Behind Close Doors

Chapter Thirty-One*

HARRY'S POV

IT WAS HARD for me to concentrate on anything when all I could think about was her. I was leaning against the counter of the bar watching the party unfold before my eyes. Everyone was engaged in some sort of conversation and socializing over the music as opposed to dancing to it. The parties I enjoyed the most were the ones where people danced like they didn't have a care in the world.

My family's winter formal was always the talk of the year, but it was always the day I dreaded the most. I hated wearing a suit, but I decided if I was going to wear one this time, it'd have to match my quirky fashion taste. My mother nearly had a cow when she saw I was wearing the floral suit over the one she had tailor-made for me, but at that point it was too late for her to do anything about it. She did have a word or two with the bartender and told him not to serve me alcohol since I was underage. I suppose that was her way of getting back at me.

So here I was, feeling deprived of the simplest joys in life, leaning against the bar counter, and surveying the crowd. I spotted Matthew with some of the other guys from the football team flirting with the women around them. A smirk stretched across my face when I noticed a scowl appear on one woman's face after Matthew was done whispering in her ear, and she stepped on his foot before walking away from him. I chuckled to myself and shook my head, thinking he had that coming to him for awhile.

All of this observing was beginning to make me feel hungry. As if on cue, I turned my head to the left and spotted a small woman with long black hair carrying a tray with crab cakes on them. I didn't get a good look at the woman's face since she was constantly moving between bodies until she reached the bar area. My eyes lit up when I discerned the woman to be Florence. It had slipped my mind that she was going to be on the waiting staff, but somehow her presence managed to add some life to the party.

My mouth watered at the sight of the crab cakes she was carrying on her tray. I felt my stomach grumble and acted by grabbing one crab cake from her tray when she walked in my general direction. I could tell my actions caught her off guard because she halted her movements and turned her head to look up at me in surprise.

By then I had already taken a sizeable bite out of my crab cake and was quite pleased with how it tasted.

"Mmm. This is good," I told her, my eyes gleaming with approval as I wiped the crumbs from the corner of my mouth.

"I'm glad you're a fan of it at least. Other people keep avoiding it like the plague," Florence replied with a chuckle, although I could tell there was something slightly off in her tone of voice.

I wondered if she thought people were avoiding her or the crab cakes. An idea suddenly came to mind, and I decided to go with it in order to lift her spirits even more.

"Huh, guess that leaves more crab cakes for me then," I proudly declared while taking another one off the tray. "By the way, you look beautiful tonight," I added sincerely.

I've never seen someone look so attractive in just a simple pleated black dress before. I got the reaction I desired from Florence when I saw her cheeks blush. She glanced down at her attire before finding my eyes again with a grateful smile.

"Thank you," She told me before biting down on her lip and letting it bounce back in place.

A part of me couldn't help but wonder what that mouth of hers could do, but I forced myself to pay attention when I heard her speak again.