Salute I H.S.

Chapter Three- Dinner Dates & Omnipotent Offers

As if on cue, the banging started up on the ceiling. Harry's eyes drifted up lazily and he stared at the ceiling for a moment before glancing back at Piper with his brow raised inquisitorially.

"For Christ's sake," Piper muttered annoyed before tilting her head back. "I'm turning it off you bloody twat," she hollered at the ceiling, hoping that Clive could hear it. "Calm the fuck down!"

Harry laughed loudly and brightly at Piper's reaction and she felt her cheeks flushing, embarrassed at her outburst. Did normal, sane people not yell rude things at their neighbours? Was that just her? "Sorry," she murmured. "Clive and I have a - special relationship."

"I can tell," Harry murmured, amused, before straightening to his full height and towering over her. "We should be off anyways, petal. Wouldn't want to be late for our dinner reservations."

"Let me get my shoes," she told him, pointing toward the front room. "Would you mind shutting off the music?"

"Not at all," he said before stepping out of the bathroom and giving Piper space to breathe for the first time since he had startled her. She let out a long breath through shaky lips, trying to steel herself up a bit. Keep it together Piper.

She checked her reflection once more before slipping out of the bathroom and into her bedroom next door. Her bed was a mess with clothes she had tried on. Mostly undergarments. It had been a big dilemma - sexy underwear in case the evening ended in the bedroom? Comfortable underwear in case Harry brought her to one of those gastropubs where you sit on picnic benches or something equally as idiotic? Or spanx to hold in all the parts of Piper that she didn't want highlighted in her new dress? In the end, comfortable had won out because since when was she lucky enough for an evening of fun in the bedroom? Better off having a nice evening and being comfortable.

Still, when she saw the mess on her bed, her brain thought ahead and let her know how embarrassed she would be if they did come back here. She immediately forgot about the shoes and gathered all of the clothes in her arms, tossing them into her closet and then working to force the doors shut. It took some effort but she managed to get the doors to click shut behind her, letting out a sigh of relief. And then she remembered the heels sitting on the floor inside that she had been planning to wear.

It was an art form being able to dive through the pile of clothes for her shoes without ruining her hair but she managed it somehow. She slipped into the sky-high black heels and remembered to grab her clutch before she stumbled out of the bedroom and down the short hall to the front room.

Harry was waiting for her there, the music off now. He was facing away, looking at one of her books that he had pulled off the shelf. It gave her a moment to rake her eyes over his frame, admiring the way that his suit fit him perfectly. His suit jacket sat comfortably on his broad shoulders before tapering down to his slim waist. Because his arms were lifted holding the book, his jacket was pulled up a bit at the back, showing off the shape of Harry's absolutely perfect bum.

Piper made a sound between a groan and a whimper before she could stop herself, which caught Harry's attention. He looked over his shoulder at her, his lips tugging up into a grin. His normally crazy curls were tamed tonight, brushed back from his head and held in place with a bit of product, so his eyes were bright and on full display. She averted her own gaze, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"I'm ready," she muttered, busying herself with fixing the angle of the picture frame sitting on her side table. Her dad smiled back at her for a moment before she flipped the whole thing to face the other way instead.

When she glanced up, Harry was watching her hand fumble on the frame, a thoughtful look on his face. She let it go immediately, hoping that he wouldn't ask about it.