It all started with a cup of coffee.

Eduard’s day just hadn’t been going right. He was struggling to stay focused, causing him to mess up terribly in his rehearsals and learned that ticket sales for his upcoming performance were not selling. Now with his debit card not working and without enough cash, he couldn’t afford to buy his own coffee. He was almost ready to walk out in embarrassment. But the man behind him rested his hand on his shoulder and said, “I’ll buy. Miss, add his order onto mine!”

Eduard was surprised by the man’s generosity but was nevertheless grateful. The man had convinced him to join him by the window and the two had chatted up a storm. His name was Christian Andersen. He didn’t need Christian to tell him that he was a construction worker. His dirty clothes and face, and that yellow hardhat told the whole story. He was working on the new apartment condos being built not far from the concert hall he was performing at. Something he hadn’t expected, Christian had seen his face on posters around town advertising his upcoming performance and eagerly bought tickets. He didn’t look like it but he was lover of classical music. He used to play the cello but hadn’t played in several years. Eduard had discovered that they enjoyed the same kinds of beer, were outdoorsmen but enjoyed the indoors just as much, and knitted and baked as a hobby. They exchanged phone numbers that afternoon.

Eduard learned later that night that Christian was a social butterfly. He wasn’t the type to hand out phone numbers and not call you for a week, and he was more than okay with that. Eduard was an easy-going and friendly guy with many acquaintances but very few friends. It was nice to have his phone ringing for a change.

Nearly a week had gone by and on the night of the performance, Christian had arrived at the concert hall but once he took his seat, he immediately noticed that something wasn’t quite right.

The hall was practically empty.

Christian had wondered if he had arrived early but one glance at his watch said otherwise. He looked around and the crowd was sparely placed. He could give a precise number as to how many people were in the room. At no later than eight o’clock, the red curtains were pulled back and Eduard was on stage. Sharply dressed in a black tuxedo, Eduard bowed to the empty crowd and took his seat in front of his piano. The applause was almost non-existent. Only a few people had clapped, with his being the most enthusiastic of the bunch.

When Eduard’s fingers hit the keys, Christian was mesmerized. His playing was precise, clear, and gentle. He had never heard of the tunes he played, leading him to wonder if they were original compositions. Many of the pieces were soft and beautiful to listen to. His music told a story and Christian could see it play out in his mind. He pictured a simple love story, featuring a mix of hardships, triumph, and tragedy. Christian couldn‘t get enough. The fact Eduard was playing for an empty audience was heartbreaking for him. Something as beautiful as this needed to be heard by many. It was that night he decided to make it his mission to have Eduard heard by the masses. When the concert was over, Christian was the only one who gave him a standing ovation.

Eduard remembers that night well. Christian had gone backstage to look for him. He wasn’t very far, he was near the curtains, his back up against the wall as he drank from a bottle of water. When Christian spotted him, he whistled at him, the sound being so loud it startled some of the workers.

“Hey great performance out there. You’ve got some talent there!” he said as he playfully smacked Eduard’s back.

“Thanks. I’m surprised you stayed for the whole thing. I was worried that the small crowd would have given you doubts.”

“Yeah about that, what’s the deal? With that kind of skill, ya should be getting a full house!”

Eduard shyly looked away, “I wish I knew. I haven’t been able to able to attract much of an audience. Judging from the ticket sales, there should have been more people coming but I guess they changed their minds or couldn’t come. But still, tonight’s crowd was a bit better than usual. I still have four more concerts to perform this month but if things don’t improve by next Friday, they’ll axe the rest of the dates.”

Christian listened carefully to his words. There was no way he was going to let that happen. He placed his hand on Eduard’s shoulder and laughed with confidence. “Ya don’t need to worry about a thing. I’ve got this covered! Now, how about we grab a beer to celebrate?”

Christian took the next few days going through all his contacts. Through his phone contacts to social media, he was sending messages left, right, and center. He had passed it along to his co-workers as well but the majority had just laughed and shrugged it off. He wasn’t expecting much but it was worth a try.

Christian tossed his phone next to him and sunk into his couch, his beer still in his right hand. He had been thinking a lot about his new friend. They only knew each other for a short time but he still felt a particular bond with him that he hadn’t felt with someone in a long time. When they had met for the first time, Eduard was charming, laidback, and had this overall sweetness to him. He had a way with his words and it made him wonder if it was a bit... flirtatious? No, that’s probably not the right word he’s looking for. But he truly liked him. Whether it was in person or when they were on the phone, everything just felt right.

Snapping him out of his daydream, his phone vibrated. It was his long-time friend Aksel. He texted him saying that he’ll be attending Friday’s concert with his younger brother, Eiríkur. Christian had done a fist pump in the air. That was eight people confirmed.

Eduard was nervous. Christian hadn’t called him in several days and wondered if he was alright. He had sent out text and voice messages asking him to call him back but they were not returned. Eduard needed support. He was terrified that this concert was going to be another failure. This was his lively-hood and dream. Without this, he can’t make ends meet. He had enough saved in his bank account after he quit his job as a waiter because of some inheritance money but he didn’t have much left. He needed this to work out.

He got the cue to head on stage by one of the directors. He tried his best to keep his composure but the butterflies wouldn’t cease in his stomach. When the curtains pulled back, Eduard stood completely blank-faced when the crowd applauded. The hall was not packed but the crowd was still large, by his standards of course. When the scene had finally registered to his brain, Eduard couldn’t believe his eyes that he had almost forgotten to bow to the crowd. In the corner of his eye, he could see Christian in the front row with the largest smile that he had ever seen, clapping his heart away. It took all of his willpower to not tear up. Everything was going to be just fine, he had told himself. Just play and do your best.

The concert had gone for a little over an hour and a half. Once he had played his final notes, there was a pause before the crowd erupted into applause. Some members of the audience had gave him a standing ovation, something no one had ever done until Christian come along. The butterflies were long gone but his emotions were still running wild. He bowed to the crowd once more and waved to the crowd with a large smile of his own to show his gratitude. When the curtains closed, he collapsed onto his bench. That was the best performance he had ever done.

Eduard walked backstage and heard Christian call out to him. He had his arms wide open with that classic silly grin of his that he had come to recognize and love. “I said I’d got ya covered didn’t I?” Eduard laughed and returned his hug. “How did you get so many people to come here?”

“I’ve got connections. I’m a socialite remember?”

Neither of the two seemed to have noticed they were still locked in an embrace, nor did they seem to mind. To them, everything about this moment was perfect. It wasn’t until Askel had showed up backstage with his brother and jokingly asked if Eduard was his boyfriend. The two men looked at each other for a moment and laughed. “Only if he wants to be,” Christian said before Eduard pulled his face closer for a peck on the cheek.

To think it all started with a cup of coffee. It’s funny how life sometimes works.