Soft music greeted the young man as he stepped through the large double doors into the interior of the bar. The air smelled of cigarettes and alcohol, mixed with a something sweet that couldn't quite be assigned. Soft voices mingled with the piano, each of those present being careful not to speak too loudly. His steps were muffled by a red carpet and a man in uniform ran up to him with quick steps. He was still relatively young, in his early twenties at most, his brown hair combed straight back.

“Good evening, Mr. Tomlinson. May I take your coat?”, the young man asked professionally and offered the older one his arm to put the garment on. Louis Tomlinson was a regular guest and left a lot of money in the salon, making him a valued guest. That evening, too, he did not plan to leave early. He wanted to end this busy day relaxed.

“Thank you, Fionn. Is there anything new?”, he replied while taking off his coat and handing it to the younger boy. Underneath he wore a white shirt, jacket, and a black tie, which set a little accent with its white stripes. The black suit pants and matching shoes completed the outfit, making it look elegant and at the same time serious.
The brown hair was brushed back, but not as close to the head as Fionn's and thus appeared soft and voluminous. His blue eyes stood out and surveyed the surroundings as he strode through the anteroom, his destination the drawing room.

“Tonight, we have some live performances in our program, both dancing and singing. There are also some new additions, very promising. Would you like a whiskey as always?", the employee informed him, and the young man turned his head to him with a mischievous smile. He straightened his suit and got ready to enter the parlour before opening his mouth to answer.

“Yes please. And with two ice cubes, not three”, Fionn nodded quickly and then disappeared down the hall to the cloakroom to hang up the coat.
Louis, however, stepped straight ahead through another double door and entered the spacious room.
Comfortable armchairs covered with dark fabric and tables were set up, all facing a small stage at the end of the room. Reddish dimmed light illuminated the room and only a white spotlight was aimed at the stage, on which there was currently a piano. A man in a black suit sat at it and ran his fingers over the keys, so that a pleasant melody floated across the room.
There were several niches on the walls that you could withdraw into if you wanted to sit more privately and still have a view of the stage.
That was exactly what Louis wanted at that moment and so he made his way to one of the booths, knowing that the staff were following him with their eyes to bring him his drink.
In fact, shortly after he sat down on the soft, padded bench, a glass was placed in front of him. He thanked the waiter with a nod and then turned his gaze back to the stage on which the piano had now been pushed aside. The glass was cool against his heated skin and when he took a sip of the drink a pleasant sting ran through his throat. With keen eyes he watched what was happening on stage, excited about the little show that would begin at any moment. Indeed, a middle-aged man with blond hair came onto the stage and picked up the microphone.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to see you here this evening and to inform you that we have expanded our program. You will meet some new faces and I hope you enjoy the performance. I don't want to keep you waiting any longer and greet the enchanting Eleanor on stage”, he asked a young woman to come onto the stage with an inviting movement of his arm.

She had long, brown hair that covered her shoulders and chest and her wide, dark eyes looked curiously over the guests. Her slim body was wrapped in a beige, shiny dress and around her shoulders was a transparent cloth in the same colour.
She walked towards the microphone, music started playing, and she started singing. At the same time, she moved her body and played a little with the audience every now and then.
Louis watched what was happening and even if he wasn't averse, the young woman didn't really carry him away. The performance lasted a few minutes before the next woman went on the stage. However, the young man was not as enthusiastic as usual, and he let the next two performances pass him by. He had half emptied his whiskey and was already resigned to the thought of leaving the salon earlier than planned. He would watch one more performance, he decided as he took another sip of his drink.

“Thank you, Kendall. I know you love her, but now greet a new face and let yourself be enchanted by her. Clear the stage for Harriet”, Louis‘s blue eyes were on the figure, who now elegantly entered the stage. Brown curls flowed down her shoulders in waves, piercing green eyes looked excitedly into the room and the curved, sensual lips were twisted into a shy smile. A black dress with gold accents covered her body and black, slightly transparent gloves covered her hands up to the middle of her upper arms.
Louis watched the action intently and when the young woman opened her mouth and sang the first notes to the music, a cold shiver ran down his back. She had an astonishingly deep and at the same time incredibly soft voice that enveloped the young man from the very first moment.
At the beginning she was still a bit shy and reserved, but with every minute that passed, she seemed to be more confident, until she finally moved her body sensually to the music. She walked along the small stage and even if some of the steps looked a little awkward, it was lovely. In between she gave the guests a smile and even from the distance Louis could see the dimples on her cheeks.
He was enchanted, completely captured by this dark-haired beauty. He couldn't say what made her different from the other women, but something about her was special and attracted him almost magically. The glass on his table was forgotten and when a soft giggle escaped the rosy lips, he would have liked to storm the stage immediately.

In contrast to the other performances, this one ended far too quickly, and he tried to follow the young woman with his eyes for as long as possible until he could no longer distinguish her from the darkness behind the stage.
The words of the blond-haired man, who was already announcing the next performance, did not interest him, he raised his hand and beckoned one of the waiters over. From experience he knew that you could talk to the artists, have them called to you and he had nothing else in mind.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Tomlinson?", asked a young man with black hair when he came to a stop in front of the table. Louis knew the waiters and knew they wouldn't turn him down a favour, especially if he helped out with a tip.

“Zayn, would it be possible to bring Harriet here? She was just on stage and I would like to get to know her", he asked with a friendly smile, but the tone of his voice did not allow any contradiction. The young man named Zayn seemed to understand, because he nodded immediately and disappeared with a brief "Of course, sir" through a door into the area behind the stage where the artists were getting ready.
With a satisfied smile, Louis sat back and took a sip of his almost empty drink. His eyes were fixed on the door through which the waiter had disappeared only a few moments before and he waited eagerly for it to open again.

In fact, he didn't have to wait too long, because after only a few minutes a figure stepped through the door and moved elegantly past the tables towards the booth where Louis was patiently waiting. The red light encased her body, which was still covered by the same clothes. Some other guests turned their heads to the beauty, looked after her intently and a mischievous smile formed on Louis’s lips, because the young woman's attention would belong to him alone.
He followed her steps and finally she came to a stop in front of his table, her green eyes looking shyly at him. Up close she was even more beautiful, the curls framed her face and Louis would love to know if she wore lipstick or if her lips were naturally pink.

"Good evening, Mr. Tomlinson", she greeted him, and her slow voice gave the young man goosebumps. But something made him suspicious and so his blue eyes wandered over her body one more time, taking in every detail. When he finally got back to her face, a smile formed on his lips. She stood in front of the table with an uncertain look and a shy smile, not sure what to do now. One could definitely tell that she was still new to this and had no experience.

"Have a seat", the young man offered her the seat next to him with a movement of his hand and waved to one of the waiters, intending to order a drink for the young woman as well.

"Zayn, please bring Harriet something to drink", the man nodded, but before he could make his way to the bar, the young woman quickly intervened.

"I am not allowed to drink alcohol during my working hours"

"If I'm not mistaken, you are done for tonight", a slight red sheen formed on her cheeks at Louis utterance and she looked at her hands, which were still covered by the gloves.

"But if you want something without alcohol, that's fine, of course", the young man added and watched Zayn from the corner of his eye, who was waiting patiently in front of the table.

“I would like a martini. Thank you, Zayn ”, a smile from her, a nod from Zayn and the young man went back to the bar. There was silence between the two, Harriet had still lowered her gaze and Louis was watching her. When the drink was placed in front of her, she quickly reached for it and took a sip.

"Your performance was very good", Louis finally broke the silence and now the green eyes met his blue ones again. A soft "thank you" escaped her lips which were shiny from the drink and Louis was aware that he was staring, but he could not tear himself away from the sight. When the woman nervously ran her tongue over it, he had to swallow hard.

"Harriet is a lovely name...or should I say...Harry?", he had averted his gaze as he spoke and raised his glass to his lips before draining the rest of the golden-brown liquid. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the surprise and shock that spread across his face. He was sure that most of the guests in the room hadn't noticed that this lovely singer was actually a man.

"I beg your pardon? I...well...you have to mix something up. I-"

“Don’t worry Darling. I've already seen you and I'm sure you’re aware of that”, now Louis turned back and took the frightened young man's hand in his own. Of course, he hadn't expected to be exposed by someone on his first evening. He had really tried and if Louis didn't know that there was a man in front of him, he would never get such an idea.
Another blush formed on Harry's cheeks and he looked at their intertwined hands. He took a deep breath and then exhaled before nodding and speaking.

"Sir, you were-"

"Let's leave the formal. I am Louis"

“Okay…well you were here a few weeks ago. I had just started working here and I was watching you from the bar the whole time"

“I know. You weren't really inconspicuous. But to be fair I was watching you too”, he ran his thumb over the back of Harry's hand, the thin material of the glove the only thing that separated them. Most of all, he wanted to peel off the transparent fabric so that he could feel the soft skin underneath.

"How did you know it was me?", Harry asked in a low voice, his eyes following the movements of Louis‘s hand. He noticed that they were sitting much closer together than at the beginning and yet it wasn't close enough.

“I wasn't exactly sure. It wasn’t until you came here that I noticed"

"What was it?"

"Your hands"

"My hands?", replied the young man, astonished, and curiosity flickered in his eyes. Louis, however, ran his fingers over the back of his hand and followed the movements with his eyes. Then he cupped Harry's hand in both of his, a smile on his face.

“When we saw each other for the first time, you washed and cleaned glasses. Later on, you brought me a whiskey and I thought your skin must be totally soaked...but it wasn't. And you had so many rings. I wasn't quite sure, but you are wearing the same ring”, Harry's gaze wandered to the only ring he wore that evening.
On the silver metal band that wrapped around his finger was an ornate rose and the silver colour of the ring made it stand out from the black glove.

His lips curled up in a smile and dimples formed on his cheeks. Louis slowly raised his hand and put it in exactly that spot to stroke the dimple. The skin was immediately adorned with a delicate shimmer of red and Louis couldn't hold back a smile. He was amused at how quickly the young man got embarrassed around him.

"I saw you as soon as I went on stage," Harry whispered, his green eyes twinkling at Louis and there was still a shy smile on his lips. Those rosy, full lips that were now caught between his teeth for a moment. Everything inside Louis screamed to get closer to the curly headed man and yet he did not move a bit.

"You haven't looked at me a single time", he replied instead, in a voice that was as soft as Harry’s just seconds ago. The smile disappeared, and the young man looked down. Louis‘s hand was still on his cheek and he had no intention of removing it from there. Now he used it to lift the young man's head so that they looked at each other again.

"I was afraid you'd recognize me...and you'd find me disgusting," Harry replied hesitantly, the uncertainty reflected in his eyes and Louis’s face hardened.
In front of him was the prettiest person ever, he didn't want to do anything other than kiss him and show him how beautiful he was. He wanted to caress every part of his body, wanted to see his face when it was twisted because of lust and passion. When he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore and his hands fisted the sheets trying to reach for something. He wanted to kiss him, taste him, and show him over and over again how beautiful he was.

"Harry...I could never find you disgusting. You are beautiful, no matter what clothes you wear”, these words seemed to change something in the curly headed man, because all shyness and restraint was forgotten. He put his hands on Louis‘s shoulders and connected their lips passionately.

The older man immediately buried his hands in the long, curly hair, took a few strands between his fingers and pulled on them. Their lips moved roughly against each other, Louis ran his tongue over Harry's lower lip, who opened his mouth without hesitation. When their tongues touched for the first time, they both let out a low gasp. Hungry, they moved their mouths towards each other, stroked each other's tongues, and tried to get closer. When their lips parted for a brief moment, Louis took Harry’s lower lip between his teeth, pulled it back a little and received whimper. He wanted to do anything to hear that sound over and over again. His teeth let Harry's lower lip out of their grip and in an instant their lips were back against each other.
Harry squirmed in his seat, Louis‘s hand went down to his waist and he pulled the curly headed man onto his lap. Without hesitation they pressed their bodies closer together. Louis‘s other hand slowly wandered down Harry's back, caressed the black, silky fabric of the dress and only stopped at his bum.
Harry pushed back against the touch and for the first time pulled away from Louis‘s lips to take a shaky breath. He put his head in the crook of the older man's neck and his hot breath made Louis shiver. His hands brushed over the younger man’s bum, kneaded it now and then and slowly ran his hands down his thighs. The skin was soft under his fingers, not a single hair was to be found and a smile formed on his swollen lips.
He wanted to feel more of Harry's warm skin under his fingers, wanted to free him from the disturbing fabric. Teasingly, he stroked the edge of the dress, slipping his fingers under it every now and then, eliciting a low moan from Harry.
He kept his lips on the skin in the crook of Louis‘s neck, sucked on it and licked the reddened skin. A low gasp escaped Louis‘s lips and he pulled Harry even closer. Slowly he wandered up his neck, biting gently into the sensitive skin and finally pulling back.
A playful smile formed on Louis‘s lips when he saw Harry. His hair, which had been neatly done before, was now destroyed, the curls were wild, his glazed eyes were almost black from lust and his lips were puffy and even redder than before. Louis himself probably didn't look much different, and yet he was proud that he was the one who made Harry look like that.
He raised his hand and ran his thumb over Harry's bottom lip, the skin soft and hot under his finger. The curly headed one opened his lips and then closed them around his finger. Louis had to swallow hard and he felt the heat increase in his stomach.
The things he wanted to do with the young man kept growing in his head, his imagination running wild. He already had the feeling that he couldn't get enough of Harry anymore. He could feel the damp, warm tongue against his finger as he sucked on it for a moment. Harry slowly let the fingers slip out of his mouth, causing his lips to curl in a sly grin. He seemed to know exactly what this had done to the older man.

"I'm done for today”, the curly-haired mumbled suddenly with a smile on his lips. Louis couldn't hold back the grin that was spreading over his lips. Harry was still sitting on his lap, their crotches pressed together, making it quiet obvious what they wanted most right now. There was still this unrestrained heat in Louis's stomach and a tingling sensation spread through his body.

"Would you like to accompany me home?", he asked, raising his hand to brush a strand of hair aside before placing his hand on Harry's cheek. He gently stroked the heated, reddened skin and felt the young man leaning into the touch.

"A gentleman would actually accompany the lady home, but if you think so", replied Harry and met Louis with a reproachful look, but a faint chuckle escaped his lips. Louis couldn't hold back a small laugh and leaned forward to bring their lips together for another kiss. This one was much more gentle, more affectionate and above all shorter than the one they had shared just a few moments ago.
Harry sighed softly and wrapped an arm around the older man's neck, wanting to have him as close as possible. Although they parted only a few seconds later, they continued to lean their foreheads against each other, their lips only a few inches apart.

"I have a fireplace, fairy lights and lots of fluffy blankets at home," whispered Louis, feeling Harry's lips brush against his own and how they lifted into a smile. A hasty nod and a short kiss were his answer and so the curly headed rose from Louis‘s lap.

The martini was still on the table, but neither of them paid any attention to it. The young man straightened his clothes and tried to tame his curls, without success. Louis was proud of his work and put an arm around the young man, thus getting his attention.

"Would you like to change and we'll meet outside? I still have to get my coat”, he suggested and after Harry had agreed, they parted ways. Elegant and yet with a certain haste, the curly headed sneaked past the tables and through the red light to the door next to the bar. When he got there, he glanced over his shoulder and Louis could see his dimples from the distance on his cheeks as the corners of his mouth lifted in a grin. Then he disappeared through the door and Louis, after putting the money for their drinks on the table, made his way to the cloakroom. Anticipation and excitement flooded his body and although they had only just parted, he couldn't wait to see the young man again.

Even if he didn't expect it, he was glad how the evening had ended and he hoped that this was just the beginning. When he stepped out into the street a little later and a person he knew was waiting there, he couldn't help but hurry.
Harry's curls were whirled up by the wind, he was wrapped in a dark cloak and his green eyes looked like they had a sparkle in them.
He was the person he dreamed of every day but didn't know who it was. He had lived in his daydreams with him even way before they met. And when Louis saw Harry like that, he knew he would do anything to keep him in his life.