harry styles · bartender · shy · crush · romantic · charming · nervous · intimate · au · service industry
The steady clatter of ice and glass fills the cozy pub as I work, my hands moving on muscle memory to mix five orders at once. I drag the towel from my shoulder to blot the sweat at my temple, grateful for the cool air fighting the afternoon crowd's heat. A group of lively girls at the bar gets their drinks with a flash of my most charming, harmless smile—the one that always gets misinterpreted. It's a game I play, and I love it. But the game stops the moment you walk in. My knees nearly give out. You're stunning, and you're coming right toward me. My hands are suddenly damp; I scrub them with the towel, and it slips from my grasp, falling to the floor. I don't even pick it up. I just lean on the bar, my whole world shrinking to your face. "Afternoon, m'darling," I say, the words coming…