You Can Hear It In The Silence

Chapter 17

"Okay," Harry said. He was on the passenger side of his car after forcing Louis to drive it so his battery didn't die. "So, who am I meeting today?"

"I've told you already," Louis said with a sigh. It's true. He had. Multiple times over the last almost two weeks. But Harry needed to be prepared. "Amy, obviously."

Harry nodded. She was working the afternoon shift, so they planned to meet her at Louis' work before her shift to have lunch.

"Then, Max will be there," Louis said. "You might not see him, though; he's in the kitchen today."

"Tell me about him," Harry asked.

"There's not much to say, love. He's like twenty-two. He's usually on the bar but has just finished his chef apprenticeship, so he's been in the kitchen more."

"Is he nice?"

"They're all nice; otherwise, I wouldn't have hired them," Louis reached his hand out, squeezed Harry's thigh as if to reassure him, and left it there. "Then Ruby, you'll meet her because she's out the front on the bar. She's only been with us for about a year. Just turned nineteen. She is also nice because they're all nice."

Harry nodded.

"Alex is working as well. She's my age. You'll meet her because she's on the floor. I hired her about three years ago. And, again, Alex is lovely because they're all lovely," Louis gave his thigh another squeeze. "Oh, and there will be someone else in the kitchen, but I can't remember whose on. I can tell you that they're ni-"

"Nice, got it," Harry said. "How will I tell the difference between the girls?"

"Well, I'll introduce you, obviously. But you'll know which one is Ruby because she looks like a nineteen-year-old. She's got long black hair. Amy is also mine and Alex's age. But they're pretty easy to tell apart. Alex is tall and has short blonde hair, and Amy is shorter. Her hair is medium length, I guess."

"Yeah, I've seen her Instagram photos," Harry said. "She looks cool." Maybe too cool. "Silver hair, yeah?"

Louis tilted his head, "Yeah, guess so. I'd call it blonde, but I guess silver works too."

"Lots of tattoos?"

"A few, I guess," Louis said and glanced at Harry. "Harry, she's lovely. Stop stressing. She's excited to meet you."

Harry let out a loud breath, "Yeah, okay." It was true that she asked. But she only asked to meet him because he was... doing whatever it was with her friend.

"I don't get you, Harry," Louis said after a minute or two. "You're fine with your tutoring students-"

"You've only seen me with Holly," Harry said.

"Yeah, but I've heard you on the phone to some of them, and they all comment on your Instagram photos, so they must like you."

Harry shrugged. Commenting on a post was not the same as liking someone.

"And you were fine when you met Tally and Mia."

It took Harry a second to remember who Tally and Mia were. That party felt like a lifetime ago. "That was a bit different," Harry said.

"How?"

"They were drunk and approached me, and I didn't know who they were."

"What do you mean?"

"Which part?" Harry asked

"All of it," Louis said.

"Well, there was just less pressure. They probably wouldn't even remember me. And I also figured I wouldn't have to see them again."