She's Not Afraid

I drank my mug of tea as I watched Harry finish scrubbing the floor, the bakery opening in under twenty minutes.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He asked, pausing to look up at me.

I gave him a devilish grin. "Maybe." I then answered before continuing to drink my tea.

"Well you're just mean." He accused, getting up to face me.

"Well would a mean person be nice enough to serve you you're favorite brunch pastries?"

A smile appeared on his face when I turned around to show him the plate of bacon, beans, sausage and cheese I served just for him.

"Oh and let's not forget about the big mug of tea I also bothered to make for you." I continued, handing him the plate to get the tea.

"Well aren't you lovely?"

"Hmm, first I'm mean and now I'm lovely?" I teased, handing him his mug too.

The appreciative expression on his face told me just how grateful he was that I thought of him. Truth was, every Saturday I'd watch as he would serve himself all of these things before starting the day, finishing up with a slice of vanilla custard or millionaire's shortbread - which I also had waiting for him when he was done. I found it charming he had this routine of his. I also thought it'd be nice to give him a treat after all the work he'd done, not including the work he still had left to do.

Whenever I offered to help scrub or mop the floors he'd always tell me no, to just finish up the easier jobs like cleaning the counters or washing the trays. It was overly sweet of him to never let me work too hard whenever he was here. He would even make it a habit to check up on me during the week when he wasn't working, offering to help with whatever I hadn't gotten up to yet.

Riana continuously teased me that Harry had a crush on me, but I'd always laugh at her and her theories. Why would he ever like me? An ordinary girl when practically every attractive girl in town threw themselves at him?

But of course whenever I told her this she'd yell at me for being so "blind and oblivious", which I'd respond with something along the lines of "do you not see how obvious it is?"

It was a constant argument between her and I. She'd never stop yelling at me for putting myself down, always telling me to open up my eyes. For some reason she thought I was pretty, that I had no reason to be as insecure as I was. But the thing with Riana was I never told her that I never had a boyfriend, or even my first kiss! At sixteen, I'd never been kissed. Surely every bloody girl has been kissed by this age! Which is why I always came down to the conclusion that I just wasn't attractive enough. The reason why no boy ever dared to talk to me.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, waving his fingers in my face.

I snapped out of my depressing thoughts, realising I'd been quiet for quite some time now. "Yeah, just thinking."

"You seemed sad there." He observed, revealing his tongue before shoving the last sausage into his mouth.

I always giggled when he ate because he had this habit of showing his tongue whenever he shoved food into his mouth. Of course he didn't know he did that so he would always question why I'd laugh, cleaning his mouth to make sure there was no food there.

"There's that giggle again. Why do you always laugh when I eat?" He asked, tilting his head to me.

"No reason." I smiled, heading behind the counter to fetch my apron.

He was about to respond when I squealed because Isn't She Lovely? by Stevie Wonder played on the radio, one of my favourite songs ever thanks to my dad.

"You like this song?" He smiled at me as I mouthed the words.

"Yes, my dad would always play his music. This song always happened to be one of my favourites." I shared, twirling around in place as Stevie's harmonica solo came on.

And as if in sync, we both began to sing the third verse. "Isn't she lovely? Life and love are the same. Life is Aisha. The meaning of her name. Londie, it could have not been done, without you who conceived the one, that's so very lovely made from love."

As another harmonica solo comes on that eventually leads into the ending of the song, I turn to Harry who's tapping his fingers along to the beat.

"You know you sounded really good." I complimented him, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"You weren't bad yourself."

As I smiled, it hits me. "That's it! That's the song!" I shout, my hands finding his shoulders.

"What?" He asks confused, eyes wide.

"Your audition song!"

"You're a genius!" He shouts, making me burst out laughing as he pulls me into a tight hug.

"What's all this noise?" Simon asks as he comes out from his office in the back.

"The brilliant, brilliant Charlotte just found my audition song."

"Oh yeah? What song might that be?"

"Isn't she lovely? By Stevie Wonder." Harry smiled, placing an arm around my shoulder.

"That's a good song choice, who knew Charlotte had an ear for music?" Simon laughed.

"I always knew she had talent." Harry answered, those lively emerald eyes staring into my boring brown ones; his face inches from mine.

I could feel my mouth go dry, my heart gaining speed. He wasn't going to, was he?

"Looks like a customer is coming, cut it out you two." Simon snapped before retreating to the back.

Clearing my throat I pulled away from Harry, facing the woman who'd just enter the shop and was now looking into the display case. Though my back was to him, I could feel his stare burning into my back.

***

"So did he?!" Riana asked excitedly as we sat on my bed, waiting for dinner to be served.

"No, but I think he was going to."

"Well why didn't he!? What's taking you guys so long to see you two are madly in love?"

"Um, try the fact that we aren't in love. I doubt he was going to kiss me anyway. I probably made the whole thing up." I brushed the topic off, getting up to fix my hair in front of the mirror.

She let out a huge sigh before standing behind me. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Putting yourself down. Acting as if Harry doesn't have a crush on you when he so does."

"Now you're doing it again. Harry and I are just friends. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, doesn't Felicia have a thing for him? She's come into the bakery a few times just for him." I shrugged, turning to face her.

"She has?"

"Yeah, practically every Saturday."

"Well who cares? They're over and done with."

"They were together?!" I asked a bit too loudly, causing Riana to give me a funny look. "Not that I care, I mean I'm just surprised. I didn't know." I quickly interjected before she could say something.

She pointed a shaking finger at me, eyes bulging with a wide smile. "I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I. Knew. It!" She began to yell.

"Shut up, you know nothing!"

"Charlotte has a crush on Ha-"

"Riana!" I yelled, placing a hand over her mouth as she began to laugh. "For the millionth time, I do not like him and he does not like me. Will you quit it now before someone hears you?"

She nodded her head before I released my hand. "Fine, keep lying to yourself. But I'll be here when you two do realise it. And I will be gloating."

"Charlotte! Riana! Dinner is ready!" My mum yells from downstairs.

"Coming!" I yell back. "Will you behave now?" I ask Riana once more.

"Yeah, yeah." She mumbles before walking past me to exit the room, me right behind her.

Just as we reach the bottom of the steps, the doorbell rings and I already know who it is. "That must be Harry, I'll get it." I call out.

I can hear Riana clear her throat before heading into the dining room, making me roll my eyes at her.

"Hey." He greets me with a shy smile as I open the door.

"Hi," I smile back. "You're right on time. The food is ready."

"Smells lovely too."

I let out a laugh when his stomach grumbles, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks in embarrassment. "I'm afraid we're going to have to rush you in and serve you. Your stomach seems to be protesting." I tease, stepping aside to let him in.

"Bugger off, I haven't eaten in hours." He sticks out his tongue before playfully shoving my arm, making his way inside.

"Harry, you've arrived darling." My mother smiles as she hugs him. I was never sure whether he was my friend or hers.

As we all sat around the table for dinner, the time seemed to fly by. Ever since moving to Cheshire, our dinners seemed to always be full of jokes and stories now; everyone having something to share. It was actually nice to see being my father was barely home. Whenever it was just Dylan, mum and I, the house was quiet and lifeless. Which was why Riana and Harry were blessings for our family when dad wasn't around, they still seemed to make the house fuller.

Tears filled my eyes as I laughed along to one of dad's crazy stories, everyone trying to catch their breath as he finished.

"You've lived quite a life." Harry continued to chuckle.

"You have no idea. Every day at work there's always something new."

"The dinner was lovely Mrs. Taylor, thank you for having us yet again." Riana smiled, handing my mum her plate.

"I love having you kids around, it's all my pleasure." She gushed, going into the kitchen to start the clean up. I laughed to myself at my mum, I knew it made her happy my friends loved her cooking so much.

Looking at the time, Harry signaled Riana it was time to leave, the both of them getting up.

"Thanks for the dinner Mr. Taylor, hope to see you again soon."

"Looking forward to it, you're great kids."

Leading them to the door, I hugged the both of them goodbye. "See you tomorrow." Riana waved as she followed Harry down the steps.

I watched as they walked down the path before stopping, Harry running back up to my door. "Did you forget something?" I asked.

"About earlier," He began, my heart swelling with pain. I knew what was coming, rejection.

"No, no it was nothing Hazz, I get it. We're just friends, I know and accept that. It's not like we have special feelings for each other, am I right?" I forced a laugh.

I knew I didn't feel anything for him, but why was it hurting to know he was rejecting me? Why was my answer coming off as a weak one that I didn't even believe?

"Yeah, yeah right." He answered with confusion, as if my answer wasn't something he was expecting. "I guess that's it then, um goodnight." He waved, his expression completely off from the usually cheery grin he wore.

Letting out a sigh, I returned inside. What just happened?