Dear friend, I love you

19. Are you two dating

Erica

"Thank you for the ride again, I really appreciate this." I smiled to Aleksi, it was early in the morning, thursday. Aleksi smiled back.
"Of course, why to spend more gas when I could drive you here too?" He smirked. I chuckled and nodded.
"What are you doing tomorrow?" He asked while I took my seatbelt off. I just remembered I had agreed to go eat with Verneri. I thought for a moment that should I say it, because yesterday Aleksi got weird when we talked about him. But he's just my friend and boss, what's the matter then?
"Actually I'm going to eat with Verneri after work.." I looked out of the window, straight to the studio. Verneri was already there doing something.
I slowly turned my head and looked Aleksi, he just nodded, but looked to the studio.
His jaw was tense, he was.. I don't know. Weird?
I didn't have that much courage to ask about it.
"Is everything okay?" Was all I could ask. He just took a deep breath and then looked me.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Should I pick you up today?" He asked.
"That would be nice, my shift ends at 4pm." I said and he nodded.
I got out of the car and walked fast inside to the studio, it was windy and cold morning.
"Morning. One of your clients called and said that she can't come today." Verneri said behind the counter. I sighed and throwed my bag to the table.
"Then I don't have any clients today. Relaxing day with my fake skin." I said frustrated and Verneri just laughed.
"Do a small tattoo to my middle finger." He suggested and watched some of his papers.
"What you want in there?" I asked curious while I walked to the backroom. I throwed my things in there and walked back.
"This." He handed me a small paper. I took it, there was a smiley face. I chuckled.
"What are you laughing at? I want it and you will make it." He grinned.

"Of course I will do it, it's just cute. That's why I chuckled." I punched his chest lightly.
"Great, do it after my last client, at 3pm." He smiled and I nodded. Until then I will practise to fake skin, I decided to do something more difficult for me.

I listened some music from my headphones, at the same time I practised on fake skin. Hours were flying, and I only focused on what I was doing. I'm just loving this, doing something I really love. It's so therapeutic and makes me happy.
One of Blind Channel's song started to play and it made me smile. They are just so good of what they are doing. And of course that one man came to my mind. Aleksi. I don't know if I'm thinking him as a friend anymore...
But maybe I have to?

Someone patted my shoulder and that made me flinch. I took my headphones off and looked Verneri straight to his brown eyes, he had long lashes and that's something I'm jealous of. Why men always has good lashes?
"How is it going? Have you eated?" He asked.
"No, I just got so much inspiration that I don't feel if I get hungry." I chuckled and turned off the music.
"Luckily I'm here to take care of that. Also, you were humming all the time." He smirked as he started to eat his salad.
Well now I blushed, I was ashamed.
"Sorry about that..." I said nervously and searched my salad from the small fridge.
"It's not bothering me, you have nice voice." He smiled.
I just showed him a small smile and started to eat, he sat behind the counter.
"Do you sing by the way? Or do you play any instruments?" He asked.

"I sing very rarely, when I'm on the mood. But I'm not that good, only my humming voice is just ok. When I was a kid my father taught me how to play guitar, but that's it. I haven't played since then." I looked my salad. It wasn't that good looking, but I still kept eating it. It tasted so boring, but it is how it is. It's that or nothing.
"I used to play drums, I played about seven years when I was younger. Then I stopped because tattooing became more interesting." He smiled.
I nodded.

"I have one client and after that you can make the tattoo for me. I will of course pay for it." He smiled as he finished with his food and started to prepare everything ready for the client. I just nodded with my mouth full of salad.

I just scrolled my phone, finding some inspiration. I decided to made an design and I will put it to my instagram that it's available.
The clock was coming 3pm and Verneri was ready with his last client. I started to prepare everything ready for his tattoo, he put on some music from the radio.

We talked about some random stuff as I tattooed his middle finger. It didn't took that long and soon I was ready and I took a picture of it.
"Thanks, this is cool." He chuckled. I did too.

Soon the clock was going to be 4pm, and Aleksi would pick me up again. I started to leave, but I had to do one thing so I stood behind the counter and messaged to the woman who had to come here today but she canceled the time. She agreed to come next week, so I put the date to my calendar.
"I have been thinking about one thing..." Verneri suddenly stood in front of me, in the other side of the counter.
"Yeah?" I asked as I writed down the date.
"Are you dating with that black haired guy..?" He asked.
I freezed and lifted my head up to look at him.
I was just about to say something, until a familiar voice started to talk behind Verneri, couple meters away.

"Shall we go Erica?"
Verneri turned around and I moved a little to see was it really who I thought he might be.
Yes.

"Joonas? What are you doing here?" I asked confused.
"I came to pick you up. Shall we go?" He asked again. I just nodded and picked my stuff and we left. Verneri stood there so confused too, maybe because I didn't get to answer to him.
Why he even cared?

"Aleksi was supposed to pick me up." I said as we got into his car.
"I know, he got sick and asked me." He said as he started the car.
"Is he okay?" I got suddenly worried.
"He is, don't worry. I'll drive you home and I will visit his apartment guickly."

"Should I come with you?" I asked while we got out of the elevator.
"No, don't. I'm sure that he doesn't want you to get sick." He smiled a little. I just nodded and watched as he disappeared to Aleksi's apartment.

Aleksi

I heard Joonas coming to my apartment with my spare key. I was lying on the couch, petting Rilla.
"Okay do you have any beer?" Joonas shouted from the kitchen.
"I don't." I answered.
He sat disappointed to the couch and I sat up too.
"Well now you're pretending to be sick, what do you do now? What's the reason anyway?" Joonas asked confused.
"I have to think, shall I tell her or not." I said frustrated.
I watched as Joonas was just scratching his neck, he clearly had something on his mind.
He turned his gaze to me and I waited what he's going to say, he just tried to find the right words.

"When I walked to the studio, Verneri asked from Erica that is she dating with you..." He finally spoke up. I swallowed.
"Tomorrow they are going to eat." I quietly mumbled.
Joonas just looked worried and I tried to stay calm.
"Tomorrow, tell her." He said with serious face.
I just lightly nodded.
"What if everything will go wrong..?" I looked my friend nervous.
He just shook his shoulders.
"You have to take the risk." He patted my shoulder.
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Oh, what will Aleksi tell to Erica?
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