When Love Arrives (H.S.)

Chapter 8

My shift had just come to a close and I was counting my tips in the back. I hadn't made an awful lot of money tonight, which normally would have infuriated me, but the laughter I heard waiting for me outside made me feel better. The night had consisted of Harry and I, who were quickly joined by Erica and Niall, sharing an endless basket of french fries and talking about everything and nothing. 

I didn't have too much actual work to do, but, for once, I didn't mind. 

I locked up the restaurant at around midnight, saying goodbye to my co-workers as we all walked out. Erica, Niall, Harry and I all stood, shivering a bit from the weather that was even colder now, finishing our conversation from earlier that had somehow gone from the Supreme Court to Sesame Street at the drop of a hat. After a few more minutes of laughter, we had enough of standing out in the cold.

"Wanna get a cab all together?" Harry asked, his hands deep in his pockets.

"Well," Erica said, looking at Niall who was rubbing her arms to keep her warm. "I'm actually gonna stay at Niall's, if that's okay with you, Mel?"

I shrugged, not minding having the apartment to myself. "Yeah, I'll just walk, it's not that far."

"Us, too" Erica said, hugging me. "Text me when you get in."

"Will do, bye guys!" I called, turning around with a smile on my face. I felt like I was on cloud nine as I walked down that street, feeling really grateful to have had such a nice night with friends. 

"Melissa, wait!" a voice called behind me and I somehow hit the level above cloud nine as I turned my head and saw Harry walking along side me.

"Hey," I said with a laugh, as he tried to catch his breath and keep up with me. "Couldn't catch a cab?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Mel. I'm walking you home," Harry said, matter-of-factly. 

I rolled my eyes, but still kept that same, stupid smile plastered on my face. "I can take care of myself. It isn't that far of a walk."

"It's midnight! Who knows what kind of," he coughed, speaking lower as he gestured to the homeless man sitting on the steps of an apartment building on our right, "strange people are around."

I glared at Harry momentarily and quickly b-lined towards the man he was referring to. "Hey, Mickey," I said to him, pulling a container of leftover food from Flo's out of my bag. "Are you hungry?"

"My sweet Melissa," Mickey half-sung, half-said to me. Smiling at me warmly, he graciously accepted my offer. "I don't usually see you tonight. Thank you, thank you," he took my gloved hand between two of his cold looking ones. 

"Do you need gloves? I can get you gloves."

"No, no, Mel. You do enough. Thank you."

I rolled my eyes at him, taking a twenty dollar bill out of my tips and giving it to him, immediately running away after since I knew he wouldn't want to accept it. "Okay, get something warm, goodbye!"

"Whoa! Where you going, love? Got a hot date? Got a hot new boyfriend and replaced me, did ya?" Mickey called after me, standing up on his stoop, pointing and glaring at Harry, who was grinning now. 

"No way! Only you, Mick! Goodnight!" 

"Love you, Mel!" 

I smiled to myself and turned right onto the next street, seeing Harry staring at me incredulously out of the corner of my eye. 

"What?" I said, laughing.

"Well, who the hell is that? Do you just go around giving money and food out? Making friends with homeless people? Like some Robin Hood shit?"

"Yeah," I said, smiling at him sarcastically.

"You mysterious thing, you," he said, eyes wide. 

"I'm kidding," I explained. "When I first started working at the restaurant, a few years ago now, Mickey would come around at closing time and ask if we had any leftovers. Two months after I started working there, I realized that he generally resided on that stoop, which is near the subway station I would use to get back to my parents house, so I told him not to bother making the trip. And I just bring him stuff."

He blinked. "That's very generous of you."

"It's not trouble, really. I wish there was more I could do for him. And, I mean, there is, but he doesn't want my help. I have to respect that," I shrugged. "Winter's the worst part. He just looks so cold and all."

"Yeah," Harry said agreeing.

I stopped in front of my building. "Well, here it is..."

"I guess I should find a cab, then," he said, looking up and down the street. 

I looked, too, feeling comforted by the lack of headlights coming down the street. It was half past 1 am, anyway. Maybe I should ask-

"Unless," he interrupted my own thoughts, "you'd care for a nightcap?"

I had to actively resist the urge to grin like an idiot. "Uh, yeah. I'm not much for drinking, though..." I had to be honest, even if I sounded lame. 

"Tea it is, then!" he exclaimed, clapping his hand together as we stood in the elevator. 

It took a few minutes of digging to find the key to our eight-floor apartment, but once I did, I hurried into the kitchen, cold as ever, to put the kettle on. "I drink really strong tea, though, I hope that's okay. Erica and Niall don't like it much. I have, like... Lipton, also," I called out to the living room where she lived. 

"I'm..." he stopped to catch his breath, I could hear he was laughing. "I'm literally a British man, Melissa. Your tea doesn't scare me."

"Right," I said, face-palming as I stood watching a kettle intently, waiting for it to be ready. A watched pot doesn't boil, I know, but I needed the extra time to put my thoughts together.

Harry was in my apartment with me, alone... And I've barely had an apartment in my lifetime, let alone a man in my apartment when nobody else was there. And, unless my ears deceive me, Harry called our date, well, a date earlier this evening. I would never ask, at risk of sounding crazy, but what could that possibly mean? Are we dating now? We couldn't be. But if we were on a date last night and now we're... alone again, then wouldn't that be more than one date?

I couldn't process the thought.

"You alright?" Harry yelled from the other room. I snapped back into reality, realizing he was yelling over the kettle which was boiling alright. I quickly took it off the stove and poured the water in the mugs I had set up. 

"Yeah, yeah, sorry!" I placed one tea bag into each mug. "Do you want milk or sugar or anything?"

"No, thanks," he called back. 

I grabbed some chocolate chip cookies that I had made a few days ago off the counter, taking a deep breath of uncertainty as I entered the living room.

I saw Harry seated on the couch, his feet on the coffee table. "Making yourself at home?" I said, handing him the tea.

He smiled at me. "I haven't taken my pants off quite yet, have I?"