Right Place, Right Time

Kiss You

Dedicated to lamusique... thanks for your gentle persuasion to encourage me to get on with finishing this chapter, and your great comments

I stared at Susie - or rather, at Harry - for a moment until the young girl yelling, "I hate you Susie!" spurred me into action.

"C'mon Susie," I said, grabbing Harry by the arm and turning him around to face the door. "Let's just pop outside for a bit."

"Thanks Emma," I heard him mutter. My heart began thumping a little harder at the sound of his voice. I couldn't quite believe he was here, dressed in the Susie suit again. I presumed he wasn't simply here to return it or because he got some weird kick out of wearing it. I assumed that he had come to see me.

I led him out of the party room to the hall, and nearly bumped into Gareth and Paddy, who were waiting beside the door. Before I had a chance to say anything to Harry, Gareth stepped forward.

"Emma, I know all about your, ah, visitor," he said. "He's asked if the two of you can have a few minutes to chat in private. Would you like to use the duty manager's office?"

"Yes please," I said, and then something occurred to me. "Oh, except that he won't be able to take the Susie head off in there."

I turned to Harry. "There's a big window that runs the length of the room, so everyone in the playground can see in to the office. People might notice you."

"Is there somewhere else?" he asked, his voice muffled. "I need to get this bloody head off."

"Umm, all the party rooms are being used. There's the changing room but there are people in and out all the time. The loos?"

"Actually, I've just thought of somewhere," said Harry. "Can we go out to the corridor outside?"

"You know the public walk past there all the time," said Gareth.

"Yep," said Harry. "But I've got an idea."

My arm through his, I led him out the back door into the corridor, Paddy trailing behind us.

"Now what?" I said when we got out.

"The broom cupboard," he said. "It's private."

"Really Harry? The broom cupboard?"

"Yep, it's bigger than you think it is going to be. Trust me, I spent 10 minutes in there yesterday, I know."

He was right. I opened the door and turned the light on to find that although it wasn't huge, and there were several cleaning carts and lots of brooms and mops leaning up against the walls taking up space, there was actually enough room for both of us.

"Could you stand guard outside please Paddy?" asked Harry as I shepherded him in.

I shut the door behind us and watched as he pulled the Susie head off. This was surreal. I was in a broom cupboard with Harry Styles, who was dressed as a squirrel. Again.

When the head finally came off, I couldn't help my sudden sharp intake of breath. It really was him, and he looked as gorgeous as ever.

"That's better," he said, putting the Susie head on a shelf of cleaning liquids and turning to face me. "I really can't see a thing with that bloody head on."

"Sooo..." I said, trying not to stare into those stunning green eyes. "You've just popped in because... you were in the neighbourhood?"

"Not quite," he said, pushing his fingers through his flattened hair. "Hello, by the way."