The rest of the week went by slowly and without a hitch. I got in every assignment on time, finished upThe Hunger Games trilogy and moved on to The Fault in Our Stars (which, for the record, is horribly depressing). Emmy and I heard about a paid internship opportunity at UK Cosmopolitan Magazine through our Fashion and Design professor so we both applied and sent in a portfolio with fingers crossed. Friday came around and I found myself doing an at-home pilates and yoga video for the afternoon. I was on an in-depth breathing exercise and stretch when a knock sounded at the door. I paused the DVD and cracked my back before opening the door. “Uh, hi.” Spoke Harry running a hand through his thick mane, eyes locked on mine. “Hi,” I returned,”What brings you out this way, neighbor?”
“I was hoping to catch you at home. Hit the studio earlier and wanted something fun to do this afternoon, but now I’m realizing I had no actual plans..” He confessed.
“It’s no problem! I meant to head to the park later anyways. Care to join me? I just need to grab a shirt and we can go.”
Harry nodded and sat down on a wooden kitchen chair. I hurried to my closet and picked out a lightweight crew-neck sweatshirt to pull over my tank and yoga pants. Tennis shoes were already in place so all I needed was a quick toothbrush and light neutral makeup application. There, I thought, perfect.
The park was a short walk down the block from my flat and luckily two swings were open. The sun shined down brightly and the breeze was of a perfect strength for maximum comfort to be outside. For the first time I sneaked a peek at Harry’s outfit for the day. It consisted of a white v-neck tee, dark antique wash denim jeans, black Converse and a million friendship hemp bracelets. Perfection. “We’re double-dating.” Harry’s deep voice cut through my thoughts. Our swings were moving in unison. I laughed, “I haven’t heard that one in ages. It’s as old as playing Underdog.” He sent me a confused look so I explained, “It’s when one person pushes the swinger and runs beneath the swing without getting hit or touching the swing. No real point but it makes you run faster.”
Without further fuss, Harry jumped off his swing and came up behind me pulling my swing with him. After he’d pushed me he bolted under the swing nearly doubled over and fist-pumped in victory. I giggled so hard I almost fell off my seat. “You’re a natural!” I shouted then jumped off my swing as well.
We played until the sun set, trying out anything and everything that was still big enough for people our size. It was great fun to run around even if the children kept making funny faces at the adults playing on the playground. “Ah, it must be time to go. Even the sun’s stopped playing.” Harry complained. He linked his fingers in mine and we walked back to the flat. We were halfway there when his stomach growled. “Let’s order a pizza?” I asked and he replied, “Might need two pies. I’m a growing boy, you know.”
We popped in Valentine’s Day and ate pizza on my couch. After six slices Harry yawned and pulled me to his side for the rest of the film. We must have fallen asleep because it was midnight when I woke up to his snoring. I jabbed him twice in the ribs which woke him up quickly. “Wha..?!” he mumbled fluttering his eyes. I laughed and said, “Wake up, Sleepyhead. I’m sure my bed is more comfortable.” I walked away from the couch pulling my crew-neck over my shoulders and looked back to see an upright Harry with eyes wide open. Guess that woke him up. I pulled back my covers and fluffed up an extra pillow for the queen-sized bed before slipping in and curling up to one side.
I heard him unzip his jeans and felt the bed move when he climbed in next to me. I looked over at him lying beside me shirtless in just a pair of plaid boxer-briefs and lost it. My heart beat a million times per second as I took in the contour of his biceps and the multiple tattoos on his torso and arms. “It’s late-” I began and turned to flick off the lamp when his hand stopped my arm and he pulled me closer to his side of the bed. “Rose…” he said softly and his warm mouth met mine in the sweetest of introductions. He pulled back and asked for permission with his imploring green eyes. All I could do was nod before his lips returned to mine and his hands wrapped around my waist. He pulled himself on top of me and rested all his weight on his hands, nudging my nose with his own with eyes closed. It felt like the most intimate moment and we’d barely touched. His nose moved lower to trace my jawline and ended at the base of my neck. I could feel his hot breath linger there before he placed little nibbles along my neck and shoulder. I pulled his face back to mine and kissed him back with everything I had. He tasted sweet and his tongue was clever. He chuckled and flipped to the side back onto his back. Breathing deeply he turned his face towards me and lifted my chin with a finger. His eyes locked with mine before he gave me a short goodnight kiss and situated his body to curl against my own. I reached for the bedside lamp and snuggled in against his back. If I’d died of a heart attack just then, I think it would have been worth it to feel that heat.
