[center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjE1OC41MTc3ODEuU205dVlXZ2dXbWgxLjAAAAAA/midellion-demo.regular.png[/img] [img]https://45.media.tumblr.com/2f325b68d9dd83b9d5dcc322836b9470/tumblr_ny9fbcqhFd1reli55o3_540.gif[/img] [/center] [hr][hr] There were mornings where Jonah woke up with an aching hole in his chest. Those mornings he would rise before the sun and sneak up to the roof with a pack of cigarettes with Ai behind him, the dog sensing the uneasiness of Jonah. He didn't think about [i]him[/i] as much as he used to. It was rare now since Jonah had to worry about the music store opening in two weeks and finishing stocking everything up for the grand opening. It had already been a year since he had left Whitefish and he was suffering from what had happened. Work always kept his mind and body busy, but where there was no work to be done he often spent it lighting a cigarette. While Jonah was not proud of his addiction, the momentary feeling of lightness and weightlessness made it worth it. He hadn't been smoking for long anyway, so he could always quit later, right? [color=cadetblue]"I keep telling myself I can quit, but I know I won't anytime soon, ain't I"[/color] Jonah said before taking a long drag from the cigarette. The toxic sweetness filled his lungs, and Ai whined next to him. [color=cadetblue]"What is it, baby?"[/color] He reached out to pet her cloud-like fur. [color=cadetblue]"We'll go on our walk in a bit,"[/color] he assured Ai, and she huffed, almost like she was complaining to him. [color=cadetblue]"You miss him, don't you? You cried the first two months while were where out traveling."[/color] Jonah hated to see Ai unhappy and walking away from [i]him[/i] had already been painful enough that seeing Ai like that had broken his heart all over again. [color=cadetblue]"I-- I miss..."[/color] Jonah shook his head. [i]No. [/i] He didn't miss that cheating asshole-- he didn't miss that stupid lopsided smile-- or those stupid calloused hands-- or those stupid eyes that almost seemed to light up a room-- or his stupid way to making Jonah blush like a school girl. [i]No. [/i] Jonah just missed the idea of him. That was it. Jonah didn't miss Dave; he missed what he had with him. Jonah and Ai stayed in the rooftop until the first sun rays painted the sky orange and the air hung with the sweet aroma from Jonah's cigarettes. The two of them left before anyone else wondered up to the roof. [hr] [color=lightgray]"Mr. Zhu, I know it's early, but I wanted to speak to you about promoting the grand opening starting today. I can start an Instagram account and post early pictures of the interior of the store. You know, those hipster-like pictures with filters on top."[/color] Luci, Jonah's marketing manager, was on the other end of the line. She was a stocky girl in her early twenties and fresh out of community college with a marketing degree. He had first hired her for her resourcefulness and professionalism. [color=lightgray]"Get those aesthetics and vibes going. We also have to promote to artists and musicians in Silverdale."[/color] [color=cadetblue]"I was actually thinking about offering the place up for small gigs and discounted recording sessions."[/color] Jonah was currently walking Ai in the local park. Well, Ai was walking him because he wouldn't hurry up and start their daily jog. [color=cadetblue]"We can promote the with announcements too, I saw a billboard up for rent by downtown, we can use that to promote the store-- and add our social media accounts to it too."[/color] [color=lightgray]"The billboard wouldn't fit in the budget, Mr.Zhu--"[/color] [color=cadetblue]"Luci."[/color] Being called Mr.Zhu was for an older person, maybe someone in their forties and Jonah was not in his forties. Besides, he was only a few years older than her. [color=lightgray]"Sorry, Jonah."[/color] She cleared her throat and continued, [color=lightgray]"The billboard doesn't fit in the budget, we can always print out flyers, that would be a lot cheaper."[/color] [color=cadetblue]"I didn't set up the budget, you did. It's okay to go over, just put the billboard in my personal account."[/color] Jonah began to quicken his pace since he didn't want Ai to grow impatient. [color=cadetblue]"I'll go over to the store later on the day to help out. I'll see you then, Luci."[/color] After a brief goodbye Jonah hung up and began to daily job around the park and off the edge of the woods with Ai. [hr] Breakfast was quick today. Poached eggs, buttered toast, and bacon. It was the closest thing he has had to an English breakfast ever since he had moved to the states and while Jonah missed the typical breakfast back home, he would never say no to American bacon. His mother would disown him if he ever admitted to preferring American bacon to the usual back bacon they had back home. Don't forget the tea! Oh, how Americans had such a limited amount of teas in the local markets. His first year in Whitefish had been hell. The few teas they had were called "English Teas" or black tea or green tea! Jasmin tea was horrible too! Jonah missed his Da Hong Pao and Silver Needle tea. He had been raised on Chinese teas mostly, ever since his mother had married his father the whole household had been consuming nothing but Silver Needle and Da Hong Pao. Luckily there was a shop that sold exported teas and some new blends that Jonah liked to try out now and then. He had tried to introduce his kind of teas to his other two flatmates as a way to interact with them more and get to know their tastes. A month wasn't enough to get to know a person entirely. Jonah was still trying to get a hand of the whole living having flatmates. He had shared living quarters before, but that had been in Oratory, and that had been long ago. Sharing bathrooms with a whole flat block were also strange to Jonah. While he was usually the first one to wake and get his day going, he still found the rare early bird in the showers. Luckily he hadn't encountered that handsome man he bumped into the other day. He had immediately fallen to his knees to pet and kiss Ai while Jonah was left quietly staring at the man. He had wanted to say something to him, but his usual friendly demeanor had been blocked by the utter embarrassment and the urge to smile like an idiot. He was probably smiling like an idiot. [i]He had been.[/i] All Jonah knew about the man was that he was the most handsome man in the apartment and that he lived in 3B-- nope. There was no time for that kind of stuff right now. Jonah had to concentrate on work and to get the shop running. He had yet to hire people for the cashier and the and the display assistant. Maybe he should do that before the party tonight. He could get a sign up by the front desk that there was help wanted for the new music shop. Someone in this flat block must need a job. [hr] [color=cadetblue][i]Said the Thief to the Moon, "I'll extinguish your light soon I'll put an end to all the light that you shed on this world in its darkened state." Said the Moon to the Thief, " You know not of what you seek, you'll doom the world to wander the night with no light to guide the paths that men seek." "Oh, but all the wealth in the world will be mine... Without a means of defense for all those blind My very existence is a race to attain wealth For the thief's only loyalty in life is to the devil and himself." "The earth will rise up and devour all that you are The skies will call forth thunderous storms from afar When you're dead, there'll be no grave to remember your name For your greed brings your end and there's no one but yourself to blame."[/i][/color] [color=lightgray]"That was great!"[/color] A black-haired man wearing black jeans a shirt too small for him said behind acoustic glass. [color=lightgray]"Everything seems to be working perfectly fine. All we need to do now is tidy up the place a bit."[/color] Jonah put the guitar down and removed the headphones. [color=cadetblue]"I'll clean up the place, don't worry Juan."[/color] Juan was the recording engineer Jonah had hired off craigslist. While he didn't really trust that site, he was sure glad he had checked as his last resort. Juan had graduated from uni back in Los Angeles and had recently moved back to Silverdale to care for his sick grandma. Silverdale was not LA, so getting a job as a recording engineer would most likely be impossible. Not many recording studios here in Silverdale. [color=cadetblue]"You can go talk to Luci downstairs,"[/color] He shot the man a smile and Juan only laughed nervously and excused himself before walking down the spiral staircase to the shop. Jonah spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the recording studio. He made sure to gather all the trash and separate the recycling from the non-recyclable stuff, swept the whole floor and then mopped. At some point, he put his playlist over the speakers and sang along as he watered some of the plants around the studio. [color=cadetblue][i]"Hey, I just met you and this is crazy"[/i][/color] Jonah gripped the tip of the broom and began to sing into it as it were a microphone as Carley Rea Jepsen played in the back. [color=cadetblue][i]"But here's my number, so call me maybe"[/i][/color] He danced and sang his way to the small storage closet where he began to put all the cleaning supplies away while keeping the broom and singing into the wooden stick. [color=cadetblue][i]"It's hard to look right at you baby, but here's my number, so call me maybe."[/i][/color] The sun was already setting outside the windows of the studio, drowning the walls of the interior a warm orange color. Jonah was almost done with cleaning when he realized if he didn't stop dancing and sing around the room he would be late for Bert's party. [color=cadetblue]"Bloody hell, I still gotta buy some beer."[/color] Jonah turned off the music and hurried off. He was not going to be late to his first party in Silverdale. He had to change too! Jonah had to impress the other tennats and maybe catch the eye of the handsome man. [i]Maybe ask his name?[/i] Oh goodness, Jonah was not ready. [hr] [sub][i]Song is Thief and the Moon by Shawn James[/i][/sub]