No Strings Attached

Chapter Four

“When’s that pizza getting here?” Louis asked, ignoring Zayn’s comment. But Zayn only shrugged.

“Sometime soon, I’d imagine,” he muttered. “Rosiebug, are you hungry?”

Rosie looked up at the mention of her name and cocked her head to the side in consideration. Then she took her lollipop from her mouth, gave it a wave at Zayn and her father, and shook her head. “No, bug! Pollipop!”

Louis laughed. “Whatever that means, then.” 

Just then, Louis’ phone started buzzing in his pocket. He jumped at the sudden sensation before realizing what was happening. He pulled the cell from his pocket and glanced at the unfamiliar number. 

“Hello?” he greeted, as Zayn looked on. “Oh, hi Jacki. What’s going – oh no, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry – tonight? What time?” Louis looked around the room, from Zayn to Rosie then back to Zayn. “Yeah sure, I’ll head in soon. Feel better, won’t you? Yeah, yeah of course, don’t worry about it. Alright, talk to you later then.”

Louis hung up the phone and moaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“What was that?” Zayn asked. “Where are you heading?”

“That was Jacki, and she’s got the stomach flu,” he explained wearily. “She wondered if I could take her shift tonight, and usually I wouldn’t, but I really need the money right now and – ” But Zayn put his hand up to stop him and nodded understandingly. 

“No worries, mate,” he said, and Louis felt gratitude blossom within him. “Rosie and I will be fine here. We’ve still got that pizza coming and I think I have a few of my sister’s old toys in the back she can play with.”

“You’re a saint, Zayn Malik!” Louis swooned as he shot up to his feet and bent over to give his best mate a sloppy kiss on the cheek. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Zayn said while he watched Louis give Rosie a kiss goodbye and several warnings to behave. “Just tell me you’ll get laid tonight.”

“No promises!” Louis exclaimed as he rushed out of Zayn’s flat. 

***

You need the money. You need the money.

Louis repeated the mantra in his head over and over throughout the night, reminding himself that working this unexpected shift would have some payoff. Still, it didn’t help the simple fact that Zayn was spending time with Rosie and he wasn’t. It was almost pathetic how much he loved being with his lovebug, and how little time he could spend away from her. 

But at this point, there were only thirty minutes left in his shift. Then he could get Rosie from Zayn’s, maybe sneak a quick bedtime story in with the little girl, and then go to bed. 

Thankfully, the last thirty minutes of the night were typically dead, and his section was empty with the exception of one customer taking all the time in the world on his entrée. However, it afforded Louis the opportunity to count his tips over by the register. It wasn’t a completely shit night for tips, but he could have done better.

Louis was going through the last of the singles when he felt somebody poke him in his side. Normally, he wouldn’t have even flinched, as Zayn was the only one with the indecency to interrupt him during work. But seeing as Zayn wasn’t here, he couldn’t really imagine who would be prodding him for his attention. It wasn’t like he was exactly close with the rest of the staff. When he whirled around, he swore he had forgotten how to breathe, much less stand upright. 

“Harry,” he whispered breathlessly. 

Sure enough, the pale boy stood before him with bright green eyes so deep and tantalizing that Louis was sure they could have swallowed him whole. His head was canted slightly to the right and he had a goofy sort of grin on his face, bunching the apples of his cheeks upward and revealing the dimples that Louis remembered all too well. It didn’t help that his curls fell delicately across his forehead, making him seem that much more adorable.