Give Me Some Sugar, Daddy (Wattys 2017)

Part 1

I shrugged. "I'd rather drink in my dorm with friends and just chill rather than go out and get plastered and pray I get home safely."

He raised his eyebrows and nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "Well, that does sound more like my kind of scene anyway."

"Are you in college?" I ask absentmindedly. He scoffs and shakes his head.

"No, sweetheart. I'm thirty two, graduate of NYU, class of '06."

He was thirty-two? He looks like he's my age and I'm only twenty-one. "You look quite good for your age." I comment, and quickly squeeze my eyes shut. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Oh, God. He probably thinks I'm awkward as hell now.

"You're fine, love," he said, smirking and revealing the cutest dimples in his cheek. "Well, I'll let you continue studying. It was nice meeting you."

"It was nice meeting you, too, uh. . . ?"

"Harry," he smiled, outstretching his hand. I took it in mine, trying not to show on my face how shocked I was at how large his hands were.

"Jillian." I said, returning a smile.

"Beautiful name; definitely suits you." He winked, making my heart skip a beat before exiting the coffee shop.

*

I woke up the next morning around nine, seeing Becca asleep on top of her sheets, still wearing the dress and heels from last night and her hair a monstrous mess. I quickly changed into some athletic shorts and my quarter-zip running jacket, tying my hair into a ponytail and sticking my room key in my pocket. I always ran on Saturday mornings because everyone else on campus was either asleep or working, so it gives me an advantage to having the campus nearly barren and all to myself.

I took my usual route after stretching, pretty much just jogging around the perimeter of the campus. I stuck my headphones in my ears, playing some music to keep me in the zone.

I came up on Main Street, deciding to take a walking break. Passing by the coffee shop, I saw my best friend, Sadie. Of course, she was leaving the shop with two large cups of coffee in hand.

"Hey, Sade," I said, catching my breath. "Why are you up here so early?"

"Hey, Jillian." She shut off her phone and stuck it in her pocket. "Made a coffee run for me and Kate. We're going shopping today. Want to come?"

I nodded. "Sure, I mean, I need to shower but I'm down."

"Okay, well, we aren't leaving until around noon so we can eat lunch while we're downtown. I'll text you."

"Okay, I'll see you." I said goodbye and continued on my run, taking a shortcut through campus to get back to my dorm faster. I probably shouldn't go shopping today, what with my limited flow of cash and my lack of job findings.

I spent most of the money I made this summer on my laptop, only to have it crash nearly all the time. I wanted to trade it in, sell it, or get some money out of it, but I didn't expect it to bring me much cash, let alone enough to buy a new computer.

*

"What about this?" Sadie pulled a dress from the rack, holding it against her body in attempt to model it for me.

"I like the style, but definitely not your color." I commented. She rolled her eyes, placing the dress back in its original spot and searching for another.

"Curse my awkward skin tone." She muttered. I just chuckled and shook my head, looking through the clearance rack like I always did. I loved finding cute clothes for half the original price, it was like Christmas.

We were currently at the department store in downtown Pittsburg, trying to find a dress for Sadie's sorority formal. Kate was in the shoe section trying to find some new heels.

As I was looking through the racks, I noticed a familiar figure standing in front of the store right across from us. It was Harry. He was holding a shopping bag and talking on the phone, looking visibly distraught. I looked away before he saw me staring, looking through the racks more but my focus wasn't even on the clothes anymore. Looking back up, I saw that he had noticed me, giving me a small wave.

I waved back, smiling as his discouraged expression turned into a grin, revealing two deep dimples in his cheeks.

My happiness was soon cut short when a tall brunette walked over to him, clad in skinny jeans, a cute floral top, and nude boot wedges. They conversed for a little, before he kissed her cheek and they walked off together.

He never told me he was taken. Then again, why should it matter to me? I'm only twenty-one and he is eleven years older than me. He would never have a thing with me, that's bizarre beyond compare.

But then again, maybe it was just a friend. Kissing on the cheek was a thing for the British, right? I just sighed and looked away, trying to not let it ruin my day with my friends.

***