Chapter 2

Four hours later, Blaine was thanking his lucky stars that he had actually managed to succeed in getting this new job at ‘The Coffee Script’. The atmosphere was relaxed, the customers so far had been great, the music included many of his favourites and he and Dani were getting along more like best friends rather than as a boss and worker.

He watched closely as Dani flipped the open sign to closed bang on six and hugged the last customer to leave, an elderly lady who was evidently a regular. Flicking the lock, she spun around, a grin growing across her face and her blue eyes sparkling mischievously. “Now the fun really starts in here Blainers.”

Eyes wide in both fascination and slight fear, Blaine watched as the young woman danced steadily over to the coffee shop’s speaker system and cranked the volume right up, hitting the CD change as she did so, Katy Perry blaring from the speakers. Standing upright, she offered her hand to him laughing. “Come dance with me for a bit, I’m not allowed to play Katy Perry in my house at all, so I damn well make up for it when I’m here.”

Laughing, Blaine grabbed her hand and started spinning her in circles to the tune of ‘Waking Up In Vegas’. “How come you can’t play her at home? She was like my idol growing up,” Laughing, he grabbed the broom she offered him and twirled around the front of the counter, sweeping the floor as he went.

Giggling, Dani started to tackle the cake crumbs behind the counter with her own broom. “My best friend has some strangely weird aversion to her, especially Teenage Dream, says it’s overplayed and stupid. By the way Blaine Anderson, that has to be the gayest thing I’ve heard you say in the entire eight hours or so that I’ve spent with you.” Still laughing, she went on removing all of the cakes from the cabinet, unaware of Blaine’s gaze on her.

“Oh, erm, that’s not a problem is it?”

Straightening up, the brunette woman stared straight into Blaine’s worried golden eyes, noticing the way he was chewing his lip nervously. Sighing she shook her head, walking around the counter and taking tight hold of Blaine’s hand, leading him to one of the tables for two, the panic never easing in his features.

“Blaine, look at me,” She whispered softly, placing two fingers under his chin and tilting his head to look at her. Expertly, she let her gaze sweep over his defeated features and sighed. “Not only do I not mind, but I want you to be yourself. It may seem weird me being your boss and everything, but after today I really want a friendship with you, you seem like a really cool guy.” When Blaine looked at her, she grinned again, “Besides, I couldn’t give two hoots if you were gay, straight, bi, metrosexual, transgender or asexual as long as you’re you and you're happy.” Tilting her head, she beamed as she saw the life come back into his eyes again, “Just, I know I haven’t known you long, but if you ever feel like, erm, like life isn’t what you want, please talk to someone, friends, family, me, even though I’d like to be included in the first category, just don’t do anything stupid.”

Shaking his head vigorously, Blaine couldn’t help but watch her in wonder. “I’d never do anything like that, never. Sure I considered it for a time when I was seventeen,” Clearing his throat, he looked directly into her eyes again, “But I had amazing people around me who pulled me back from that I’m thankful to say.” Tipping his own head while gazing at Dani, he smiled softly, “You think I’d be used to the diversity in this city after being here for over a year now, but growing up in small town Ohio…”

“It takes some getting used to, huh?” Dani laughed softly at his stunned expression. “I’m from Brooklyn but four of my roommates and a bunch of their friends are from Ohio. Three of them are gay, so believe me I know precisely what you’re talking about.” Patting his knee, she stood and loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher as her phone buzzed into life with a new message.

Smiling and feeling a load off of his mind, Blaine stood to put the brooms back in the cupboard, singing softly along to ‘Last Friday Night’ as he did.

“You know Blainey boy, you can really sing,” Spinning around, Blaine’s eyes widened at Dani’s quirked eyebrow as she continued to text from where she was now perched up on the counter. “If you’re willing, I’d like to get you to sing maybe every other Saturday or Friday night or something around here?” Placing her phone into her lap, she gazed directly at him, no humour left in her features, “You’re really, really good Blaine, you deserve to be heard. At least think about it?” Nodding slowly and her smile turned into a full-blown grin, Blaine couldn’t help but wonder what he had let himself in for. “Good. Now, my roommate and I are going out for food if you’d like to join us? The cafes pretty much as clean as it’s going to get, we can easily empty the dishwasher and finish prep in the morning.”

A beam lighting up his face, Blaine nodded enthusiastically, “That actually sounds amazing. Where are you planning on going?”

Studying him carefully, Dani let a slow smirk form on her face. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like an excitable puppy when your face lights up like that? Not to mention you act like one.” She laughed, sticking her tongue out at him as she grabbed their coats and scarves, Blaine slipping his navy blue beanie over his head as he sighed.

“Multiple times,” he murmured, buttoning up his dark navy peacoat, “I think you’d get on ridiculously well with my friend Santana, she takes great delight in making fun of the puppy dog thing.”

“I think it’s pretty cute actually,” Dani smiled, wrapping her cream scarf tightly around her neck and tugging her hair out of its messy bun. “And there’s a little Italian’s around the corner that we usually go to, ‘Madame Clara’s’. I’m actually surprised Seb hasn’t been in today, he runs his own interior design business with offices two buildings over, as if we don’t see enough of each other at home, here’s here more than I can count.” Blaine laughed as Dani rolled her eyes, grabbing the store keys from the counter.

Grabbing the bowl of whipped cream that he had left out from making cream scones earlier he grinned, “I’ll meet you outside in a few, I’m just going to put this away or the morning could get messy.”

Tipping her head back in laughter Dani chucked him the keys and walked towards the door, hugging someone on the other side as it closed softly behind her. Blaine took the opportunity to quickly glance around the kitchen once more, unable to believe his luck that he’d landed a job with a boss who seemed like she was well on the way to becoming one of his good friends.

Doing a final check around the store, Blaine nodded once to himself, slamming the lights off and stepping out into the cool winter air. Smiling once at Dani, he whirled around to look the store, his heart stopping in his chest and his eyes widening the size of saucers when he eyed the man stood with Dani, the man who was smirking back at him knowingly.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the man who is sex on a stick and sings like a dream to many,” The smirk grew as Dani glanced in confusion between her over cocky roommate and her new manager, who seemed rooted to the spot in either fear or surprise, she wasn’t sure which.

“S-Sebastian,” Blaine stuttered, the shock wearing off as he observed the taller man closely.

“The one and only. Well, didn’t life just get God damn interesting.”

“Wait, you two know each other?” Dani interrupted, her shock turning into surprise as she quirked one of her eyebrows, glancing between the men, Blaine shuffling nervously and Sebastian’s smirk growing more and more pronounced.

“Vividly,” Sebastian smirked.