels.”

Gingerly, Jaejoong lowered himself into the chair and slid back on the seat. The slick leatherette was definitely nice against his skin.

“Lean back,” Yunho instructed. He was bent over by the side of the chair, his face close to Jaejoong’s as he adjusted some knobs.

Jae had never been this near to him before. He could see each individual lash on Yunho’s eyelids, a dark-feathered fan against his cheeks. He had small scars: one by his nose, one by his eye, and one on his pierced earlobe. Jae wanted to trace them with his fingertips, kiss the memory of pain away. This close, Yunho’s hair looked so soft and touchable. Jae wanted to slide his hand into the tousled strands, sift them through his fingers. And when the faint smell of espresso wafted from Yunho’s skin, Jae got the sudden urge to every inch of that flawless body. A faint sweat broke out on his upper lip as he fought to keep his hands off Yunho and on the arm of the chair.

“There!” With a final adjustment, Yunho brought the massage chair to life. He stepped back and watched as the machinery beneath the leatherette rolled and prodded at Jaejoong’s body. “How does that feel? Nice, huh?”

“Y-yes,” Jae said, vibrating along with the chair. It was true. There was one roller moving along his spine that felt especially wonderful.

Yunho threw himself down on the couch across from Jae. “My sister got me the chair for my birthday. I thought it was silly, but now I love it. It really helps work out the kinks after a long day in the studio.”

Jaejoong’s eyes glazed over slightly as Yunho talked. He’d love to work out some kinks with the y man across from him. He had a long list of personal kinks he was sure Yunho would be great at working out with him.

“So if you’re not an actor, what do you do?” Yunho asked.

“I own a store,” Jaejoong said. “Over by Stanton Mall.”

“You own your own business?” Yunho sounded impressed. “No wonder you need so much espresso. Is it tough running the place?”

Jae felt too relaxed to be embarrassed that Yunho had noticed his caffeine addiction. The chair was working its magic, the soft vibration and low hum lulling him into a daze. “I have a lot of help. And I actually like the work. But it’s easy to fall into a rut, you know? Every day the same routine. It can get boring.”

“It doesn’t look boring to me,” Yunho’s skeptical gaze dipped to Jaejoong’s exposed thighs and ran the whole length of his legs. He took a long drink of his soda.

“Today has been…unusual,” Jae said. “But compared to your life, mine is pretty dull. I mean, you perform in a burlesque show. That’s…wow!”

Jajejoong cringed at how dumb he sounded. The massage chair was melting his brain. It was almost pure jelly right now. He couldn't think of anything except how utterly gorgeous Yunho looked lounging back on the couch, eyes dark and lips wet from drinking.

“I guess the grass is greener, huh?” Yunho grinned at him.

They made small talk for a while, as Jaejoong fought to stay awake in the massage chair. Yunho told him stories about some of the Java Hut customers and made Jae snort with laughter at some of the bizarre requests they made.

Yunho was telling a story about a woman who'd brought in milk for baristas to steam, when his phone vibrated, dancing across the surface of the coffee table. He glanced at the screen and frowned in confusion.

“Excuse me for a moment,” he said to Jae, answering the call. “Hello?” There was a pause while he listened to the person on the other end, then he said, “He’s right here,” and handed the phone to Jaejoong. “It’s for you.”

“For me?” Jae was shocked. Who would call him on Yunho’s phone? He put the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“Where are you?” A voice screeched in his ear. It was Junsu. “I got hustled out of my chocolate body wrap and tossed into the cold end of the mineral bath because somebody called and told the spa staff they were desperate. I raced to your apartment like the true friend I am and you’re not even here?”

Jaejoong’s mind snapped awake. “You’re here?”

“I’m in your apartment right now,” Su grouched. “Where are you?”

“I’m upstairs at a neighbor’s place.” A sudden thought struck him. “How did you get this number?”

“From the spa’s caller ID. Look, if you want in, you need to get here in the next ten minutes. I have to go soon.”

“I’ll be right there,” Jae said.

“Good!” Junsu said. Then added. “I fed Nene. She was starving. You're welcome, by the way.”

“Thanks, Su. I owe you one.” Jaejoong ended the call. Finally! He could get back in and change out of these silly clothes. But at least the wait wasn’t bad. He peeped over at Yunho. Some good came out of this whole mess.

Jaejoong reached down to the side of the chair and fumbled the controls off. The room seemed really quiet without the loud hum from the massager.

Yunho looked at him with raised eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

“It was my friend Junsu,” Jae said. “He’s at my apartment, so I can get in now.”

Yunho smiled. “That’s good. I’ll bet your cats miss you.”

Jaejoong frowned at him, suspicious. There was no way he overheard Junsu, was there? “How do you know I have a cat?” A wild hope bloomed inside him. Maybe he’d been checking Jae out all along like Jae had been doing with him? Maybe he’d talked to the neighbors or old Missus Pitts? Maybe he had a secret crush too?

Yunho pointed to his shirt. “Cat hair.”

Jaejoong looked down at the white hairs sprinkled across his tank top and felt the tiny sprout of hope wither inside him. Time to go. What a humiliating day, from start to finish.

He tried to get up from the chair and escape but his thighs were stuck to the leatherette. He wriggled a little bit, trying to loosen the seal, but nothing. His legs were firmly glued to the seat. Of course. Why not one more embarrassing thing? Why should anything go right today?

Jaejoong cleared his throat. “Um, can I get a hand? I seem to be stuck.”

Yunho bounced up from the couch and came over. “Ah, that happens sometimes. Here.” He extended his hand.

Jaejoong grabbed it. Even in the midst of his shame, pleasure shivered through him at the touch of Yunho’s hand. The barista’s grip was strong and warm, and Jaejoong imagined how good it would feel closing around other parts of his body. He raised his eyes to Yunho’s, desire rising inside him.

BRRAAAAAPSSHHHHKKKKTTTTT

The horrible, rude noise his thighs made as they peeled away from the chair would haunt Jaejoong’s nightmares for the rest of his life. His shame was complete. This was the gutter. There was no going down from here. His lifelong shyness came rushing back, and he lowered his eyes as color stained his cheeks again. He dropped Yunho’s hand and turned away.

They walked to the door in silence. Neither of them knew what to say to break the awkward mood.

At the door, ingrained politeness overcame his shyness and Jae turned to thank his host. He was surprised to see Yunho’s gaze riveted to his behind again. Oh god. What now? Was something else wrong? Were there red welts all over his cheeks or something? Jaejoong braced himself for more humiliation.

But when Yunho looked up there was a twinkle in his warm brown eyes. “You’re right,” he said, “Those hotpants really do make your look good.”

That was the last thing Jaejoong expected him to say. Jae’s eyes went wide. Wait a minute. Was he flirting? Jae honestly couldn’t tell. This awful day had thrown him off. He stammered out an answer without thinking. “They’re booty shorts, not hotpants.”

Yunho shrugged. “Okay.” He held the door open so his guest could leave.

Idiot. Fool. Numbskull. Jae called himself every name for stupid he knew. What was he doing? He’d just killed the flirtation with Yunho before it even started. “Well, thanks again,” he said glumly.

Yunho nodded and gave a friendly smile. “No problem! I’m glad to help.”

Jae turned away, fighting a dark mood. Today had been a rollercoaster. He was ready for it to be over. Maybe he could get things with Yunho back on a y track tomorrow at the club. If he could find the courage to go after today, that is. As he started walking toward the elevator, he felt very self-conscious of his . Was Yunho still staring at it? Was it jiggling? Did it really look good?

Then Yunho’s voice called after him, “See you at the show tomorrow night.”

Jaejoong turned to look back at him, hope fluttering wildly in his belly as Yunho continued.

“I mean,” his eyes dropped to look at Jae’s with open admiration. “You showed me yours. Seems only fair I show you mine.” His friendly smile turned wicked and, with a little wink, he shut the door.

Show me yours? Yes, please! Jae floated to the elevator on a cloud of happiness. He couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

end.