Thank you to everyone who left a review, favorited, or followed this story. Heck, I love everyone who even clicks on this story. Chapter three is in the works, though set back a little because things were progressing *too* quickly.

Alexander's headphones blared with the sounds of jazz as he strolled through the city streets. He was glad he got the job, though he didn't really feel like celebrating. Besides, he had no idea who he'd even celebrate with. Or how he celebrated. It's been too long since he last felt like he deserved praise.

He noticed his parched lips and idly thought about getting a drink. Not of the alcohol variety, who knows what he'd do under the influence? He shook his head, he was fully aware that he was far more passionate when he wasn't held back by his worries. Now that he had time to ponder on his cravings, he figured he could get a coffee. Yes, it would be awkward to bump into the same barista again, but Alexander figured it'd get easier the more he went. Plus, the office was right next to the coffee shop. How convenient.

The already familiar bell announced his arrival. Two people were joking with Laurens, and Alexander wished he hadn't felt a twinge of irritability. The line would take forever, but he knew he shouldn't get upset over people having fun. Alexander approached the counter.

"Excuse me? Can I talk to your manager?" one of them said, putting his hair up with a ponytail. "I cannot believe you would disrespect me in this way with your French stereotyping."

Alexander sighed, but Laurens grinned. He merely said, "Laf, you get croissants everytime you order." Laurens looked up and met Alexander's eyes. There was that feeling Alexander had, the need to hide his face, even though Laurens was nothing like Thomas. Even if they were strangers, Alexander could tell that much just from his attitude. Trying to be discreet, Laurens pointed out Alexander among his two friends, remaining silent about Alex's presence.

Then Laurens focused his attention on Alexander, greeting him with, "Oh, hey. Long time no see." Alexander didn't respond, which Laurens immediately picked up on. "So you're the silent type now or what?"

Alexander shrugged. "Once you get me started, you'll never call me the silent type ever again," he explained. Still, one question bugged him. "So you remember every customer that comes in here?"

"Not exactly, I don't remember the names. Not everyday I bother with faces," Laurens said, clearly trying to be cool. If Alexander tried leaning on a counter, he'd be teased. But for Laurens it worked. It seemed to come naturally to him.

The other man spoke up, "Come on, you work at a coffee shop. You bother with names everyday. Put 'Lafayette the loser' for his order, by the way." Laurens happily took his marker and seemed to write exactly that from what Alexander could tell. "Hey, I'll go ahead and apologize for Laurens too. He's the worst at trying to impress people."

Alexander cracked a smile at John's slip-up in his never bothered, cool, and collected persona. "It's okay, I just came here for a coffee," Alexander asserted, his voice picking up some energy. But then he felt stupid, why else would he come to a coffee shop?

"One latte, I suppose," Laurens said, walking off to make it. Alexander looked at his two other friends who were smiling.

"I'm Hercules," one of them said, "So what's your business with our dear friend Laurens?" Lafayette nodded.

Alexander quickly went to defend himself by saying, "I just want a coffee. I already got interrogated once today." The memories of the job interview still made him anxious despite the fact he got the job. He was confused though. He was just a stranger to these people, right?

There was an awkward silence as Lafayette and Hercules stared at each other, as if they were sharing a secret without any words. Laurens came back to the counter with a latte in hand. Lafayette grabbed it from his hands and scribbled something on the cup with John's marker. Hercules started snickering while Alexander merely placed his money on the counter.

Alexander grabbed the coffee with a very confused look on his face. He read the cup, which only had a phone number on it and a winking face on it. He exited the coffee shop, only hearing Laurens scream, "You gave him my number?! Why?!" And loud laughter following that moment.

Alexander decided not to look back, feeling the same awkwardness that he guessed Laurens was feeling. He felt his face get hot, matching the temperature of the latte in his hand. Alexander just wanted a coffee, he didn't want this.

He supposed he just wouldn't call. Why would he? It just wouldn't work between them, Alexander could tell that much. Though there had to be a reason his friends felt the need to give him John's number, he didn't feel the need to ponder on that. If Laurens was upset, clearly him calling would make it worse.

Alexander pulled out his phone, regretting every second he spent on his contacts. He wondered why he felt the need to add Laurens in. He supposed he just liked to have every bit of information he learned close by and typed his name with his number. Just in case.

His phone lit up with a text. Thomas, of course. Alexander pulled up the file Thomas sent him. Apparently Thomas was an advertiser for some company, most likely the same one he got interviewed in. Alexander sighed. Someone apparently didn't know proper nouns needed to be capitalized. He would have a lot of work to sift through when he got home.

So he kept strolling through the city. There was nothing like the summer in the area he lived in. It was heat wave after heat wave. He looked up and saw the same two guys from the coffee shop. Alexander pulled the hood of his jacket over his head, but it was too late.

Hand-in-hand, the couple marched towards Alexander. Why did he have to loiter outside the coffee shop? Lafayette was the first to speak, saying, "So...?"

"Why'd you feel the need to give me his number? Wait, was it some kind of joke?" Alexander asked. It wouldn't be the first time that situation had happened to him.

Hercules shook his head. "No, it's not like that," he responded, "It's just... It's hard to explain." Lafayette and Hercules seemed to communicate in mere shrugs and hand gestures. "Well, our friend Laurens. He's sort of a hermit. He's not a real people person."

"Really? I would've never guessed," Alexander replied, not trying to sound sarcastic because he genuinely meant that. Laurens seemed too playful and friendly to be a hopeless shut-in like he was.

Lafayette continued the conversation with, "So you'd do a huge favor to us by talking to him. He's a really great guy, I promise you'll love him to bits. Honestly, I can't see why he doesn't like people, I mean he's the most lovable—"

"He punched a guy in the face for insulting you," Hercules retorted, "But that just shows how passionate he is!" Alexander had a strange suspicion they were playing up John to make him sound better than he was. Which he didn't get, Laurens was fine enough on his own.

Alexander let himself smile and said, "Well, I appreciate you advertising your friend, but..." He saw the enthusiastic faces of the two of them and sighed. A part of him felt like this would be needed for them getting off his back, so he said, "One time. I'll call him one time." A part of him also wanted to add in a threat or convince them to throw in something to make the deal worthwhile, but he didn't feel like the effort would be worth it.

"That's more than we could ever hope for," Lafayette said. Alexander had no idea why he was doing this. He didn't even like calls. In fact, why was he spouting that part-of-me crap? He wanted to make decisions that every part of him agreed with. That's why he didn't like this socializing business. All those conflicting feelings messing up your head and getting into your mind.

Back at home, he was comforted by heavy blankets and huge pillows. With his phone in his hands and his coffee long gone, he pulled up John's number. He wondered how he was going to play this. Does he admit that John's friends set him up? Does he compliment Laurens? What is he even going to talk about? He called him.

Surprisingly, Laurens picked up despite not knowing his number. "Hi?" Alexander dragged out. Yeah, he was screwed if this was the best greeting his mind could come up with.

"Um... hello person my friends were dicks to," Laurens said, then asking, "How are you enjoying the chill barista hotline, where I put the hot in hotline?"

Alexander almost chuckled. It was a little funny to hear the blatant nervousness in John's voice. "I'd recommend it to my friends, if I had any." He couldn't remember his last real friend. The only person who really stuck around for him was his mother, and look where that got her.

"Pfft, yeah. I wish I had more friends, but I don't get along easily with other people," Laurens said.

Alexander responded quickly, "No way." Then he remembered that story about Laurens punching someone in the face. He continued, "You're too..." He couldn't find the right word that was appropriate. He wanted the use the word nice, but he had just met the guy yesterday.

"Lovely? Amazing? Cool?" Laurens suggested. Alexander cracked a half-smile, he liked how Laurens thought. He wished he had that kind of self-confidence. He just didn't find much to like about him except his writing, the only stable thing in his life.

Alexander replied, "Hm, I can't say I know for sure yet." He wasn't one to lie, and this was the closest he could get to the truth about his feelings for Laurens. He was nice, but Alexander felt awkward that this was how he was holding a conversation with him. Because his friends set Alexander up to talk to him.

"So..." Laurens said, the conversation running dry. Just when Alexander was about to hang up and bury his face in a pillow, Laurens asked, "What'cha doing?"

Nevermind, Alexander still wanted to hang up. But he continued to stick around by saying, "Laying in my bed, probably going to start work soon on this writing." Thomas' embarrassment of a passage was staring him down in all of its maximum font size glory.

"Oh, so you're a writer?" Laurens asked. Alexander found that an excellent question, his computer storing many manuscripts and essays from college. What had gotten him that scholarship in the first place was a poetry contest. The change from writer to editor was so subtle, Alexander didn't even notice he stopped writing until Laurens pointed it out.

Alexander dragged out the words, "Um... yes." Technically everyone who has ever written is a writer, but that didn't make Alexander feel any better for sort of lying to a person he met twice.

Alexander almost slapped himself. He had met Laurens only twice and he was already doubting his plans for life. Yet he was going to be working with Thomas and he would feel nothing if he punched him in the face. Laurens suddenly said, "That's really cool! I have a lot of ideas, but they don't work when I put them on paper, so it's just all over the place."

"Wow... thanks," Alexander responded, trying desperately to focus on something else other than the compliment that sounded so genuine. He idly browsed the web with his phone in one hand. Not wanting to achieve much of anything today, he clicked on a quiz titled, "Answer 7 Random Questions and Find Out Your Soulmate's Initials." Probably fake, but he needed something to do.

"Well... uh... I really need to get back to work. Boss is getting on my back, but I don't regret picking up. Bye for now?" Laurens inquired, implying that there would be a later. And god did Alexander want and hate the thought of a later meeting.

Instead, he simply replied, "Yeah, sure." He hanged up and focused his attention on the quick, which he was five questions through. After answering that he resonated most with the word passion and that he was a night owl, he waited for his results.

Then his laptop restarted suddenly to update, closing all of his tabs. Alexander swore loudly, not realizing how invested he had become in knowing the traits of his soulmate.

He loved and hated himself for how weak he'd become to the idea that he was ready to be with someone. He didn't even realize how quickly it had happened, and he definitely didn't know why. Maybe fate was trying to push him into someone's arms.

"Pfft, yeah right," Alexander said, debunking his own thoughts. Knowing him, the day he finds his soulmate would also be the worst day of his life due to some terrible misunderstanding.

Like he needed more stress in his life.