Don't Stand So Close (completed)

Chapter 13*

The two new servers (which were hired the first week of December) were amazing. Both were competent and needed little training as they had been servers before. I helped to make their transitions easier, learning the menu, the schedules and what to expect day to day. I really wanted to have them ready to get to work so I could step back and focus on school and Harry.

Harry and I got into a little routine of things. I'd go to see him after a day of school when I didn't have to work and then once the servers were hired and ready to run the floor themselves things were even easier. I had full weekends opened up now.

The only issue was balancing hanging out with Starla and Harry separately. The first weekend I had free I spent Friday with Harry and Saturday night with Starla. I missed her so much. We went out and had fun but I really wished I could have Harry with us. I knew it wasn't feasible, given our circumstances but I loved having him around and really wanted to experience going out with him too.

The following weekend I stayed with Harry. Starla had a date with Paul and wound up staying with him the weekend so I didn't feel too guilty. But the guilt was always there. Having an entire weekend with Harry was magical, though, to say the least. He lived far enough away that us going out shouldn't be a problem. We weren't willy-nilly about it but we did feel a little more freedom in being able to go out to dinner, or to a show. Plus, just waking up with him three mornings in a row (yes, I stayed until Monday morning and I did not regret it one bit) had me wishing I could see him every day.

When I signed up for Winter/Spring classes I made sure to take classes that started later in the day on Mondays and ended early on Fridays so I could spend as much time with Harry as possible. With Christmas and New Years coming fast I knew we'd not have as much time together. I'd need to be with my family for Christmas, and I wanted to be with them. I wanted to be with Harry too but the good thing to do was to spend time with my parents who were nothing but amazing to me. So the plan was that Harry would see Starla and spend Christmas Eve with her, then she'd see her mom on Christmas Day. I'd spend all my days my parents and then extended family on December 29th. Then Starla and I were going to Harry's for New Year's Eve. Harry was throwing a small party and invited Starla and told her to bring Paul and me too (obviously). He told me the plan before he told Starla so I already knew what she was asking when she told me about Harry's party. Harry had invited a few of his author friends as well and some other people who were regular friends. He told me that there would maybe be 20 people and half of them would be sleeping over because drinks would be served. His place wasn't that big, so I was concerned about so many people staying over. His house had two bedrooms, a living room with a pullout couch and two regular sofas, and the loft had another sofa. But that was it for sleeping options, other than the floor. There might be some who had to sleep on the floor. I wondered if Starla would kick me out of her room so Paul could sleep in there with her.

I was nervous for the party but excited to see Harry. Christmas was beautiful and sweet. I got a few little gifts from my parents (over-the-knee socks, a one-year unlimited kindle membership so I could download books to my heart's content, and new plant for my dorm room) and we ate like madmen.

The day we spent with my aunts and uncles, my cousins and I went to a dispensary to get some weed and edibles before our parents all got together for another round of eating and present opening. I found that being toasted as hell off a 20 mg edible made opening presents and eating way more fun. I drank all the orange juice from my aunt Jenny's fridge and gobbled as much chips and dip as I could. Then I slept until my dad shook me awake that evening to let me know we were leaving to go back home. Then I slept more once we got home. They asked if I was okay but I just told them all the food really got to me, which wasn't necessarily a lie. I'd eaten way too much. However, the sleepiness was less from the food and more from the edibles but I didn't need to go into detail about that.