Fanboy (boyxboy)

Chapter 10: The 'not a date'

"Don't make me regret telling you."

☆

"See, that wasn't so hard was it?" Lucy says as she playfully pushes Ash on his shoulder. But Ash couldn't have disagreed more. Sure he had chatted up guys in bars, with varying degrees of success, but he knew his limits. He was punching well above his weight. Fame aside, Luca Brailsford was the most attractive male he had bore witness to and Ash was still trying to get his mind around the fact that this guy was for some crazy reason pursuing him.

"It's not a date." Ash repeats once again as he heads around the back of the counter to focus his mind on something, anything other than the fact he may well be having something which may resemble a date of sorts... but not a date.

"Why did you choose here as a place for your not a date?" Lucy questions with a grin as she cleans away a few tables in the lull after the lunchtime rush.

Ash dismisses the mickey take as he wonders why he had chosen his place of work after hours to host such an affair. "He knows where this place is. He doesn't know where I live. He may be famous Lucy, but I still don't know him from Adam." Ash points out. "What if he is like one of those people who preys on fans, uses his fame to get what he wants? I have CCTV here if things turn nasty."

"You seriously don't believe that do you?" Lucy says with wonder. "Besides, the CCTV hasn't worked since last June when we supposedly had the electrics done.'

"But he doesn't know that, does he?" Ash points out. "Anyways, I have all I need here. I can make us a late snack, we can chat casually, get to know each other..."

"And..."

"And what Lucy?" Ash looks up from filling up the ice dispenser.

"Ah come on! I don't care what you say, you are having a date here with the one and only Luca from Ultimate Crush and you really are just going to... chat?"

"Keep your big mouth shut will you. Don't make me regret telling you." Ash says through gritted teeth.

Lucy shakes her head. Did her friend really know what he was letting himself in for?

***

"Ok, I'm going, but are you sure you don't want any help with the cleaning? How about I do some table service for the both of you?" Lucy looks at Ash hopefully, but it's only met with an unwavering stare. "Ok. I'm going." She huffs as she grabs her handbag from the side.

Ash unlocks the front door to let her out. "I promise I will tell you about it tomorrow, ok?" He says, almost pushing her from the premises, with her not even able to reply before the door is being locked behind her and the blind being pulled down.

He turns around, hands on hips. He had around five minutes to get freshened up. He hurriedly unties his aprons, letting it drape over the counter, before he heads out back, finding a mirror. He splashes some water over his face, trying his best to straighten up a little before he just stops and pauses, taking in his reflection.

Why are you so nervous? It's not a date.

He reminds himself, yet the way he was feeling inside, as his heart raced and how he was trying to get himself semi presentable told him that this felt just like one.

Then it is time. Ash hears the bell of the back door, checking his reflection one last time on the way, as he exhales a nervous breath. "Ok... you can do this. He is just a guy, an ordinary guy..."

The door gets pushed open, to reveal a slightly taller male, wearing a bike helmet. Ash momentarily takes in the person standing just shy of the doorway, aside from the shiny black helmet, obscuring the identity of the male. Below, Ash could see a dark blue denim jacket, worn over a blue hoodie. A smart looking pair of black cargo trousers followed, finished off with a pair of crisp white designer trainers. "Ash...it's me, Luca. Let me come in." Comes the panicked voice behind the visor.

Ash steps back, allowing Luca to enter. He then proceeds to remove his helmet. His hair was tousled and messy. It gets shaken out of his face to reveal two green eyes which look at Ash. "What? What's the matter?" Luca asks nervously at the face Ash was displaying, with his mouth slightly agape. It was as if Ash had been watching the past few seconds in slow motion.

"You really are an idol aren't you." Ash says, thinking out loud and not really realising Luca had heard every word.

"Well...yeah " he laughs as he cards his fingers through his hair. "So, what now?"

Ash slowly comes around from his moment of awe as he thinks on the question. "Drink. How about we have a drink? I fancy a drink." He babbles as he heads into the main area of the coffee bar, followed by Luca, who rests his helmet on the table.

"No alcohol for me. Y'know, motorbike, drinking, driving, scandal etc." Luca grins as he finds a stool on the other side of the bar to sit on. "But you go ahead." He gestures to the array of drinks behind Ash.

Ash turns and grabs a bottle of beer from one of the fridges, flipping the cap and downing the majority of the contents in one, before slamming it back on the table. His hand could be seen grabbing onto the bottle so tightly, it may be crushed in his palm.

Luca reaches out and takes the hand from the bottle."You're shaking. Why are you shaking? Remember, this isn't a date."

"You're famous Luca, I mean really famous..."

"Don't overthink Ash. I'm a guy, you're a guy. We are just two guys getting to know each other." Luca slides off the bar stool, pulling Ash by the hand.

He guides him around to his side of the bar. "Take a seat."

Ash finds himself doing as he's told and Luca releases the hand and heads around the bar to grab a can of lemonade from one of the fridges. He soon returns to his seat next to Ash, resting his can on the bar as he opens the top and takes a drink. He looks back at the man from the coffee bar and smiles. "Let's just chat, yeah? Two people in a bar, just chatting." He managed to get a small smile and a nod from Ash which felt like a huge relief to him, Luca opened his mouth to ask what he had wanted to ask since knowing he was going to be here. "Why did you really call my number?"