Chapter Text
“Please! I’ll order two meals!”
“That’s what we are trying to avoid with that coupon. It’s meant for two people, not one who wants a lot of cheap food.”
“But it expires tomorrow!”
“I’m sorry. That’s the policy. I’ll give you a few more moments to decide what you want.”
Pedro watched the waitress walk away and then groaned, banging his head against the table. He’d been looking forward to eating at this restaurant all week. It was supposed to be his reward to himself for finishing his big English paper.
He grabbed the coupon and squinted at the fine print to read that yes, there had to be two people in the party for the coupon to be used.
Without thinking about it Pedro gently grabbed the arm of the first person to walk past him. “Have you eaten yet?” he asked, looking up at the stranger. The guy wasn’t that tall. He had messy dirty blond hair and he was wearing a cardigan that was slightly too big for him.
“Erm...no?” replied the stranger looking confused.
“Are you here with anyone?” Pedro almost smacked himself in the forehead for that one. Way to sound like you’re hitting on the guy.
Thankfully the stranger smiled slightly. “No. Ah… why do you ask?”
Pedro grabbed the coupon off the table and held it up to show the guy. “They won’t let me use this unless I find another person.”
The guy took the coupon from Pedro’s hand and looked at it. “And you don’t have a friend or girlfriend you could call up?” he asked, seemingly amused.
“All of my friends left town yesterday for the weekend and I’m not fortunate to have a girlfriend or boyfriend so, no. No one to call.”
The stranger raised his eyebrows and looked from the coupon, to Pedro, and back again. Finally he handed the coupon back. “Alright. I suppose I can help you out.”
Pedro sighed in relief. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s no problem,” said the stranger. “Which one’s your server?”
Pedro looked around and gestured in her direction when he found her. “She’s the one in the corner there.”
The other guy smiled. “Hey, Ursula!” he said loudly over the noise of the restaurant. The girl looked up. “When I’m done I’ll just get my usual. I’ll be helping... “ he looked down at Pedro, “What’s your name?” he asked.
“Pedro.”
“Hi, Pedro. I’m Balthazar.” Balthazar looked up raised his voice slightly again. “I’ll be helping Pedro with his coupon.”
“Well aren’t you nice?” she replied.
“I’m not going to say no to cheaper food.”
Ursula smiled and glanced from Balthazar to Pedro. “Cheaper food. Right.” She turned back away from them.
A thought occurred to Pedro. “Wait, are you the Balthazar who’s playing here tonight?” He could have sworn he saw the name on the poster someone had stuck to the front door of the restaurant.
Balthazar smiled and cocked his head to the side. “I hope so. I brought my guitar and everything.” He looked up towards the small stage in the back of the restaurant. “I, uh, actually should be getting started with that so… I’ll meet you back here in a half hour?”
‘Um… sure.” Pedro didn’t really have anywhere he needed to be. Why not watch this guy’s set?
As it turned out, Balthazar was very good. He performed a variety covers and original songs and every one of them was fantastic. When Ursula came to take his order he waved her off, saying he’d order when Balthazar was done.
Balthazar’s last song was a cover of Mumford and Sons’ song “Sigh No More.” When he was done he said into the microphone, “I know I said this last week but I just wanted to remind those of you who care that I will have my finished EP with me next month, so if you want to get that… yeah. Next month.”
He started to pack up his things and Ursula came around to Pedro’s table again. This time Pedro did order. Ursula left and Balthazar slid into the seat across from Pedro.
“Where did you put your stuff?” Pedro asked.
Balthazar gestured back to the stage. “Behind the stage. I’ll grab it when I leave.”
An awkward silence fell and Pedro drummed his fingers on the table, trying to figure out what to say.
Balthazar ended up speaking first. “So, what did you think?” he asked, eyebrows raised.
Pedro sat up straighter in his chair. “Oh, it was amazing. You said you’re putting out an EP next month?”
Smiling, Balthazar replied, “Yeah. Should be. You want one?”
“Yeah. Definitely. You’re really good,” said Pedro sincerely.
Pedro could swear Balthazar blushed a little at that. “Thanks,” the musician replied. “I’ll make sure to save you a copy.”
“How long have you been playing?”
Balthazar leaned back in his chair. “I started on piano when I was really young, like, four or five. I started guitar at eight. Picked up drums a year after that.”
“How many instruments do you play?” asked Pedro, amazed.
“Erm, guitar, drums, piano, obviously. Ukulele, bit of French horn. Dabble in a bit of sax. Bit of mandolin, bit of violin, bit of viola every so often if I’m feeling it… chello.”
Pedro sat back in his chair smiling as the young man across from him listed off the instruments. Balthazar wasn’t looking at him. It was as if he was having trouble remembering all of the instruments he played.
Balthazar continued. “castanets, pots and pans… If you give me something, I’ll give it some rhythm.” He finally looked at Pedro, almost looking smug, before dropping his gaze back to the table.
“Now you’re just showing off,” laughed Pedro.
Balthazar shrugged and looked back up. “Music’s my life. I like to think I’m pretty good at it. Though I am afraid every time I get on stage that I’ll forget how to play.”
“Really? You seemed pretty confident up there to me.” Pedro gestured to the small stage.
“Once I actually get up there it goes away.”
Balthazar’s phone played a few notes and he pulled it out of his pocket. He read what was on the screen and looked around. Pedro followed Balthazar’s gaze and found Ursula, who gave them both a smile and a small wave.
“What was that?” asked Pedro, turning back to Balthazar.
“Uh,” Balthazar shook his head slightly, glanced briefly at Pedro and looked back down at the table. “It’s nothing. Ursula’s just glad I’m talking to someone who isn’t her.”
Pedro was confused. “What do you mean by that?”
Balthazar looked up. “I uh, don’t have that many friends. She thinks I need to get out more. I suspect that’s part of the reason she fought so hard to get me a regular gig here.”
“Really? I would have thought people’d be all over you.” In Pedro’s opinion, Balthazar was friendly and talented; he should be the most popular guy around.
Balthazar smiled and stared at his hands as they picked at his sleeve. “Ah. Thanks. I think.”
“No problem, bro.”
Balthazar shook his head and looked back up at Pedro. “So, what are your hobbies?”
The two exchanged small talk until their food came, then talked even more.
“Favourite band?” asked Pedro.
“Mumford and Sons. Yours?”
“Sheep, Dog & Wolf.”
“What place would you like to visit?” asked Balthazar.
“Like, in the world?”
“I mean, you can say the moon if you really want to, but, yeah.”
Pedro leaned back in his chair and ran both his hands through his hair. “Fiji,” he finally answered. “You?”
“I’m not a fan of sun, but I don’t mind it on the odd day. So somewhere like Brighton… it should have sun but it doesn’t.”
“Alright boys.” Pedro looked up to see Ursula standing beside the table. “I don’t mean to intrude or anything, but my shift ends soon. If you aren’t going to get anything else if you could use the tablet to pay that would be great. I added the coupon to the bill already.”
“Thanks, Ursula. We’ll get on that,” replied Balthazar.
Pedro looked at his watch and was surprised to see that well over an hour had passed since Balthazar sat down. “Wow. I didn’t realize what time it was.” He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and slid his card along the side of the tablet.
“How much do I owe you?” asked Balthazar.
Pedro looked up at him, eyebrows raised. He hadn’t really thought about how Balthazar would probably want to help pay. “Nothing. This one’s on me. You helped me out with the coupon.”
“Yeah, but-” Balthazar started.
Cutting him off, Pedro said, “No arguments. I was prepared to pay for the whole thing anyway.”
“Alright, fine.” replied Balthazar after a second’s hesitation. “Thanks.”
“No problem, bro.”
Pedro stands up and Balthazar does the same. They stood there awkwardly for a few moments.
“So, I’ll see you around then?” asked Balthazar, finally.
“Yeah. Definitely. You play here every Friday?”
Balthazar nodded. “Every Friday.”
“I’ll be sure to remember that. It was nice meeting you, Balthazar.” Pedro took a few steps backward towards the door.
“It was nice meeting you too, Pedro.” Balthazar smiled at him then went to gather his things from behind the stage.
Pedro watched his new friend for a few moments before turning and leaving the restaurant.
***
Balthazar picked up his guitar and looked back to the front of the restaurant. Pedro, all good looks and charm, was just pushing his way through the front door and Balthazar watched him walk away until he was out of sight.
He leaned against the back wall and closed his eyes. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
“He seemed nice.”
Balthazar opened his eyes to see Ursula smiling and leaning against the wall a few feet away from him.
The color rose in his cheeks and he shook his head, embarrassed. “Shut up.”