Blue ain't your colour (It is mine)

3

Apart from the one tiny glimpse he gained that day, Austin's personality beneath his timid surface remained a mystery to Adam. He didn't seem very inclined to be social; they spent most of the time in companionable silence, working alongside each other without exchanging a single unnecessary word. Austin threw himself into the work, eyes fixed on Adam when he felt unobserved and glued to the floor whenever anybody addressed him unexpectedly. He didn't seem to be idle for even one second as long as his shift lasted. Guests loved him, because he was always ready and polite, quickly learning the key points of customer service. As long as he was on shift, he put on a cheerful, if slightly shy mask. And as soon as the end of his shift rolled around, Austin vanished. That set the rhythm for the next few days. 

Adam didn't have too much time to ponder the new addition to their team, though. Christmas got closer with every day – and the hours got longer, the days and nights busier. The festive mood was spreading among the passengers. Everybody seemed to enjoy eating well and staying up late, talking, dancing and listening to the music Adam, Tim and Rob played on the small stage of the restaurant. On most nights, one of them played the piano while the others sang, alone or together. On the nights when Chance decided to join them, they made a great barbershop quartet. Those were Adam's favourite nights. And when the show was finally done and even the most persistent and cheerful of guests had found the way to their room, when the tables were cleaned and the kitchen tidied, Adam made his way up to the highest decks and drank in the crisp night air, letting the coldness clear his head and the wind calm his busy thoughts after the rush of the day. The weather was becoming stormy. Sometimes, little snowflakes would dance around his arms as he lifted them towards the dark and velvety sky. And when he was certain to be alone in the light of the waxing moon, he would turn the clouds of his breath into a thousand glittering ice crystals with a flick of his finger and with a click of his tongue send the ice along the railing of the deck. Then, he would go to sleep in his tiny little room, dreaming peaceful dreams and waking with a fresh and sharp mind before the dawn of the next morning.

"I don't know how ya do it, Adam," Rob groaned. It was half past five in the morning, five days till Christmas Eve, and Rob looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. Adam was sitting next to him, upright and awake, eyes closed against the bright neon light, but with a content expression. He was lightly tapping the leg of the table with one foot as he stirred his coffee, complementing the rhythm of the clock on the wall.
"What do you mean? Looking awake or enjoying the coffee?" Adam returned.
"Both, actually." Rob put his face in his hands and yawned. "Christmas is killing us. I pulled a double yesterday. Twice. Tim is late. Oversleeping, like I'd like to. I swear the coffee machine is broken. And you're sitting here, cheerful and awake as ever."
Adam opened his eyes and looked at his colleague, slightly worried. "It really gets to you guys this year, huh?"
"I don't get how you manage it," Rob sighed tiredly. Adam got up and made another coffee. With a flick of his fingers, he adjusted the temperature before turning around and passing it to Rob.
"There. Get that caffeine," he said softly. "It's decent coffee, I swear."
"Thanks, buddy. You're an angel."
"Nah. 'M just me. I'll go tell Chance to give you the night off."
"Remind me to hug you later. Not getting up now."
Adam laughed. "Will do." He grabbed another coffee and made his way over to the office.

"People who knock before six will get exorcized," Chance's most formal voice rang though the closed door.
"Would like to see you try." Adam opened the door, just a crack, and slipped into the cozy room. He placed the extra coffee on the heavy wooden desk and threw himself into his favourite armchair. "How about burning me at the stake, huh?"
"Funny." Chance rolled his eyes from behind the stacks of paper and files that cluttered the table. "Ever tried touching fire? Six a.m. isn't the best time for logics, but given your nature, I wouldn't recommend." He reached for his coffee. "This better not be iced again."
"Nah, I'm actually making an effort to be nice this morning."
Adam grinned.
"Pleasant surprise. How come?" Chance retorted drily.
"Tim and Rob are way overworked. I worry about them." He sighed. "At this pace, they are both going to break down before the 24th."
"I know." His boss sighed. "This year is a nightmare. But what am I supposed to do? Between the two of us, we'll never keep the place running half the night."
"What about Austin? His voice is great."
"If you get him to stand in and sing –," Chance took time to dramatically sink down on one leg in front of his desk. "If you manage that, I might actually propose to you. I have tried talking to him for the entire past week. The boy won't even talk more than two words if he doesn't have to!"
Adam's eyes shone with mischief. "So that's why he's never around after shift! You're monopolizing our newest addition!"
"You tempt me to throw something at you," Chance, still on the floor, replied completely straight-faced.
"But honestly, do you know where he hides after shift? Maybe we should invite him to hang around, get him to open up," the waiter said thoughtfully. His boss nodded. "Worth a shot." He got up from the floor again, dusted off his pants and downed the rest of the coffee in one go. "Tell Rob he can have the night off – I'll tell Timmy to stay in bed. Good luck with shy boy." And he was off.