As heat finally cranked out of the vents, Bay pulled out of the parking lot. Carefully, he steered them toward the bed and breakfast—though Travis guessed to Bay it was simply home.
“Feel up for a trip into the city?” Bay asked suddenly, and Travis jerked his head to the left to stare at him. He stared ahead at the road, oblivious to Travis’s shock.
“Uhm, sure. What for?”
“Well, I don’t know about you, rock star, but I don’t have any pressing matters to tend to at home. So, it’s either sit in the bed and breakfast for the rest of the day, or…”
“Or…” Travis prompted.
“Or… I can treat you to the best damned cup of hot chocolate you’ve ever had, and show you my favorite part of town.”
Truthfully, as much as Travis had come there to get away, relax, and try to find his muse, the last thing he wanted was to stay cooped up in a room for the rest of the evening. It was only midday.
“I’m in,” he said, and didn’t give it much more thought.
The way Bay’s lips twitched in response was addicting. He wanted to make him smile again.
The drive, just like the one up there, was much the same. Quiet, except for the rumble of the engine, the ping of rock salt off the underbelly of the cab, and the soft rock music playing in the background. Travis couldn’t help the way his mind kept wandering. And mostly to the driver.
But he kept his questions to himself, because the silence was nice. No one was asking him questions, digging into his business, wanting to know the secrets of the industry or his life. The least he could do was return the favor.
Not much more later, Bay pulled the truck into a parking lot and motioned for Travis to follow him when they got out. When the bite of the cold nipped at his cheeks and made him suck in an icy breath, he was grateful for the new jacket and the boots Bay had picked out for him. The snow beneath their feet would have soaked his sneakers in no time at all, and he’d be freezing.
The city, as Bay had called it, was only slightly larger than Holdengate, though it was more crowded. He directed them down the sidewalk, their shoulders bumping as they walked side by side.
“Alright, I know it’s cold as shit, but this hot chocolate is going to warm you right up. Trust me,” Bay announced.
“What makes it so special?” Travis couldn’t help but ask.
“That’s a secret I’ll let you find out for yourself.”
Travis smelled it before he saw it—the tiny chocolate stand at an intersection ahead of them. The warm aroma of chocolate hit his senses as they drew closer, and his taste buds watered.
The man running the cart grinned as they approached, stepping out from behind the metal rolling cart and greeting Bay in a loud, boisterous manner.
“It’s good to see you again, friend! How are you?”
“I’m good, Mack. Figured I would introduce my friend to the best hot chocolate he’s ever had.”
Mack grinned. “Well, it sure is cold enough today. Here, let me warm you up.”
With a nod at Travis that made him realize Mack didn’t recognize him, he stepped behind the cart and ladled out two Styrofoam cups of hot chocolate. The liquid was dark and hot, steam floating up to dissipate in a white cloud.
“How much?” Bailey inquired and tugged out his wallet before Travis could even think to offer.
He took Bay’s hot chocolate and held it while the other man paid in cash, and then with a loud farewell, Bay led him farther down the street. The cup warmed Travis’ hands and the rings on his fingers, but it was too hot to drink at first.
Though with the temperature so cold outside, it didn’t take but moments for the drink to cool enough for him to be able to sip it.
Bay stood by and watched unabashedly as Travis lifted the cup to his lips. A heat that had nothing to do with the spicy punch to the hot chocolate rushed through him as their eyes met.
“So he adds cayenne to it?” Travis asked with an arched brow. “That has a kick.” He sipped it again, letting the heat of the spice hit only to be overpowered by the chocolate and… cinnamon. He groaned. “Holy shit, you weren’t kidding. This is so good.”
Bay grinned over at him as they took a right turn. “I knew it. It’s my favorite, and if I ever have anything to do in town, I visit Mack and get a cup to get me through the day.”
“What do you do, besides help with the inn and teach queer kids music?”
He hummed as if he was thinking. “That’s really about it. The inn, surprisingly for such a small town, does really well. We have excellent ratings, so if anyone is visiting nearby, they usually find us. I deal with all the vendors for Mom, so that keeps me busy. I also get paid for helping with the kids, but other than that…”
“Do you play your own music?” Travis questioned randomly. Bay had mostly let the kids lead the music lessons, but when he had played or helped, he seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. Though he’d only played long enough to make Travis curious.
“Uhm, yeah. I do.”
Travis waited for him to elaborate, but he offered no other information. “Not gonna offer me a demo or something?”
Bay glanced over with an arched brow before his gaze dropped to Travis’s feet and then back up. Pointedly. “People don’t come to the middle of nowhere for a vacation, especially not after what went down with your label. The last thing you need is some guy shoving a demo at you.”
Travis couldn’t help the surprise that surely colored his face, nor could he help the way he stared at Bay. When other musicians crossed his path, the first thing they did was offer him a demo, ask about connections. It was always what he could do for them.
Clearing his throat, he returned his attention to the path they were on. A moment of silence went by before he muttered, “Thanks,” into his cup. A shiver went up his spine as the cold crept through his layers, and he sipped his hot chocolate to chase it away.
The conversation dissolved into silence from there, but Travis didn’t think either of them minded. It was different, refreshing. Usually, his friends, what few he had, were trying to impress him, one up him, or brag. Travis tried to remember the last time he’d had a genuine conversation with no hidden motives or expectations. Excluding Jake and his mother, Travis realized there weren’t a whole lot.
Silence was preferable to any of that. Though he couldn’t help but wonder…
“Where are we going?”
Hopefully it would be out of the cold.
“Do you really want to know?” Bay asked with another side glance.
“Is it inside?”
Bay balanced his hand out in front of him and waved it back and forth. “Kind of?”
Narrowing his eyes, Travis sipped the last of his hot chocolate and then shook his head. “No, no, I don’t think I wanna know. Surprise me.”
“Surprise, coming up.”
Travis’s lips twitched in a semblance of a smile, but his gaze got caught on the way Bay’s throat worked as he finished his hot chocolate off.
Averting his gaze, Travis cleared his throat and turned his attention to his surroundings. The buildings were tapering off, the gaps between them growing wider and farther until the sidewalk ran out and snow crunched underneath their boots.