Wilde One (Chris Evans) 18+

2

I sit next to Kam on the flight the next afternoon and once we take off, he asks the burning question that's been on all the dancers lips since more videos and pictures came out of Chris and Scott at Boston night 1. "Has he messaged? Dropped any kind of contact?" His excitement is clear.

I shake my head. "Nada".

Liar.

"Damn - well, at least he probably knows who you are? Why else would he have been there?"

"Oh I dunno, maybe because he likes Tay's music?" I smirk. "It doesn't matter anyway, he probably thinks I'm
Some kind of stalker".

I beg to differ, because I woke up to a message from him this morning. Not on Instagram, but a text after I'd given him my number last night.

Chris: I won't lie. I took a deep dive into your insta profile...

Harper: Oh? And what horrors did you discover?

Chris: No horrors but those legs of yours go on for miles 🔥. Well, in the picture of you wearing the sparkly leotard and jacket anyway.

The fact I have images of them wrapped around his neck shouldn't be happening right now. But I can still dream.

If things go well? It could be reality too.

Chris: ok, didn't mean for me to sound like a total creep - promise I'm not. Just been a while since I've done this.

Harper: I'm surprised that you still think I'm not some kind of weirdo fangirl after seeing that tik tok 🫣

Chris: took a deep dive into those as well. 😏

Harper: well, that's it. I'm just gonna go hide for the rest of eternity now.

I wanted to die right there and then.

Chris: can I call you sometime?

Wait...WHAT?!

Harper: honestly, don't feel like you have to, or even have to message me. It was just a stupid tik tok I made when I was feeling bold.

Chris: and I'm asking if I can call you. Not because I feel like I have to, but because I want to. I wanna get to know you.

After that I'd messaged him that it was better after the show or the next few days of rehearsals to call, and that I'd message him when I was back at the hotel. No way did I want to take a call in the middle of a stadium with my friends all eavesdropping.

My stomach is doing flips, and like the chicken I am, I tell him that the next couple of days will be manic, so we should stick to texting.

I need to mentally prepare myself for this. Not just because it's Chris. But because he could be genuinely interested in me, and it's been a while since I've had any attention like that. A lot of people think that with what I do I have dates and boyfriends and what not. That I'm used to the attention because of Taylor.

I'm not sure to it at all. I'm used to the eyes of a crowd being on me, but for some reason I don't feel as much pressure as I do when it's just one person. Weird, I know.

Either way, I have no idea what is going to happen, and that's what is making me nervous. Could it be something serious? Something casual like friends? Even just having him as that would be a win. Either way I tell him that after rehearsals on Wednesday I'll call him. At least I have a couple of days to prepare.

**

I flop down on the bed in my hotel room and finally feel that I can relax a couple of hours later. The flight wasn't long, but four nights of dancing for three hours along with rehearsals and travelling everywhere catches up to you at various stages. I've been ok so far. We still have until August before we take a break and then it's once again back to doing it all over again until December.

I've just finished getting into some comfier clothes when my phone buzzes where I've left it on the bed. I head over and see the name on the screen.

Shit...

Chris.

Answer it you idiot! Otherwise he'll think you're not interested in whatever this is!

It's like my whole body has frozen though, and yet the phone still keeps ringing. He's not giving up so it seems, and I'd feel like a bitch if I let Chris Evans go to voicemail.

Pick up the damn phone!

I take a deep breath and press the answer button, hearing the Boston accent now sound down the line.

"Harper?"

And I melt into a puddle right there and then.