World Men à la Mode

Chapter Thirty-eight - Butter Coffee

          Needless to say, your new tour guide, whose name was Lukas Bondevik, came off as a little cold. He hadn't smiled at you until Alfred jokingly prompted him to crack a smile for the group. He did so, but it looked extremely forced. This was supposed to be Emil's older brother, right? He sure didn't act anything like him, but you could definitely see the resemblance. Lukas had blond hair and pale blue eyes. His hair did seem to sport an odd little curl that seemed almost as if it was floating, but you figured it was just some kind of hair clip he liked to where. Speaking of hair clips, he had one clipped into his bangs that looked like it resembled the white and blue section of his country's flag, which you couldn't help but find cute and stylish.

        He said very little and made barely any facial expressions that first night until someone mentioned Emil. You could barely get him to shut up on the topic of his little brother for about ten minutes, and it didn't help that Lily and Amilia were spurring him on to continue. You had sat quietly during that conversation as Alfred, who sat next to you, laughed uncontrollably at the situation.

        Today was a new day, however, and your goal was to get Lukas to crack the tiniest of smiles in your direction. You got up an hour before breakfast to get ready, besting your two roommates, Amilia and Darcy, to the bathroom to hopefully use some of the hot water before the two of them used it all. You dressed in a navy blue sundress with black strap sandals before heading down to breakfast since your roommates were still lollygagging about.

        When you reached the dining area, Lukas was just sitting down at the table reserved for your group. He was dressed similarly to you in a t-shirt the same color as your dress and black cargo shorts. In front of him was a cup of coffee and was that... Was that a pad of butter he was mixing into his drink? You must having been staring for an awful long time because he picked up on where your eyes were focused.

        "It has many benefits," he said monotonously, as he always spoke. "You should try it some time."

        You turned your gaze to him and blinked a few times. "A-Alright."

        What was with you this morning? Your knees were weak, your heart had a flutter-like rhythm to it, and your head felt clouded. Did Lukas bewitch you somehow? You thought on it as you placed why you wanted for breakfast on your plate. It was definitely his voice and that accent of his.

        The rest of your friends and Alfred made their way into the room and served themselves from the buffet laid out. Most everyone ate and drank in silence. You kept glancing at Lukas and his buttery coffee, focusing especially on his lips when he took a sip. With a shake of your head to clear your thoughts, you looked back to your own cup of coffee. You had taken one sip of it earlier, noting the lighter and more tangy taste. With a deep breath, you cut off a small slice of the butter on the table and placed it into your still steaming cup. With your spoon, you mixed the two together until the butter dissolved and took a sip. You figured it wouldn't have tasted too good, but you were shocked to find that it wasn't bad at all.

        Your friends gazed upon you, confusion evident on their faces and in their eyes as they watched you drink. You motioned towards the Norwegian male with your eyes, signaling that it was Lukas' idea to put butter in your coffee. If you would have been looking in his direction again, you would have been able to see the slightest of smirks playing at the corner of his lips as he drank from his cup.

        After breakfast, everyone boarded onto the bus to head to your first destination. Alfred began to explain the plans for the day as the bus billed away from the hotel.

        "Okay, dudes! Listen up! We're starting off by getting a tour of the Oscarshall palace and free time there until lunch. We'll head back into town for more free time for lunch before heading to the Oslo Reptile Park. I remember I asked ahead of time before everything was scheduled if any of you were afraid of reptiles, and I got a collective 'no', so I'm hoping that hasn't changed. We'll then see the Norwegian parliament building before heading off to the Gol Stave Church museum. With that said, we've got a late dinner scheduled, so it would be wise to pick up a snack during your time for lunch to hold you over until then. Afterwards we'll go back to the hotel. You're free to stay awake and use the pool there or go to bed or so whatever. Sound like a plan?"

        Everyone nodded. The rest of the ride was spent chatting about random topics until you reached Oscarschall. Lukas did much of the talking to the palace tour guide before the actual tour began. You caught yourself staring at the back of Lukas' head from time to time, and apparently Alfred caught on to this too. He elbowed you in the side a little more roughly than he intended, mumbling an apology so he wouldn't alert the others.

        "He's not too good with dealing with strangers, you know?" he whispered to you. "He prefers to be alone unless he can spend time with Emil."

        "Then why is he a tour guide for the company?" you whispered back.

        "Because Emil is. That and one of his friends said that it may help him develop people skills."

        "Oh. Okay."

        The tour continued on up until free time, in which you went off to take some pictures. It was soon time to leave, however, and the group got back on the bus and headed into town for free time for lunch. The reptile park was next on the list, and you had to say your favorite part was feeding some of the smaller, more docile reptiles. You drove past the Norwegian parliament building next and got out to snap a few pictures before heading to the Gol Stave Church. The church was pretty cool and provided for some very scenic pictures.

        Just as Alfred had said, dinner was later in the evening, and even though you followed his advice and picked up a snack, you were starving. You and a few others finished off your meals in no time and happily welcomed dessert when it was brought out by the waiter. You sighed as you leaned back in your chair, your belly now full and content. Alfred handled the bill as he always did before the group got back on the bus and ventured to the hotel. Amilia decided to go swimming with Lily, Charlotte, and Samantha, but you decided to stay in, wanting to just relax in the recreation room for a while and try to read some of the folktale book you had brought with. You were immersed in your book within minutes, and not even the couch dipping under the weight of an added person next to you disturbed your reading.

~Author's Note~

DreamsForDays here! This update is out early! Yay! I do hope you enjoyed the chapter and will continue to enjoy this story. I don't have much to say again. Thanks for reading! Feedback in the comments is always appreciated! Until next time!