Sunflower [h.s.]

4 - Cozy

Harry and I ate lunch at a small diner near the bar, spending more time talking than eating. He'd asked me a lot about myself, which caught me off guard. I didn't particularly enjoy talking about myself, but I also wasn't given the opportunity very often. I thought it was only fair to ask him questions as well, and I actually learned a lot about him.

He moved here from England a few years before, only a little while before I did. He told me he had some issues with his parents, although he was very vague, obviously not wanting to delve into his personal problems so soon. He said he was craving a fresh start, so he just woke up one morning and decided to move. He'd packed a small bag, left everything in England, and bought the first plane ticket to LA.

I really admired his impulsivity. I mean, I had been pretty impulsive by moving as well, but I at least made sure I had a place to stay before I moved. Harry didn't think anything through, he just did it.

He told me that he was also single, so I should find him a girlfriend. He was a bit disappointed when I explained to him that he'd been the only person I'd hung out with, other than Isabel, since I'd moved to Los Angeles. When I asked why he was single, he explained that he'd had a few girlfriends in the past, but he never felt anything.

It was kind of depressing to think about. I couldn't imagine just dating someone to go with the flow, because it was what I should do. I was ashamed that I'd told him about my ex-boyfriend, but I tried to keep the story vague and didn't go into very much detail at all.

I was also shocked to find out that he was actually a bartender at the bar they'd played at. Apparently no one thought it worth mentioning to me while we were all at the bar the night before, but I guess it just never came up in conversation. It made sense, as soon as we got there, alcohol was being shoved at me.

Eventually, we finished our food and were stuck trying to figure out what to do after we left.

"You told me last night that you paint, what if we had a competition?" he suggested. I don't think he was aware of how competitive I was.

"A competition? You do realize who you're up against, right?" I challenged, earning a smile from him.

"Yes, but I like a challenge," he taunted, and I was prepared to kick some ass.

"Okay, you're on," I answered, suddenly getting impatient for the waitress to bring our checks.

"Here's what I'm thinking, it's only one o'clock. We go back to your place, I win the painting competition, and then we invite everyone over to my house and have a pool party," he suggested.

"Pool party?" I hadn't told him about how much I loved to swim, so I was caught off guard. "How did you know that I love to swim?" I asked.

"Well, Isabel told me you work at the aquarium, so it was just a guess," he admitted. I was already excited to get home to beat him in a friendly competition and now I was even more excited.

"Well you're really good at guessing. That sounds like so much fun," I commented as the waitress brought our checks.

As I was signing the receipt, I realized what he had said.

"Wait a minute, did you say that you were going to win this competition?" I questioned him as he laughed.

"Yes, I did. I guess you're gonna have to prove me wrong," he teased, and suddenly we were racing each other to our cars.

"First one to my house automatically loses the competition," I challenged.

"Hey, that is not fair and you know it," he laughed from his car, speeding off as I followed.