** ALLAN **

‘SWEET DEVOTION, YOU’RE RIGHT! THAT REALLY IS THE BEST stuffed crust on the planet!’

‘I know, right?!’ Brian said with an excited smile. And here I was thinking he couldn’t get better. ‘I’ve been coming here basically my whole life.’

‘Oh, so you’ve always lived in that flat?’

‘Not really. It was my grandparents’. Grandpa Richard bought it when he proposed to nanna Rosetta back in the day. I spent... what... ninety-five per cent of my childhood there. They loved my mom very much, their daughter, but they always knew she wasn’t made of mother material. They passed within a year of each other and left me the flat. I was nearly eighteen. When I became of age, I decided to move. Mom and dad took the bait and moved out of the country. Somewhere sunny. Oh my God, I’m sorry. I’m oversharing. A simple yes would’ve sufficed, I know.’

I’m the one to say oh my God! I wanted to hug him so much and comfort him. Get it together, Allan!

‘No, no. Hey. It’s okay. Thank you so much for sharing. And it wasn’t too much. It’s important to you. I’m happy to learn more.’

He smiled. The world stopped again. I felt accomplished.

‘Soooooo...’ I tried changing the subject to something lighter. ‘I got home after my first class and I wanted to be a good student and do a little bit of research... And to my surprise, I found all those videos of this teenager pianist in the most dashing outfits.’

Brian raised an eyebrow, but seeing where I was going with it, he started chuckling. ‘He was what? Fifteen? Sixteen? And dressing and behaving like a grown man. You should have seen those videos. He is so damn talented. That emotion thing you said? That kid nailed it. I was so moved. Shoot. I forgot his name!’

He was already laughing and stopped to make a suggestion. ‘Was it Ryan?’

‘YES! That’s right! Ryan! Have you heard of him?’ He was laughing again.

‘I think I have. I’ve heard he once threw a tantrum, a real bitch fit, when a reporter kept getting his name wrong. It was never published, though.’

‘NO WAY! So he’s a little diva, huh?’

‘I guess he was. Rumour has it that’s the reason why he left the industry. He wasn’t happy with who he was turning out to be and he wanted to be happy more than he wanted to be famous. But that’s all gossip, you know. Tabloid stuff.’

‘Oh, but that’s some juicy stuff. True or not, I hope he’s happy now. That kid deserves it.’

‘Oh. I think he is. He doesn’t need much. Just his piano, stuffed-crust pizza, and good company.’

I was this close from squeaking, I swear.

‘I hope he gets all that.’

‘He sure does,’ he laughed more. ‘Okay. Now, please, let’s stop talking about me in the third person. It’s sounding like my old agent and it’s creeping me out. But thank you. A lot.’

‘For?’

‘For treating me the same way before and after you found out who I am. Or was. Still, it means more than I can explain.’

Seriously. What was that power?

We kept talking until a waiter came to tell us the parlour was closing.

‘Geez, is that the time?!’ We paid and left. He waited with me for my bus and when I saw it was coming, still a bit away, I stretched my arm, offering my hand.

‘Thanks. That was amazing. I didn’t even know how much I needed some time with someone so easy to talk to.’

‘My pleasure,’ he said shaking my hand. ‘See you on Wednesday?’

‘You betcha.’

The next Wednesday evening saw us eating the same pizza at the same place after my class. We parted again with a handshake. I counted the days to see him again by watching his old videos.

And so it was like that for the next three months. I would go to his flat straight from work, admire that door a while, have my lesson, go have dinner with him, and part with a handshake and big smiles. I do have to say I was becoming rather good at the piano and I was almost being able to play this sweet simple lullaby by myself. He constantly said he was proud of me and those words were becoming almost a kind of drug. I worked harder because I needed to hear his voice saying he was proud of me.

I think he took me to every restaurant possible around his flat, but our favourite one was the pizza parlour. We would always joke that we had those cravings out of nowhere and scrap our plans and just go there. Until it was a Monday afternoon and I was at work doing nothing when I got a message from him.

Craving cheese and ham stuffing. Don’t know if can survive two more days lol

My heart wasn’t in my throat anymore, it was already vomited on the floor. Did that mean what I think it did? Did it really? I decided to risk it.

Can you survive three more hours, though? I wouldn’t say no to cheese and ham stuffing either lol

His reply came as fast as he opened the door for me.

I might lose a limb or two, but of course I can survive. Three hours, you say? I’ll get us a table by then.

I became a cartoon. My heart beat so fast it exploded. I pulled myself together.

Thank God it was an off-season Monday and I spent the rest of my shift without a single customer. I finally left and texted him:

On my way. Hold on tight. Save your hands, you’ll need them for playing... And for holding the pizza!

Thanks! My left hand almost fell running, but I told her to come back and she did. Good girl.

I couldn’t stop smiling. When I reached the parlour, he was already there. A light blue linen shirt with the same rolled-up sleeve three-quarter style and this time the top button was open. There was a waiter placing two plates by the table and he left just as I approached the chair opposite Brian.

‘Oh my, how lucky am I? I got here just in time! Thanks for ordering already, I’m starving. Worse. I’m craving.’

‘Dig in,’ that was all he said and there was no need telling me twice.

‘So, how was your day?’ He asked when we were halfway through our second slices.

‘Quite boring, at first. It’s off-season and it’s Monday, so the airport is dominated basically by business people and they don’t give a damn for souvenirs. But then I had to save a friend’s life towards the end of the day. Poor thing was suffering from a severe case of pizza deprivation. It was a matter of life or death. Yours?’

‘I was dying of pizza deprivation. A dear friend saved me,’ he winked and I melted.

Again, we stayed there until closing time. Again, he walked me to the bus stop and waited with me. This time, however, I didn’t stretch my hand. I reached for him and hugged him.

Tight.

I didn’t know what came over me. But today, of all days, there wasn’t a single trace of my piano teacher in front of me. Just Brian. Just this amazing and humble and ridiculously talented guy who I liked more and more with each passing day. Did I also mention he was super attractive? I could spend hours just looking at him and I’m sure I wouldn’t even see time pass me by.

I panicked and meant to let go of him, but before I could lose my grip, he laced his arms around my back and held me just as tight.

And for one moment, the whole universe was just the stars and our hug.