Short Kings Anthem

Part 4

Lauren smiled as she looked down at the message from Chris on her phone. They had both been in Ibiza for five days and they only had two nights left. Chris had sent her a picture of him, Stephen, Harry and Arthur posing on the beach with the caption These lifeguards will be off duty in Hi Ibiza from 9.

"So which one is he?" Lauren's friend Ellen asked peering over Lauren's shoulder to look at the photo.

"What do you mean?" The redhead asked the bright blonde as she put her phone on the wooden table in front of them.

"The one who's dick you obviously want to ride," Ellen answered crudely she could always be very direct, something Lauren both loved and loathed about her. You always knew where you stood with her but it could be embarrassing at times.

"Not riding any dick! If you want to know who it is I was messaging it's Chris, this guy here," Lauren replied picking her phone back up and pointing him out in the photo.

"Oh the one you're all cuddly with on Insta. I'd say go for it, I mean look at him!" Nicole chimed in brushing her long brown locks as she walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah if I was single I would, even if he is a bit short," Ellen mused and Lauren rolled her eyes. Ever since her and Tom had broken up they were all trying to set Lauren up and she did go out a lot in the first few weeks but soon grew tired of it and spent most nights home now.

"No one is cuddling up to anybody," said a confused Lauren, wondering why that comment was made.

"Check your tagged photos on Insta babe," Nicole replied as she was wrestling with a hair knot. Bemused by this new revelation Lauren opened the photo app and there was a notification that the Sidemen had tagged her in 2 new photos, one was of her on the monkey bars in the assault course and the other was the photo of her and Chris arms around each other smiling. The caption simply read "Smiles and tears at the new Sidemen Sunday. But who wins?"

"We were being pathetic and consoling each other over being dumped, don't get too excited guys." Lauren tried to explain but none of the girls were buying it.

The teasing continued for five minutes until Lauren announced she was going to get ready. She'd be lying if she said she didn't find Chris attractive but in the whole time they've known each other until recently they've both been in relationships so she never viewed him in a romantic way. Lauren slipped on her red lace bardot dress zipping up the back carefully, it was a new dress and Lauren didn't want any breakages. She tamed her curls so they fell down a few inches below her shoulders, she did some gold smokey eye make up and painted her lips red as usual. She slipped on her gold Jimmy Choo heels and made her way down the stairs downing the last of her glass of prosecco.

"Says she's not ready to get back on the horse but goes out looking like that," Hannah said to the other girls and they nodded in agreement. They ripped on Lauren but all they wanted was to see her happy again, she's completely lost of her spark after Tom had left and they wanted their fun and sassy friend back. They'd seen sparks and snippets over the past couple of weeks and wanted to bring her out more and more, they were hoping that this Chris guy would help with that.

The boys were sitting in their VIP booth, it had been roughly forty minutes since they arrived and Stephen saw a flash of red by the VIP entrance.

"They're here." He announced they all looked over and watched as Lauren gave her name to the attendant manning the area. Chris bit his bottom lip slightly, Lauren looked amazing; her dress hugged every part of her body. Lauren had been sending pictures of her meals to Harry and Chris to prove she was looking after herself but she was also training hard and it showed. Chris has been so distracted by his thoughts he failed to notice straight away Lauren was in front of him, she touched his arm and he snapped out of it, smiling at her before leaning in and kissing her cheek.