Harry Styles is spending the summer in a quiet villa on the French Riviera, hoping to find inspiration for his third album. It's not happening. When he sees a beautiful windsurfer racing across the waves, he believes lessons might be a good distract...
Changes were underway when Lia arrived on Monday afternoon. A large, sleek trailer, the mobile recording studio, filled one end of the parking area. Harry's band must be arriving soon, if they hadn't already. Her usual parking place was still free, however, so she backed in and began to unload.
At the sound of footsteps crunching on the gravel, she turned, expecting to see Harry. Instead, she was face to face with a new mountain of a man, obviously Ed's replacement. He wasn't quite as large as his predecessor, but he looked much less friendly.
"Miss LaRoche, I'm Jimmy, I'll be covering for Ed while he's away. Harry's on the phone and will be a few minutes. Ha asked if you'd wait on the terrace?"
His voice, cheerful and kind, belied his menacing exterior. Although Lia was quite certain he would sound differently when doing his 'real' work.
"Why don't I get the boards to the beach first, and if he's still busy then I'll come up to the house."
"Of course. Would you like a hand?"
A few minutes later Lia stretched out on a chaise lounge by the pool and closed her eyes, enjoying the warm afternoon sun on her skin. The cicadas were humming, and the pines behind the house rustled in the breeze; from time to time she could hear a muffled voice from inside the house.
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Something tickling her nose brought her out of a doze. Harry was sitting on the edge of her chair, softly flicking the tip of her braid over her face.
"I hated to wake you, but I'm quite eager to sail."
"Oh shit. I've been sleeping on the job. Now are you going to fire me?"
"I'm the one who's late to our lesson. Will you be able to stay a little later, so we can get the whole hour in?"
"You're always my last lesson. I can stay as long as you'd like."
The wind was light and they took a leisurely sail up the coastline, staying close to one another, Lia giving pointers and chatting as they went.
Harry talked a bit about his current band members, who would be arriving on Wednesday. Mitch and Sarah, a happy couple, would have a suite in the house. Adam and Charlotte would be in one of the two guest houses on the property; the security men inhabited the other. He expected them all to stay through July and August; they'd also be bringing in a cook to keep up with the rising numbers at the house.
Lia gave him her windsurfing pedigree. The early days learning from her father off the beach at Pampelonne, the family vacations taken to places chosen specifically for the windsurfing so that she could improve, teaching her first lessons six years ago.
Back at the house, they carried the rigs up to the truck and Lia was behind the wheel, window down, when Harry asked, "Will you come for dinner again? Not tonight, I have to make some calls to LA, but this week. You could stay Wednesday after our lesson."
"Won't the band have just arrived? Won't you want to have an evening with them?"
"I spend plenty of evenings with them; an addition to the party will be welcome. You'll like them. They're likable. Maybe you'll find a new student or two. Do I get a commission if you do?"
She shook her head, smiling. "No commission, but perhaps we could work out a bulk discount for all of you. Yes. I'll come Wednesday. Shall we meet earlier than usual so I have a little time to go home and tidy up after the lesson?"
"I may be a bit too busy getting everyone settled in during the day to start early... why don't you simply bring your things and stay here?"
For one split second Lia thought he meant overnight, but she came to her senses before the excitement in her heart reached her face. She answered with a calm voice.
"Thank you, that would be perfect. Is there a dress code for dinner with the band?"
"Not in the least. They'll be tired, settling in. We'll keep it free and easy." He raised his eyebrows and tilted his forehead in her direction. "But maybe not as free and easy as the last time you were here."
Lia smiled all the way home.
*****
Mariam had a busman's holiday on Tuesday as she and Lia took a waterside table at the café and enjoyed the early evening air.
"So, you've gone back? I get that the firing you thing was an honest mistake, but what about the rest? I just don't understand what he wants from you. You were naked, but it wasn't sexy, but it was. Your words. And he went from not saying anything to opening some floodgates. And there's the clothes thing. Have you seen how the man dresses? He wears dresses! I wonder... do you think he's...?"
Lia laughed out loud. "I don't think so. He's had that look in his eye a few times. You know the look. He was appreciating me on a primal level."
"Hmmm... Just be careful. You two may not be space aliens, but you're from different worlds, if you know what I mean."
"I do." Lia sipped her coffee and stared into the middle distance over the sea for a moment before her eyes focused once again on Mariam. She set her cup on the table, crossed her arms, and squared her shoulders.
"Here's the thing. Maybe he's playing with me. Maybe he's broken somehow. Maybe he honestly enjoys my company. Whatever the case may be, I'm never going to have an opportunity like this again. There's a lyric in a One Direction song that goes: having no regrets is all that she really wants. I might regret seeing where this goes, I might not, but I'll definitely regret it if I turn my back on the possibilities. I'm going to dinner."
