Ruffled ~ H.S

Four

-Three Years Later-

"Deids? Deidre!" Charlie tried to call out to me above all the noise in the pub, "Deidre, who's making that bowl of fries with aioli for table three?!"

"I don't know!" I called back frantically, "Kinda busy here, C! Can't really help you!"

It was completely swamped at The Panther pub - Charlie's brother's small business which we had now both been working at for the past three years. Our new lives in London kept us busy with a job like this, but we were both perfectly happy together as besties living it up in a small London apartment - where we could eat pizza & junk food to our hearts' content without any parents scolding our choices.

Over the years I'd become rather estranged from my family, but I didn't really mind. I mean, when Charlie & I first arrived in London, I sent my mum an email to let her know that I'd flown into London alive & well. She had replied about a week later - thanking me for the contact and saying that she was glad about my safe arrival.

After that, she & I communicated for about two weeks more before I just stopped bothering. I mean, the conversations were going nowhere, and in every email she sent to me, she always sounded like there was somewhere else she'd much rather be. Again, I didn't mind. For ages, Charlie & I were busy trying to settle in nicely and all. And thoughts of my family, and my life back home, just...disappeared.

Anyway, so here I was - pouring beers & whiskies non-stop for thirsty customers who were looking to get completely wasted on Friday night. I swear I had made at least thirty drinks almost non-stop since my last breather. And someone was supposed to be cooking the fries & aioli that some lady and her friend ordered like, half an hour ago, but I had no idea who was doing it. It certainly wasn't going to be me. I had more than enough to do at the bar.

"Here's your Corona," I handed a guy a bottle of Corona beer - to which he responded with a gruff thank-you nod before walking away.

"Hey lady. What's it gonna take to get a whiskey in this joint?" I heard someone imitating a supposed 'New Yorker' accent behind me.

I turned around and grinned to see that it was me & Charlie's good friend Niall - a young guy from Ireland who lived in the apartment below us. He was funny and his little accent was adorable - and he was always dropping by The Panther for a drink, or just to annoy us.

"I was wondering when you were gonna show up," I said to him with a smirk as I poured him a glass of whiskey.

"I'm a little late, but I still made it," he chuckled, "where's Charlie? Escaped somewhere, has she? Not handling Friday night once again?"

I laughed. "She's probably stuck in the kitchen - being forced to make fries & aioli since the chef's gone AWOL."

"Guess he can't handle it either," Niall began to look around, and made a face, "bloody hell. How're you doing this?"

"Somehow," I said breathlessly as I collected a few empty glasses some people had left at the bar.

"Friday night, huh?" Niall tutted, "Always the worst,"

"Oh yeah," I puffed, "I don't even know how I've survived working here these three years."

"You're an Olympic champion, Deids," Niall smirked, "three gold medals in Friday Night pub rush."

"Shut up," I pushed him, "are you just gonna sit there and annoy me all-" I was then cut off as my eyes drifted towards the front door, and my breath hitched, "woah..."

Oh my fucking God.

Who is that..?

I was completely bewitched by the breathtaking sight before me. The most stunning guy I'd ever seen had pushed through the front door, and he was talking on his phone - the loud bar atmosphere making his voice indistinct, but I could tell he was pissed about something.