Chapter 2

“Thank you, Mark. I really appreciate this.”

Mark’s face grew even redder while he leaned in much closer to Ivan. “You’re welcome, sir. It’s such an honor to serve you. I’m a massive fan of your books. The movies don’t do them any justice.”

Ivan was pleased to hear that. “Thank you. It’s quite rare to find readers who like the books more than the movies.”

Mark shrugged. “Your books are all so beautifully written. The details are amazing. I could imagine the scenery or the expressions of the characters as I read the books. You’re such an inspiration, sir. You published your first book when you were only sixteen years old. Reincarnation is still my all-time favorite book ever. I bring it with me everywhere.”

Ivan was touched to hear the compliment coming from Mark. Then he glanced around for a few seconds to ensure nobody was within hearing range of him and Mark before bending his upper body toward the man. Fortunately, he was the last person in line at the moment.

“If you have the book with you right now, maybe you can grab it before carrying my order to my table. I’ll be glad to autograph it for you. If you want me to, that is.”

Mark’s eyes widened before he bobbed his head up and down enthusiastically. “Yes, sir. Please. That will be awesome. Have a seat. I’ll be right with you.”

Ivan threw Mark a friendly grin before paying for his order and then moving away from the counter. He walked past quite a few tables before locating his favorite spot inside the bakery. It was a table at the farthest corner of the bakery. It was almost hidden from view by a huge pot of indoor plant. He loved it because most people wouldn’t bother to make their way toward the table when there were so many others in plain sight all over the bakery. He had just sat on the chair when Mark approached him with a full tray.

“Hey, Mark. You’re fast.”

Mark blushed. “It’s…it’s not every day my idol comes into the bakery I’m working at.”

Ivan chuckled a little. “My boyfriend and I visited this bakery once every few months, but it was always quite late in the evening.”

“I see. Most of the time, I get the early morning shifts. I’m a student at the university two blocks away from here. I’m majoring in English and Literature, and all of my classes are held in the late afternoon and early evening hours.”

“That’s cool. Are you planning to become a writer yourself someday?”

Mark shook his head. “I don’t know. My dream is to be an English professor.”

Ivan smiled at Mark. “You can do both.”

“Maybe,” Mark said before handing a rather tattered paperback copy of Ivan’s first book toward him. “I do my best to protect the book, but I’ve read it so many times now. Some of the pages are torn out, so I have to tape them back into the book.”

Ivan was amazed. “You really love this book.”

Mark nodded. “Very much. I bought it six years ago when I’d just turned fourteen years old. It helped me to navigate the angst, fears, and uncertainty of my early teenage years, especially when I discovered I liked boys better than girls. The gay main characters in your book helped me to believe in myself, and that I was perfectly normal just the way I was.”

Once again, Ivan was deeply touched to receive such an awesome compliment from one of his readers. “Thank you for sharing your story with me. Now, is there a special message you want to me to write in here?”

Mark shrugged. “I’ll leave that up to you.”

Ivan pondered for a brief moment before taking a pen out from his shirt pocket and flipping the cover of the book in his hand. After completing the short message, he turned it around to show it to Mark.

Dear Mark,

Thank you for the love and support. May you achieve your dreams someday and be an inspiration for someone else.

Best regards,

Ivan Hart

Mark grinned widely at Ivan before thanking him profusely and then rushing back toward the counter. Ivan chuckled softly for a second or two before putting his pen away and pulling his smartphone out from the pocket of his jeans. He put the wireless earpiece into his right ear before dialing Darren’s number, and almost immediately, his boyfriend’s face appeared on the screen.

“Hey, baby.”

Ivan beamed at Darren. “Hey! How’s the meeting?”

“It’s okay.”

Ivan thought Darren seemed rather nervous, but he was sure he must be imagining it. Darren was the most confident person Ivan had ever met. His boyfriend was a charming and charismatic leader. He knew Darren only let his guard down when the two of them were alone together. That would be the moment Darren displayed his vulnerability in the open, and Ivan was honored and proud of the fact that he was the rare few people his boyfriend would allow to see him being so honest and exposed. He shook off the thought. Darren was fine. Ivan must be hallucinating or something earlier.