WHO: Rahul & Marcelo WHEN: September 17 WHERE: Cafecianado SUMMARY: Is that guy a model...? CW: Thirst?
The coffee shop was quiet at 11 a.m. The morning rush was over, and it wasnât quite time for a midday pick-me-up, so Chelo almost had the cafe to himself. A place like Cafecianado was never wholly empty, but it was as close as it ever was during open hours. He sat in front of the long front window, a stack of books on one side and a tablet on the other. He was trying to watch a recorded lecture, but his brain just refused to engage with the content, and so he kept rewinding and trying again to focus on what the instructor was saying. It felt like the day was going to end up a wash, which was not great: there was an important exam coming up. But his brain kept drifting back to the bits and pieces of the strange recurring dream heâd been having.
He stared at the instructorâs serious face and at the diagram being presented, and then he sighed, poking the screen to pause it. He needed more coffee. Running a hand through his hair, slipped from his stool, cracking each shoulder, and blinked against the dimness inside the cafe. Heâd been sitting in that window so long, the gloom had taken on a deeper layer of shadow, and his tired eyes struggled to adjust. More by habit than sight, he made his way towards the counter...and failed entirely to measure the distance between himself and the person ahead of him, bumping straight into him.
âOof,â he gasped. The person was pretty solid, he noted before remembering that heâd just tried mowing this guy thanks to eye strain. âOh, Iâm really sorry⊠I umâŠâ He couldnât really think of a good excuse that didnât involve a lot of explaining. He tugged at his hair. â...Clumsy.â
Rahul went through life with a coffee in hand, so it was not strange to find him in line for a skinny latte, like he was now, but what was strange was for someone to bump into him. He turned around and stared at the person--a handsome man, as it turned out, so Rahul stared for a moment longer.
âCute,â Rahul corrected him, pulling off his sunglasses to hang them from the collar of his shirt. A little bit too tall for his tastes, but he could overlook that when he was still taller. âDonât worry.â
For a moment, Chelo had a weird sensation, like heâd somehow stepped into the front spread of a magazine. A coffee shop, an easy gestureâsunglasses to collar, and a man who definitely looked like he belonged more in a fashion spread than standing in line for coffee like any other regular person. For a moment, he regretted that his eyes chose that moment to adjust to the dim interior, because it was very distracting to look at the strange man, and he thought he should probably be apologizing more. At least the man didnât have his coffee yet. It would be just his luck to run into a handsome man and cause him to pour coffee all over himself. (And the burnsâŠ!)
He cringed at the idea of it, and then he tried to force the thought away, because it hadnât happened, so everything was fine. It didnât need to be considered. He glanced away for a moment to get his thoughts under control, and then he did a funny little gesture, rapping his head lightly with his knuckles. âMy dad says I have more clouds than common sense in there, though honestly, right now itâs just full of osteomioarticular system diagrams...Um, musclesâŠâ He paused, his eyes moved unconsciously from the sunglasses to the neck and shoulders that carried them. He swallows. â...and stuff.â
The person in front of him taking an abnormally long amount of time was, initially, an incredible nuisance, but now, well, the delay was worth it. Rahul was a man who knew no shame, and when he liked something or someone--well, he appreciated it to his heartâs content, and right now he was appreciatively gazing at the stranger from heads to toes as he spoke up.
âYou mustâve brought them with you from heaven.â Rahulâs lips curled in amusement, both of his hands resting on his hips. âBut I see. Are you an expert? In muscles,â a calculated pause, âand stuff.â
Chelo laughed, a little surprised by the compliment. He scratched his cheek with one finger. The line was a little cheesy, but at the same time, coming from that face, he felt a little melty and struggled to make his brain form a response.
It seemed like maybe it should be illegal for someone who had such a head-turning look to be so unselfconscious in his confidence. Just the easy way that he left his hands on his hips seemed criminal to Chelo, who was not an especially self-conscious person, but was not immune to bouts of it, particularly when faced with someone very tall and very handsome. The stranger definitely looked like he should be on billboards. Maybe he was a model, vacationing here where the beach was always beautiful and the water crystal blue. He did think, from time to time, that he might have spotted celebrities during his morning dog walks, but lately heâd been too busy trying to keep up at med school to really watch TV or keep up with who might be famous anymore. Possibly this man was such a celebrity, and he was even more relieved that he hadnât caused any coffee to explode anywhere.
âNot an expert,â he said, shaking his head, scratching his cheek still because he didnât know where he should put his hands anymore. âJust a student, but one day, hopefully Iâll be. Either that orâŠâ He will have spent a lot of money on failure. He paused for a second, considering. Maybe it wasnât that the strange man looked like he was a model, maybe Chelo had that feeling because he had seen his face before⊠Was he talking to a celebrity? But didnât celebrities hate being treated that way? He tried to think of a way to make his reactions more normal. He cleared his throat and shrugged. âMarcelo. Someday, maybe, Dr. Marcelo. Are you from around here?â
âWell, if you ever need study help,â Rahul rolled his shoulders, but his stoical features gave no sign that the cheesy line was nothing but a joke. âIâm new. Just moved in a few months ago,â he said, extending out his hand to the other man. âRahul or RaĂșl if thatâs easier on your lips and tongue. The pleasure is all mine.â He made sure to keep eye contact as he gave Marceloâs hand a firm, but not overbearing shake. âIâm also a student,â he finally added as he moved his hand away, and with that, he noticed the person in front of him moving away.
âWhat do you want? My treat.â Rahul turned away from Marcelo to eye the menu even if he already knew what he wanted.
Easier on your lips and tongue. His eyes widened a little at that. The phrasing was...well, he figured it was supposed to just be funny, but it definitely was evocative, and his mind followed that thought for a good moment before he gave himself a shake.
âMhmâŠâ he said, and then thought that probably wasnât the right answer. What was he asked? Was he asked anything? If only it was as easy to study about muscle and bone as it was to study Rahulâs face. He considered whether he should have made a joke about muscle or bones. He had at times imagined Professor Ulusoy saying such things. And then he had imagined such things that made him feel a little embarrassed to meet his eyes, or even Santiâs for that matter.
He took Rahulâs hand, albeit a moment too slowly, and tried to get his brain under control. âWhat are you studying?â he asked, and at least he said it in a way that didnât seem very flustered. It would be impossible to feel his pulse through his hand. Or at least that wasnât something other people would be likely to notice. But he had an uneasy feeling that Rahul might be the kind of person who would notice something like that, who would notice every little something you hoped he might not. He had, Marcelo thought, a very intense gaze.
âDigital Marketing. Not as exciting as muscles, Iâm sure,â Rahul replied with a shrug and without stopping staring at Marcelo in his eyes. Not until he finally spoke up what he wanted.
âJust coffee. Black...â Marcelo wondered if it now seemed like he was trying to be impressive. But he liked black coffee. He liked the simplicity of it, because in his opinion, that was the only way you could really taste the coffee. It seemed like a bad idea to defend the choice. âThough, wait, I bumped into you! I should treat youâŠâ
âBig fan of the bitter aftertaste?â Rahul completely ignored the second thing Marcelo said. Instead, he turned around to make their order: Black coffee of the fancier bean roasts for Marcelo and a Mocha latte with oatmeal milk for himself. When the barista left, he turned around to stare at Marcelo again, saying nothing for a moment too long.
âIt would be a shame if this was the last time we saw each other, donât you think?â
Rahul knewâMarcelo was completely sure he knew what he was doing. His face felt hot. Had he cleared his throat too much? He at least did not resume rubbing or scratching his cheek, but he felt the need to do something with his hands. Something that would not betray what he actually wanted to do with them. His mind had gone somewhere questionable. It didnât happen that often, but when it did...
Mocha latte and oatmeal milk. Something about this struck Marcelo as being fancy. Like the sort of thing someone from Hollywood would order. He probably was talking to a famous actor, and he didnât even realize it. He resolved to google Rahul later, to make sure he at least was better prepared if everâ
âThat would be too bad,â he agreed and then smiled, a bit sheepish. He wasnât playing this very cool. He should say something pithy. His brain mocked his attempts to string together the sentence that would be charming and suggestive enough to match Rahulâs entendres. He wondered if he should give himself a reality check, possibly heâd let his imagination run away with him again. Did celebrities flirt with random everyday people in coffee shops? Was that a thing? Was Rahul a celebrity? Heâd have to google.
He remembered to pull out his phone then, looking up at Rahul with a shy smile. âIf you do want to study together sometime...I know a few quiet places.â
Usually guys as handsome as Marcelo were very aware of it and eager to jump in his bed. Or in some dark back room, but only sleazy people hooked up in those. Marcelo didnât seem to be faking his shyness and there was something very endearing about it. He fished into his pocket to take out his phone, unlocking it, and then easing it into Marceloâs hand, making sure to brush his fingers against it. A little shiver went straight from Cheloâs fingertips to his brain, and he inhaled softly, but sharply, his face growing a little hotter still. âCall yourself.â It was his usual tactic to get a real number, and also to prove his transparency even if it was a bit too bold. âWe can study whenever and wherever youâd like, Marcelo.â
This guy was too much. Dr. Ulusoy left Chelo in a daze and that was just saying âhi.â But Rahul was actually good at flirting. For a moment, Chelo felt very concerned for his heart; he wondered if he should call his phone, though he also knew that he absolutely would. He had never quite heard his name like that before either, and heâd never typed his own phone number so fast either. It felt somehow like a spellâit made something short circuit in him, and it was concerning. How could just saying someoneâs name cause a person chills? He wondered if he should learn to do that, though it didnât feel like his style...
More importantly, he should be very cautious. Maybe Rahul would call him, and they would âhang outâ once, and that probably would be fine. Even he didnât get attached that fast. It might take the edge off his imagination, which had been driven to distraction lately by a certain doctor. And besides, as HĂșgo had told him before he decided to come to IZML: you only live once. But if he did ever let himself get attached⊠There were not enough pints of ice cream in the world.
He breathed out slowly, collecting himself, and chuckled. He tried again, one last time, to be sultry. âAnytime you need a hand with...muscle and bones, Iâm your guy.â He wasnât sure if it actually landed, or if it sounded awkward, but...he gave himself an A for effort.
âI can always use a friendly hand,â Rahul said, smoothly retrieving his phone to save the contact before sliding his phone back in his pocket. The barista returned, so Rahul turned to address him, receiving their drinks, and also, leaving a tip in the jar. âHereâs your coffee,â he held it out for Marcelo once they were away from the small line. There was nothing wrong with a little fun, and Marcelo seemed to be into it. Today was off to a good start.
Should have asked for iced coffee. This was the only thing Marcelo could think for a long moment. He had forgotten all about his things sitting out, unattended near the window. He had forgotten many things in the past few minutes, which he would later find a little embarrassing. How had he become so very parched? But for now, all he could do is smile a little stupidly at Rahul and thank him for the coffee. This was definitely a good day.
Finally, he remembered why he was here at the coffee shop. He glanced towards his little corner. His things were still just hanging out, ignored by the other patrons. Part of him thought about inviting Rahul to join him, but he was supposed to be studying for an exam. It was going to be hard enough to focus as it was.
âThanks for the coffee,â he said, regretting that he must dedicate himself to studying again so soon. But, âstudy now and have fun laterâ was better than âhave fun now and regret later.â Doing his very best to avoid sounding as thirsty as he absolutely was, Chelo added, âLooking forward to hanging out, Rahul.â
âMe too,â Rahul replied with a small smile, but the way he looked at Marcelo painted a full picture of his intentions. âSee you soon,â he nodded at Marcelo before slipping back on his sunglasses and walking out of the store with a purpose.
Maybe Rahul would have to wait a little bit, but he was certain Marcelo would call.