The Middle | Hemmings + Styles AU

46.

Between my parents and Aunty Peg, I'm not sure who was more thrilled with the British boy. There was never a lull in the conversation as Harry charmed them with musings and laughed at Dad's jokes and spoke to Mum about art. Aunty Peg batted her eyelashes at him right up until dessert, when she lost herself for a few minutes in a raspberry souffle.

I guzzled my champagne haphazardly and tried to look like I was bored, like my ears weren't on high alert, trying not to miss a detail of the conversation I wasn't part of. It had moved to Harry's career and I was getting bits and pieces of new information. Like, this was the only job Harry had ever had. And he'd gotten it without any experience or knowledge of the industry. That didn't surprise me, actually.

"No school could teach what you've got," Dad told him, as if the two had known each other for longer than an hour. "Good instincts."

Mum agreed, nodding at Dad. "That's right, dear! He must have good instincts if he likes our Stella here."

Aunty Peg must have felt left out having not said anything because she added, "He wears his heart on his sleeve, don't you, love?"

And then, despite being practically mute all evening, and with full blame to the three glasses of champagne I'd finished, I blurted out:

"Harry can sing."

Mum's face lit up and she clasped her hands together. "Oh, how wonderful! We'd love to hear something!"

Harry managed to look suitably mortified yet polite all at the same time. "Maybe another time," he said. Then he cleared his throat. "You must be so proud of Stella."

Confusion crossed my parents faces. I'd had every intention of telling them about the new business tonight at dinner, but then Harry had sat down and the night had slipped away. Dad cleared his throat. "Is there something you'd like to tell us, Stella?"

Suddenly I wished that I wasn't buzzing so much from the champagne as all eyes were on me. Aunty Peg was kind enough to sit quietly and act just as surprised because Mum would have put on a song and dance if she found out I'd told Aunty Peg before her and Dad.

I explained to them exactly how I'd explained it to Grunge and Luke, and I tried to ignore the way Harry was looking at me; with his mouth softy open and his eyebrows low in concentration; because I knew that look. It was how I was looking at him the night we watched the David Bowie documentary. It was pure adoration, and I didn't know what to do with it.

At the end of it all, and to take some of the attention back off of me so I could regain my thoughts, I turned to Harry. "Did you end up finding another venue?"

This worked exactly the way I thought it would. The other three adults became more interested in what Harry had to say and I went on to order another glass of champagne, even though it was getting late and I had a lot of work to do tomorrow.

The downside to the champagne is I missed half the conversation and somehow they'd ended up talking about someone called Kandinsky, who by the sound of things, was an artist of some sort.

Harry's face lit up our table as he spoke and smiled and listened. He was as good at listening as he was at speaking. The check finally came around, and Dad paid promptly, while Mum fussed over Harry a little more. "You sure you don't want us to drop you off home?"

"That's very kind of you but I'm good with a cab. Thank you, though."

Mum smiled. "This has been such a nice evening! Hasn't it, Peg?"

"Wonderful," my Aunt agreed.

"So I suppose we'll see you at Stella's opening?"

I blinked at the woman who gave birth to me. "My opening?"

"Well, of course! You can't open a business without a grand opening!" She gave me a funny look and then smiled at Harry again. "We'll see you there, Harry!"

"I'll keep my eye out for my invitation," he said slowly, his eyes moving to me.

"You do that," I smiled, not meaning to sound as sarcastic as I did, and then we all walked out of the restaurant together. Harry and I fell a little way behind everyone else which gave us a chance to speak without prying ears or eyes. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't think of anything to say. Another downside to champagne: it had a way of stealing my wit.

When nothing came to mind, I said, "So, Kandinsky, hey?"

Beside me, I could feel Harry smile. "I'll loan you a book. I think you'd like his work."

Up ahead, my parents and Aunty Peg seemed to be walking just as equally slow. My Aunt leaned in to say something which sent Mum and Dad into laughter.

"Have you spoken to Luke?"

"I speak to Luke most days."

"So, he told you then."

Not quite sure how to answer, I looked up at Harry. Luke had said no one was supposed to know yet. Harry's expression was unreadable. "So, he told you," he repeated, and I gave a slow nod. "I was quite sure he would."

Given that he and Luke didn't know each other that well, this statement made me curious. "Yeah? Because you just know everything, don't you? Right down to Kandinsky."

Harry laughed. "Plenty of people know Kandinsky." I didn't. 

We were almost at the car now which meant there was a definite timer on the rest of this conversation. Mum and Dad made the effort to get into their seats and at least pretend they weren't staring but Aunty Peg wasn't so kind. She was looking at me and Harry through the car window and grinning from ear to ear.

"I guess I'll talk to you later. Thanks for putting up with my family all night."

As he smiled, Harry's tongue fell into the corner of his mouth. "Anytime."

He opened the car door for me, and Mum and Aunty Peg made no effort to hide their exchanged delight. Before I got in the car, Harry's mouth manifested by my ear. "I would have done the same if I was in Luke's position. That's all. I wouldn't want to keep secrets from you."

I didn't turn my head to look at him until I was in the car. "I'll send you that invitation," I said as a way of goodbye. He shut the door with a soft smile and Dad accelerated away.

Mum and Aunty Peg replayed their favourite parts of the evening and Dad hummed to Elvis on the radio. I was grateful all three were distracted because they didn't take notice of me. I was smiling the whole car ride home.