London Calling

Effy's Pov

We spent hours at the dog’s home, I didn’t want to leave. In the end we, well I settled on getting a great dane. Now I know even as a puppy they are huge and I know he is going to get bigger but, he had these adorable blue eyes and I just couldn’t resist. So I took him home.

Harry drove me home and stayed for a while to help me settle him in. We still hadn’t found a name for him. He couldn’t just be another Max, or Coco or something like that. We attempted to train him but, it was a unsuccessful endeavour on our behalf. had to mop the entire apartment twice. It’s a good job it’s mostly wooden floor. I made Harry and I some tea whilst the puppy had passed out. He had clearly exhausted himself by running around the sofa endlessly and aimlessly. We sat and watched TV but, we mostly talked about general topics.

I noticed the way he looked at me when I spoke. As if he was completely content with the lingering sound of my voice. For some reason I liked the way he looked at me like that. He soon realized he was staring.

“So, thought of any names yet?” he diverted the conversation whilst sipping his tea.

“I’m not too sure, I want something original. Or at least something remotely relevant to his personality or behaviour.” We continued our conversation about names for ages, we came up with all sorts, some absolutely ludicrous. Harry had given up and had now begun on humorous names.

“How about, ummm” he scratched his forehead and pulled a face which made you believe he was deep in thought until he came out with the actual name. “Ben as his first name then Dover as his last but, like together”
I found it funnier that I should have but, Harry, crying at his own jokes was enough to make me laugh.

“Now you are just winding me up” we both laughed and joked. It went on like that for hours until we had realized it was getting late. We had spent the entire day together. We were both starving and settled for Chinese again. It looked like this may become a is regular event. No food fights were promised this time though.
We indulged in our Chinese and talked about musical influences. The puppy had woken and was begging for noodles. You couldn’t resist his lovable face so we gave in. He seemed happy enough with left over chicken and prawn crackers anyhow. After we cleared up we decided to have a couple of drinks so Harry headed over to the shop to get the alcohol whilst I stayed with the new addition.

When Harry left I ran to the bathroom to compose myself. Uh god I looked hideous. I’m not normally one that is interested in looks but, the boy is attractive so might as well give him something decent to look at. I changed into some tight fitting but, loose in some way shorts and a loose t-shirt. Just comfy clothes but, I still looked alright I suppose. I ruffled my fingers through my hair and applied a light coat of mascara, the door was knocked and Harry was back. I quickly sprayed myself with the perfume Alien and went to answer the door.
He came back with a shit load of beer and snacks. A lot more than I had hoped for but, still it wasn’t going to go to waste. Harry sorted the drink out whilst I attended to the pup.

“Do you want a glass?” I heard him call from the kitchen.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll drink from the bottle.” I tried to sound a little ladylike

“My kind of girl” I heard him say quietly and chuckle. I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to hear but, I felt my cheeks blush scarlet and a smile on my face.

He bought the drinks in and we sat on floor and played with the puppy. It was frustrating not having a name for him yet. Having to call him by whistling or just saying “come here boy” he instantly ran over to Harry and although a puppy he towered over him. He scampered around after Harry wherever he went.

“Seems like someone has taken a liking to you” I joked as he followed Harry to the bathroom.

“I know” he laughed back. It was nice seeing how comfortable Harry had become over the past week with me. I enjoyed his company.

Things had gotten awkward. Not like the horrible awkwardness just hardly any conversations and a lot of silence. It seemed we had ran out of things to talk about. We had pretty much gone through every topic. I knew his favourite colour, film, book what sports he liked. Celebrity crushes, musical influences as well as what he listened to in general, his favourite place, food, brand, drink anything you name it. It knew it. Apart from Serena I hadn’t really gotten to know anyone like this, especially in such a short space of time.
I was broken from my chain of thoughts when Harry spoke.

“You have a very impressive vinyl collection, Miss Richards” I was stunned that he knew I collected them.

“Oh so I see someone has been nosing around?” I raised my eyebrow and shot him the daggers.

“How could one not when one has such a striking compilation.” His sudden English language vocabulary threw me and made me snap out of my attempt at seriousness and overload with laughter.

“I could play some if you like?” The moment became sincere and sweet.

“Ye sure I’d love that, that would be cool” his childish grin reappeared again.

The record player was tucked away in the corner of the lounge. I was excited to use it, I hadn’t in a while. It used to belong to my mom, before she passed. The records were my dads, he was always a massive fan of music.
We began with playing The Rolling Stones then The Doors, I could tell Harry genuinely had love for music. The way he seemed to get lost in the sounds of the stones instruments and Jagger’s voice. He seemed so vulnerable.

“Wow, you have a lot of Hendrix” He continued looking through the stacks of records.

“yeah, my dad loved him” I handed him the record ‘All Along The Watchtower’ of course. One of the greatest tracks ever written. I could tell he was thrilled to play it as I handed it to him. His eyes lit up.

The song began to play and we both got lost in thought and alcohol. At this point we had both consumed far too much. Harry held out his hand for mine and with that we danced. Well not really danced in a certain sense, sort of just mulled around the room and giggled as we did. We sang and danced until we were interrupted by howling. Of course coming from non other that the new family member.
We both stopped in our tracks and stared at each other inelegantly. We brushed it off and went over to the balcony where the howling continued.

Harry stopped the music and as he did the howling stopped. We both looked at each other with a peculiar sense about the situation. The puppy looked up at us both a cocked his head to one side.

“Har-ry just um play that again” I slurred my words at my request. Harry giggled and set it off again. When he did the puppy just howled. He didn’t do it out of annoyance but, it did sound as if he was enjoying listening to the music.
Harry soon clocked on and played the track again and continued to stop it. Every time the puppy would howl and stop in time with the track.

Harry left it playing and came and stood next to me and handed me another beer. He wrapped his free arm around my waist, pulled me closer and smiled contently. We both looked at the puppy and looked at each other. He stroked his thumb over my hip in a rhythm matching the track, I could feel his eyes on.
He grabbed me by hips, and spun me around to face him. He then gently brushed my hair out of my face and over my ear, It all happened so quickly and I wasn't sure if he was going to kiss me. I became ridiculously nervous, but then he leaned in and I lost focus, I just giggled childishly.

He lent back and pulled me closer than I already was and whispered in my ear. “Hendrix, you should call him Hendrix”

Notes

Happy New Year everyone! Hope 2014 brings you everything you hope and wish for.
I've spent my new year in bed watching films with young Leonardo DiCaprio and eating Reeses peanut butter cups, just in case you all wanted to know.

Let me know what you think of the new chapter, Harry is getting a little closer and opening up more to Effy and vice versa.
Sorry it's taking so long with the whole relationship-emotion side of it, I just want it to seem a little more real than have her meet him and they sleep with each other on the same night. Thanks for reading guys x

Isla x