The Champagne Lovers

Seven

"Yeah thanks Tom, if you can get three more crates of water to the front door, some of those guys have been there since last night, thank you"

The junior assistant scurried out of the tour office where I'd camped up for the last couple of hours, letting the door swing shut behind him.

I wasn't hiding... exactly.

I'd woken up extra early this morning the combination of the bourbon hang over that had kicked in and the cloud of fog it'd left surrounding my head, and the thousand thoughts that were swimming around in it not letting me sleep.

Being in the hotel felt too... complicated... and risky.

I didn't want to bump into Harry, I felt so bad about what happened, we were clearly attracted to each other on some level or we wouldn't keep ending up in these positions, and we had so much fun together but something just felt... off.

I hadn't figured out what the hell I was going to say to Niall yet either or even what this meant for me and Niall, every time I thought about him, about the deep navy of his eyes or the touch of his callused fingers my body rushed with so much adrenaline I couldn't ignore it, but I had no idea where his head was at and that scared me a little.

So yes, fine, I was avoiding them both.

But thankfully I had a job to do, tonight was a big show, the prep work I'd done yesterday and the extra time I'd gained this morning meant once the boys arrived for rehearsal and sound check I hauled up in the corner of the tour office with my laptop and my second bucket of coffee of the day.

I could just make out the distant rumbling of sound check, the deep resonant sound of drums and guitars, and Louis, you could always hear Louis. We were about half way through tour by this point, with just New York left of the American leg before we head back to the UK for the start of the European leg, and the boys had really sunk into their new routines, there was something electric about seeing the four of them, top of their games doing what they do best.

I didn't even realise that the music had stopped until I heard the faint tapping on the office door, I rubbed my palms over my eyes, not used to staring at a computer screen for this long especially with the stubborn fuzz, and the impending need to be able to use my brain to solve whatever disaster was spilling through the door with which ever junior was waiting in the hallway looming

"Doors open" I called from behind my wrists

"Ermm... hi.... sorry is this a bad time?"

I instantly recognised the soft, deep, northern tone, and I looked over to the where the voice came from to see Harrys soft brown curls and slightly glazed green eyes sliding through the gap in the open door.

"Oh.... hi.... no.... not at all, come in"

Harry turned to push the door closed as he silently entered the small tour office, I stood and took a step into the room towards where he stood, not really knowing how I should be acting right now, as soon as Harry turned back to face me in the centre of the room, gentle smile on his face, we both took a breathe and started at the same time;

"I'm sorry about last nig..."
"I wanted to apologi..."

We both giggled nervously Harry looking down at the floor, a dimpled grin spreading across his face, eventually lifting his eyes, I looked up and held his gaze for a moment trying to figure out what he was thinking,