31| Plus one

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When I return home from my shift the next day, Zach is not there. I'm slightly disappointed, because I was hoping we could talk about what happened at the casino yesterday.

With an exhausted sigh I sink into my sofa and type a quick text to Zach.

*Just came home. When will you be back?*

I sit the phone aside and close my eyes for a minute. The Diner was quite busy today, even though Mondays are rather quiet usually. I haven't eaten all day, so I'm on the verge of starving, but I need to wash off the smell of old fat first. When I enter the bathroom, I get rid of my clothes and turn on the water. While the bathtub fills up, I hear my phone and spot a message from Zach when I check it.

*I'll be back in an hour.*

Just when I throw the phone on my bed it beeps again. It's another text from Zach.

*Can't wait to see you!*

I smile at my phone for a moment and then lay it aside. I'm glad we've already made peace last night when he came back after his earlier fleeing, but there are still a few things I want to know.

After taking a long and relaxing bath, I slip into my light blue jogging suit and put on some warm socks. It snowed pretty much the past few days and the temperature dropped rapidly. I can't believe it's only three days until Christmas. A shiver of panic overcomes me, as I remember I haven't got a present for Zach yet. I went to the mall a few times already, but I didn't find anything suitable, so I need to go again tomorrow after work.

Just as I'm standing in front of the open fridge, pondering over what to eat, I hear the door falling into the lock.

"I'm back!" Zach's voice resounds from the hallway and seconds later he appears in the door frame.

His face lights up when he spots me.

"Hungry?" he asks as he notices the open fridge and my desperate face. "Because I grabbed us some vegetable curry on my way home."

"Oh my god, yes. I'm starving!" I remark and close the fridge again.

Zach gives me a quick smile and walks back into the hallway just to return with a paper bag in his hands. I grab two forks for us and then sit down on the sofa beside Zach.

"Thanks," I say as he hands me one of the brown boxes, and I instantly start digging in the food. "It's delicious!" I comment with my mouth full, earning a deep chuckle from Zach.

"There's a new Indian restaurant right around the corner. I noticed it when I..." He pauses and awkwardly scratches his head. "When I ran off last night. I was looking for a bar to get myself a drink and that's when I saw it."

"Cool!" I simply retort and hungrily shove another forkful of curry into my mouth.

Zach gives me an amused smirk and starts eating as well.

Twenty minutes later, I lie on the sofa with my stomach filled and a soft blanket tightly wrapped around my body.

"You got room for one more?" Zach asks with an expectant grin on his face.

I hold the blanket open for him and he lays down between my legs, resting his head on my stomach. He pulls another blanket over his much taller body, so we're completely covered. I start playing with his wavy hair, earning an appreciative moan from Zach.

"Where were you today?" I ask after a minute of silence. Zach tilts his head so he can face me, and I look down at him.

"I met that man from yesterday, Francesco," he explains quietly.

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