Lucky Penny [h.s.]

13.

Penelope.

Harry and I spent a few hours every day at Steve's bar that week.

Sometimes there were people joining us for a while, like we bumped into Niall and a colleague of his once, but somehow we were always left just the two of us. When other people were around, it didn't seem as suspicious that the two of us would meet up at a bar to hang out alone, even though I'd hung out with all of my male friends alone at one point and it never felt weird.

This felt different somehow, and I knew exactly why but I was in denial and didn't say it out loud. Not even my head.

Harry dropped by every day after work while I had usually already been there for a little bit, securing a good table and getting some work done before he got there. When Harry was sitting in front of me, I could never focus. We talked and drank coffee, did about five minutes of work before being engulfed in another conversation again about nothing and everything.

I had been here with Zayn for a bit before he left for another shift at the hospital, and I smiled at Harry when he walked in and saw me sitting alone at the table.

"Hi." He grinned, smiling wider when he saw the cup of coffee I had ordered him. He shook his head to himself, "You have to stop doing that. You've paid me back for those stupid tampons ages ago and I don't want to be in debt."

I chuckled, "Don't worry about it. I like the look on your face when you see that there's a cup waiting for you."

Harry groaned to himself as the first taste hit him, "Perfect, perfect, perfect." He muttered under his breath, enjoying the amazing coffee from Steve. Apparently the coffee at school was terrible so he always looked forward to this.

"You look pretty today." He complimented and I raised my brows, a small smile tugging on my lips, "Thank you."

"I mean – um," He cleared his throat, "You look pretty every day. I-I like your dress. It's floral. And long. Good colours. Good dress."

My smile grew as I slowly nodded, "That was painful to watch."

Harry let out a breathy chuckle, "Just take the compliment."

"In that case, thanks again, and you look nice too." I smiled, seeing his white T-shirt that slightly clung to him. He was dressed casually once more on a hot Thursday. The outline of a gold cross-necklace was visible through the fabric of his T-shirt, resting against his sternum. He seemed comfortable going to work dressed like this, with his tattoos on display and all. I knew in certain schools they frowned upon that and expected teachers to wear suits all the time, but the school seemed a good fit for him.

Harry got to talking about his day, explaining something that had happened between a few of his kids, and then moving on to a rumour about a teacher. At the school where Harry and Dave worked, there were a lot of older colleagues who liked to gossip over a cup of coffee during lunch. Harry, being his charming self, got on the good side of all the old girls there and heard the gossip first. He didn't admit it, but he loved it.

Harry hadn't even sat down for fifteen minutes before my phone rang and I answered my dad's call. I wandered around the bar while talking to him, my feet taking me in circles throughout the room as I had one arm crossed over my chest and the other held my phone, pressed to my ear.

My dad was aware that I had broken up with Patrick, and insisted on a facetime call with me on Saturday while I was a wreck in my bed. I had bawled my eyes out as he tried to comfort me through the screen, all the way from Brighton. He had then proceeded to put my little sister, Aurora, on the phone. She had been in a mood, but still managed to lift my spirits tremendously.