When The Boys Are Away

Part 60

Once they stepped back onto the narrow street, it was still as dark as it had been on their arrival. The sun couldn't be seen, it was still sunk far behind the mossy roofs and three story buildings that lined the town for miles on end. Harlow was glad she had Alfie by her side, otherwise she'd be completely lost for the next foreseeable hours. That was not something she was keen on. 

Alfie quickly led them through the empty streets, his long strides were full of confidence, showing that he knew every single route and alleyway in London. Harlow on the other hand only vaguely recognised some streets, though many were brand new and evoked her curiosity. 

Nonetheless, she couldn't escape the sense of disappointment looming over her from Tommy's last words. She felt like she was constantly haunted by his presence, any time she thought she was happy, he'd be there in the back of her mind, dragging her mood back down. What Harlow needed was someone to snap her out of her misery and make her move on and the one man for the job was currently walking beside her. 

"Why are you so sad all the time?" Alfie spoke unexpectedly as he led Harlow down another unfamiliar road. His inquisitive eyes were staring straight ahead, not wanting to reveal that he had been watching the Winters girl for quite some time on their journey. With this fact unbeknown to her, Harlow huffed expressively, "I'm not sad all the time." 

The faint lines under her eyes crinkled with her response, "You're not? Well I'll take some offence in knowing that you're only sad in my presence then." Alfie responded in his usual tone, but Harlow knew he was joking. She could pick up on the hint of sarcasm immediately and she couldn't help but smile. 

"Look at that, I actually made you smile. Clearly my presence can't be that depressing." Alfie gloated happily as he pulled her out of the way of a lamp post that Harlow clearly wasn't paying attention to. Harlow giggled, amused by his confidence whilst also finding reassurance as they turned off the main road onto a path. The narrow path led to a large, Victorian style house; one that she did not expect someone like Alfie Solomons to live in. 

She had never thought about where he might live before, Harlow only ever imagined him tucked away in his office in his 'bakery'. "Do you really live here?" She asked rhetorically, admiring the beautiful wooden window frames and curling ivy around the front door. 

"No, we're breaking in." Alfie responded sarcastically with a smirk causing Harlow to roll her eyes in response. Something about his snarky comments made her feel at home. 

Harlow removed her arm from his to allow him to find his key which was discarded somewhere in one of his pockets. Meanwhile, she gazed around at the surroundings and she almost felt like she wasn't in London at all. With the reasonable patch of grass and large, branching tree that sheltered the house from the nosey city goers, she almost felt like she was in the countryside. It was somewhere she always longed to be, but hadn't had chance to go for a while. 

"Is it up to your standards Miss Winters?" Alfie enquired as the key twisted in the lock and the black painted door slowly opened inwardly. With a generous smile on her face, Harlow span around excitedly, her brunette locks flicking over one shoulder as she did so, "Very much so, Mr Solomons."

"Well then," He announced, waving her through the threshold, "Make yourself at home." 

***

"Olly was the one who saved my life in France, he dragged me off the battlefield after I got shot in the leg. I wouldn't be here without him, so I gave him a job." Alfie concluded his heart warming story, raising his mug with a memorable fondness for his right hand man. 

Harlow smiled sympathetically, she had never known how to react to stories of the war, all she could do was listen and offer emotional support, though it didn't seem that Alfie required it. "You must have been quite a weight to pull," She joked cheekily, her cheekbones raising as she grinned over her cup of tea.