Elusive [Harry Styles]

7. Testing The Water

We spent the rest of the evening enjoying our food and chatting. I loved the way Emily would pick up on every time I said something a bit too cliché and scoff but remain smiling — she didn't let me get away with anything and we had a good laugh together. Quite frankly, it was nice to spend an evening with someone that didn't care that I was Harry Styles, I was just plain Harry for the night and I had a really good time being in my own little world rather than in the spotlight of everyone else's.

Both of us decided we couldn't manage dessert, so I asked for the bill as Emily finished off her glass of wine.

A sinking feeling was arising in my gut at the thought of taking her home already; I'd really enjoyed the evening and I wasn't ready to just go back home and go to bed. I found myself wondering whether she'd take me up on an offer of going somewhere else or coming back to mine with me for a bit. I didn't want her to think I was insinuating something else — even if I was, she'd surely put me in my place — but I couldn't bare the thought of the night ending so soon.

I let my eyes fall upon her face, watching as she looked down into her wine glass. I cleared my throat, deciding although I was nervous that I'd just go for it and see where it'd get me. "Erm... Do you maybe... fancy coming back to mine for a coffee?"

Her green eyes sparkled under the light as she lifted her eyelashes and her gaze met mine. Embarrassingly, my mouth became dry and I had to take a sip of my water as I awaited a response, she gave me a smile and raised her eyebrows whilst swirling the remaining wine around in the glass. "Don't push it," she said playfully.

"Oh, no, no. I know that's usually like... code for sex, but I really do mean coffee. Or tea if you prefer?"

"I would love to, but I have to go to work in the morning so it wouldn't be the best idea to stay out until stupid-o'clock."

"Come on," I coaxed, "I'll drive you home whenever you want."

"How about right now?" she challenged with a grin on her face.

For the first time tonight, it was me rolling my eyes. "You know what I mean. Just one coffee and then I'll personally drive you home before midnight."

She sighed in defeat after a couple of moments of me beaming at her hopefully. "Fine, but no funny business."

"Of course not."

The waiter came over with the bill and handed me it, I scanned over it before hooking my wallet out of my back pocket to pay.

"How much is it? I'll pay my way," Emily insisted, and my eyebrows knitted together in a frown.

"No you won't, don't be silly. It's on me."

"Harry," she groaned, "It's two-thousand and fifteen, the guy doesn't have to pay for everything these days. Let me see the bill." She reached over and tried grabbing the slip of paper from me but I raised it above my head so she couldn't reach, which made her fall back into her chair and huff.

"I asked you out so I'm paying, end of," I told her firmly.

"At least let me see how much it came to... out of interest," she asked, batting her eyelashes at me, but I shook my head.

I lowered my arm and started to delve into my wallet. Suddenly, she caught me off guard and whipped the bill out from between my fingers and I practically whined in protest as she began reading it.

"Seventy-five pounds? You ordered a bottle of wine that costs seventy-five pounds!"

"Yeah, I did," I confessed, leaning across and trying to take the paper back off her but failing as she dodged my hands.