AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Emphasis on ‘sort of’.” Adrian set his box down near the bar and shoved his bangs away from his forehead. “I can tell them to stop if it bothers you. Not sure they’ll listen because, you see, they only gave up on Martin and me when Martin got with Matteo, so…”
“It’s honestly fine.” Eric set his own box down next to Adrian’s. “I’m just not used to it. My parents are typical stiff upper lip—for them, ‘would you prefer Earl Grey or Green tea?’ counts as a personal question.”
In the stillness of the common area, Adrian’s low laugh felt almost intimate. “Guess I shouldn’t tell them about my student job, huh?”
Right—because Adrian was sure to meet Eric’s parents and sister Olivia when they all came over for Christmas. It had been Kojo’s idea because‘your family is on the same bloody continent, mate.’When Eric had proposed it, Olivia had booked the flights for herself and their parents before he was even done talking.
“Only if you’re a fan of awkward silences,” Eric told Adrian.
“Not particularly.” Adrian moved his hand in a so-so gesture. “I always feel a need to fill them, and then I end up dishing out way too much information, which leads to more awkward silences.”
“Sounds like a vicious cycle,” Eric said.
“Something like that.” Adrian glanced from Eric to the boxes and back. “You sure you don’t mind helping? I know you’ve got deadlines.”
“I do, yeah. But inspiration’s not very forthcoming right now, and sometimes it’s best if I do something totally different for a while. Putting up Christmas decorations seems like just what I need.”
“Well, in that case.” Adrian sent him a bright smile. “I do, after all, consider it my personal mission to fuel your imagination.”
And there it was again—toeing the line.
“A true patron of the arts,” Eric told him dryly.
“More of an admirer, I’d say.”
If this were a movie, Eric would have been able to come up with a funny line to prove that he was both immune to Adrian’s charm, and also worthy of Adrian keeping up the effort. Sadly, quickwittedness had never been Eric’s strongest suit. He wondered if that made him an insult to other lyricists. Then again, there was a marked difference between putting words on a page and reading them to an audience.
“So, where do you want these?” he asked, waving at the boxes.
Adrian didn’t seem to mind the abrupt change of topics. “I’m not sure. My parents always used to do this.”
“If Kojo was here, he’d revoke your gay club member card.”
Adrian laughed. “Let’s unpack it all, and then we wait for inspiration? And we can set some stuff aside for the tree—they’ll deliver it tomorrow.”
“I guess it’s as good a plan as any.” Eric crouched down to lift the lid off the first box, unveiling blue and silver ornaments that looked fragile. He picked one up with careful fingers to inspect it in more detail, Adrian crouching down next to him—close, and for just a second, it shifted Eric’s balance. Then he took a breath, and it passed.
He was not going to blink first.
So,Eric was hot. Big fuckingdeal.
Adrian had met plenty of hot people, and none of them had tripped him up. This was no different. Oh, sure, he and Eric lived under the same roof and also, Eric was… He was nice. Like, a genuinely good, talented bloke who seemed to have perfected the art of self-deprecation.
Objectively, he had no reason to hold back, and so Adrian felt it was his civic duty to prod at the protective layer of caution Eric hadwrapped around himself. And if Eric finally taking a risk came in the form of making a pass at Adrian? Well, good—the answer was yes because casual was Adrian’s specialty.
Subtle, on the other hand, had never been his style. It was surprisingly fun, though, finding ways to flirt without being overt about it. The distraction served as a nice contrast to the mind-numbing reality of familiarising himself with tax payment schedules and their supplier network, digging into the finances, and considering the pros and cons of guaranteeing best prices to certain web portals. Yes, Adrian had studied business, graduated with top grades and all—but his motivation had always been the idea of guarding this hotel as a respite from modern life, a calm island in a fast-moving river.
“Guarding it?” Eric repeated slowly after Adrian had shared that last part, prompted by Eric’s remark that the Christmas decorations seemed like they’d been fished straight out of a time capsule. “You say that as though there’s a threat to this place.”
Cross-legged on the carpet, Adrian paused with two wood-carved sheep figurines in his hands. They belonged to an elaborate nativity scene his grandparents had bought at an antique shop just after he’d been born. Even from a young age, he’d been allowed to play with the figurines, and as a result, one of the sheep had a re-glued leg and always needed to be propped up against something.
“It’s not like there’s an acute threat, no. Nothing like that. It’s just…” Carefully, he set the broken sheep down so its little bum was supported by a painted chest that held one of the Wise Men’s gifts. “It’s just, you know. We don’t have a lot of reserves.”
Eric sat back on his haunches and gave Adrian his full attention. “How come? It’s beautiful here, and guests seem to love it.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Try me.”
