A Hungry Heart

Chapter 5

The shrill grind of a power saw pierces through Harry's bubble of concentration, momentarily taking his attention away from the flower arrangement he's working on. He glances up as Jack shouts something to Damon across the conservatory, the words drowned out by the sounds of the building site.

Progress has been swift since they started construction a month ago and the space is already taking shape; his much longed for cafe and bakery well underway. The old storage shed has been demolished, new foundations laid, and the frames are up so he can really get a sense of the space and proportions. The kitchen for the bakery and cafe will sit off to one side, along with the display cases and a separate entrance so the flower shop can be closed off when required. To the other side, an indoor dining area with a fireplace will be in the conservatory which leads out to an alfresco eating area and garden. It's going to be gorgeous, and really fucking expensive, but hopefully worth every penny.

He refocuses on the task at hand, a large order for a new client. The request had been very specific, which Harry actually really enjoys, always eager to give his customers what they want and turn their dreams into a reality. He slots the last of the twenty-eight blush pink tulips into the base of smooth black pebbles which are covered in a thick layer of green moss, all presented in a tall glass vase with a two-inch wide light-blue ribbon tied around it in a bow. The colour of the blue ribbon had been very clearly stipulated, and Harry had needed to order it specially, not having the particular shade on-hand in his shop.

He steps back and looks over his creation, the tulips standing tall and proud, complemented perfectly by the blue bow.

A flash of a memory sweeps through his head, brilliant blue eyes, sparking in the sunshine, filled with mirth. The image vanishes as quickly as it had come. Louis.

He's thought about him often over the last six-months, the constant reminders in the media not helping to dull his longing for the man who had come fleetingly into his life and left an indelible impression on his heart and soul, like there's a Louis-shaped hole that will forever remain untouched. Harry wonders if he's happy, wonders who is getting to spend time in his orbit; sharing a laugh, a meal, a moment.

The time since he left Bake Off has been a veritable whirlwind. After his semi-final Showstopper pie had fallen foul to a dreaded soggy bottom, his competition was over, but he was so much richer for the experience. Well, not richer in tangible, monetary terms of course, but his drive to make his dream a reality had been boosted and he'd rewritten his business plan and presented it to the bank. To his delight, they'd finally come through with the loan and the building works had gotten underway last month.

The weekend after Harry had been eliminated he'd returned to Bettington House with Niall, Liam, and Zayn for the finale and watched as Mara had been crowned the very deserving winner, Fran and Kim as the runners up. It was lovely to see and chat to all the contestants once more, and Harry had only been a tiny bit disappointed that Louis hadn't returned as well. It's not that he'd really expected him to attend, but he'd still held out a glimmer of hope anyway.

Watching the series when it aired had been a somewhat painful process, his infatuation with Louis clear for all to see. His staff had ribbed him mercilessly, claiming he was the manifestation of the heart eyes emoji. While Harry might have protested a bit, he really couldn't argue with them.

He places the vase in the fridge and checks the time on his phone. It's nearly four and the client should be here soon to collect it so he wanders out back to check on Jack and Damon before they finish up for the day.

"Hey, Jack, Damon," Harry says as he leans his hip into the door jam, both men looking up from where they're picking away their tools. "Productive day?"