So just pull the trigger.

16. He's unstoppable

A week before Jami's and his co-worker's hair fashion show, Joni had arranged a meeting with Jyri and Eljas, concerning a possible job at the gym that Eljas owned with his brother. They had agreed to meet at a sports bar where at least Jyri liked to hang out quite often. It was Wednesday afternoon, a basketball match was played on the big TV screens, and the bar wasn't very busy at that time.

Joni knew that he was running slightly late and searched for his cousin with his eyes. He stopped when he saw a blond, robust man sitting at a corner table who was looking back at him, grinning and waving his hand. Joni smiled back at him and felt a pinch in the bottom of his stomach caused by the vision of his childhood first crush. He walked towards the table and Eljas wouldn't take his eyes away from him but continued smiling. The man was every bit as handsome as Joni remembered, perhaps just more manly. But he didn't beat Misha; Joni thought, not in his eyes.

"You look different than in the ads," Eljas said when Joni got closer and for a moment Joni smiled with confusion, unsure how to take the comment. "You look even better in real life." Eljas grinned. "The last time I saw you, you were at least one-third shorter. Please, take a seat." Eljas pointed to a seat next to him, looking in his eyes and Joni lowered his gym bag on the seat next to him before sitting down.

"You on the other hand haven't changed much, perhaps gained on muscle though..." Joni smiled.

"So I take that as a compliment?" Eljas raised a questioning brow and Joni nodded with a slight chuckle.

"Where is Jyri?"

"Went to the men's room," Eljas replied and took a sip of his beer. "Would you like something to drink?"

"I could get myself a coffee," Joni said and was about to stand. Eljas raised his hand; making a gesture that he should take a seat back.

"I'll get it," Eljas said. "With milk?"

"Thank you." Joni nodded and Eljas looked at him in a way that appealed to a part of him that once had entertained those naïve schoolboy fantasies about him. When Eljas left for the bar, Joni remembered the past with amusement. How badly he had hoped as a boy that he would have been close to the same age as Eljas, that Eljas would have confessed that he too had a crush on him and they would have started dating openly, not minding about anyone else... and they would have kissed a lot. Those dreams had been so innocent then.

Eljas returned before Jyri had managed to come back from the men's room. The blond man set the coffee cup in front of Joni and he thanked the man. "Jyri said that you have attended a gym trainer course?" Eljas asked and Joni nodded.

"Yes I intend to study more in the physical training field, but at the same time I would need some practical experience."

"And I, with my brother, are the fresh owners of a health club. The place was a gym before as well, but we've attempted to freshen up the look to attract new customers. The previous owner didn't quite manage to run a successful business." Eljas kept a small pause observing him. "The place was tired... But we're going to turn things around and make it successful." Joni nodded and saw his opportunity.

"I could help. Bringing in those possible clients... and with other stuff."

"Other stuff." Eljas grinned looking amused and for a moment Joni repeated his own words in his mind wondering if they had sounded something else than what he had intended. At that moment, Jyri returned with a beer.

"I'm sorry that I took so long, I had a bit of a situation," Jyri explained and Eljas exchanged amused looks with Joni.

"You took a shite, admit it!" Eljas laughed, to which Jyri merely grinned and shrugged his shoulders.