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housekeepers stocking up on cleaning supplies, chefs buying kitchen supplies, and young hot men who were probably business owners. There was a separate restaurant supply store, he knew that much, but they looked like they were shopping for their own houses rather than their businesses that morning.
    The lineups were already long, and Eli suspected they would be all day. He headed to the bakery to check out what was available, remembering what that guy yesterday had said about bribing the taxi drivers with cupcakes. It might be a good strategy, he decided as he picked up a box of croissants and a bottle of orange juice. The housekeeper and chef would supply the rest of the groceries he needed with the money he'd left out for them.
    A few young men caught his eye, but Eli always turned his head away and kept walking. Not only did everyone look busy and focused on their own tasks, but he wasn't yet in the mood to be distracted by them. He knew it would take time for his heart to heal enough that he felt comfortable flirting with just any guy, like Dean could.
    He paid at the counter and carried his grocery bag out to the street. Though he'd been planning to carry his breakfast home and eat there, the thought of what he might find going on in the patio made him pause. Instead, Eli headed down to the waterfront to sit on a bench overlooking the junction of the boardwalk and Main Street.
    With everyone rushing about to prepare for opening weekend, he was oddly invisible for perhaps the first time on this island. He drew one leg up under himself and set the croissant box on his lap, opening it and cracking open the juice to drink straight from the bottle. It was oddly tacky for him, but nobody was even looking at him.
    He slowly worked his way through the croissants and juice as he watched attractive men of all kinds calling taxis, carrying boxes, wheeling luggage along the street, and ducking into the closed-up stores on Main Street.
    By the time he'd finished both and was bored of people-watching, an hour or so had passed. He bundled his trash into the bag and threw it away in the discreet can nearby, brushing his front and lips off to make sure he looked neat and clean.
    He had to indulge his curiosity about one man, though – the man he'd spotted on the dock yesterday. He didn't have a clue which business he worked at or owned, but he could find out.
    Once Eli reached Main Street, he walked slowly along the street and eyed the storefronts. It felt a bit like he was going somewhere he shouldn't be, since there were still men carting goods into stores, setting up window displays, and working behind and over drop cloths. The pace of activity had picked up now that it was closer to a decent hour when stores might normally open.
    His eye was caught by an elegant graphic of a cake slice on a window, and he glanced up. Sweet Nothings had a logo and branding that seemed to suggest a dessert bar, and that intrigued him. He couldn't remember having seen one last summer.
    The door was propped open, tables and chairs already set up, and the bar seemingly built. There was already a glass display cabinet, and photos of cute desserts and cocktails on the walls. It looked like they were just waiting for food.
    Eli ducked into the shop and cleared his throat as he saw the shadow of a man pass by the kitchen doorway. “Hello.”
    “We're closed. No customers welcome yet. Come back on the weekend.”
    The brisk response took Eli aback. Even compared to the grocery store, that was rather bad service. He bristled until he saw who came to the doorway.
    It was the same guy as yesterday – Kevin, with the same cute downturned lips, dark eyebrows, and beautiful brown eyes. His eyes widened and a faint blush spread over his cheeks as he saw who it was, and then he ducked his head.
    Eli couldn't resist commenting, “Someone's crabby this morning. Is now a bad time?”
    Kevin looked up again, clearly exasperated. “God, that's going to follow me