Table For Two

59 - Ali

If Harvey hadn't warned me what she was like, I honestly would not have expected Hellbitch herself to show up to try and make the entire shift into a war. Fortunately she pissed off two other servers by trying to insist that I had to take her order despite the fact I was rota'd on the bar and had absolutely zero inclination to go take her order. Harry ended up stepping in and telling her to either order or leave. She then insisted I had made her drinks wrong. All three of them and each one being completely different to the last. She tried to get a refund on food and then tried to make a complaint at the bar after coming over and sniping at me to the point one of our regulars who came in for a drink left. At that point I told her to blow it out her ass and take it somewhere else and Hellbitch did not like that one bit, demanding to speak to the manager. Only to look a little crestfallen when Harry came over looking about ready to throw her WASP-y ass through the front window.

And thank gods for Harvey showing up with Athena when he did. I know Harry wasn't a fan of bigger dogs coming into the bar but she is technically a support animal so he allows it. Probably helps that she's mine as well. Plus, I was about ready to leap over the bar and have a full-on catfight in the middle of the floor. Who in the fuck does she actually think she is? The fucking Queen? Sure seemed like it since she thought that she could just get me fired because her word was like the shit-stirrer's gospel. But Harry wasn't having any of it. None of the servers liked her, I wanted to disembowel her, Dee kissed her teeth whenever she walked by and then, coming in out of the cold like some heaven sent warrior of all that's good and true, Harvey went off on her.

Fuck it was good to see.

But now he was worrying about me because I was so goddamn surprised by his outburst. I couldn't help but allow myself a smile as I shook my head slightly. Only my Harvey.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have come in like that."

"No! Gods, Harvey. Babe. That was amazing."

"What?"

I stop and hug him fiercely, kissing the side of his face, turning his cheeks even pinker.

"You were amazing. I loved seeing you drag her. She has had that coming for years! And it was perfect. Just perfect!" I say and as if to punctuate my point, Athena nudges Harvey's knee.

"Still I probably didn't need to turn it into a scene."

"Your sister already turned the shift into a three act play with a matinee and an encore. Trust me, you shutting her down was well received."

"Okay... if you're sure."

"And thank you for coming to pick me up with Athena. I could get used to that sort of treatment."

"Yeah?"

"Definitely."

I smile and kiss him and he kisses me back, a gloved hand reaching up to cup my jaw. Athena huffs a sigh at us and we giggle before starting to head home again.

"Ooh! I got you a Christmas present!" Harvey suddenly announces, looking pleased as punch with himself.

"Oh good so I can give you yours now too" I say in response. I had mine sorted for him a couple weeks ago. It wasn't much because I just wasn't sure what to get him but I thought it would be nice. We walked home a little quicker so we could get in from the cold and I could change into comfier clothes while Harvey made a brew. When I came back down, with Harvey's presents in my hands and now just wearing his hoodie and my joggers, he was perched on the sofa and practically vibrating with excitement. I sat down next to him, smiling.

"Okay so do you want to go first since I'm not hiding yours?" I say and he nods vigorously. I hand them over and he unwraps them. One is a leatherbound notebook and fountain pen set that I saw on Etsy and had to get for him. The other was a pair of signed promos for Moonlight, one of his favourite films, that I got framed. He looked up from them and I honestly thought he was going to just burst into tears even though he was smiling.