“As long as you love it, screw what everyone else thinks,” Adam said. “But for all it’s worth, I think you look great.” You always do.
Harry chuckled. “Thanks.” He handed Adam his usual order. “Anything else?”
“Yes, actually.” Adam put the box he’d brought from his office on the counter. “This is for you.”
Harry looked from the box to Adam, surprise on his face. “For me? Like, a present?”
“Yes,” Adam replied.
Harry looked at the calendar on the wall, his brows furrowed a little. “I didn’t know this was an occasion for giving presents,” he said uncertainly.
“It isn’t.” Adam shrugged. “I just like giving presents to all my friends, no reason required,” he lied, hoping Harry wouldn’t tell Jake about this; he’d never hear the end of it. Adam could almost hear Jake’s mocking. Where’s my present, Crawford?
“Oh,” Harry said, chewing on his lip. “But I don’t have a present for you.”
“It doesn’t matter, Hazza,” Adam said. “Come on, open it while there are no customers.”
“Actually, we’re supposed to be closed already,” Harry said, walking to the door and locking it. He returned to the counter, face bright with excitement as he grabbed the box. It shouldn’t have been so endearing, Jesus.
Adam watched Harry open the box carefully and examine its contents.
“It’s a mobile phone,” Harry said after a moment, with a strange expression on his face.
“I hope you like it.”
“I do,” Harry said softly. He looked at the label and pursed his lips, hesitation flickering in his eyes. “But isn’t it expensive? I think I’ve seen this one on the TV.”
As Samsung’s latest model of its flagship phone, it certainly wasn’t cheap, but Harry didn’t need to know that.
“Don’t worry, it didn’t put a dent in my savings,” Adam said. It wasn’t a lie. As a confirmed bachelor, he didn’t have many people to spend his money on. He did help his parents financially, but they lived in the countryside and insisted that they didn’t need much, so his bank account was comfortably full.
Harry gave him a look. “I’m not an idiot, Adam. I know this phone isn’t cheap. I can’t accept it.”
He looked so endearingly stubborn that Adam wanted to kiss the little frown between his brows and then his pursed pink lips.
Adam suppressed a grimace. He had it so bad it wasn’t funny anymore.
“I can’t return it,” he said. “And I already have a mobile phone. I guess I wasted money for nothing.”
Harry laughed. “You’re terrible, you know that, right?” Harry stepped closer and kissed him gently on the cheek. “Thank you so much. Really. Now I can be like every normal human!”
“You’re such an oddball,” Adam said fondly, telling himself his cheek wasn’t tingling from the innocent contact. He wasn’t that pathetic.
“I am.” Harry turned the phone on with the cutest look of great concentration on his face. Sometimes Adam thought that, wherever Harry’s home was, it couldn’t be very technologically advanced—Harry constantly seemed tentative and unsure around all sorts of technological gadgets. Adam had tried numerous times to ask about Harry’s home, but Harry just repeated the same answer he’d given him the first time—that he was an alien—before laughing and changing the subject. It made Adam wonder. It was strange for an eighteen-year-old to live in another country seemingly without any support or supervision. But he didn’t push. Harry would talk when he was ready.
“Can I have your number?” Harry said with a pleased smile, as though he got a kick out of saying it.
“I’ve already put it in there,” Adam said. “So you can call or text me whenever you want.”
Harry blinked rapidly before nodding and turning away. “I was wondering...” he said haltingly. “Are you free now? Would you like to come to my place, watch a movie or something? I got Netflix yesterday! We could Netflix and chill?”
Adam choked on his coffee and started coughing.
Harry was by his side immediately. “Are you okay?” he said, patting Adam on the back. Harry’s face was completely innocent. Of course it was. Harry had no clue.
Adam cleared his throat, loosening his tie a little. “Fine.”
“So what about Netflix?”
He should say no. He really shouldn’t spend more time with this straight, taken, engaged bloke. It was positively masochistic.
But Harry was looking at him with such a hopeful expression, his violet eyes big and earnest, and fuck, this kid had him completely wrapped around his little finger already.
“Okay,” Adam said. “But…You really need to look up what ‘Netflix and chill’ means. Wouldn’t want people to get the wrong idea, Haz.”
Five minutes later, Harry emerged from the back room, his face scarlet red.
“Ready to go?” Adam said, pulling out his car keys.
Harry just nodded.
“I asked Samantha what ‘Netflix and chill’ meant,” he said when he took the passenger seat in Adam’s car. “I’m so embarrassed.”
Adam snorted, starting the engine. “You’re lucky you made the mistake with me and not anyone else. Someone else would think you were leading them on.”