“Martin,” I said, interrupting his yelling at a few cowering cooks.
He turns toward me, surprised. “Callum,” he said. Only, it sounds like Cowlum. “Where have you been, my boy? I’ve been in need of help for weeks!”
“I’m sorry, Martin. I’ve been barely staying afloat recently. I haven’t been on this side of town.”
“Hmm,” he said, eyeing me carefully. “Is okay! You are here now!” He started to walk away but he stops, noticing Harper standing next to me and obviously taken with her.
“Martin, this is Harper. Harper, Martin,” I said, introducing them to one another.
He offered his hand and Harper took it. Martin kissed the back of her hand, making me roll my eyes. “A pleasure,” he said.
“The feeling’s mutual,” Harper said, charming him down to his leather clad feet.
He could only stare at her. She’s a natural magnet.
“Uh,” I interrupted, “Harper and I are looking to see if you’re looking for any help.”
“Of course! Always!” He said, breaking his stare from Harper.
“Martin, what are you talking about? You’ve turned me down several times for getting here too late.”
“But you’ve never brought me such a charming creature before.”
Harper winked at me but I can only sarcastically roll my eyes while Martin starts to walk off.
“Okay, we’ll need to get you an apron,” I said to Harper but Martin stops short.
“Uh no, Harper can host this afternoon. You can bus tables.”
Too tired to argue with him, I nodded in agreement.
“Introduce her to the other girls up front then come back and Rodrigo will give you your apron.”
“Okay,” I said and began to lead Harper toward the front of the restaurant.
Harper looks up at me. “I’d rather bus tables with you,” she whispered, pulling me short halfway toward the podium. Her hand rested on my forearm, sending a concentrated heat to my shoulders and it fell into my chest. “I mean, I’ll be okay up there and everything but I just wanted you to know that I’d rather be with you today.”
I looked down at her face and grinned. “Duh, Harper. I want you with me today, too. If Rodrigo could speak English, I’d make him take your place.”
We both laughed.
“I mean, seriously, it’s okay, I just, well, sort of wanted you to know that I can’t wait until this is over with so we could hang out a little more,” she admitted, red cheeks and all.
“The time will fly by,” I said, “like this.” I snapped.
And snap.
Harper and I worked eight hour shifts, earning two hundred dollars apiece. We took our cash and headed out into the evening. We were both exhausted, though.
“Okay, should we even bother heading to The Hope House?”
“I think we should try, Harper. If it’s one thing I’ve learned on the streets it’s that money is precious. We shouldn’t waste it, if we don’t have to.”
“Agreed. Let’s go.”
It was the weekend, and fortunately for us, the weekends were The Hope House’s least busy times of the week what with people partying and staying with friends and all. Harper and I stood in line close to the stone interior after I convinced her that her bra was the safest place to place our money. That was a strange argument but one I will never forget. She even turned her back toward me to place it. I have never wanted to laugh so hard in my life.
“I have the most incredible sense of deja’ vu,” she teased after fifteen minutes of silence.
“Huh, what do you know! So do I!” I winked. “Wait, except, I don’t remember doing this before.” I push the side of my knee into the back of hers and she stumbled forward but I caught her before she lost her balance completely. This has an unexpected effect and the moment from the subway we had yet to talk about resurfaced in both our eyes and breaths, our bodies close yet again.
Time seemed to stand still for a moment, a song blared but died away as a car passed, a man and woman scream at one another but we barely registered it. I can only stare at her, breathe her eyes in. Our faces inch closer and closer, barely half an inch separates our mouths but neither of us takes it any further. The ultimate teasing. The ultimate flirtation.
“What are we doing, Callum?” She asked, her breath warm against my lips.
“I don’t know,” I whispered, desperate to close my eyes and marry her mouth to mine.
We’re so close, I can feel her eyelashes on my cheeks, get drunk off her hair. Just another half inch and we’d be kissing. One. Half. Inch. “God, you smell good.” I admitted, swallowing loudly.
“So do you,” she panted, her bottom lip jutted out the slightest bit, narrowing the half inch gap.
My hands trembled on her waist. Her hands gripped my shoulders hard. She pulled away slightly and I almost cried out for her to close the distance again but before I can do it, Harper runs both her hands along my jaw line, silencing me with the skill of her touch.
“You have stubble already,” she stated quietly, bringing her mouth close to mine once more, making my stomach tighten in response, in happiness.
“I know. An Irish curse, I think.”
“I didn’t know you were Irish,” she whispered, slowly closing her eyes and opening them equally as languidly, just as inebriated with the moment as I was.
“I’m magically delicious,” I mock delivered.