Tamlin sat up straighter, eyes serious as a kitten’s and just as soft, abandoning food to hug a throw pillow as if he were in the one in need of comfort. He knew Jeffrey, knew that he was direct to a fault, not prone to rambling. Tamlin, who was the one who usually rambled when he was nervous, became unusually direct. “Tell me.”

For one second, Jeffrey dazedly thought that Tamlin had somehow divined his internal fawning and was asking him to confess his crush. Then he remembered the other thing that was currently overwhelming him, and hastily switched mental tracks.

“Rafe wants me to organize an event at the store,” he began.

Tamlin encouragingly tilted his head to one side, kitten-curious. Jeffrey suppressed the urge to pet his head and see if his hair was as soft as it looked.

“He wants me to take the lead arranging an author in-store appearance next month.”

“Really? That’s great!” Tamlin emerged from behind his pillow to clap Jeffrey on the shoulder in a congratulatory way -- Jeffrey’s heart stuttered at the contact -- and reached for more fries, pausing midway with his hand outstretched. “Wait, why does that make you antsy? I know Krystal or Rafe himself usually handle this sort of thing, but you’re just as capable as they are, if not more. Who is this event for? Is it an author you hate? Are you worried you won’t be able to be polite to their face?”

That would be a valid worry, though there were few enough authors whom Jeffrey truly hated -- he was a very varied and voracious reader. “No, it’s, uh, the opposite problem.”

“The opposite? You mean an author you really, really like?” Tamlin smirked amusedly at him over a curly bit of squid. “Are you worried you’ll fanboy all over them and ruin your taciturn image?”

“It’s not an image,” Jeffrey protested, glowering at his own bit of squid as if his gaze could scorch an extra layer of crispness on it. “I am a grump.”

“A grump with a gooey centre,” Tamlin retorted, popping another zucchini fry in his mouth and licking away the feta that it left on his lip. Jeffrey bit back the gooey besotted fanboy squeal that wanted to escape at the sight of that. “So, who is at risk of making you fanboy enough that you end up this out of sorts?”

Jeffrey licked his own lips, tasting sesame-soy marinade and nerves. “It’s ... Chester Goldsmith.”

There was flat silence for several long beats. Tamlin’s eyes were as wide as their dinner plates. Then he let out a fanboy-esque squeal, bouncing in place on the couch cushion in excitement. He tossed aside his own plate and reached for Jeffrey’s hands, which were empty and slightly sticky with soy glaze; so were Tamlin’s, but he didn’t care in the slightest, feeling Tamlin’s soft skin and supple fingers holding his.

“That’s amazing!!!” Tamlin shouted, possibly loud enough for the barroom downstairs to hear over their own noise, giving Jeffrey’s hands an exuberant shake. “Chester Goldsmith, your favourite author! Coming here! To your bookstore! And you’re putting on the event for your literary hero! That’s awesome, Jeffrey! You’ll be awesome!” He dropped Jeffrey’s hands -- far too soon for Jeffrey’s liking -- and picked up his beer, saluting him with it. “I know you’ll do an amazing job!”

Jeffrey obligingly clinked his own bottle against Tamlin’s. “Thanks. I hope so.”

Tamlin finished swallowing his mouthful of beer -- the movement of his throat distracted Jeffrey momentarily -- and fixed him with a puzzled expression. “Why wouldn’t you do a good job of it? You’re great at your work, you love that book, you know exactly how to make a great event themed around it, with the store as a backdrop.”

“No, I don’t!” Jeffrey ran his hand through his hair -- which was still slightly damp -- with a groan. “I’ve worked at the store for a while, but I’ve never been in charge of something like this! I don’t know how to be! Rafe usually delegates this kind of thing to Krystal for a reason: she’s good with people, and I’m not! Customers like that I’m knowledgeable about books, but otherwise I’m difficult to deal with. And arranging events like this will involve a lot of people. I need to organize local vendors to take part, issue invitations and do some promotion so we have an audience, and I would have to talk directly to Chester Goldsmith on the night. I can’t do all that, Tam! Not without putting both feet firmly in my mouth, insulting someone -- probably multiple someones -- ruining everything, embarrassing Rafe, and getting myself fired! I already came close to getting fired once this week, next time I’ll do something so inexcusable Rafe will have to fire me!”

“What? Of course he won’t!” Tamlin protested, capturing Jeffrey’s hand again so he would stop torturing his hair with it. Jeffrey let him, not because he was calmed, mostly because he wanted to savour the contact again. “Rafe knows you, he’s known you since you were a customer. He knows how much you like books, especially this book. He hired you for your enthusiasm and your knowledge. You’re not difficult to deal with, I’ve seen you find the perfect book for countless customers and made them smile. You are good with people, and you’ll be great at this.”