Hunger [H.S]

February (part 2)

Frankie was doing her best not to let her insecurity take over. Harry was tipsy and laughed and joked about everything. After a little while, James Corden came around looking for him. He introduced himself around the table and smiled at Frankie. "Lovely to see you again," he smiled and looked at Harry. "Hey birthday boy, are you coming back to your own party soon?"

Harry laughed and put his arm around James' shoulders. "I found an extra birthday party, mate." He took a swig of his drink and gestured towards Frankie. "You remember... Shit, I never asked your name!" He looked shocked at Frankie.

"Frankie," she said and held out her hand. Harry shook it.

"Harry," he smiled. "And this is James."

Frankie nodded and held out her hand to James, who shook her hand and told her it was a pleasure to meet her. Then he whispered something to Harry, who nodded and assured him that he would be there shortly.

Abi was looking at Frankie, a suspicious look on her face. She stepped closer and whispered: "Where did you meet them?"

"At the off-licence when I picked up the wine for the party," Frankie admitted, feeling really silly.

"You should have told me! You lucky minx," she giggled and went back to try to start a conversation with Harry.

Frankie tried to listen to Gina, who was drunkenly babbling about her love life, but her attention was constantly drawn towards Harry. He was charming Abi and Mirah, telling them something that made them giggle and look admiringly at him. He was probably used to women swooning like that, growing weak right in front of him. Frankie was used to watching her friends engage in the mating rituals, starting out with the peacocking stage, where they showed off their attributes. She noticed how both Mirah and Abi acted flirtacious and looked up at him from under their eyelashes. They both touched his arm when they wanted his attention, flipped their hair and generally made little gestures that would draw his attention to their most prominent features.

Harry's eyes went to all the places they guided them, but where she had seen other men change to a hunting position, Harry didn't engage in any flirting or give the attention, she usually saw men give her friends.

She was silently wondering what he was thinking, when she noticed Harry's eyes on her. He smiled at her when he caught her gaze. She smiled shyly and looked away, but looked back immediately to check if he had stopped looking. He was still looking her way, almost like he wanted her to join their conversation. She wanted to, but she had nothing to offer that both Mirah and Abi didn't have tenfold. She smiled at him and immediately he gestured for her to come over. She excused herself from her chat with Gina, and even though she felt nervous, she walked over to where he was standing with her friends.

"There you are," Abi exclaimed and squeezed Frankie's shoulders. "I was just telling Harry how you are just the best friend ever," she kissed Frankie's cheek and turned her attention back to Harry. He was smiling at Frankie, listening to everything Abi said. Mirah must have admitted defeat, because she excused herself and went to chat to Gina.

"Frankie is the sweetest, kindest woman I know. She is such a good friend. She planned all of this for me," Abi was quite drunk by now, and she was getting sentimental. Harry looked amused at her drunken proclamation, and winked at Frankie, who blushed and had to look down at her shoes.

Frankie looked back up as Harry stepped closer to her. "I'm just going to go back to my own party for a little while, but I haven't forgotten about that dance you owe me," he smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.

She nodded and followed him with her eyes, as he walked off. He turned and looked back and waved at her, before he disappeared out of view. Abi was disappointed, she would have loved to join him. In the back of her mind, Frankie felt a sense of relief that he had gone back to his party. Not because she didn't want him there, but because she didn't want Abi to throw herself at him. She felt selfish and didn't want to be jealous of Abi. It wasn't Abi's fault that she was beautiful, and charming. Frankie just didn't want to be the fat best friend, who looked on, while her best friend got with a guy, she herself wanted to get with. Even if there wasn't a chance in hell he would go for someone like her.