'Mate ! I've been calling you for hours but it goes straight to voicemail, what the hell ?' Niall yells as soon as he enters the bakery, reminding his friend of the day before.
Harry hasn't been able to sleep since yesterday. Not only did he had the strangest encounter with a married man, he couldn't even call his friend to tell him everything. He's been thinking about his phone, his jacket and mostly Louis.
What was it that was so intense between them they found themselves inches apart like that ? What is it about this stranger he can't get out of his mind ?
'Sorry Niall, I don't have my phone. I have to tell you something.' Before Harry can explain himself, the bell rings, indicating a new customer. Harry's jaw drops when he sees him, jacket in hand. He's in a pair of jeans, a hoodie and black Vans, far from the business man of yesterday. Even his quiff is nowhere to be seen, just a loose fringe across his forehead, hair tucked in the green hood.
'Harry ?' He tries, shy.
'Louis ? Hi.' Harry smiles, not sure about what else to do. The man he's been thinking about all night is staring at him and he has no idea what to do, or say, or puke into.
'Yeah. Brought your jacket back !' The man says with a big smile and waves at Niall who's watching their interaction.
'Thanks.' Harry nods and gestures for Niall to leave them alone by tilting his head toward the back shop.
'Well, I have things to do ! I work here so I do. Um, goodbye Sir.' Niall is the worst liar ever but Louis doesn't notice. He's too focused on Harry's eyes to care about the blond lad.
'It's nice to see you. Already back to work, huh ?' Louis says and Harry can't get his eyes to stop staring.
'Yeah. My boss said I didn't die so I could make it to work. He's an asshole.' Louis chuckles and walks towards Harry who's leaning against the counter.
'Here. It helped a lot. Sorry I forgot to give it back.' Louis said but wouldn't hand the thing, like he didn't want to let go of it.
'It's alright. Suits you better than me anyway.' And oh wow did he really say that ?
Louis is blushing. Harry can't believe his eyes. Louis is actually blushing.
'How's your wife ?' Harry quickly adds, breaking the growing silence between them.
'Um...good.' Louis says briefly before turning to look at the pastries. ' Can I get a baguette and two croissants please ?'
'Sure !' Harry says with a dopey smile and begins his task. He packs the croissants in a brown bag he gives to Louis but the man shakes his head.
'Oh no, the second one is for you.' He says and seems nervous. He waits a few seconds before adding ' Can we talk ?'
'Thanks but you do know I work here, right ? I can get them everyday ? And I have a lot to do today, my boss yelled at me for not showing up yesterday after the shooting. Sorry' Maybe avoiding being alone with this man would prevent him from thinking too much about him, he thought. It's not like he had thought about him in any particular way really. He hadn't imagine him in his suit, or behind a big wooden desk, or on top of him. Absolutely not.
'What a great boss.' Louis says and plays with his fingers, looking down at his feet before looking back up at Harry. 'After your shift then ?' If he wasn't such a proud man Harry would think the guy is begging.
'Um, alright. I finish at six. You can stop by if you want.'
'What about a drink ?'
'Well, we have coke, tea, coffee-'
'No. I mean, would you agree to get a drink with me tonight ?'
Harry freezes. He doesn't know what will come out as a normal reaction. He just shrugs and nods altogether in a weird move, making Louis giggle and hiding his laugh behind the back of his hand in the cutest way.
'See you later then, Harold.'
'Bye Louis.' Harry says, barely audible, as the man closes the door.
'What was that about ?' Niall invades Harry's personal space within seconds after hearing the door close. He definitely wasn't eaves dropping. Definitely not.
'That's what I was going to tell you before he came in ! He's the guy I was stuck with in a closet during the shooting.'
'So, when did you decide to come out ?' Niall asks smirking, proud of his joke.
'I'm being serious mate !'
'Alright, alright ! Fuck, what's with you ?'
'We nearly kissed. I think ?'
'What ?!'
'And I think he's flirting with me.'
'What ?!'
'And he's married.'
'What ?!'
'And you're drooling.'
'What ?! Oh wait.' Niall sweeps his fingers over his face to take off the saliva coming from his mouth, shocked by so much information all at once.
'He asked me to go get a drink with him tonight and I said yes but I think it might be a bad idea.' Harry is speaking faster than usual, head spinning and thoughts racing.
Why would he invite him to get drinks ? Why wouldn't he just talk to him in the bakery ? What did he even want to talk about ?
'Dude, he came all the way to the place you work at just to ask you out ? The man is into you. Or he wants to kill you.'
'Shut up Niall, I'm dead serious right now. And he didn't come to ask me out. He wanted to give me my jacket back.'
'What jacket ?'
'Oh fuck.'
*
'So, who's that blond guy you work with ?'
'You mean Niall ? He's my best friend. The most Irish lad I know.' Harry chuckles and Louis grins.
They're sitting in a booth at the pub next door. They've been chatting for over an hour and a half, laughing and staring at each other. Harry knows something's wrong about that but he can't stop looking into those blue eyes. He can't stop looking at those thin lips, or the perfect quiff that replaced this morning's fringe, or those eyelashes. He looks beautiful, really.
'What are you looking at ?' Louis asks, flushed. He must think there's something on his face because he takes a napkin and wipes it across his mouth.
'Oh sorry. Nothing.' Harry smiles and dives back into his beer. 'So, did you talk to your ex business partner ?'
'Of course not, his son wanted to kill me. The guy is twice as strong. I'm not suicidal.' Harry laughs in a loud cackle, earning a fond smile from Louis.
'By the way, you left with my jacket. Again.'
'Oh yeah sorry about that.' Louis says but doesn't seem the least bothered by it.
'You're not.'
'You're right I'm not.'
'Well, there's my phone in it so...' Harry insists
'I know. Here. I didn't want to steal or anything, I just wanted to see you again.'
'Why ?' Harry asks after grabbing his phone from the man's hand. Louis smiles in his beer and sighs nonchalantly in an attempt to act relaxed, failing.
'Well, does a man need a reason to see a beautiful boy like you again ?'
Harry coughs in his pint and clears his throat, blushing so red he can feel his cheeks heat up.
'What ?'
'Joking.' Barely. 'I need an assistant and you need a better job, Harry.' Louis adds. ' I thought maybe you'd be interested ?'
'But I'm not qualified for anything.'
'So ?'
'So what would I be doing working for you ?'
'Well, I recently fired my last intern, kept getting my coffee order wrong.' He chuckled and Harry joined him, giggling. 'No but really, you'd be a great help with organizing my schedule, managing my meetings, giving me a fresh look on my idea ? Plus it'd be a good experience if you assisted me in the meetings with my lawyers. Could give you an insight into this world and all.'
'Well, sounds interesting but I'd have to quit my job and I'm not sure I could risk it if I'm not good enough for your job.' Harry seemed tense and rubbed the back of his neck not knowing what to do.
Let's face it, he would never have this kind of opportunity knocking on his door any time soon. And to be honest, he would give anything to quit his current job. Problem is, he's not sure he'd be able to get much done with those blue eyes just a few feet away from him in an office. Just imagine how many inappropriate thoughts would go through his mind...
'You can think about it of course and give me a call when you've made up your mind. You don't have to quit this job also. You could work for me when you're not working there , if that's not too exhausting ? In the meantime, let's go get your jacket.' Louis smirks and slides off the booth to give Harry his hand. The boy takes it to lift his body off the chair and they head toward Louis' car.
When they arrive in a driveway within just five minutes, Harry bends his head out the window to get a glimpse at the house. It's a two story mansion that looks obnoxious and too expensive. This clearly screams 'I have money, deal with it'.
When they enter the house, the ceiling is so high it doesn't even feel real or safe enough to have a second floor.
'I left your jacket in my office. You can come upstairs if you want.' Louis says casually but Harry feels uneasy, like there's some sort of boudarie they're crossing for potential boss and worker.
'That's your office ?'
'Yeah, bit too much you think ?' The room is the size of Harry's kitchen, living room and bedroom, combined. They are sculptures everywhere and an immense book shelf going all around the walls.
'No. The six foot tall paintings in the entrance are too much, this is insane.' Harry says, mouth wide open as Louis laughs behind him, sitting on the armchair right next to the boy.
'Come here Harry.' Louis says with a gentle voice and Harry's not sure what to think. It's like Louis' this tough, intimidating man in suit but turns into an adorable guy when he speaks to him. He's rather charming really. But Harry erases any thought when he bends over the desk to look at what the man is showing him.
'What is it ?'
'It's a description of the last internship. Please read it through and give me your answer whenever you want.' He's begging and Harry feels almost guilty to not say yes immediately.
'I will.' He finally surrenders. Maybe it would be a good opportunity for him, a good thing to put on his resume and a chance to hang out with this man again. There's something about him that makes the boy smile everytime he sees him. Getting to know him a bit more wouldn't hurt, right ?
'It's settled then. I look forward to hearing from you, good news I hope.' Louis winks and heads to the hallway, down the stairs, jacket hanging on his arm.
When he approaches the door, Harry's eyes land on a photograph on the wall. It's Louis and Eleanor with 'Happy New Year' hats on, all dressed up, Louis kissing Eleanor's cheek.
'You love her.' Harry whispers as he hears Louis get downstairs.
'I guess.' Louis weirdly answers. What does he mean by I guess. You're not supposed to be only 30% sure about your love for someone you're married to.
'Do you wanna have children one day ?'
'I don't know Harry, why so many questions ?' Harry doesn't answer. Maybe he was too curious, he just couldn't help it.
'I...' He begins but can't find the right words. Louis takes a few steps down to join the boy. 'I need to go.'
Louis sighs but nods. Harry jogs to the door but finds himself go back in two steps. He stays a step lower from Louis and face him to say goodbye but instead of the shake of hands he was going for, Louis being older than him and all, the latter pats his shoulder awkwardly, not too sure what else to do either and they find themselves laughing off their nervousness.
Harry turns to look at the stair rope where he left his jacket.
'Oh right, my jacket.'
'You can forget it anytime you want.' Louis says with a deep voice and stares back at Harry, the two men smiling at each other in a settling silence, until the door cracks open.
'Hi Lou !' Eleanor shouts, looking at the multiple bags she's carrying, struggling to get them all in one go. 'Could you help me with- Oh hello !' She says when she sees Harry. ' Harry right ? What are you doing here love ?' She asks in the most innocent and kind voice.
'Hello. I was about to leave.'
'Oh no, stay. Did I interrupt something ? Anyway, please stay for dinner. You were stuck in a storage because of this idiot, the least we can do is give you free food !' She laughs and it echoes in the whole mansion. She seems lovely.
Harry and Louis look at each other as if to ask permission to one another. They don't know what to say, or do. They're stuck on the stairs, unable to come up with something, as if it wouldn't feel right to be with someone else in the same room as them.
'I'd love to but my mom is waiting for me.'
'Oh, go on then but you have to come Friday night. I won't take no for an answer !'
'Yes, definitely.' Louis nods, making Harry smile big in agreement.
'Fair enough. I'll see you on Friday then Eleanor...Louis.' He grins and the man is smirking, yet again. 'Goodnight.'
'Goodnight Harry.'