After that evening, Harry and Addison saw each other almost every day. With Harry’s departure drawing nearer, Addison found that she truly appreciated the time she spent with him whether they were having coffee, walking Theodore, or arguing over which film to watch. Addison had discovered that Harry had more of a soft spot for romantic features than he had originally let on and had insisted upon watching The Notebook during one particular evening. Unfortunately, that was where his sensitivity ended, as he burst into hysterics when Addison began to quietly sob at the end of the film. The sight of Noah and Allie, still so in love until the very end, brought her to tears every time. While Harry sympathized with this sentiment, he found that Addison’s tears and overall sensitivity to such a drastic change from her normally sarcastic and witty demeanor that it was almost comical.
“You’re an ass,” Addison glared at him as she sat upon the couch, a pillow hugged tightly to her chest and several mascara-stained tissues lying beside her. The ending had been ruined by Harry’s erratic burst of laughter. For someone who was notorious for his charm, he certainly knew how to ruin a moment.
“Yes, but you still like me,” Harry shot back, with a cheeky wink. His breathing was labored from his fit of laughter and his arms were wrapped around his lanky frame, as if he was trying to keep himself together.
“You’re alright,” Addison grumbled, before burying her face into the pillow. She didn’t want to look at Harry and give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was right. Although she hadn’t yet verbalized it, to herself or anyone else, for that matter, she had realized that she had grown a bit attached to Harry over the past few weeks. Despite his bouts of insensitivity, he made for a great companion. He was interesting, easy to talk to, and funnier than she liked to give him credit for. For a pop star, he was surprisingly philosophical and she enjoyed listening to him talk about his travels and the things he had noticed about the world. She would miss seeing him regularly once he had left for tour.
Harry loudly scoffed, his disdain for her statement clearly evident. “Surely I’m better than just alright. Theodore thinks I’m better than alright, don’t you?” He scratched the bulldog just behind his left ear, an area that always caused Theodore to whine in approval. Harry brightened, looking toward Addison with a smug expression. “See, he agrees.”
“He’s easily manipulated,” Addison shrugged, gazing upon her traitorous bulldog who was snuggled up next to his new friend. Theodore was entirely transparent when it came to his affections for Harry. Addison was positive that he would have had a very successful future as a fan girl if he had been human.
“I’m far better than just alright,” Harry argued, “I’m actually quite talented.”
“Hah,” Addison scoffed, “I don’t know if anyone’s told you but causing hordes of teenage girls to shriek at ear-splitting levels doesn’t really qualify as a talent.” She chuckled at the expression on Harry’s face. His lips were pursed in annoyance as he scowled at her beneath a furrowed brow.
“For your information,” he began haughtily, “I’m an excellent baker.” “Really?” Addison questioned. She knew that Harry could juggle, and that he also had a knack for picking out hideous designer headscarves, but this was something she didn’t know and wouldn’t have expected.
Harry nodded smugly, seeming pleased by her surprise. “I’ll even prove it. What’s your favorite dessert?”
Addison cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. An attractive man was in her home and offering to bake. Surely, this wasn’t real. Any such possibility was practically a dream come true. Still, she entertained the notion by answering his question.
“Um, cheesecake. But I highly doubt any cheesecake is better than my grandmother’s.”
Harry rolled his eyes, rising from the sofa and offering a hand to Addison in order to pull her to her feet. “Then, out of respect to your grandmother,” he spoke as he moved from the living area, still grasping Addison’s head, “I won’t disservice her by making a superior cheesecake.” He ignored Addison’s gasp of shock as they traveled into the kitchen. Harry gestured for her to sit at the kitchen table and she quickly complied. “Name a dessert that you’ve never had and always wanted to try.”
“Hmm….” Addison hesitated to give an answer. Ever since she’d been a child, she had a massive sweet tooth. And the fact that most desserts were often some form of baked good only increased her liking for them. She was hard-pressed to find some sort of dessert or pastry that she hadn’t already tried. Still, there must have been something. “Lemon bars.” The words popped out of her pursed lips as soon as the dessert flitted into her head.
“Lemon bars?” Harry grimaced. “Really? I figured you would want something with chocolate.”
“Nope,” Addison shook her head, before grasping the dark locks and securing them with a thin band she wore on her wrist. “Lemon bars. I’ve never had them.” Despite her love for all things citrus, she had neglected to try the baked good. It was an ideal situation. She would finally taste a lemon bar and if Harry wasn’t as skilled as he claimed, she wouldn’t be disappointed by comparison.
“Lemon bars it is,” Harry announced with finality, turning away from her and towards the cabinets, which he began to swing open with enthusiasm. He was pleased to find that her kitchen was well-stocked with all necessary baking supplies. Addison watched as he began to blend butter, flour, and sugar together. He moved with a certain grace that she hadn’t expected. Baking could be a temperamental art. Not everyone could handle the exact specifications of ingredients, timing, and the large mess that usually was created in the process. Harry moved quickly and with ease, discarding unnecessary items as he went. It was obvious he felt comfortable in a kitchen.
They chattered on about Harry’s previous job in a bakery while the lemon bars were in the oven. He worked with several older women, all of whom he claimed were incredibly fond of him. Addison wasn’t surprised. She couldn’t imagine how anyone couldn’t be fond of Harry, unless, of course, he was stealing their latte. Still, his personable disposition was all too likable. It was no wonder he was one of the world’s most famous pop stars. Time passed remarkably quickly and before Addison knew it, Harry was sliding a square, golden pastry towards her. His eyes were fixed on her face, his jaw set as he waited for a sign of reaction.
Deciding not to delay the inevitable, Addison lifted the pastry toward her mouth and took a small bite. The flavor hit her at once, sweet and tangy. The creamy filling complemented the flaky, buttery crust and it truly was everything she had hoped for.
“Verdict?” Harry’s eyes were wide, his mouth hidden behind tightly clasped hands. It was obvious that her opinion of his lemon bars was very important to him and, luckily, she hadn’t a single bad word to say.
But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t have at least a little fun with him first.
“Well….” She drawled, setting the lemon bar back onto the plate. “I think that....” The pregnant pauses left between her sentences were quickly drawing on his nerves. She could tell by the way that his knee, encased in a pair of absurdly tight ripped jeans, was bouncing up and down in an irregular rhythm. “I think that I would keep you around, just to make these for me.”
With a devilish grin, she picked up the pastry and took another large bite, brushing her hand across her mouth to sweep away any powder sugar that may have dusted there.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes gleaming with pride. “I told you I was talented. And, lucky for you, I seem to have a bit of a soft spot for girls who cry at the end of The Notebook.”
Addison’s eyes narrowed as she shoved the rest of the bar into her mouth, her lips twisted in a show of displeasure as she chewed. “That’s not funny,” she snarled, as soon as she swallowed. “And thanks to your smart aleck commentary, I’m eating the rest.” Rising from her chair, she dashed across the room towards the counter where Harry had left the carefully arranged plate of lemon bars and seized it, running back towards the television.
“Hey!”
She heard footsteps close behind and before she knew it, pair of strong arms were wrapped around her waist, lifting her from the ground.
“Watch it!” she shrieked, shifting the plate closer to her chest to keep the lemon bars from toppling to the ground. Harry’s hoarse chuckle sounded in her ear as he walked towards the couch, still holding her in the air.
“If you thought you were getting away, especially with those, think again.” Slowly and carefully, he eased back onto the cushions, the brunette still pressed against him and she had no choice but to ease onto his lap. A smug grin spread across his face as he let one arm free, grabbing a lemon bar from the plate she held.
“Are you kidding me?” Addison grumbled, struggling to free herself from Harry’s iron grasp. “You can’t keep me like this. And you made the lemon bars for me. I want them.” His body was warm and not an entirely unpleasant seat but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of sitting so agreeably upon his lap, like a child posing for a picture with Santa Claus at a local mall.
“Yes, I can. And sharing is caring,” he blurted as he snatched another bar, his other arm still firmly wrapped around her waist. “Shall we watch The Notebook again?”
--
And that was how Sabrina found them, hours later, sprawled back onto the couch in a deep slumber with an empty plate laying beside them. Addison’s head had fallen back and rested upon Harry’s shoulder and both of his arms were wrapped tightly around her middle, clutching her like his own personal girl-sized teddy bear. Theodore, who had no intention of sleeping alone, was cuddled up against Harry’s side, his head resting on the few available inches of leg that Addison wasn’t occupying.
“Well,” Sabrina chuckled, switching off the television that had been endlessly looping onto the main screen of The Notebook. “It’s a start.”
A/N: Terribly sorry for such a long wait between updates. I'll be trying to post more regularly from now on. Thanks to all who have continued reading and commenting. And thanks of course to the fabulous Nemo who always inspires me to write. Xo!