Learning To Love - Jamie Campbell Bower

Coffee

The mop of shaggy blonde hair paired with a gangly body strides over to where I and some other tennants from the flat are standing. It's your classic Australian summer night, hot and steamy, so he stands comfortably in just his undies. For some stupid reason, I decide to say something.

"Hey, you're the new guy that moved in the block across from me right? Room A1?" I say, turning to him.

"Yeah, that would be me." I didn't expect the english accent. What on earth is he doing here?

"I'm taking a break from my work, and I wanted to stay in another country." He explains, grinning. Nice smile, blondie. I guess that explains why he seems like he belongs surrounded by snow, not midgies and mozzies. I'm still confused. Why Perth? Out of all the cities in Australia, he decides to stay in one of the most unpopular tourist cities? What about Sydney? Melbourne? Brisbane?

"You picked a quiet city." I say.

"Yeah." He smiles gently, looking over our apartment block in front of us. "Doesn't look like much of a fire, does it?" He says to me.

"Hmm..." I realise this too.

As if on cue, the landlord comes marching out of the apartment, followed by a firefighter. "False alarm, people. Although, Eric no longer has a toaster." She shoots a glance at some kid that looks fresh out of uni. "You can go back inside now, sorry for waking you all up." Her eyes travel over the boy next to me.

"Are you going back to sleep?" He says as we make our way back to the apartment.

"Nah, I've got work in an hour." I gesture to my uniform. "You see?" I strike a pose, the uniform is rather unflattering on me, I'll admit that.

"Well then, what say you we go grab a coffee? I've no chance getting back to sleep in this heat, and you look like you'll need a coffee to get yourself going."

A weird proposition, especially since it's 2am in the morning. But he's right, I do need a coffee, badly.  "Sure thing blondie." Blondie? Did I just say that?

"It's Jamie." He extends his hand. I shake it.

"Jamie. Well, do you intend on walking to Gino's with me while in your undies? Because I feel like that's slightly inappropriate attire." He looks down on himself as if only now realising he's almost naked.

"Right, well I'll grab some clothes. Stay here, I'll be right down." He says as he ambles up the stair to the first floor, floor A. I hear a door shut. I lean against the stair case and stare at the ceiling of the foyer to the block.

Two minutes later, he runs down the stairs in shorts and shirt, vans on his feet. Without a word, we set off. Gino's is my saviour, it's a 24 hour coffee shop, not a crappy one either. It's neat, and always nice to sit in, my saving grace for when I get called in for early morning/night shifts. Ducking in for a coffee is routine to me. I awkwardly try to keep up with the long strides of Jamie's ridiculously long legs, we don't say anything to each other, Gino's is only down the street from the apartment block. It suddenly occurs to me that only half an hour ago this boy was a stranger standing next to me in his undies, and now I'm getting coffee with him at 2am in the morning. What the hell am I doing? Jamie seems oblivious to my sudden awkwardness and internal panic. He strides forward and grabs the door for me, holding it open with a small smile. Not so outgoing now, huh? Maybe he is aware of our weird situation, too. I smile back shyly and step into Gino's. In the winter times it's a cosy indoor coffee shop with some pretty sweet heaters. The heaters must do aircon too, as it's refreshing to step out of the muggy outside heat. The cafe doesn't change it's cosy feel to suit summer, but for some reason, I like it.

"What are you having?" I jump slightly, so much for being aware of what's going on.

"Uhh.. I'll have a flat white."