Harvey chuckled. “Yes, my friend. Rav and I go way back. He grew up on the same street as me and my brother.”
“Oh.” This time the word sounded deflated as if she sensed there was no story there.
Rav’s heart fell a little at Harvey’s words, too.Not that I expected anything different than being friend-zoned.
“Want to go grab a coffee?” Harvey said.
Ravi nodded then turned to the interviewer. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.” She then shook hands with Harvey. “Thanks for your time today.”
Once she left the two of them headed to the coffee shop in the foyer of the building. It was quiet in the late afternoon, so it didn’t take long before Harvey had his espresso, and Rav had a pot of tea in front of him.
“Are you okay?” Harvey asked.
Rav filled his cup then set the teapot back down. “Sure.”
“Hmm. I’m not buying that.”
Shit. Rav hated these types of conversations—when he knew he should say something about how he was feeling but detested the idea of putting his feelings out there.What if I make a fool of myself?He sipped the tea as he bolstered the courage, finally speaking when the cup was back on the saucer. “When you told that interviewer, Brina, about how we knew each other… well… it got me thinking.”
“Yeah?” Harvey put his own cup down.
“Thinking about what we’re doing here. I’ve been staying with you for weeks and we’re practically living in each other’s pockets.” Ravi added some milk, stirring his tea and watching the colour change. “I mean, I’ve slept in your bed. We kissed…” He finally lifted his eyes. “We kissed and it feels like we’re on the brink of something, but I’m not sure. Maybe it’s all in my head. I don’t know what this is.”
Ravi’s heart beat a nervous tattoo as he stopped speaking and waited for Harvey’s reaction.
“It’s not in your head.”
Ravi’s breath left him in a rush. “It’s not?”
Harvey gave a soft smile. “No. I feel it too. I’ve just been taking it slow, not wanting to push anything. I know you had that thing with Bo—”
“You think it’s a rebound?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” Harvey shrugged. “You’ve been dumped in the deep end with me, not to mention we’ve been friends for a long time. And Parker… Plus I’m older than you—”
“That’s never been a prob—” Ravi swallowed the words because of course it had been a problem. When he’d been nearly eighteen he made a move on Harvey, Harvey who’d been older and starting an amazing new life and who’d pushed him away. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks.
“Hey.” Harvey reached across the table and placed a hand on his. “That was a long time ago. Things are different now.”
Are they?Back then Harvey was a few years older and played in a garage band that was making a name for itself on the Perth pub circuit. He was on the verge of great things, getting ready to leave Perth behind and travel to Sydney to see if he could make it big. Harvey was hot and popular, already living a rock star lifestyle.No wonder he hadn’t been interested in me then.
Harvey squeezed his hand. “Sometimes it’s just a matter of timing.”
“I guess.” Ravi pulled back from Harvey’s grasp and wrapped his hands around his warm cup.
“If you’re into this too, then I’d like to see where it goes,” Harvey said, “but I understand if you’re not interested. I’m not an easy man to be in a relationship with.”
As if on cue, one of the staff approached the table, but instead of seeing if they needed anything else, she held out a notepad. “You’re Harvey from HyperOctane, right? Can I get your autograph or maybe a selfie?”
Instead of telling her to piss off, like Ravi was inclined to do, Harvey gave a half-hearted smile and agreed. He signed the notepad and posed dutifully with her for a photo. The girl’s smile was wide as she walked off looking at her screen.
“I’m sorry,” Harvey said once she was out of earshot. “Like I said, it’s not easy—”
“Nothing worth having ever is,” Ravi said.
“That sounds very profound.”
