Harry took his coffee and went to sit at a free table by the modest beauty he'd noticed in the summery dress. She was the kind of girl he'd spend an hour trying to come up with some witty way to start a conversation, only to watch her walk out the door before he had the courage or the words. As he set his coffee down and pulled out his chair, she turned to him meeting his gaze, smiled and said, "Hello."
"Hello," He responded automatically, but was suddenly stunned speechless by her intense stare. He strained to think of some way to continue the conversation, but everything he came up with just sounded unnatural. She beat him to it anyway.
"The coffee here is really great, have you had it before?"
Talk about the coffee! Well that was an obvious place he could have started. Who was this woman, anyway, to so effortlessly begin a conversation? And why with him? He didn't really care about the answer, as he was distracted by the curl of her lustrous auburn hair over her pale cleavage.
"Oh...er...now and again. I don't drink a lot of coffee though. But I guess it's good."
"Really? I can't go a day without coffee. At my old work I basically nursed the coffee pot all day. But the new me managed to cut it down to 1 cup a day."
She seemed so bubbly and uninhibited, unafraid to speak openly with a stranger just because he was going to sit near her. Not to mention Harry was struggling to keep his mouth from hanging open at the sight of her. While she wasn't a stunningly beautiful woman, she was definitely attractive and her quick to smile personality was immediately engaging.
"You must have been a jittery mess drinking coffee all day. I have one cup and my hands start to shake."
He realised with just a minute of conversation they'd already begun to warm to each other. Taking a chance, he grabbed the empty chair at her table and asked, "Do you mind?"
She smiled, and gave him a quick wink as she motioned at the chair invitingly. He was proud of himself for making the move, although he wasn't quite sure exactly how he might have managed it. He took his seat at her table, placing his coffee down and meeting her gaze with a smile.
"You do realise you've now made a commitment to a conversation about more than just coffee?" Her eyes were focused on his, intent and studying, but the quirk of her lips hinted that the words were meant to tease him.
"Huh...well that's OK. Coffee isn't my strong point."
"Oh? And what is?" She leaned in with a coy smile on her lips, as if privy to a joke Harry wasn't aware of.
"That's a good question...I'm a pretty fierce badminton player."
She laughed and her eyes practically sparkled. In an instant she went from studying him almost intimidatingly to an expression that showed she was at ease. She shifted, crossing one leg over the other and let out a soft sigh. Almost unconsciously, Harry glanced down to her exposed pale thigh. She appeared to collect herself, leaning forward with an elbow on the table, cradling her head in her hand.
Deciding to test the waters with this girl he was increasingly becoming attracted to, he added, "My high school girlfriend also said I was the best kisser."
Smiling wider, or was she holding in a laugh, she brushed some hair to the side of her face.
"And would she know a lot about kissing?"
"Hmm...you know, I think she might have. She did get caught kissing our English teacher one time."
He grinned at her as she let out a quiet and reserved laugh. Their eyes met again and it ignited a spark in his chest. He could feel his heart thumping and he was fighting the impetuous desire to lean over and kiss this woman's soft lips. He took a sip of his coffee to try and gain some control of what he was feeling for her.
She broke their stare and glanced around the café as if considering something. Apparently making up her mind, she extended her delicate pale hand across the table.
"My name's Lara."
He shook her hand lightly, "Harry."
"Well, Harry, I really need to be getting back to my apartment."
His stomach dropped. Damn.
"Ah, that's a shame. I was hoping to go into more detail about my kissing skills."
He needed to do something, he couldn't let the naturally beautiful and down-to-earth woman walk out of his life forever. Ask for her number? Before he could, she turned to him with a coquettish smile on her lips.
"How about you walk me home like a gentlemen would? It's just around the corner."
He was up in an instant, grinning like a kid that's been offered candy, and walked with her to the door of the café. He made sure to hold the door for her, and it seemed she appreciated it. They fell in to step together, walking along the quiet street in the warm, mid-afternoon sun.
* * * * *
"-and so while they might have a wand or a staff, I can make things disappear without any magic at all. That's why I'm the best wizard." Harry concluded.