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Sometimes Liam wonders if there is something wrong with him. There is only one thing on his mind as soon as he gets home from work on Friday, today he even thought about it in the car.
Oh yes, Friday really is his favourite day.
His fingers are typing the number without him having to think about it by now.
This is how addictions start. But he doesn't really care.
I deserve a treat after this week, Liam thinks to himself, everything else can wait until tomorrow.
The food is just so good at this place!
And with the click on the other end of the line, indicating that someone picked up the phone, the sad looking bell peppers in his fridge are forgotten.
“Hello, restaurant ‘White Lilies', my name is Josh, what can I do for you?”
“Josh, hi, it's Liam”, he starts his usual order only to be interrupted by a laugh, “Liam. Of course. Your order is ready and sent to your door as we speak.”
Liam laughs, “maybe I should only call when I don't want any food by now, huh?” he scratches the back of his neck as Josh chuckles, “oh no, please you are actually a friendly customer so I don't mind the calls.”
Liam makes a mental note to include an extra big tip for Josh when the delivery arrives, those phone operators have no easy job after all.
They finish up the call and then Liam waits.
~♤~
When Theo steps into his kitchen he looks around the room, pure gesture of habit by now.
He knows that his people are doing a good job, without him breathing over their shoulders, but Theo prides himself in having a good relationship with his employees and he wants to make sure it stays that way.
Josh is chuckling as he hangs up on what must be the latest take out order, he shouts, “the usual for our Bacon Pasta guy" at the delivery boy by the door who simply nods, picks up the last box from the table and then vanishes out of the back door as if the call had been a ‘go' sign.
“What was that about?”, Theo asks, stepping closer to Josh.
His best friend grins, “just a little insider”, but he elaborates because he knows that this won't satisfy Theo's curiosity, “There is this guy, he always calls on Fridays, at the same time and orders the same meal – Chestnut Mushroom Bacon Pasta. At first he tried different dishes but not anymore, he must really like that one. It has been going on for over a year and everybody knows Liam by now. Actually, I am kind of expecting his call and have his order prepared up front so it gets out with the first delivery tour.”
The last part Josh admits with an almost shy smile on his face but Theo only grins, “well, regulars are great to have! And I was actually wondering if we should take this pasta of the menu because no one ever orders it in this place, even though it’s my favourite dish to make. Guess it stays after all.”
He shrugs and wanders off, leaving Josh to take the next call but his mind stays with Liam, the bacon pasta guy.
When the next Friday rolls around, Theo still thinks about Liam. And because he has never been one to dwell on his thoughts – otherwise he wouldn't have been able to open this restaurant – he excuses himself from his guests and makes his way over to the back a little earlier.
“Has Liam called yet?”, he asks the operator in charge, a dark skinned, short haired guy named Lucas.
“No, but he is due any minu-", Lucas starts up, only to be interrupted by the phone ringing.
Theo picks it up.
~♤~
“Restaurant ‘White Lilies’, my name is Theo, what can I do for you?”
Liam holds his usual greeting because - that voice, he doesn't know it! “Are you new?”, he blurts out instead.
Theo, on the other end of the line, laughs, “oh man, you really are a regular if you know all the usual phone operators by now...”
“Hey", Liam pouts, “so you know who I am. That's unfair!”
There is another chuckle and the sound soothes Liam's indignation instantly.
“Well, all I know is that your name is Liam and that you always call on Friday night to order Chestnut Mushroom Bacon Pasta, so I think my advantage is not too big. Your order is out, by the way.”
Right. The reason for his call. Hearing this new voice threw him off for a moment.
“It's nice to see that someone else also orders this dish", Theo says.
“Oh yes, it's my favourite! You like it too?”
They talk for a few more minutes, the topic changing to how Liam found the restaurant (shortly after he moved to Beacon Hills) and why out of all the dishes, he chose the pasta one as his favourite. Theo is easy to talk to and Liam completely forgets the time – until his doorbell rings.
“Oh my God, that is probably my dinner! I am sorry Theo, I have to get that, I am starving.”
“Yes, I am kind of occupying the phone over here, my co-workers are getting impatient. Enjoy your food, Liam.” With that the line goes dead.
~♤~
Lucas glares at Theo. “Even if you are my boss, if you block the phone for that long again, I am strangling you.”
Theo laughs and raises his hands in surrender, “alright, alright, I will leave you to your job...”, he backs out of the kitchen to tend to his job but his mind stays with the boy on the phone.
When he saunters back into the kitchen, exactly one week later, Josh rolls his eyes at his best friend's innocent smile. Theo should have known that the rumour mill in this place runs fast.
“How are you doing, bro?”
“Don't ‘bro’ me, Theo... I know why you are here.”
“And this", Theo says, laying his hand on Josh's shoulder, “this is why we are friends, you just know me so well.”
The telephone rings and the chef quickly grabs it.
“Good evening Liam.”
Josh shakes his head, how did this guy become a successful businessman again?
~♤~
They talk to each other almost every Friday now. Longer and longer, sometimes even while Liam eats.
It goes so far that Theo buys a second phone for the regular delivery calls just to avoid the annoyed-knowing faces of his employees.
Yes, he likes talking to Liam. A lot. So what?
The other man has a nice voice, he always sounds happy, as if a permanent smile is etched on his lips and that thought alone makes Theo smile too. And talking to him is so easy, they long since stopped with the food discussions and Theo knows that Liam works as a mechanic during the week while he tries to get a foot in the door as a traditional artist in his free time.
He knows that Liam loves all animals but especially his cat who even comes with him to work sometimes.
What he also knows is that during the last few weeks, during conversations about God and the world, he slowly started falling for Liam.
And so Theo makes a plan.
A plan that has him standing in front of a dark grey apartment door in the second floor of a tall building downtown.
Theo breathes in deeply one last time before pressing the bell.
No going back now.
~♤~
“Hello, one Chestnut Mushroom Bacon Pasta for Liam?”
Liam stares at the delivery guy in front of him.
“Theo?”
The man, Theo, laughs, “Hi there."
“What are you doing here? I thought you only managed the phone?”
“You know, sometimes I just need some fresh air”, he smiles almost shyly, “plus, I finally wanted to put a face to your voice.”
Liam grins before spinning on his heels, doing a full circle, “and? Disappointed?”
Theo's eyes seem to burn as they glide over his body.
“The exact opposite actually.”
Stepping back, Liam opens the door wider. “Please, come in.”
His heart almost beats out of his chest when he turns around, leading Theo inside his apartment. He immediately recognized Theo's voice from their calls but seeing that the other guy is not only funny, intelligent and super nice but also the lookalike of a Greek God along with the surprise visit is almost too much for Liam, despite him acting cool.
But when Theo places the delivery box on his kitchen table and looks up at him, eyes still full of fire, all doubts fly out of the window. The air around them is getting thicker.
“I am not usually doing things like this", Theo whispers as he steps closer, “but with you I just can't seem to help myself...”
Instead of an answer Liam reaches out to pull Theo's face towards his own, their lips meet in a searing kiss.
~♤~
Surprisingly enough Theo hasn't disappeared the next morning.
Liam knows that because when he wakes up there is a heavy arm thrown over his hip and a warm body pressed against his bare back. A slow smile creeps onto his lips and he snuggles closer, soaking up as much of the content feeling as he can.
He is almost back asleep when Theo's breathing gets deeper and the hand on Liam's hip comes alive, “good morning, sunshine...”
“Good morning”, Liam whispers, “you are still here.”
It comes out like a simple fact but Theo chuckles into Liam's collarbone, “yes. I thought we could actually get to know each other. Over breakfast? Because believe it or not", his hand stroking over the curly hairs on Liam's chest, “I really find you interesting as a person.”
A giggle escapes Liam and he turns around to finally face the other man.
“Believe it or not, I would really like that.” With that he presses a quick kiss to Theo's lips, “and now, pancakes.”
~♤~
The smells are wafting through the air and when you breathe in deep enough you can almost taste the meal already.
Humming along to the radio Theo stirs the pasta while simultaneously keeping an eye on the sauce, everything has to be perfect.
An alarm goes off and he quickly glances at the clock – Liam is due any time now.
Liam.
They have been meeting up twice during the past weeks and even though the sex is still amazing there also is more. Somehow Liam seems to understand Theo on a level he didn't experience before with his partners; they simply clicked.
And tonight Theo wants to ask him to go steady. Be boyfriends.
The door bell rings and Theo takes a deep breath.
“Hm, that smells amazing!”, Liam presses a quick kiss on Theo's cheek as he shuffles into the apartment, “did you order my favourite dish?”
“Actually, I made it.”
Liam's bag hits the ground with a dull thud. “What?”
“I made it.”
“But... how did you know the recipe?”
Theo rubs his neck before looking up, an almost embarrassed blush covering his cheeks, “my grandma gave it to me.”
“Your grandma owns the ‘White Lilies’?”, Liam blurts out and that's it, Theo laughs and even though Liam's brows furrow in confusion the tension is broken. Just as Theo opens his mouth to explain another timer goes off.
“Please, sit down, I will explain everything once dinner is on the table”, with that he steps back into the kitchen, getting things ready to serve. Liam follows, opting to stay close instead of waiting at the table, watching him move around the kitchen with a casualness that is almost bordering a natural elegance. Strong arms lift pots of the stove, quick feet carry the salad bowl to the table.
A few moments later they both have full, steaming plates sitting in front of them. Liam takes it all in, the set up and presentation of the food, then it clicks.
“It's your restaurant, right?”
Theo nods. And then he starts talking.
How he learned about Liam and their shared favourite dish.
“At first I just wanted to know who that guy was, calling every Friday and ordering the same food... but the more we talked the more I felt attracted to you and then when we finally met...”
He breaks of, looking into Liam's deep blue, smiling eyes.
“You know what that means? When I keep you, I never have to cook again!”
And Theo laughs, “maybe we start slow with every Friday?”