Return To Love | Harry Styles

2 - Poppy & Peculiar Fish.

What's your ideal first date?

Zara is gently chopping some vegetables, alone in the kitchen with a supportive glass of sweet wine placed next to her.

This time around there's no music in the background, only the sound of her best friend and flat mate Poppy going off.

"Do you want carrots?" Zara calmly asks.

"No," Poppy storms out, messy hair accompanying an oversized T-shirt. "I want to know more about Harry bloody Styles!"

Zara fights a laugh as she concentrates on making a salad.

This is all Poppy has been wanting to talk about since she returned from her trip to Morocco and she just needs to be up to date with the suddenly interesting love life of her friend.

"The internet has all the information you need," Zara shrugs.

"Don't be a git, you're the one he's been texting," Poppy announces.

That's a fact; it's been some weeks after meeting in Imogen and Freya's kitchen. Harry and Zara have been steadily communicating largely via text messages and random calls.

He's been super busy making final plans for his hiatus and she's also been busy with catering contracts.

It's been as slow and breezy as they initially wanted, and Zara is strongly refusing to believe this is going anywhere. So the rules are strictly taking it light and breezy.

"I'm sure he has other people to text, you know," Zara gently transports her vegetables from the wooden chopping board to a bowl.

"Are you saying there's no romance?" Poppy folds her arms.

"What romance?"

"Come off it, Imogen claims there were sparks,"

Zara pauses and rolls her eyes, of course the women have refused to back off after their attempt at matchmaking.

"Imogen was wine drunk that night," Zara says.

"But there was something," Poppy eggs her on.

"It was just easy talking to him. He's way different from what we see on the media," Zara mumbles.

"Is that good or bad?" Poppy asks.

"Pops, I don't know. I barely know the man, I just enjoyed a good time with him and that's it," Zara groans, wanting to wrap this up.

"Wow Z, you're a sharer," Poppy grumbles, walking closer to her.

"If anything else happens, I'll update you. For now, we just share food memes and random talks," Zara says with a smile.

Poppy picks a vegetable from the bowl and pops it into her mouth.

"Imogen's nephew is the Harry Styles, imagine this life," Poppy giggles.

"Small world, it's crazy,"

"Can someone else we know conveniently be related to Lakeith Stanfield? Make the world smaller!" Poppy looks at the ceiling, begging the gods.

"A girl can dream," Zara laughs.

The ringing of her phone interrupts their chat and Zara raises an eyebrow at the caller ID - Harry Styles.

"Shit, he's calling me," Zara nearly panics.

Poppy immediately cups her shoulders with a hearty giggle. "Easy lady, he's just a lad,"

"Yeah right!"

Zara controls her breathing before reaching to answer her phone. She repeatedly clears her throat and leans against the kitchen counter to appear calm, sending Poppy into a laughing fit.