My Life Is Worse Than Yours...

Chapter Seven

"I cannot believe you are actually making me do this." Marienette hissed as she linked her arm through Harry's. The bitter wind had picked up and Harry pulled his scarf around his mouth. Marienette's head bumped against his shoulder and he looked down on her as they walked. Her black skin glowed warm in the light of the street lamps despite her shivering exterior and her long hair was braided neatly and was pulled over her shoulders underneath the hood of her coat. 

"Come on," Harry mumbled. "Louis is a really lovely guy."

"That may be true, but when I moaned last week, it was really just for attention because I was bored." 

Harry laughed and Marienette squeezed his arm tighter, sheltering herself from the cold as they made their way towards the restaurant. He pulled open the door for her and spotted Louis in the back corner of the restaurant; he wave them over as Harry took Marienette's coat and hung it up. 

"Hey, Louis," Harry smiled as he reached over for a handshake. "This is my friend Marienette."

"Good to meet you Marienette," Louis replied, smiling deeply. "This is Lily." 

 Lily was a beautiful girl, she stepped forwards into the candle light and Harry was taken aback. Her ginger hair was loosely curled down her back and her blue eyes shone in the dim light. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek and blushed when he grinned back. Harry had hated the concept of a double date, because he wanted to speak with everyone at the table, but suddenly he felt as if he was alone in the room with Lily. He pulled out her chair and sat down beside her, seated between her and Louis.

Dinner was far less awkward than he had been expecting, with conversation flowing naturally between the four of them. 

"So, Lily," Marienette asked when there was a lull in the conversation. "What do you do for work?" 

"I am actually an architect," Lily said as she popped a tomato into her mouth. "I have my own company and we are designing a building that is going up in London in a few years." 

"Wait," Marienette exclaimed as she looked over at the woman next to her, her back almost turned directly to Louis. "Are you the Lily from Fernsby Architectures?" 

"That's me! you know my work?" 

"Oh yes! I have admired your projects for years. I had an interview for a job with you set up a few years ago but I had to cancel it. I was devastated."

Harry and Louis exchanged amused glances as their dates had more in common than they had thought. 

"Hang on," Harry said as he looked towards Marienette. "I hired you a few years ago. Was I your security option?" 

Marienette looked between the two of them and blushed as Harry threw his hands up in the air as the rest of the table laughed.

"Unbelievable!" Harry said through chuckles. 

"I am sorry, Harry," Marienette said as she covered her eyes with her hands. "I wouldn't change it for the world now."

"Well, I am glad." Harry grinned as he winked at Lily who smiled and turned to look at Louis. 

"So, how did you two meet? You and Harry I mean."

"Well," Louis began as he looked at Harry who was still laughing like a school child. "We were acquainted briefly at University, but actually met properly when we drove from Edinburgh to London at the end of our final year. We hated each other to start with."

"No," Harry interrupted to Louis' surprise. "No, you didn't hate me. I hated you though."

"Hey, I definitely hate you too. You were such a lawyer."