Chapter 6 Friends

Jonathan woke up radiant. He opened his windows and felt the breeze touching his face as if he were a character in a romantic movie. This happiness wasn't without reason; everything seemed to be going well now. Jones was excited about the small progress he had made with Elliot. His job was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time, and to top it off, he was going to meet his friend, Hugo.

He didn't find it strange to care so much about improving his relationship with Elliot; after all, anyone knows that good harmony with a coworker is indispensable for a healthy routine. At least that's what he wanted to believe.

Last night, while on the subway, Jonathan received a message from Hugo. The redhead insisted that Jonathan finally accept his invitation to go out together, but Jones only had one thing on his mind: Park Empire. He could say he was obsessed with his work, and he was proud of it. After all, it was his dream.

However, as a way to celebrate their reunion, they planned to have lunch together to catch up on things. On top of that, Jonathan came up with the idea of inviting Eric to join them, which wouldn't be an easy task since Eric had a certain resistance to meeting new people.

The bond between Jonathan and Eric was another factor that made him excited about the new job, as he hadn't expected to have such great chemistry with him. They even started spending a considerable amount of time outside of work, having dinner together and casually meeting at their apartments, as if they had been friends for much longer than they could imagine.

The brunette had gotten used to Eric's morning grumpiness, and the blonde always made it clear how much he hated waking up early, just like most normal human beings. However, Jonathan knew exactly how to ease his friend's stress: with a good cappuccino. So, Jonathan made sure to bring one every day.

While waiting in line at Starbucks, the intern scrolled through his phone, bored with the delay since the line was unusually long. Absentmindedly, he started to hear a familiar voice in the background. As he got closer, he recognized the deep voice he thought it was, and his suspicion was confirmed when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder.

It was Harry Thompson, as dazzling as ever. Wearing a gray overcoat with a moss green scarf wrapped around his neck, his wavy hair fell perfectly on his face. Jonathan tried to maintain his composure, even though he thought to himself how someone could be so beautiful so early in the morning.

"Hello, Jonathan," said Harry, smiling, seeming happy to see him.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Jonathan asked, curious.

"I needed to come to the city to handle some details about the venue for the album launch party a few months from now," Harry replied, keeping his eyes fixed on Jonathan.

"Ah, I see. Those things are decided months in advance, right? It's funny how before I started working at Empire, I had no idea how the whole process worked. I guess I only know about music," the intern smiled as he replied, turning to the counter to place the order. "Two cappuccinos, please."

"The process is much more complicated than it seems," he affirmed. "I didn't know Elliot likes cappuccino," Harry commented casually.

"Oh, it's not for him. It's for Eric, my coworker. Seems he only functions well after one of these," Jonathan replied, trying to balance the two cups in his hands.

"I understand. I only function well after a good dose of coffee myself. I know you have to go to work, but do you have time to have coffee together?" Harry asked, analyzing Jonathan's tense expression.

"No problem, I'm early," Jonathan replied.

"Alright, I'll give you a ride so you won't be late," Harry said, clearing the way for Jonathan and following him to the table. "How's it been working at Empire?" Thompson asked as he took off his coat and placed it on the chair.

"Honestly? It's been great. I love the place and I adore the people there. It's like I've known them for years," he replied genuinely. It was his dream job.

"That's great. Things weren't as friendly in my time. Well, it seems like Elliot is doing a good job," Harry commented, furrowing his brow.

"In your time?" Jonathan asked, scratching his forehead.

"Well... I worked at Empire for a while, before it became Park Empire... it's a long story. Long enough for dinner, what do you think?" Harry said directly, without beating around the bush.

He didn't want to feel this way, in fact, he shouldn't feel this way. He was a client of Empire, it was his first week, and he shouldn't be in this situation. Nevertheless, Jones failed to hide how affected he was by his words, and Harry noticed how his cheeks flushed upon hearing them.

Harry's mysterious demeanor piqued Jonathan's curiosity; however, at the same time, he felt that perhaps it would be dangerous to get closer. After all, the musician's career was already secure and established. Jonathan's, on the other hand, was just beginning, and it would take a long journey before he could have that kind of security.

At the same time, he didn't know how to handle Harry's so straightforward manner, seemingly unbothered by the complications that such direct behavior could create.

"Is it a good idea?" Jonathan asked, hesitantly.

"Are you afraid of what Elliot would think?" Harry retorted, running his long fingers through his hair.

"Not at all!" Jonathan lied. "I just don't know if they would look upon it favorably," a half-truth, one could say.

"It would just be two friends having dinner, what's the problem?" Harry replied. "Unless..." he hesitated, a mischievous smile appearing on his face.

"What?" Jones asked, furrowing his brow.

"Unless you don't just want to be my friend," the musician said, flirting with his words. Harry was annoyingly good at it, which considerably annoyed Jonathan.