Not The Betting Type ~ Harry Lewis

Chapter Seven

I earned a slow clap from Cal as I walked out of my flat and met him and Harry in the hallway that night.

"Jess-i-ca!" Cal said approvingly as he looked me up and down.

I smiled and did a little twirl, feeling the fabric of my dress slightly lift up off my legs.

Harry looked up from his phone at me and I felt my cheeks going red from his gaze.

"Jess." He commented and I stood up a little straighter, something in me seeking his approval for some reason.

"Harry." I replied tilting my chin up a bit higher and trying not to show how nervous I was for tonight.

"God you two are annoying not saying more than one word to eachother! Can you at least promise to get along once this is all over?" Cal asked and Harry just shrugged.

"We'll see." Harry said and with one final drawn out look at me, his attention was back on his phone.

"Alright let's go, we're meeting the others at a pub down the road." Cal said as he locked their front door.

A loud blaring alarm started playing and as I looked in the direction it was coming from I saw a smug faced Harry. The sound was coming from his phone and the boys looked at my confused stare and laughed.

"Sounds like we'll have to stop that alarm first." Harry said with a cheeky grin as he pulled a bottle of alcohol out of his jacket pocket.

Don't get me started on the fact that he could fit an entire bottle of alcohol in his jacket pocket, it's one of the reasons I became a fashion designer in the first place, to give girls the same luxury that boys already have when it comes to pockets.

"What on earth does that have to do with an alarm?" I asked putting my hands up to my ears to block the sound out.

Harry stopped the alarm and took a big swig from the bottle. His face barely flinched as he swallowed he alcohol.

"Can't move along until you've had some. You don't disrespect the Sambuca alarm." Harry tells me as he passes me the bottle.

I take the bottle and inspect it.

"Trust me it's easier if you just drink now and question what it tastes like after." Cal tells me which really doesn't reassure me at all.

Nevertheless I hold the bottle up to my lips and have a swig.

The second the alcohol hits my taste buds I want to gag.

I swallow it down and Harry and Cal are stood laughing at me as I regain my composure.

"First time?" Harry asks me and I'm temporarily distracted by how hot the question sounds coming from his lips.

"No I've never had Sambuca before if that's what you mean." I reply wiping my mouth and trying to get rid of the taste.

Cal takes the bottle from me and has some himself before passing it back to Harry.

"Now we're ready, let's go." He says and grins at Harry.

We walk to a nearby pub and almost immediately I'm introduced to a few new faces.

"Jess this is Ethan, Faith, Simon and Talia." Cal introduced me to the group as we sat down at a table with a corner booth.

"And I do believe it's your shout Cal." Ethan said instantly making Cal groan and leave the table.

I shuffled into the booth and sat next to Faith who instantly started asking me a million questions about myself. She was very friendly and her and Talia were very excited to hear that I was a fashion designer.

I was getting to know the others when I felt Harry slide into the booth next to me. His leg brushed against mine and I held my breath as he kept it there and didn't even attempt to move it away.

What the hell was going on with me?

Yes Harry was beyond fit, anyone with eyes could see that. But so far all he'd been to me was rude, or tolerable at the best of times, which wasn't often.

He passed me a drink and I thanked him, completely unsure why tonight he was acting almost friendly to me.

I was also very confused as to how he knew my favourite drink was whiskey and coke and I refrained from asking.

After a while our group moved from the pub to some nightclubs and Cal quickly grabbed me by the shoulders.

I was a little tipsy and almost lost my balance when Harry put a hand on my lower back to steady me.

Just as fast as it got there, he pulled his hand away once I had regained my balance.

"Shit Jess if I didn't know any better I'd say you're drunk!" Cal said, slurring his words slightly.

"I'm a lightweight Cal so I'd say the possiblity of that is quite high!" I replied with a giggle.

"Well before we go into this club I have one more thing to help you on your mission." He said reaching into his pocket.

He pulled out a sash that said "Birthday Girl" and draped it over my head.

"It's almost impossible not to give the birthday girl a kiss." He said with a wink.

"You're ridiculous Cal but I'll do it for you." I said and adjusted my sash.

"Let's do this." I said as we walked into the first club.