Dear friend, I love you

18. Eating with the boys

Erica

As I woke up to my alarm, Ville were crazy. Jumping and running around, he does that often in the morning. Sometimes it's annoying when he jumps straight to my stomach, but now it made me chuckle.
"Come on boy.. you will get your food. Just calm down." I said quietly while he chased his own tail in my bed. I stood up and walked to the kitchen, I gave Ville his food and after that I went to the bathroom. My hair was a mess, so I brushed it first.

I walked back to the kitchen, and Sanni was already awake. She was eating and drinking tea.
"You still don't drink coffee?" I grinned to her while I put on the coffee machine.
"No, don't you remember I got traumatized? That hangover was horrible, and that one night stand I had then said that coffee is the best for that. Well it wasn't." She explained fast. How she has that energy in the morning already?
I just smiled and started to eat.
"That couch is very comfortable to sleep by the way." She pointed it.
"Where are you going next?" I asked while I looked the clock, in ten minutes I should go.
"One of my friend's apartment, I'll visit my family at the end of the week." She answered while putting her hair into a ponytail.
"Is it going any better with your mom..?" She asked carefully. I just shook my head and she nodded.
"What about the.. thing.." She continued and I gave her a confused look.

"Well.. when you tried to.. kill yourself.." She looked me under her eyebrows. I freezed for a second.
"Let's not talk about it." I sighed and stood up. I headed to my bedroom to change clothes.
I heard Sanni shouting that she's leaving and I couldn't say a word until the front door got closed. She can be so quick by her movements, she has always been like that.
I petted Ville before I put my shoes and jacket on, then I left the apartment. Aleksi texted me that he's already waiting in his car, so I walked the stairs down and got out from the building.
I saw that Sanni was talking with Aleksi, he was leaning against the car. I took a deep breath and tried to stay normal.
I walked to them and Aleksi smiled immediately when I got closer, Sanni's back was facing me and she kept talking about her life. That's so her.
"We should go.." I said and that made Sanni turn around fast. She looked suprised.
"Oh yeah.. well see you sometime, it was nice to see you!" Sanni hugged me and then started to walk. Even she walks very fast and with small steps.

I sighed and Aleksi kept smiling.
"Shall we go, so you won't get late?" He asked and I nodded, so we hopped in and he started the car.
"What you guys talked about?" I asked.
"She just introduced herself and talked about herself." He answered, I just nodded.
"She's always like that." I sighed.

"Like what?"
I scratched my neck frustrated.
"Meeting new people, talking about herself and gives positive and good vibes to others. That's how she has dozens of friends and is popular between them. I don't even want to know how many boyfriends she has had in the past." I explained and that made Aleksi grin a little bit. I looked him confused, then he looked me guickly and chuckled.
"What is so fun?" I asked.

"You two are very different persons then. She really pushed herself to me and talked and talked and talked. I thought she never stops, luckily you came just in time before my head would've had exploded from all the information she explained about herself." Aleksi grinned and that made me chuckle.

"Yeah.. she can be very.. annoying." I nodded.

As we reached the studio, I said byes to Aleksi and he said he will pick me up at 5pm.
I walked to the studio, and saw that Verneri was already doing a tattoo to familiar looking woman.
She was the orange haired woman from the bar, maybe that crush Verneri has? I just lightly smiled and headed to the backroom.

"We're ready!" I heard Verneri saying and I decided to go look what he tattooed.
"That's so pretty, thank you!" That woman smiled as she looked her ankle. There was a rose, simple but it was pretty.
"Morning Erica." Verneri greeted me while I looked the ankle too, a little further away.
"Morning." I smiled to him.
As the woman paid, she hugged with Verneri and then left. I couldn't stop grinning, and Verneri noticed that.
"Why that grin?" He asked and poked me.
"Who's that woman?" I turned to look him.
"She's my friend, we have known each others like.. 11 years." He answered and started to scroll his phone. I just nodded.
Was that woman his crush? Can't be, because if they are friends, how Verneri wouldn't know what she likes.
What about the blonde one? That man hold her like he owns her, so..?
Okay why am I spending my time thinking about this? Does not belong to me.
I'm just curious.

"Bye Verneri!" I shouted as I walked to the front door. I saw from the big windows that Aleksi was waiting for me in his car, there was dark and cold weather.
"Bye!" He answered and I walked outside. The cold wind really tried to cut my face off, but I managed to walk to Aleksi's car, and I hopped in fast.
"Fuck what weather." I mumbled as I put my seatbelt on.
"Yeah.. terrifying." Aleksi said and he started to drive.
"If you don't mind, we are going to eat with Joonas, Niko and Joel." He continued as he turned the car to different direction where our home is.
"I don't mind, I'm hungry already. If I get to pay my own food this time?" I smiled and he grinned.
"Let's see it then." He said and that made me blush.
Why I blush so often nowadays? Back in the old days, nothing could make me blush.
That man really is something.

As we reached the restaurant, Niko and Joel were already waiting for us.
"Hi guys." I smiled to them, they greeted me as well.
"Where Joonas is?" Aleksi asked while we took our seats, we sat next to each other.
"In the bathroom, we already ordered some wines for us." Joel said and just in time the waitress came with the wines.
"Boo!" Joonas crabbed my shoulders behind me, and that made me flinch.
"Joonas! Don't do that!" I slapped his hand and he just laughed, Niko did too.

We talked about everything, and when we got our foods we started to talk about my career and life. I told them the nice things, not that I don't have a good relationship with my mom, or that I tried to kill myself about an year ago.
Even Aleksi hasn't asked any more guestions about it, and I'm glad. Maybe one day I can tell him, but not yet. That's a thing I can't even think about myself. Too.. tough.
"About your boss, how is he like?" Joonas then asked.
"Well he's very nice, funny and friendly. He's very talented doing tattoos and I have learned from him a lot." I said and everyone was nodding and listening, except Aleksi. He was like he didn't hear a thing. He just eated and drinked, not paying any attention.
Why?

"And he's not even bad looking, I could already imagine him flirting with you." Joonas winked to me, that made me almost choke to my wine.
And in the moment Aleksi excused himself and went to the bathroom. Really, what is going on in here?
"Uhm.. yeah he has flirted or something, but I guess he does that to every woman." I answered nervously.
"Do you guys know what is wrong with Aleksi?" I decided to ask. Joel chuckled.
"I don't know, but he clearly doesn't like when we're talking about Verneri." Joel raised his eyebrows and took a sip of his wine.
"But why?" I chuckled nervous.
I saw how Joonas got serious, he didn't even look at me anymore. I got so confused.
I looked at Niko, and he just shook his shoulders. Joel did the same.
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Well well well.. what is going on?
Today boys starts their christmas tour, I'm excited, because tomorrow I'll have fun with them too! 🤩
Thank you so much for reading this story, giving votes and leaving comments, it means a lot to me <3
All of you, stay strong and safe 🖤