Build-A-Boyfriend

11

"What is love? Baby don't hurt me, baby don't hurt me... No more..."

Dave meows grumpily in the direction of the bathroom, where Harry is singing loudly as he has his morning shower. He's made a playlist of about 5 songs and just keeps playing them on repeat. Personally I'm with Dave on how annoying this is, but I can't bring myself to kill Harry's buzz.

"Oh, I know." I whisper to Dave as he rubs himself around my legs. "Poor old Dave."

I set his dish on the floor and turn back to the frying pan to serve up Harry's eggs and bacon. He's been in the shower for ages, after he overcame his phobia of it it's now almost impossible to drag him out.

I'm just about to shout him when I hear the abrupt sound of the shower being turned off and he's soon in front of me, in his dressing gown with his hair wrapped in a towel. He looks so cute.

"I'll only be at uni until 3 today." I say as he's eating. "What are you going to do with yourself?"

"I've got quite a lot on actually." He puffs out his cheeks. "I have to return my library books, then me and Mrs Grisham are going to the coffee morning..." He takes a mouthful of food as I smile at him affectionally.

Mrs Grisham has lived in this block of flats since the prehistoric period and hates absolutely everyone except Harry, who she has adored since he helped her with her shopping a few weeks ago. She acts as if he's the saviour of the modern world. She goes to a coffee morning for the elderly once a week and Harry absolutely loves going with her and chatting to the grannies. He's even started baking cakes to take with him.

"I made a toffee apple cake this week." Harry says. He pulls the foil back from his cake to reveal an incredible three tier structure with a soft toffee topping and little glazed apple shapes.

"Wow...That looks like a work of art." I say, genuinely impressed.

"Thanks." He flushes. "Actually, one of the ladies at the coffee morning has asked me to make her granddaughters birthday cake. I told her I didn't want money but she insisted on paying me and I thought... I thought maybe if people want to buy my cakes then I can give you some money."

"Why would you want to give me money?"

"To pay you back. If you hadn't paid that £5000 I wouldn't even be-"

"Stop it." I hold up my hand. "I don't want to hear about that again, ok? If you can make something from your cakes that would be amazing for you, but I don't want anything."

"Oh. You see, I was thinking that I should maybe set up a business name and make some posters if people want me to make them cakes."

"That's a great idea!" I nod encouragingly. "What's the business name?"

"Well I want to reach for the stars and I'm making cakes, so I thought... Space Cakes?"

"Um. Space cakes?"

"Yes. I thought I'll make some posters advertising 'Space Cakes' with our address and maybe people will come and order. I was going to surprise you, but I thought I should tell you first."

I feel slightly faint at the idea of Harry slapping posters round advertising my flat as a place to buy space cakes.

I'm just about to explain to him when my alarm begins to buzz.

"Crap, I've got to dash... Harry that's a great name but I you can't use it. Honestly you can't. I'll explain later." I grab my bag and pat my pockets quickly to check I've got my phone and purse. "I'll see you later."

He smiles and I dash away, turning when I reach the end of the street to look up at my window. It takes a second to find it in the block but when I do, I see Harry, waving happily to me.