It took 15 minutes and 3 security guards for Harry to get through the crowds of girls and photographers outside the hotel, even with the metal barricades that had been erected whilst we had been gone keeping them in some semblance of order . He had grabbed my hand to stop me as we reached the sidewalk across from the entrance, taking one look at the crowd that had gathered whilst pinching his bottom lip between his thumb and index finger, and suggested I take the girls straight in whilst he stayed to take pictures and talk to them.
I mean crowds didn't bother me in the slightest, and having attended a few fashion events with Emily I didn't really care about the photographers either, but I'd never had to face fanatical girls or story hungry paps whilst in the company of an international popstar before even without two small children in tow. I'd pulled Lux up on to my hip and given Harry's arm a little squeeze of reassurance before shoving my stuffed penguin under my free arm, grabbing Madison's hand and trudging head down past the screaming and flashes. There were questions thrown at me by a burly guy in ripped jeans and a New York Jets jersey, camcorder going quickly between me and Harry as I hurried past ignoring him. A slim older guy in a baseball hat and polo shirt had pushed through the doors of the hotel and grabbed my elbow that was banded tightly around Lux's back, ushering me back into the safety of the hotel lobby.
"It's OK," he'd murmured in my ear as he urged me forward, "I'm with Harry. We'll get you guys inside and I'll come back for him."
And so here I was, sat on one of the cream coloured chairs that were scatted around the lobby with two children squished on to the chair opposite me, a small side table between us as I watched Cal, the guy in the baseball cap, tug on Harry's arm and say something to him that had him turning and looking right at me. I knew he was the kind of guy that wanted to get to as many of those girls as he possibly could so that they wouldn't be disappointed or upset, and I didn't want to be the one to take him away from that so I pulled my phone out of my pocket and decided to message Lou.
@NikkiC Hey Lou, sorry I don't have your number. I'm in the lobby with the girls Harry got caught up outside with fans. Shall I take Lux to my room and you can just pick her up from there? Xx
By the time Lou replied Harry was walking across the lobby towards us with Cal hot on his heels.
@LouTeasdale Hiii I should have given you my number soz. I'll send Tom to yours to pick up Lux what room number are you? Xxx
@NikkiC It's OK Harry's here now I'll send him up with Lux xxx
I stood up, pushing my phone in to my back pocket and smiling up at Harry as he approached, looking decidedly more rumpled and flustered than when we had separated 15 minutes before. Cal was still mumbling things in to his ear, things that I couldn't make out but that had Harry running a hand through his hair and smiling from ear to ear.
"Hey Superstar, can you take Lux back up to Lou? I don't know what room she's in," I asked as he took the last couple of steps towards me, hand falling back to his side, "and thanks for that Cal. Crowds don't usually bother me but that was a little nuts."
"It's OK. It's the paps you have to look out for; fans are usually calm once they get what they want."
"I'm sorry Nikki I should have known. They always find out the hotel, I shouldn't have put you and Madison in that situation." The guilty look on Harry's face hit me like a slap to the face. I could still hear the shouts of the girls stood outside, the girls who had actively taken the time to look up what hotel these boys were staying in, who had probably been stood outside the entire morning that we were at the zoo, and who probably wouldn't be leaving until the boys did. All of this was out of Harry's control, and yet here he was looking like he'd just stepped on a puppy. I reached out and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze, immediately regretting it when there was a barrage of flashing lights and hollering from outside. The guy who had been thrusting a video camera in my face earlier was shouting through a gap in the entrance doors, asking Harry who I was and how long we had been together. I felt like a goldfish in a bowl with people pressing their noses against the glass or sticking their fingers in the water to see how I'd react. I wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of ruining what had been a perfectly nice day or give them a story to plaster all over tomorrows tabloids.
"You should take Lux up." I turned and stepped back towards the table where the girls were drawing oblivious to the chaos around them, "I told Lou you'd take her up, I have to go and meet a friend for lunch and I don't really want to encourage the feeding frenzy out there."
"Come on then Lux, time to go find your mum." Harry stepped around me and held out his arms to the little girl who stood up on the chair and jumped in to him. "You know, I can take Madison with us if you want? We are heading down to the arena to sound check, she can keep Lux company and we will bring her back here afterwards."
"Thank you for offering, but I'm sure you're going to be busy the last thing you need is another kid running around."
"Honestly, its fine," he smiled that killer smile and cocked his head to the side making his too long hair fall over his face before he pushed it back, "you'll get a quiet lunch with your friend and these two will have an entire arena to muck around in. How much trouble could they really get in to?"
I had to laugh at his half assed attempt to convince me that he could take care of two small children and run a full sound check of a sold out show at the same time. But the decision was made for me when Madison slipped down off her chair and jumped full pelt in to Harry, declaring she was going with him and Lux and would see me later before trying to pull him away. Before she could pull him up the stairs and out of sight Harry set Lux on the floor next to Cal and nodded towards the side of the stairs that was out of sight of the girls still stood outside. I walked over to where he was stood with his back pressed up against the marble wall and gave him a questioning look. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it and handed it to me,
"Didn't want them to see me asking for your number," he half laughed, "just incase I need to get hold of you. For Madison of course."
"Of course." Smooth I thought. I entered my number and saved it to his phonebook before handing him back the phone.
"Thanks," he said shoving it back in to his pocket, "I'll call you if I need you. Have a nice lunch, and don't worry I'll look after her." With a kiss to each of my cheeks, leaving goosebumps where his lips had brushed my skin, he was chasing the girls up the stairs, Cal following behind him with a vague wave in my direction as I tried to pull myself together before I had to force my way through the fans and paps outside again. I had no clue what had just happened, but I was pretty sure Harry Styles just charmed the pants off of me without even trying.
