Substance over Styles | H.S.

XXII. Sneaky Romances

Hiya!

I forgot to mention. Thank you to veraorchard for the lovely mention at the end of her story. Love ya too babe.
Anyway, enjoy this one.

~*~

I was living on cloud nine.

Several weeks had passed and my life was too perfect for words. It felt odd to live with no worries, as if I was somehow waiting for it all to come back and bite me in the arse. My job was so much fun. I couldn't be happier because apart from a few people, all my colleagues were very nice. I finally felt confident and was able to make several good friends, which obviously included Niall and Eleanor.

But the best part of my life, and what I sometimes still couldn't wrap my head around, was that I had pulled a hot guy and actually managed to keep him. Harry was perfect. We had been on several dates together and I loved every single one of them. Weeks had passed since our first date and I could tell we were growing closer day by day. Obviously the fact that we worked together enhanced our relationship, but it was a relief to know that it didn't make us argue or feel tired of each other.
Well, I could never get tired of him. It was more meant that I was lucky he didn't get tired of me.

Anyway, we worked well together on every level. He made me laugh and relax whenever we were sprawled on my sofa watching a film, but he also stimulated me at work to become, as he said, 'even better' without giving me too much of a hard time like before. I loved how he could change from sweet to professional without making it feel as if we weren't allowed to be together.

I found out he was actually very spontaneous and thoughtful. Maybe even a little too much. It became very clear that he had this urge to take care of me in every way possible, even repeatedly buying me gifts and asking me if he had to pay my rent, which was absolutely absurd. I thanked him for his presents but told him that he didn't need to do it. He always brushed it off by saying it was nothing.

One time on a Saturday afternoon, we were walking in Old Bond-street together and saw this beautiful Gucci dress in the shop window next to a suit that he funnily enough had bought the week before. I told him it was incredibly pretty, but way too expensive for my taste. The next Monday morning at work, a present awaited me in his office. He told me to open it, which I did, and there it was. The Gucci dress that made me drool two days before. I remember jumping in his arms and kissing every inch of his face like a grateful little girl that just had her favourite barbie doll for Christmas. Only it wasn't Christmas and it was most definitely was not just a barbie doll. He was being so cute when he told me that he knew he didn't have to buy me presents.

"I know you said that I didn't have to buy you presents all the time. But I saw the regret in your eyes on Saturday when you said you couldn't afford it. It made me want to give it to you." I kissed his cheeks once more.

"Thank you so much, Harry. How did I get this lucky with you?" I beamed at him and looked down at the dress in my hands again with big eyes, which made him chuckle.

"It's just a dress, sweetheart."

"No, Harold." I said sternly, then lifted the dress up to show him and make a very important point, "It's a Gucci dress." He laughed loudly at that, his eyes closing and his dimples popping out. Once he regained control over his fit of laughter, he proposed I should wear it for our next date, but his giggles kept interrupting and the sound made me melt.

I saw it as a blessing for him that I wasn't some type of gold digger and only after his money. He was so committed and willing to make this relationship work that he probably would buy me gifts until he went fully broke. I bet some girls, girls that actually worked as a receptionist in this building, would very much like being taken care of in that particular way. I luckily wasn't of that kind, as I said.