Dedicated to londonstars for being such a kind and incredible friend! Ily x

THREE MONTHS LATER HAD DONE nothing to lessen my interest in Harry. I still found myself gazing at him whenever he passed by to get something or whenever he left for his lunch break. How I hadn't noticed him before was beyond me - who would miss that fine piece of eye candy walking right past them? I'd questioned my eye sight several times because usually if an attractive person walked past, I suddenly found them to be the most interesting thing in the world. I'd been like that all my life; watching attractive people and hoping one day that I would be lucky enough to be able to call one of them my partner. Wouldn't that be a dream? To have someone so kind and genuine as well as good looking? 

That's why I liked Harry. He was kind beyond words and I was still finding it difficult to believe he had let me away with spilling my drink all over him. I mean, those trousers would probably never lose the stench of alcohol and all because of my clumsiness and astounding ability to fall into daydreams at the most random of times. I still couldn't comprehend how he had forgave me so easily - most men would have cursed their hearts out at me and told me to watch it but with Harry ... he was just perfect.

The most perfect, handsome, kind, sweet, curious man in the whole universe. Perfection in human formation - perfect definition of the word perfection. He was simply - Jane, you're doing it again. Obsessing over a gorgeous man will not get your job done.

I quickly shook my head to rid it of my multiple fantasies, forcing my tired fingers to continue their never-ending chore of filling out spread sheets. It was hard work and always managed to leave me with coffee and food on the brain. I could really use a coffee, I suddenly realised as I glanced up at the clock. It was only 11:30 AM and lunch was at twelve. I heaved a sigh in annoyance as I watched the slow ticking of the clock, praying that it moved faster and finally brought an end to the torturous task that was my job at the ERHA.

My job consisted of the following; start at nine, fill out spread sheets and reply to emails until break, then back to more spread sheets and emails until lunch finally struck at twelve before heading back to even more spread sheets and emails for the remainder of the day until it finally rolled round to five. It was simply a delight to be working such a way. However, I couldn't complain - not verbally at least - because no matter how much it seemed like life sucked while sitting at a desk and doing the same things over and over for five days a week, the pay was ridiculously good. It paid for my bills, my rent and then left me a good amount to put towards that month's shopping. Then, with whatever was left was what I would put towards my art supplies.

Some would say I had more than enough artistic media and such at home but the truth was, you could never have enough - especially if you were like me and managed to complete at least three paintings a week. That's what my time was dedicated to at weekends - painting. Where there were some people who liked to go out with friends or go to the cinema, I had everything I needed in my study at home. The study was a little cluttered, the inside of the room lined with stacks of finished paintings and supplies. On the walls were many photographs and sketches and even a certificate I'd won at an art competition.

"Jane? Tim wants these photo-copied as soon as possible," I heard Fiona say over the cubicle divider. I quickly finished up the spread sheet I was working on and took the small stack of documents from her. Unfortunately, Fiona was the type of woman who was given a task and then decided to hand that task over to someone else - then the bitch took the credit. However, it was useless arguing with her because she was very good with words and almost everyone in the work place adored her - it would be like fighting on a losing team. I let out a huff and flashed her a quick smile before I stood and made my way to the door. 

It was silent in the corridor but that was only if you didn't include the furious typing, occasional coughing and small talk coming from the rooms to the left. Apart from that, there wasn't a large amount of commotion. I tapped my fingers absent-mindedly against the the paper as I made my way to the resources room. The resources room held pretty much everything that one would require when working at the ERHA - anything from extra printing paper, staples, paper clips, a couple photo-copiers, printers, drawing pins, a first-aid kit and even a mini fridge with bottles of water. There was one on every level of the building and the one in repairs always seemed to last longer than those in any other department - only a few days ago, someone from the IT department had come up in search of a stapler. 

Usually, it would irk me when so many people came into repairs looking for things but that day, I didn't mind. The reason why? Let's just say I wasn't expecting Harry to walk in.

"Oh!" I heard myself exclaim. Calm down, Green. He's not here to see you, he's here for business-

"Thank God you're here," Harry said.

My mouth fell open. Well ... perhaps a different kind of business is why he's here? Maybe he did come to see you after all? I shook my head and cleared my throat before asking, "You alright?" My voice was croaky, fantastic. Oh, well done, Jane.

"Me? Oh, I'm good thank you, yourself?" His voice was just as I remembered - deep, manly and scarily good at making me bite my lip. Oh, he was glorious and I found myself standing without a clue as to why I had entered the resource room in the first place. Why was I there again?

"I-I'm good," I said, clearing my throat. "Just..." I trailed off before looking down at my hands, lifting the documents up for Harry to see, "here to photo-copy a few things."

"Me too, funnily enough," Harry laughed as he closed the door. Why had he closed the door? Was he planning something? Maybe he was - No, he's not. You're just making yourself look like an absolute twit by standing and ogling at him.

"So ... why is it good that I'm here?" I found myself asking, lifting the lid of the photo-copier and placing the first sheet onto the glass surface. I felt Harry's eyes on me and when I looked up at him, I jumped when discovering he had moved closer that I'd thought. 

"Sorry," he laughed. "Um, this may sound completely ridiculous and it's kind of embarrassing to admit but I have no clue how to work photo-copiers."

"Ah," I muttered as I stood and realised how disappointed I was. I'd so hoped he'd been there to see me but the more I thought it over, I knew that was impossible and extremely far-fetched. He didn't even know I'd be in the room when he'd entered. "So, you want help with the photo-copier?" I laughed. "I'll help you as soon as I finish these. I've got nine pages to go after this one."

"Nine?" Harry gaped. "What are you copying, a novel?"

"I actually have no idea. Tim wants them as soon as possible so I thought getting them done as quick as I could would lessen my chance of getting the sack."

"The boss wouldn't fire you for leaving it a few minutes late, Jane," Harry laughed as he pulled out a seat at the desk. He placed a folder on the table and began to tap his hands to a silent tune, smiling up at me as he did so. "Even if he did, you'd sure as hell find a better job than this."

"True," I laughed as I changed the document on the copier. "What exactly had you running to the resource room? Oh wait - what's wrong with the photo-copiers up in finance?"

Harry sighed and said, "They were being used when I went in and then one of them stopped working so I figured it would be quicker to come here and do it - save time and all. I need five copies of tenants who failed with their rent in the last month - Sally wants them for Gordon later this afternoon."

The mention of Sally made the smile on my face fall ever so slightly. It was truly pathetic of me to dislike her just because she was with someone I liked. In fact - it was bitter, selfish and truly disgusting of me to crumble at the mention of her name. How unfair could I get? She made Harry happy and that was all that mattered and besides, at the work do she had been nothing but kind to me.

So, being as polite as possible I asked, "Oh yeah, how are things with you and Sally?"

When I received no reply straight away, I turned to look at Harry was who smiling to himself and looking through the folder. His long, beautiful fingers flicked through page after page until he found what he was looking for. What he showed me made no sense - it was like a shopping list, a very, very odd shopping list.

"White roses or red.  Three tier or two tier cake. Music - classical, traditional or completely random... What?" I asked, a little confused. "Don't tell me you came down here to photo-copy your shopping list, Harry?" I laughed, shaking my head.

Harry's smiled widened as he told me, "It's not a shopping list, Jane! It's a very special list which I hope you will tell no one about, because ... it's to do with a wedding."

I raised a brow. "A wedding? Family member finally getting hitched?"

Harry shook his head. "No, actually. It's a wedding that I'm hoping will happen - I'm going to propose to Sally at the weekend."

My heart sunk. So did my smile ... and my hopes, my ambitions and my ridiculous theory that Harry and I would one day be surrounded by our chubby-cheeked grand-children.

"Propose?" I croaked. "Wow ... congratulations! I wish you and Sal all the best!"

"Thanks, Jane," Harry said as he put the piece of paper back inside the folder. "I've been making notes for the last few weeks, putting together everything I know she and I like. For example, the red and white roses. I like read, she likes white and so on."

"You're such a gentleman, Harry," I said before I could stop myself. Great, you've just made it awkward by complimenting him - he's going to think you're flirting with him! Fool. "I mean, you're going to all the trouble to make sure she loves it and that's great. I hope ... she says yes. Like, why wouldn't she? You're a great person who let's people away with spilling drink all over you. She'll say yes, don't worry!"

Harry laughed and the genuine glint of happiness in his eye made me smile - he was happy that I was happy for him. My heart leaped, finding some joy in the fact that I could make him smile and laugh. I wondered if Sally made him smile and laugh in the same way.

"Hopefully she will. I mean, I love her to bits," - Hold yourself together, Green - "and I know she loves me so I'll be absolutely gutted if she says no. God, I dread to think..."

I don't. "If she doesn't, I'll hit her and say she doesn't know what she's missing."

"Ha, good plan," Harry laughed as he glanced down at the folder once again. "But enough about me and my dreams - what about you? We never really got the best chance to become acquainted at the party. As I recall, you were quick to leave."

I laughed awkwardly, reminiscing the day all to clearly. "Yeah - sorry about that again."

"It's fine! Stop worrying, it was three months ago and if it helps, there is no stain or smell."

I straightened up at the news, thanking God for the marvellous outcome - looks like I didn't have as much to worry about as I'd originally thought. "That's alright then. Hm, but about me ... there's nothing much to tell besides the fact that I'm very into art, all kinds and that I like to read on occasion."

"Really? I quite like to read myself - mostly a fan of the classics and a good argument in the newspaper," Harry said as he leaned his chin upon his clasped hands. Holy crap, he looked good sitting there with his green eyes focused on me and long hair, unruly and laying around his heavenly face. I just wanted to hug him, right there and then. 

"Newspaper fan," I laughed. "There's nothing wrong with that - you'll be all up to date with recent happenings and such."

"Hm, I'm alright. I usually skip to the crosswords if I get bored. Can't beat good old crosswords, can ya?"

I shook my head, no. "I suppose not. I like looking for ads to do with art shows or galleries. I like to attend."

"Do you simply have a keen interest in art or do you make it yourself?"

"Both," I said, smiling wide - he was talking to me about something I was interested in and it was art of all things. Most people I met couldn't care less about what I was into - unless they shared a similar interest. I was genuinely and happily surprised that Harry was chatting to me about it. "I paint all the time, draw too. Yeah, I just really love it. Helps clear my head."

"Clear your head?" he asked, frowning.

I nodded. "Yeah, it gets a little stuffy up there. I always manage to pick an idea and convert it to paper. It's quite helpful actually - it means I'm never out of things to paint."

"Ah," Harry said, nodding. "That's quite handy then. I wish I could be as dedicated to a hobby. Reading is just something I do because I have nothing else to do."

"Ah," I said, not quite sure how to continue. "I-I'm nearly done," I told him as I placed the eighth piece of paper onto the copier. Harry stood up and tucked the chair back under the table before moving closer to stand beside me. I gulped, momentarily dazed at his closeness as I placed the another document on the scanner. I could feel the heat radiating off his body and onto mine, his breath against the back of my neck and my heart leaping around in my chest. I felt like some silly little school girl with a major and undeniable crush on the hot guy in the year. 

Page nine seemed to take forever to scan and I was beginning to feel uncomfortably warm.

"So," I said, breaking the awkward silence. "Any other plans for the weekend besides popping the big question?"

"I've booked a table at this nice restaurant and I'm going to be the most cliché person ever and ask the waiter to drop the ring in her champagne glass. It also happens to be our fifth anniversary at the weekend so it should make it even more special."

"Aw, congratulations. Let's hope she's not as clumsy with champagne like I am," I laughed and so did Harry. "That's really sweet, Harry."

"Yeah, I thought I'd go with cheesy," he said with a lop-sided grin, his dimples - ridiculously cute dimples which gave him a cute, cherub-like face - on show. "So, after the meal I want to take her to the theatre - she loves the theatre - and then back to mine for movies and such."

"And such?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows at him. If only I were the one participating in that 'and such' ... if only. "You mean sex for hours on end that will eventually disturb the neighbours?"

Harry laughed loudly and shook his head, sweeping his messy hair back out of his face. He shrugged. "Well ... if things lead up to that, why not?"

"You dog," I laughed as I waited for the last page to copy. When it did, I was quick to pick up all of the copied sheets and original ones before quickly showing Harry how to work the machine. "This lid goes down before you press the green button or else it'll just be a blank page."

"Brilliant," Harry said with a wide smile. "Thanks Jane. Not just for helping me with the machine but for giving me that extra boost of confidence. I really needed that."

He looked so happy. It was then that I felt the wave of guilt wash over me - how dare I be miserable at the idea of him proposing to Sally. They were perfect for each other and who was I to stand in their way? I was such a bad person and I wished for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I shouldn't be thinking in such a negative way – I had to get a grip and accept that someone who I had a crush on was taken and happy and soon to be married.

Fuck.

I was quick to turn for the door and leave, muttering a quick, "Goodbye, Harry," before making my way back up to the repairs room. Fiona looked up at me as I entered, her perfectly manicured nails drumming against the table.

"How long does it take to photo-copy a few documents?" she asked as I handed her the files.

I shrugged gloomily. "There were people from finance using the machines too."

"Finance? What's wrong with theirs?"

"Crowded and one doesn't work," I muttered as I plopped back down into my seat and opened a new spread sheet. I opened the ERHA emails sent straight to repairs before copying the statistics and digits into the appropriate columns. Column after column I sat there moping.

Grow up, Jane. Look on the bright side – you know how to win him over if things between him and Sally don't work out. All you need to do is look like you enjoy reading newspapers and doing crosswords.

I looked up at the clock, realising it was already twelve, lunch time. Had I really been in the resources room for more than twenty minutes? How time flies, I realised, when talking to your crush. Thankfully, lunch time meant coffee time, so I saved what I'd achieved so far before standing and tugging on my coat, asking Fiona if she wanted anything before I left.

"Cappuccino, please, Jane," she said wish a small smile. As much as Fiona was a stuck up snob, she took her job very seriously and got on with her work. "Here, keep the change, love."

I thanked her before leaving with a lemon-vanilla frappuccino in mind and Harry walking down the aisle with a bride that wasn't me.