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“Excuse me,” Noel huffs. “Spare yourself the dig! Sterling is not a picky eater!”

“How did you know I was talking about him then?” Mateo grins.

As if to prove his point, Noel grabs an olive from my plate and reaches it towards Sterling, until the latter takes it and eats it.

Sterling grimaces. “Yuk, how can you eat that?!”

I can’t help but chuckle. “I didn’t know you were a picky eater.”

Sterling shrugs. “Well, if the others say it, it must be true.”

“Don’t let Mateo tease you,” Noel exclaims. “You are a selective eater, not a picky one. Why has that become the main topic now?”

Cedric has been listening in awe. Now, however, he bursts into giggles. “You are such a meme,” he says. “Actually, all of you.”

Noel looks at him with a twitching brow. “You are one to talk.”

“True,” Cedric beams.

Noel looks at him, before a resigned expression crosses his beautiful features. His body goes slack while he leans against me, grumbling something under his breath.

“Don’t worry about Cedric,” I chuckle. “Been there, done that.”

Noel rests his chin against my shoulder, looking at me through his soft brown eyes. I can’t help but drive my fingers through his silky hair. He is just so breathtaking when he is close to me, but even more so when he is vulnerable and open with me. I feel a twinge in my chest, something I haven’t felt in a long while. It’s not uncomfortable, it’s rather… a spark. It makes my fingers itch to grab a brush again and draw.

The feeling strikes me out of the blue, leaving me completely dumbfounded.

I want to draw?!

Noel leans his forehead against my shoulder, taking a deep breath as if he is inhaling my scent. By now, it must have dawned on Cedric that Noel is not just some acquaintance, because he stares at us wide-eyed, his mouth open.

“Close your mouth,” Lynn says. “You are going to catch a fly.”

“You knew?”

“Of course. How come you didn’t?” she says. “Didn’t you watch them at the exhibition?”

“I thought Mr. Randall was just being polite.”

Lynn snorts. “If you think that was just a guy being polite to another guy, I feel like you need a babysitter at your side. Makes me worry for your overall safety.”

“She is right,” Sterling says. “Be careful not to get tricked, Cedric.”

Cedric’s cheeks flush slightly. “I am not that naïve,” he mutters. “Okay, maybe a bit.”

Before anyone can say anything, someone next to us clears their throat. “Lynn?” It’s a guy’s voice. He must be standing behind me, out of my view, but directly opposite to Lynn.

Lynn’s gaze snaps up, staring at the person first, then at me, then back up again.

What was that?

“Wait… Aden, is that you?”

Noel startles slightly and moves his head from my shoulder while I turn to look right into Oliver’s surprised eyes.

“Hello, Oliver,” Lynn says. “I didn’t expect you here. It’s not your usual type of bar.”

“I got invited over by a friend,” Oliver says. “I am meeting Martin later somewhere else.”