“You look exhausted.”
Tristan attempted to stop himself from yawning for what felt like the thousandth time that, and he nodded at Felicia. “I stayed up late last night, trying to complete the online assignment for a couple of my classes. I also had to catch up on revising for one of my other classes. I probably fell asleep at around three in the morning, and I had to wake up really early so I could have some breakfast before showering and rushing out to ride on the seven-thirty bus. I don’t want to be late for my first class of the day.”
“That sounds so tiring and painful to me,” Felicia said with a slight wince.
Tristan shrugged. “I’m used to it. Not that I have much of a choice. I don’t have a car. I can’t afford one. Even if I could, I wouldn’t be able to pay for everything else. Gas and insurance for the car, for examples.”
“I understand. Gas prices are insane. I have a car, but I rarely drive it anywhere because I need to save my money for some other more important expenses like rent and food.”
Just then, the bell chimed, and Tristan glanced in the direction of the door. He gaped in shock when a giant of a man stepped into the bakery, and he wasn’t exaggerating. He thought that Harrison was incredibly tall and muscular. However, this unknown man most probably towered over Harrison by at least a couple of inches, and his muscled body was even larger. Tristan was about to greet the new customer when he saw Harrison walking in right behind the stranger. He was even more astonished when two Camdens entered the bakery shortly after, and it took him a few seconds to figure out that one of them must be Charles, Camden’s younger twin brother. Camden had briefly mentioned Charles the previous evening.
“Hey there.”
Tristan had been so stunned by the sight of the identical twins, he didn’t even realize that the gigantic man had reached the counter until he heard the man’s deep and husky voice. He tilted his head backward and gazed up at the man.
“H-hello! Welcome to The Neighborhood Bakery. I’m Tristan. What can I get you today?”
Tristan was confused when the customer, instead of answering him, turned toward Harrison, who was also standing across the counter now, and smirked. “So, this is Tristan. Damn, bro! You’re right.”
Harrison seemed irritated for some reason, but he didn’t say anything. Tristan frowned at Harrison in bewilderment.
“Bro?”
“Hey, Tristan.” Then Harrison pointed at the man next to him. “This is Henry, my baby brother.”
Tristan almost choked on his spit. He would never associate baby brother with a man of Henry’s height and build. If Henry had claimed that he swallowed a professional bodybuilder whole every single meal, Tristan would have no trouble believing that to be the truth. It would aptly explain Henry’s size, after all. Tristan gulped a little as he extended his hand toward Henry. Then he was taken aback when Henry shook his hand in what he could only describe as an extremely enthusiastic manner.
“It’s really wonderful to see you, man.”
Tristan smiled uncertainly. “It’s…uh, nice to meet you.”
He was astonished when Harrison suddenly slapped Henry’s arm hard while glaring at his brother. Henry didn’t seem offended, though. Instead, he looked highly amused.
“You told me earlier you wanted something sweet so hurry up!” Harrison commanded while staring at Henry.
Tristan didn’t know what was going on, and he didn’t get the chance to inquire about it because Henry started rattling off the names of eight different pastries. Apparently, Harrison wasn’t the only one with the sweet tooth in the family. When Henry was done, Tristan glanced at Harrison.
“Give me two cups of coffee, please.”
Tristan raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Two?”
“One for me, and the other one is for Henry.”
“Got it. Do you want any pies, cupcakes, or sandwiches today?”
Harrison shook his head. “I’ll steal a couple of things from Henry later. Or three.”
“I don’t share,” Henry interjected while grinning at Tristan, and Harrison narrowed his eyes at his brother.
Tristan didn’t bother to ask for clarification. It was probably an inside joke or something between the brothers. After the payment was taken care of, Harrison and Henry walked toward a table in the middle of the bakery. Then Camden and Charles stepped closer to the counter.
“Hey, Camden,” Tristan greeted before smiling at Charles. “You must be Charles, Camden’s younger twin brother. It’s really good to see you. Welcome to The Neighborhood Bakery. I’m Tristan.”
The Barrera twins appeared to be taken aback, and they were quiet for a moment. Then Camden beamed at Tristan.
“That’s amazing. How did you manage to identify me from Charles? We’re of the same height, and we have a similar build. Harrison and Henry couldn’t differentiate between us. Even our dads and Charlotte find it difficult to do that at times.”
“Your body odors,” Tristan replied without any hesitation, and he chortled when the brothers raised their arms at the same time and sniffed loudly at their armpits. “Not like that.”
“Then how—”
“You smell like food,” Tristan interrupted Charles. “Not in an overwhelming way, but my nose is quite sensitive. Camden informed me that you work at your fathers’ diner as an accountant, but you also help out in the kitchen quite often. The aroma of food covers up most traces of your natural scent. As for Camden, I can detect the fragrance of his cologne, along with his—”
“Stinking musk?”
Then Charles laughed, and Camden raised both of his middle fingers at his brother before focusing on Tristan again. “You should attempt to tell Charles and I apart after we’re fresh out from the shower. I’m curious if you will be able to do it.”
Tristan smirked. “Challenge accepted. Anyway, what can I get you today?”
Charles and Camden each got one pie and a cup of coffee. After settling the bill, they made their way to Henry and Harrison’s table after telling Tristan to join them as soon as he could.
“Hot damn!” Felicia exclaimed from behind, and Tristan peeked at her. Felicia was fanning herself with her hand in an exaggerated manner. “Those are some of the hottest men I’ve ever seen. Which one are you dating?”
“None of them,” Tristan replied.
Felicia’s eyes widened. “Are they not handsome enough for you, Mr. Pretty Face?”
Tristan was able to smile after hearing Felicia’s nickname for him. If it had come out from a stranger’s mouth, or worse, Linda’s, Tristan would have been creeped out.
“I like Harrison,” Tristan admitted.
“Harrison is definitely handsome,” Felicia complimented. “He looks even better in real life than in any of the photographs that I’ve seen online. Is he the only one?”
Tristan peeked at Camden, and he could feel his heart pounding much faster and harder. “Camden, too.”
“Which one is he?”
“One of the Barrera twins,” Tristan answered. “The one who is wearing the blue striped shirt.”
Felicia nodded. “His identical twin is also hot. What’s his name?”
Tristan was surprised. “Charles. Weren’t you paying attention when I called out their names earlier?”
“I was busy in the kitchen while you were out here flirting with four attractive men. I’d just came out here like a few seconds ago.”
“Cool.”
“What’s the name of Mr. Giant over there?”
“Henry, Harrison’s younger brother.”
“Wow! He’s so tall and sexy.”
Tristan shrugged. “I guess.”
It was true, but Tristan wasn’t interested in Henry. Or Charles for that matter. However, Tristan was definitely attracted to Harrison and Camden.
“Since you like Harrison and Camden, I won’t go after them, but can I have Henry and Charles?”
Tristan snickered. “You must ask them. Besides, I don’t know if they’re single or not.”
All of a sudden, Felicia sighed. “Forget it. I don’t have a chance.”
“Huh? What made you—”
“Look at Charles and Henry.”
Tristan glanced at Charles and Henry, and he immediately understood. Charles and Henry obviously liked each other as more than just friends.
“Dang!”
“Just my luck. Anyway, do you want to take your fifteen-minute break now? The bakery is quite empty. You should join your friends.”
Tristan agreed with Felicia. He grew more nervous by the second as he approached Charles, Harrison, Camden, and Henry at their table. He was fully aware that his increasing apprehension had nothing to do with Henry and Charles. He couldn’t stop staring at Harrison and Camden. His infatuation for them was spiraling a little bit out of control. It was insane, considering the fact that he had only known them for such a short period of time.
“Hey,” Tristan greeted when he got to the table, and he became anxious when all four men focused on him. “Is it okay if I sit here with you?”
Harrison beamed widely as he got up and pulled out one of the extra chairs, which happened to be right in between his and Camden’s. “Of course. Have a seat.”
Tristan thanked Harrison before plopping onto the chair. Harrison returned to his own chair.
“What were you talking about before I got here?” Tristan asked while darting his eyes from one man to another.
“The most annoying customer we’ve ever encountered,” Camden replied. “Harrison has nothing to share. Charles and I are done. It’s Henry’s turn next. You can share your story after Henry.”
Tristan nodded. “Sure.”
Then he listened attentively when Henry spoke up. At least, he tried to. For some reason, he was hyperaware of Harrison’s and Camden’s presence, and he got rather distracted. He was taken aback when Harrison suddenly leaned in sideways toward him, but he didn’t feel the instinctive reaction to get away. He also noticed that Camden had reduced the distance between them, but he wasn’t uncomfortable at all. He wasn’t sure if it was because he trusted Camden and Harrison, and he probably felt safe around them. Or maybe there was another reason for it. Whatever it was, Tristan found that he didn’t mind being in such close proximity to Camden and Harrison. In fact, a part of him wished that the two men would move toward him a little bit more.
He did his best to be discreet as he peeked at Harrison, fantasizing about being wrapped up in Harrison’s tight embrace. It would most likely be warm. After that, he briefly studied Camden’s hands and arms. They weren’t as big as Harrison’s, but they looked strong. Tristan wondered what it would be like to hold hands with Camden, and he became nervous again. He forced himself to concentrate on Henry’s story. He only hoped that neither Camden nor Harrison could hear the rapid beating of his heart because he wouldn’t be able to explain his reaction to their nearness. Besides, he required a bit of time to figure out his feelings for Camden and Harrison because everything was such a mess inside his head.
He must find out if he was truly romantically attracted to Camden and Harrison. Maybe he gravitated toward them because they made him feel secure and well-protected. Or it might be because he hadn’t dated anyone for a while, and he was simply lonely. He was also possibly a little overwhelmed with lust since he hadn’t been physically intimate with anyone in a really long time. However, he wouldn’t think about any of that for now. For the time being, he wished to enjoy the time he got to spend with Camden and Harrison. He would analyze everything else much more deeply later.