Beyond the City [H.S.]

Chapter 3

It was Wednesday - work orientation day.

It had been a few days since Harry and I got my dining table and then I practically burned his chest off with scalding hot tea. Even though he insisted that it was just an accident and that I needed to stop apologizing, I still texted him when he got home that night.

Me: Again. So sorry I practically melted your chest off with tea. My bad, friend.

Harry: Again. It was just an accident. Night, friend.

I smiled at his response for the rest of the night and I haven't talked to him since. I was mainly waiting for him to reach out to me, waiting to see if maybe our quick friendship was worth his free time, but I hadn't gotten so lucky.

I climbed out of my comfortable, warm bed and trudged to the bathroom in order to get ready for the most dreaded thing amongst the population; work. Not to mention work with your step father. Nepotism doesn't really count when your step father doesn't like you much which in turn means your boss won't like you much.

I took a quick shower and began to get ready. I blow dried my hair and did a bit of makeup before heading to my closet and tossing what I was going to wear onto my bed. I grabbed a to-go mug and set it next to my stove as I waited for the water to boil for tea, of course. I tangled two tea bags into the mug and clicked the lid on after pouring the water in.

I thought about how I hadn't drank tea since Sunday night, after burning Harry's skin right off. It really wasn't that bad. But by the time he left, it was a little blotchy but he said he'd put a cold compress on it and some cream when he got home and it would be fine.

I sighed and jogged into my room to change into my dress pants and white blouse. I slipped on my heels, grabbed my purse, tea, and keys before heading out the door and locking it behind me. I rode the elevator down to the lobby and walked out, passing Kevin at the front desk.

"G'mornin', Opal!" Kevin exclaimed. I sipped on my drink and moved my sunglasses onto the bridge of my nose as I waved. I thought the conversation was over, but he continued. "How'd you sleep?"

His cheery tone annoyed me to my tired core, but I bit back my groan and put on a smile. "Fine," I said. I think he felt the resentment in my voice and he nodded once with a smile and turned back to the computer in front of him. I felt bad for a moment, but knew eventually Kev would get over it.

"Have a good one," I called out to him as I pushed the door open with my back. Kevin's head snapped up and his grin grew even wider. I waved one last time and finally made it onto the sidewalk to start my commute to the best job ever... Sarcastically.

**

"How was your first day?" My mom asked me. I had my phone pinned between my shoulder and cheek again as I ran some hot water into the sink so I could do the few dishes I had used. "Did you see Paul?"

"No, I guess he had some meetings. I trained with some David guy. All I do is answer calls and organize paperwork. It's super duper exciting," I explained. We chatted about a few other things before my mom finally brought up Harry. It took her 15 minutes - longer than I thought it would take.

"Don't you think it's a bit naive to have let in some stranger to your home while you know nothing about him?" She asked.

I sighed deeply. "He's not a stranger," I mumbled and turned the water off after placing the last dish onto the drying mat next to the sink. "He's a friend," I added.

"Then have him come to dinner. I think Paul was going to make tomorrow night work instead of this weekend," she explained. I could practically see my mother's smirk at the thought.