by Max Hudson
“Oh, Charlie, I didn’t expect you at this hour. What are you doing here?” Rebecca glanced over Charles’ shoulder and sized up Henrik, eyeing him from head to toe. “And who is this? Perhaps one of your old friends?”
Charles let out a hearty chuckle, taking a look at the newspaper headline. It was very in character for Rebecca to be reading the newspaper at this hour, especially the newspaper from almost weeks before.
“This is Henrik. We’ve become close over the last few weeks. We were just having dinner, actually, but I think…” Charles hesitated for a second before feeling the tight squeeze of Henrik’s hand wrapped around his. He hoped that Rebecca wouldn’t notice, mainly out of embarrassment. “He left something here. We’re just going back to retrieve it.”
Rebecca nodded easily, seeming to be too invested in the newspaper story than Charles’ lazy excuse. “Well, have fun with that. I’ll be here until the bar closes up, probably.” Using her head, Rebecca gestured toward the far end of the lounge where a small makeshift bar had been set up by hotel staff. “Get along with it then, unless you’d like to accompany me for the rest of the night.”
“I won’t bother you anymore. Nice talking to you.” Charles declined the request and left the lounge area with Henrik trailing closely behind. Once the two men were far enough that Rebecca would not be able to hear them, Charles began to explain his relationship with his coworker. Henrik devoured each and every detail, wanting to know more about Charles’ work life. Oddly, Henrik was invested in the daily duties of Charles’ job. Charles had never thought his job was particularly interesting but complied with what Henrik wanted.
Time passed rather quickly when talking about your own life, Charles would soon realize. They had made their way up to Charles’ hotel room, opting to take the stairs after eating such a large meal and the fact that Henrik would continue to ask for more details about his job after each one was answered. Despite the fact that Zurich was a large city and rather populous, Henrik still could not fathom what life was like in New York. To him, Charles’ life was eerily similar to the lives of movie protagonists or anti-heroes from novels. It was all quite interesting to hear.
“I’m so tired,” Henrik managed to yawn after plopping himself down onto the plush king-sized bed in the hotel room. It had been the first thing that Henrik had headed toward, skipping past the various wine bottles strewn about the room and the messy excuse of a work desk that was at the other end of the room. With his face first in the white sheets, Henrik rolled onto his side and patted the space next to him. “Don’t you just want to sleep for hours on days like these?”
Taking off his shoes, Charles loosened his tie and threw it onto a nearby couch. He was sure he would be able to pick it up later.
“Well, the urge is there, but usually I’d be up until four in the morning organizing files and finishing projects for my coworkers. They’re all so irresponsible…” Charles muttered, suddenly remembering the bad memories of staying up until he could hear the birds chirp outside his window. “You’re right. It’s been a long night, hasn’t it? I’m pretty sleepy too, now that you mention it.”
“Won’t you fall asleep with me then? I don’t think I’ll be able to hold on any longer…” As Henrik spoke, his voice drifted into a dreamy tone. Charles was confident that this man would fall asleep at any time.
Hesitantly, Charles reached out to wrap his arms around the other man. Hugging him from the back felt almost too perfect. Charles could not help but bury a smile into Henrik’s back as he thought this. How domestic this all was!
“Good night, Charlie. Gute nacht…” Henrik’s voice slowly started to drift away. The words lingered in the air for the briefest second before crashing right back down onto the bed. Charles swore he could feel the exact moment Henrik’s eyes closed and he lost consciousness. It was too adorable, the way Henrik had fallen asleep in his arms and slipped back into his native tongue as he did so. Not daring in his position, Charles decided that it would probably be best if he stayed where he was and fell asleep too. Leaning slightly forward, Charles placed a soft kiss on the back of Henrik’s head. With that, Charles’ eyelids fluttered downwards. It had been a long day. Charles was tired. He deserved a long rest.
Chapter Ten
If it weren’t for the fact that Charles had been anticipating this specific day for over two weeks, the day would have felt like a normal weekday morning. The sun, as it usually was during the summer, shone brightly over the city. Those who walked in the streets ducked under shops and storefronts in order to stay away from the sunlight that beat relentlessly on everyone alike.
The sudden dull clang of a pen being tapped onto the desk in front of him awoke Charles from his daydreams. Turning his head to investigate where the sound had come from, Charles was met with the intense glare of his coworker, Rebecca. It seemed that the board members had called on Charles for his opinion on a certain decision, but Charles had not caught what they had asked. All eyes were on him, although Charles was sure that whatever he would say would end up sounding useless in the end.
“So, Mr. Armstrong, I’m sure you have very strong opinions on next quarter’s financial distribution between the different sectors, correct?” Rebecca cleared her throat, trying her best to nudge her friend in the right direction. Heaving a sigh of relief, Charles made a mental note to treat the woman to a meal once he returned back to the States. He could not count how many times she had saved him from certain embarrassment.
“Indeed. I presume that the people in finance have already drafted a few proposals, no? To be perfectly frank with you all, I think their original proposal had no problems. At the time we voted, I assume we were all a bit tired from the trip. I say we should stick with the original plan. If there are any questions, I am open to have a one-on-one conversation with anyone who’d like to do so.”
A few grunts and murmurs were exchanged between those in the room at this comment, especially given that weeks of decisions had centered around the finances of the company. Still, Charles was the son of a prominent figure in the company. To go against him directly was something that no one even dared to think about.
“No questions? Then I take it that we are finally done with this decision-making. If it’s all right, then we shall wrap the meeting up here. If you did not know, those in the American division are returning later this afternoon.” Charles gestured for Rebecca to stand up, getting up from his own chair as he did so. Although a few members of the board still sat shocked, none of them seemed too invested to speak up. “I will see you fine men sometime soon. Of course, we will meet again.”
Once Charles and Rebecca were out of the room and out of earshot, the two could finally relax their shoulders and cease worrying about how they looked.
“If I was in that room for one more minute, I’m sure I would have gone crazy…” Rebecca muttered under her breath, cursing when she felt her neck crack loudly as she moved it from side to side. “Seriously, who calls in a meeting at six in the morning? We’ll be leaving in a few hours, for God’s sake.” Exasperated, Rebecca let her hand comb through her hair. “Are you ready? We should probably get together with everyone else and head to the airport in two hours or so. Should be enough time to get to the gate and relax.”
Charles nodded, though his mind had not processed a single word that Rebecca had said. Instead, his mind was more occupied with memories of the morning before. He had woken up with Henrik at his side, both of them still in their clothes from the date at the restaurant. The scene had been purely domestic, though the bitter taste of iron had suddenly begun to rise up from Charles’ throat once he remembered that he was to leave the next day. He still hadn’t told Henrik he wouldn’t be able to make it to the competition.
“Uh, yeah.” Charles managed to get out. The trip had truly taken a toll on him. There wasn’t a second that Charles felt that he was not somehow thinking of Henrik.
Deciding that whatever was bothering Charles would be sorted out soon, Rebecca
turned away and headed toward the hotel elevator. “You coming?”
There was a moment of silence before Charles responded, stopping in place as if to confirm with himself. “Yeah, let’s go.”
***
The ride to the airport was bumpy, although Charles blamed it on the fact he shared a cab with a few of his other coworkers that he wasn't too friendly with. One of the men had tried to make conversation with the driver, but his poor German had mostly resulted in the awkward silence that followed. Although Charles would have usually stepped in to save the situation, he was too preoccupied with his own worries to even begin to pay attention to his coworker’s plights.
When the cab finally stopped at the airport, Charles lugged his suitcase from the trunk and made a point to thank the driver in proper German. The driver seemed to appreciate this and nodded his head at Charles before speeding off to find another client. His coworkers had already begun to file into the airport, but Charles stayed behind and waited for the next cab to drive up to the drop off area. Out came Rebecca, hair frazzled from what Charles could only guess was a quick nap in the car.
“You good?” Charles reached out to place a hand behind her back. Despite her unsteady appearance, she quickly shooed his hand away with an annoyed expression.
“Ah, I’m fine. Just a bit tired, you know?” Upon inspection it seemed that Rebecca had only taken a simple backpack full of clothes with her on the trip. Charles could never imagine being so organized with his belongings. If there was one thing that Rebecca was extremely skilled at, it was her ability to make everything extremely convenient, no matter the task.
“I get it. We woke up so early today, it’s only understandable that you’re tired. I think I’ll be catching a long nap once we’re on the flight.”
“You can say that again.” Rebecca yawned, heading toward the airport entrance. “You’re coming, right?”
Charles bit his bottom lip. Could Rebecca tell he was anxious? Of course he had to follow- the ticket had already been paid. “Yeah, I’m following. Don’t worry about me.” Charles gave way to a sigh of relief once Rebecca shrugged, following her right into the airport as he did so.
Though the line seemed long, Charles and the rest of his coworkers managed to retrieve their tickets from the front desk with ease. Unlike the airports back home, the system in Zurich felt a bit more orderly. Such a change felt welcomed.
With their tickets in hand, the only step left was to go through security. After security, it would be beyond the point of no return. Was Charles really about to do this? Upon checking his watch, Charles sighed. Of course, the competition had already started. He had already gone back on his promise to Henrik. Christ, he was a horrible person. Impatiently, Charles tapped his foot on the ground right outside the security checkpoint. Rebecca turned around after noticing.
“Charlie, are you sure you’re all right? You’ve been out of it all day. If you need something, it’s all right to say-”
“Like I said Rebecca, it’s fine.” Charles furrowed his brows at her concerned expression. “You need to stop worrying about me. It’ll only make me more worried too.”
Based on Rebecca’s reaction, it didn’t seem like she believed Charles. Instead of putting up with his excuses as she usually did, Rebecca instead tugged on his shirt and pulled him to the side of the line.
“Hey, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you’re really out of it today. Something is going on. I don’t want to act like your savior or anything, but whatever it is that’s bothering you, just go for it. Really. Whether it’s staying in Zurich or buying yourself a fancy drink, just do it. It will only bother you more if you keep ignoring it, and I know that look from anywhere. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life, if not the next few months, wondering about what would have happened if you had just followed your own desires? Come on, Charlie.”
Charles processed this information rather quickly, given that the topic had been on his mind ever since he had woken up that morning. Still, his response had to be formulated. There weren’t enough words to accurately describe how he was currently feeling.
“God, Rebecca, it’s not that simple. What about the plane ticket? What about any shred of respect I have left in this company? You know the only reason people suck up to me so much is just because my father- I wish it wasn’t like this, but what can I do? It’s not as if I ever had a choice to begin with.”
Rebecca placed a hand on Charles’ chest as if to stop him from speaking any further.
“No, that’s not true. How old are you now, Charlie? This isn’t college. Your father isn’t paying for any of this. You’ve worked so hard in this company. You can’t only tell yourself that it’s your father’s work and not your work. You worked hard. You deserve to make your own decisions and follow what you want. Think as an individual, Charlie!” Rebecca shook her head silently, “As for the ticket, it’s fine. I’ll explain everything to your father once we get back if you’d like. He can’t do anything to you anyways- you’re a high-ranking employee and his son, of course, but you’re an adult too. He can’t stop you.”
Rebecca’s words were quick and to the point, but such a speech somehow managed to convince Charles, if only slightly, that perhaps she was right. The scenario felt slightly reminiscent of older days, when Rebecca would pull him aside in the school library at four in the morning. There, she would give him various pep talks that lasted well into the night. Despite their length, they would always motivate Charles to continue his studies. Such speeches he credited for his near-perfect grades.
For a brief second, Charles checked his watch. How much time had elapsed in the airport? Charles understood that if he left now, he might at least have a fleeting chance of catching the end of the competition.
“Do you… you really think I should leave?” Charles murmured, shaking his head as he did.
“Of course. You should start thinking for yourself, not others.” With one last sigh, Rebecca turned Charles around with surprising force and pushed him in the direction of the airport exit. “Go, Charlie!”
There the exit was, taunting Charles as the red exit sign glowed hauntingly above its doors. Was Charles going to stay? He had not even spared a thought of staying in Zurich previously, but now that Rebecca had spoken the idea into existence, the more and more it felt plausible to him. Was he really about to leave everything behind and stay in Zurich?
Charles turned around one last time and nodded. Rebecca returned the gesture and smiled. “Thank you, Rebecca. I still need to treat you to coffee one of these days.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re friends, aren’t we?” She grinned, picking up her backpack from the ground. “I’ve got to leave now; the others are waiting. Remember to email me later!” With a quick wave, Rebecca entered the line and was swept into the hustle and bustle of the security check. This was it. Charles understood what he had to do.
Taking a deep breath, Charles hauled his suitcase and luggage toward the exit. This was his final decision; he was going to see Henrik.
Chapter Eleven
The studio smelled faintly of honey and powdered sugar. Camera crews and sound technicians lined the outer edges of the kitchen, focusing in on various contestants and what they were doing. By the time Charles had entered the studio, contestants had already begun lining up their dishes to present to the judges. Only three contestants were left, the others having been eliminated minutes before.
Charles gave a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he had come just in time to watch the finale. Where was Henrik? Charles walked closer to the ledge where spectators were allowed to watch. Squinting, Charles could faintly make out the body of Henrik as he stood in front of the judges table. It seemed that the bakers were now waiting on the judges’ responses after the initial tasting. Although he was not the one getting judged, Charles could feel his heart pound within his chest.
“After very careful deliberation, we have finally come up with our final verdict.” One of the judge
s spoke in English, dabbing at the corner of their mouth with a white handkerchief. “There were many talented bakers here today, so don’t feel discouraged. We had an extremely hard time deciding the winner.”
As if to add to the dramatics of the situation, the judges became silent, allowing for a few moments of more silence to follow their words before speaking up again.
“And the winner of today’s competition is… Elias! Congratulations,” Loud applause emerged from the room as soon as the baker’s name was announced. A short man that stood next to Henrik seemed shocked, reaching up to cover his mouth with both hands. Charles assumed that the man was the Elias that the judges had chosen, as Henrik moved in to give the other man a warm, congratulatory hug. Charles smiled. It was much like Henrik to do so.
Those in the spectator booth were now free to travel back down to the kitchen level. People filed out of the upper level in an orderly fashion while Charles could not keep his excitement to himself. Impatiently, he pushed past people and stumbled down the stairs, quickly making his way back to the kitchen.
It felt surreal. When Charles and Henrik locked eyes, both of them could tell that they were both surprised to see each other. Charles was still in awe at his own actions, while Henrik’s expression seemed to give away the notion that he had not expected Charles to actually come. Still, words could wait. The two ran toward each other, finally locking into a tight hug. Charles could feel Henrik’s soft hair brush up against his neck, smiling into the man’s shoulder as he felt it.
“C-charlie… Why are you here? Andrea told me you were supposed to be back in New York by tonight and I just thought… I thought you wouldn’t come. Oh my, you didn’t miss your flight, did you? Do you still have time to make it?” Henrik seemed shocked, but quickly masked the confusion in his voice. His face was a mess, a few spots of flour still speckled on his face. It didn’t matter to Charles. Henrik still looked beautiful.