Coffee and Spice | Harvey | Stardew Valley

-16-

That evening, as the sky bruises from purple to black, a soft knock sounds at my door.

I look up from the puzzle I have strewn out across my dining table. I had dragged it down from the dusty shelf of a closet where it had been stored after the storm, wistfully hoping that the mindless activity would keep me distracted from everything that had happened since last night. I knew I was only indulging in an exercise of futility, but I was desperate for any diversion.

That must be Emily already, though I wasn't expecting her this early. She had called around noon and said she would bring over soup from Gus's tonight during her break, despite assuring her that I was feeling better now (at least physically, but she didn't need to know the details). But I've been friends with Emily long enough to realize that once she's decided on something, it's almost impossible to sway her, so I didn't protest too much.

Sighing, I abandon my search for an elusive corner piece and stand up. My cat weaves around my legs as I pad across the hardwood floors, nearly tripping me.

I pull open the door, expecting Emily and her promised soup, but it's not her.

It's Harvey.

He's reverted back to his standard business attire, his tie waving like a flag over the stark background of his white shirt. He's centered beneath the porch light, which I had kept on in expectancy of Emily's arrival. It's glow casts him in a halo of soft amber. It throws the angles of his face in sharp relief, accentuating the hard line of his jaw and his cheekbones. He opens his mouth to speak, but then it just hangs open as his eyes rake down my body, widening the further they go.

Two things happen at once. The first is that an icy blast of wind surges from outside, chilling me to the bone and causing the cat, who had been rubbing up against Harvey's pant leg, to dart off into a warmer area of the house. The second thing happens in response to the first. The cold air on my exposed skin makes me remember what is covering me. Or rather, what is not covering me.

I had slipped on a satin nightgown after my shower earlier. It was one of my all-time favorites, soft and comfy and sexy and not at all something I would have worn had I known Harvey was the one waiting behind the door. I hadn't bothered to change before because I knew Emily wouldn't have cared about what my pajamas looked like.

I cross my arms over my chest in what I hope is a casual way, but that only enunciates my cleavage. Looking around furtively, I spy a cardigan hung over one of my kitchen chairs and lean over to snatch it in my hands. I throw it on over my nightgown in a flash and then draw either side around me.

This all occurs in the span of about fifteen seconds. Only when I'm bundled up by the more modest confines of my sweater do I peek up at Harvey's face again. "Hi."

"Hi, Caira." He's deliberately staring down at his shoes, his face crimson. "Sorry, I should have called before coming over."

"That's alright," I say, shaking my head. Feeling like I should explain the nightgown thing, I add, "I thought you were Emily." Though after I say it, I realize that it probably sounds even more weird.

His eyes travel over me again, from my bare feet to my face. For a moment, the only sound is the rustling of trees and the far-off call of an owl. Another gust of wind bursts past him, bringing with it the sharp scent of autumn and the familiar one of Harvey. I cross my arms tighter around me, wondering if I should invite him in or not. He's not wearing a jacket, but he doesn't seem to even notice the chill in the air. While I'm debating, he asks, "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure," I whisper, though this is the last thing I want to do right now. Not just because of my wardrobe fiasco, but also because I know he's going to inquire about my abrupt departure from his room this morning. I hadn't even tried to sort through those feelings yet. Instead I had shoved them away into a tightly sealed box in my mind, categorizing them for a future-me problem. If I had my way, we would just ignore them and go back to the way things were before.