Tales from the coffee shop
"Go work at the coffee-shop at the other end of the street", Yvette said, "It'll be fun", she said.
Liar. She was just a liar, unless having to deal with total chaos for at least half a day – god bless whoever decided that people couldn't work for all day long- and coming home too tired to do anything was her idea of fun.
Well, it wasn't really so bad. After all, thanks to that job, he had found Vaughn.
When he got successfully hired he felt really lucky.
He had recently got a degree but he was having some difficulties finding a job – he clearly remembered the way every employer looked at his prosthetic arm whenever he attended to a job interview.
He needed to find something, however, or else he would have been forced to return to his parent's house, and he didn't want that.
He was talking about it, one day, with Yvette, his best friend.
- You know the coffee-shop near you is hiring? I saw the advertisement today. I thought you already knew it-, she said.
Rhys had actually no idea what she was talking about.
He wasn't a fan of coffee; he only took it a couple of times and just because he was in college and he was risking to fall asleep at any moment and he still had a few more classes to attend to.
That was why he had never given much attention to the little shop near his house.
He really needed a job, so he could have momentarily stick to that until he found something better.
Yes, that was what he was going to do.
If he had to be honest he didn't have any great expectation when he asked for an interview, but the head of the shop had been really sweet and affable.
He was the first one to go to them asking for a job, so he got hired.
The first time he met Vaughn he didn't really leave a strong impression on him. He was just another employee, exactly like him.
It took some time, but after some jokes and some short conversations Rhys understood how much the two of them had in common.
First of all they were both huge nerds.
Rhys still couldn't forget that time when Vaughn made a "Game of Vaults" reference.
He actually thought he was the only one liking that show, at least in his town, so of course hearing someone referencing it had made him very excited.
As soon as Vaughn had a break, Rhys searched for him and he asked him if he actually liked "Game of Vaults".
That was the start of a beautiful – and nerdy- friendship.
They started to spend a lot of time together, either playing videogames – Vaughn was a big fan of those too- or talking about everything that came into their minds, from the weather of that day to the big question if Gentle Jim was actually a good person or if he was just faking it.
Whenever Rhys went out with Yvette, Vaughn was there too.
They got along pretty well, to the point that they were always together.
Now they were an official trio.
Summer came and, with it, vacations. Finally.
Vaughn, however, was going to spend them out town.
- Next summer we'll definitely organize something together-, he said.
- Sure-, Rhys replied.
That was the last day they would have spent together before Vaughn's departure.
- Hey-, Rhys said, after a while.
- Are you letting your beard grow?-, he asked.
- Oh… no-, Vaughn replied, scratching his chin.
- I just didn't want to shave it, today-, he explained.
- You should let it grow-, Rhys joked.
- Yeah, right-, Vaughn replied, giving him a friendly shove.
- Ok, lovebirds. You can stop doing that-, Yvette said, and everyone laughed.
While Vaughn was away Rhys continued to hang with Yvette, but it wasn't the same thing without the other man.
He had gotten so used to having him around that being without him was… odd.
Still, Yvette managed to make him having fun. She was such a good friend.
The next time he saw Vaughn was at work.
He had returned the previous day but he was too tired to hang out, but it was ok: Rhys had waited for him all summer, waiting another day wouldn't have killed him.
- Hey, Vaughn! How…-, he started to say, but his greetings died in his throat as soon as his eyes laid upon the figure of his friend.
What… happened? He looked so different.
- You really grew a beard!-, Rhys exclaimed.
And it wasn't only that: he had let his hair grow too and he had tied it into a little bun.
Vaughn laughed heartedly at that display of surprise.
- I was thinking that I could use some changes of style-, he said.
- And what about your glasses?-, Rhys asked.
- I wear contacts now-, the other replied.
Rhys had never thought that his friend was hot – he had always considered him just cute, or adorable-, at least until that moment.
Seriously, he couldn't stop staring at him, even during their shift!
- Rhys, can you please shut up about Vaughn for at least one minute?-, Yvette said.
They were at their favourite pub, alone again.
- Oh, sorry-, Rhys replied.
He hadn't realised how much he was talking, but he had to tell Yvette about the beard, the bun, and…
- Look, the only thing you should apologize for is not having asked Vaughn out already-, she said.
Rhys almost choked.
- What?!-, he exclaimed.
- I don't like Vaughn! At least, not in the way you think I like him-, he added.
Yvette shot a look at him, a look that he knew very well: it was the patented "Yvette's are you kidding me" look.
- You know it's true-, he insisted.
He started to laugh, but as he went on his laughter became more and more forced and nervous.
He didn't like Vaughn, how could Yvette even think about it.
How preposterous.
Rhys looked at the alarm clock on the cabinet beside the bed, and then he shut it.
He rolled on his side, starting to gently wake up the person laying beside him.
- Hey, Vaughn-, he said, - It's time to wake up-.
He came to learn that Vaughn hated the sound of the alarm with a burning passion, so whenever he woke up earlier he would shut it, taking upon himself the hard task of waking him up.
Vaughn rubbed his eyes and then he looked at Rhys.
- 'Morning-, he said, smiling.
- ' Morning, handsome-, Rhys replied trying, and failing, to be smug.
Vaughn giggled.
- You are handsome too, as always-, he said, prompting Rhys to get closer.
Of course he obliged, laying a quick kiss to the other's lips.
He had to remember to thank Yvette the next time he saw her. He didn't think he had done it enough during those days.