Wednesday morning arrived with the kind of energy that came before a break—anticipation humming beneath the surface of routine.
Luca woke to find Noel already in the shower, water running, steam creeping under the bathroom door.
He grabbed his phone from the nightstand, squinting at the brightness.
Three new messages from Jordan.
Jordan: dude you awake
Jordan: got the thing you asked for
Jordan: lmk when you want to pick it up
Luca typed back quickly.
Luca: yeah I'm up. can I grab it after work?
Jordan: sure. I'll be home around 6
Luca: perfect. thanks man
Jordan: no problem. he's gonna love it btw
Luca smiled, setting his phone down just as the bathroom door opened.
Noel emerged in a cloud of steam, towel around his waist, hair damp and sticking up in odd directions.
"Morning," he said, moving toward the closet.
"Morning." Luca watched him pull out clothes—dark slacks, a crisp white shirt, the blazer that made him look unfairly professional. "You look fancy."
