Aleksandr was the first to break the silence between them. He leaned towards Mika while maintaining his gaze. “Are you feeling better now? If yes, let me take you home.”

“You want to take me home? I’m not a 5-year-old kid, I can take care of myself,” he retorted, quickly realizing that his tone might have suggested that he was offended by this sudden act of kindness.

Luckily, Aleksandr remained calm after hearing Mika’s words. “Yes, I’m aware of it. Please don’t be so stubborn and let me help you.”

“You already helped me more than enough. I’m not sure—”
 
“Am I making you uncomfortable? If yes, just let me know and I’ll leave you alone,” Aleksandr interrupted, not letting Mika finish his sentence.

It wasn’t that Mika was uncomfortable. It was quite the opposite, but he knew he couldn't say it aloud. He raised both hands in a gesture of surrender and sighed deeply. “Ok, ok, I give up. You can take me home if that’s what you want,” he replied, standing up and grabbing his belongings.

Mika could see a glimpse of happiness on Aleksandr’s face, indicated by his gentle smile.
“Just wait for me in front of the office. I’ll pick you up soon,” he said, leaving Mika behind, excitement in his voice.

Left alone, Mika blinked in confusion. "Why can’t we just go together?” he muttered. “Does he have something to hide from others?”

Mika wasn’t sure how long he’d have to wait for him, so he decided to take the stairs. He soon reached the ground floor and, after saying goodbye to the security guard, he left the office.

Although it was late, the sun was still shining brightly, casting long shadows across the pavement. The summer wind felt nice against his skin. Without a doubt, it would feel much better being near a lake or the sea than being stuck in the city, but at least Mika’s headache had disappeared.

Mika put on his yellow aviator sunglasses and started to look around, trying to locate Aleksandr’s car. He chuckled, realizing he didn’t even know what it looked like, as Aleksandr hadn’t shared any details.
 
Ok, let’s wait and see what you have got.

If Mika was asked to make a bet, then he would most probably say that Aleksandr has a posh and elegant car.
 
He didn’t know him for so long, but after spending some time with him, that was the first thing that came to his mind. Maybe he could also have a sports car, but taking into consideration how polite he was whenever he spoke with others, Mika just couldn’t imagine Aleksandr driving this type of machine. All he could do was wait.

The sound of the motorcycle engine being switched off disrupted his thoughts. Mika looked to his left and saw a person sitting on a dark blue vehicle. The rider was wearing a black leather jacket that perfectly highlighted his figure. The man took off his helmet and ran his fingers through his hair to straighten it out a bit. Then he extended his hand towards Mika, making it a clear invitation to come closer.

You’ve got to be kidding me!

Mika nearly choked on his spit after recognizing who the driver was. For a few seconds, Mika felt like he was in the middle of a slow-motion movie, where time slows down and nothing else matters.

Aleksandr must have noticed Mika’s expression. His grin was so cheerful that it was obvious he was enjoying the situation. “Surprised?” he asked.

Mika smirked. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “Well, I would lie if I said ‘no’.”

“Haha. I’m glad to hear this. Wear this helmet and let’s go. Come, sit here,” he instructed Mika, tapping his hand on the free space behind him.

Mika wasn’t the type who cared only about looks. He valued a person’s character even more; how someone behaved was much more important to him than their appearance.

But he didn’t expect to see this side of Aleksandr. The combination of his personality and his looks made Mika’s cheeks flush. His heartbeat increased. He is a mystery. I hope I’ll have a chance to get to know him better.

“Are you comfortable?” Aleksandr asked after Mika got on the motorcycle. Mika nodded. Aleksandr wanted to make sure his passenger would have pleasant memories of riding with him. “Now, put your hands on my waist and hold tight,” he added.

Mika blushed. Since they both had their helmets on, Aleksandr couldn’t see that not only his face but also his ears had turned red.

Take me home and do whatever you want to do with me. I’m all yours, Mika truly wished he could have whispered those words in Aleksandr’s ear.

***

3 weeks after starting his new role, Mika decided to throw a small party for his new colleagues at his place. They had a lot of fun chatting about their lives in Prague and playing various games, including “Two Truths, One Lie” – a perfect game to break the ice and get to know each other better.

Thanks to it, Mika learned that Natalia was originally from Belarus, Anthony's real first name was Jose, and he was Brazilian, and Ken didn’t have a CS degree, just like Mika. The only person who didn’t participate in the game parts was Aleksandr. He was sitting quietly on a couch, observing the group trying to make guesses about what a lie was and what the truth was.

“Don’t take it personally...he’s always like this,” Ken said in a quiet tone while they were in the kitchenette area with Mika, taking a break from the games. “We got used to it that...he’s not really a sociable type of person. He just doesn’t like to talk about himself...I guess.”
 
Mika turned his head, only to realize Aleksandr was looking at him. How long has he been staring at me? the sudden thought crossed his mind.

Each time their eyes met, Mika couldn't help but wonder why he wasn’t able to avert his gaze and what made him feel so comfortable in this situation.

Was it Aleksandr himself? His behavior? Or was it something else—a spark of curiosity? And why had Aleksandr been searching for him with his eyes all those times?

It was around 11 p.m. when the group left. The only remaining person was Aleksandr, who insisted on staying and offering his help with cleaning up.

“You don’t have to help me with that. But if you want, can you bring me a few garbage bags? They should be in the cupboard, under the sink,” Mika said from the bedroom, only to realize a few seconds later what a big mistake he had just made.

Shit! He sprang up and dashed off to the kitchen, but Aleksandr already managed to open the cupboard. Now he was looking intensely at what was inside.

“Mika, what are those?” Aleksandr asked.

Mika swallowed nervously before coming closer. He looked in the direction Aleksandr was pointing. “Those are empty bottles,” he answered, trying to hide his embarrassment as he realized he had forgotten to clean up the mess. He could only blame himself and his overworked mind for that. “Is there a problem?” he probed, shifting his focus towards Aleksandr.

“Well, I guess it depends on how you define a ‘problem’,” Aleksandr replied, looking into Mika’s eyes, trying to read his expression. It was clear he was surprised to see so many alcohol bottles scattered in that one place. Mika didn’t count them, but he was sure there were more than 30 of them.

Mika quietly passed by him and took out a few garbage bags. “I just forgot to throw them away, sorry for that,” he responded, starting to collect the trash. The sound of glass bottles clinking together echoed throughout the flat as Mika put them into the bags.

Aleksandr wanted to help, but Mika didn’t allow him. “No. You are my guest. I should be the one doing the cleaning.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Aleksandr continued.

“What is it exactly that you meant then?” Mika asked, his tone slightly irritated.

“Alcohol,” Aleksandr replied immediately, without the slightest hesitation in his voice.

Mika’s hands stopped moving the moment he heard the word ‘alcohol’. The events of the one-night stand he had 2 weeks ago began to fill his head. Mika thought he would have forgotten about them by now, but they came back stronger than he expected.