The Clique

Chapter four

Indigo's POV
The light overhead flickered annoyingly in the busy super market. My mood could not have been any sourer than in this moment, after three different people had rammed me with their trolleys filled with the bodies of their annoyingly whiny children I was left with aching hips and a frown permanently etched onto my face. This would not be happening if my parents just worked normal hours and could do the grocery shopping for themselves. I huffed before reaching once again for a packet of flour just out of my reach, staring right at the shop employer standing a few feet from me who just happened to have a step ladder and refused to stop staring at my thighs as my dress rose with my wanting arms. Just as I was about to whip around and knee the guy where the sun hopefully doesn't shine, I felt a warm hand against my waist as for the second time in 24 hours warm breath tickled my ear, leaving a trail of goose bumps down my arms covered by a denim jacket.
"As much as I'm enjoying seeing your dress ride up like this," he trailed a lone finger over the short hemline of my outfit before straggling his finger up my back and grasping the packet of flour, "I figured that I better prove that some of the male species is still capable of chivalry." I gasped immediately and spun around only to be stunned by the close proximity of his plump lips to my forehead. His breath smelt of mint with an underlying tone of smoke, it was heady and my own personal aphrodisiac. My body thankfully reacted quickly, taking a step away from him and pulling the box from his hand, whilst my mind was still trembling from the heat of his touch.
"Uh thanks." I hoped that my face wasn't flushed and that I still had some of my dignity left. "No worries little lady." He smirked and his left dimple popped proudly. "I'm Harry by the way." He held out his hand for me to shake, and I daintily took it, noticing the cross tattoo just next to his knuckles. "Indy." I replied hastily. "We didn't really get a chance to have a proper introduction last night, what with you committing felonies left, right and center." He smirked again and I once more took a step back as my face flushed red and my eyes flickered nervously around the fortunately empty aisle.
"Keep your voice down." I scolded through gritted teeth as he chuckled quietly. "Do you think this is funny?" He continued giggling quietly, actual giggles. This tattooed, bad ass was giggling. "I think you're funny, Indigo." He finally said after his snickers had died down. I couldn't help but feel flattered although I was still contemplating whether that was a compliment or an insult. My eyebrows knitted together in confusion as I mulled over Harry's sentence again.
"I didn't tell you my name was Indigo?" I implied an unspoken question to him, suddenly feeling apprehension towards this mystery man who just so happened to run into me twice in barely a day. An irrational surge of anger towards myself bubbled through my veins as I had so unquestionably trusted a man I had encountered only once before. My feet again shuffled back in response until my lower back was brushing against the trolley behind me. Harry, thankfully, remained where he was although his gaze flickered down to my feet every time I stepped away from his intimidating figure and the corners of his mouth pulled down slightly into an uncomfortable frown. "And why are you here?" I searched his emerald eyes for any sign of hesitation but his answer was blameless and instantaneous, melting my trepidations almost immediately.
"Just a guess. I don't really like nicknames unless I'm the one making them up." He grinned with an absent minded shrug. "And I'm here because it just so happens to be the closest supermarket to my house that stocks my favourite brand of maple syrup." I gazed at him curiously. "Maple Syrup? Seriously?" He grinned and nodded almost sheepishly. It was clear that Harry was much more complex than I had given him credit for. "All the way from Canada." We both laughed heartily as Harry's gaze flickered behind me before refocusing his multifarious eyes on my blue ones.
"As much as I love talking to you, I'd much rather do it without being watched." I felt a flurry of anxious panic as Harry gestured behind me to the dick who refused to do his job and help me get the damn flour down. "So would you like to go out sometime?" He gazed at me with an expression of cocky resignation. He was expecting me to say yes. I didn't have much experience with men but I knew what he was doing, playing the charming, chivalrous flirt to get into the naïve girl's panties. And I refused to ever play that tragic role. "Sorry but no." He honestly seemed shocked and a little bit of what gave appeared to be hurt flashed through his magnetic eyes but he regained his composure insanely quickly, running a hand over his chin hurriedly.
"What? Why?" His voice no longer held cool resignation but was laced with what seemed to be annoyance or frustration, I couldn't tell which. "I'm not interested in a relationship right now." I placed the flour in my trolley before turning back to face him. "And you're not my type anyway." I glanced at his body, clad in black jeans and shirt, his dark tattoos visibly swirling up his toned arms and his long hair haphazardly thrown under a dark beanie as I stood before him in a floral dress and light denim jacket. At this point my subconscious yelled out the quote I had been taught all my life 'Don't judge a book by its cover.' But I shrugged it off. If he really wanted a date with me then he was going to need to try a lot harder. I shrugged and tried to keep up my façade of cool indifference as he studied my face as though he was searching for some kind of unexplained motive behind my rejection.
"Until next time, Harry." I smiled politely at him. "So there will be a next time then?" He dimpled at me again and I had to physically restrain myself from poking his cheek. "Well that depends on how well you keep up this stalking" I winked and giggled jokingly, pushing my trolley away before I could read his countenance. "Indigo!" he yelled just as I was about to turn the corner of the aisle. "Make sure you pay for it this time, babe." My cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink as I felt the judgmental stares of the people in the aisle burning into my soul as I walked hurriedly away, and just as Harry had said, straight to the cash register.
My thoughts were filled of only one thing for the rest of the night, the irrational idea that my encounters with Harry could not be anything other than some form of twisted fate.