Six Years Ago
"What type of pasta do you want, Grace?" Harry called out to me from the kitchen.
"Whatever is fine," I vaguely replied as I crouched down to inspect the vinyl records he had in his living room.
I ended up closing my eyes and pointing at one just so I could see what kind of music Harry liked to listen to. It wasn't something we ever really talked about, and I never heard him listen to anything before. We always talked in the car or drove in silence.
As a result, the record I picked was one by Nat King Cole, which surprised me in a good way. I lifted the lid to the turntable so I could set the vinyl in place and slowly drop the needle down. My smile grew as the record crackled before the soft music began to play. It wasn't the kind of music I would typically put on, but it was sickeningly romantic.
"Harry! Come quick! Hurry!"
I laughed to myself as I heard a clatter in the kitchen, followed by Harry taking long strides over into the living room. He had a plain suit on, minus his jacket now, and his white sleeves were rolled up to his forearms. His arms were out as if to silently ask me what I was screaming for.
"Dance with me," I chuckled, reaching my arm out to wiggle my fingers at him.
His shoulders fell as he rubbed his face. "First of all, don't make something sound like an emergency when it's not. Second, I'm trying to make you dinner."
"Oh my God, you're so dramatic," I rolled my eyes. "Just be spontaneous for once in your life and come dance with me. Right now."
The corner of his dark pink lips ticked upward as I added that last part in, trying to sound stern even though I was smiling. He glanced back at the kitchen, but when I said his name in a warning tone, he laughed and took the step down to come to me in the living room.
He stood close enough to me that he had to tilt his head down and I had to drop mine back to look at each other, but I gave him a full smile when he took my hand in one of his and placed the other at the bottom of my spine. I raised my right hand up to his shoulder, then slid it up to hold the back of his neck.
"I've never slow danced with anyone before," I confessed, blinking at his mouth as he tilted his head and nearly grazed his lips over mine.
"Good," he said. "I'd hate to picture it."
"Mhm," I laughed with my lips pressed together until I saw his dimples start to sink into his cheeks. "Instead you can picture me grinding on some–"
"Nope," he cut me off. "Don't wanna picture that either."
He spoke against my lips that time, absorbing my laugh as he waited for me to reciprocate his kiss. I hummed impulsively as he brought me in closer to his chest, slowly tilting his head in the opposite direction to kiss me again.
"Thanks for letting me come over all the time," I whispered. "I love being here with you."
"I love you being here with me too," he replied, and the way he said those three words first had my heart jumping out of my chest. After only seeing each other for a few weeks, we obviously haven't gotten there yet.
My smile softened as I rested my head against his chest, still swaying slowly with him as I strained my eyes to look out at the burnt orange sun setting over the ocean far out in his backyard. I felt so warm, but I still had chills rising over my skin when I felt his lips come down on the other side of my neck.
