Harry

The Beginning

          

I inhaled, sucking the fumes of smoke deep before releasing them slowly, enjoying the soothing lull left in their wake. I tapped lightly on my cigarette, letting the empty white ashes fall from the tip as I laughed at something Theon had said. We were taking a short break, business in the café was slow that day, and I remember feeling, in general, content with the world and my place in it. I was young, confident, I had a solid group of friends that I lived with a few streets over, and I was doing well in my course at University. I liked attending lectures, though the way in which I attended them; either slumping inconspicuously in the back with a hood pulled over my head, or sitting only a few rows from the front in a cute yet casual outfit, depended entirely on how much alcohol I had consumed the night before.  I liked my job at the café, I enjoyed grinning and teasing customers in a perfect, coquettish façade perfectly construed to incite tips and sneaking off for surreptitious cigarette breaks with Theon while he bitched about his latest crazy girlfriend. I liked the simple, uncomplicated flirtations I had without ever actually having to pin myself down. Most of all I liked the secret parts of myself I never shared with anyone. There were things I regretted, things that still plagued me during sleepless nights, but everyone had demons. I was pretty good at keeping mine locked away. I distinctly remember thinking; things are going well for me. Finally.

"So then I said thank you." Theon told me simply, one hand gesticulating, the other holding his smoking cigarette. I tutted and shook my head at him, smirking slightly as I used my free hand to secure my long chocolate brown waves in a hair clip. The hot summer caused a light sheen of perspiration to coat both our skins as we reclined against the wall in the back alley.

"Theon, Theon, Theon."  I tutted slowly, taking another quick drag. "You never respond to a girl's declaration of love with a 'thanks.'"  I told him gravely. His baby blues bulged as he huffed out an exasperated breath.

"Yeah well maybe you could have imparted that gem of wisdom before she threw my toaster out the window." He said with a petulant pout.

I scoffed rolling my eyes. "I didn't think I'd have to. Surely any idiot knows that."

He scowled at me, his eyes twinkling. "I don't know why I consistently seek the advice of woman with zero relationship experience."

"Probably because even I, a relationship virgin, am better at navigating them than you are pretty boy." I replied airily with a wink.

It was sadly true. Theon was in no doubt an attractive man, wiry but firm, with shaggy blonde curls and big blue eyes. He was handsome in the scruffy way of a free spirited musician or a tortured artist and the cocky smirk he usually wore showed he knew it. He was however, hopeless with women. Once he got them into bed he had no clue how to treat them. It wasn't that he meant to hurt them, just that the plans he envisioned for a romantic future never went further than an awkward offer of coffee and an "It's been fun, have a nice life" the morning after. Despite this he almost always ended up entrapped in unwilling relationships with his conquests for a few weeks, during which I got to hear all of his complaints. Lucky me.

I flicked my cigarette butt at the wall and stretched, relishing the slight breeze. "Come on. We better get in before Mike gets antsy." I said, pushing my Marlboro's into my pocket. Right on que our boss's voice boomed out from the propped open door beside us.

"Where the hell are those two again!" We heard Mike demand of the kitchen staff, his thick Scottish accent unmistakable.  I giggled, quickly bringing my hand up to smother it, while Theon muttered a quick "fuck" under his breath, hastily stubbing out his half-finished cigarette. "Like I even need to ask," Mike continued his tirade as his steps grew closer. I grabbed Theon's hand and pulled us inside, darting around the tall, irate Scotsman and through the small kitchen.