Get Ready For It - A Gary Barlow FF

Chapter 20

***Later that same day***

Sophie and I ended up leaving the car in the hotel car park and taking a stroll into town. We had a look around the shops to see that they were getting busy with the Halloween decorations.

''Any plans for Halloween this year?'' she asks me, pulling me from my Halloween-entranced state.

''Yeah, I am having a small get together at the house for Halloween actually. Bit of food and drinks beforehand and then we could go out back and let off some fireworks. What you reckon, babe?'' I say to her as once again stop in front of another Bond Street store window to admire the fine clothing displayed.

''Ah that sounds great, Gaz. I'm sure you'll have a great time'' she replies as she leans to the side to get a better look at a pair of boots in the window.

''We..'' I say quietly in response to her.

She looks at me quizzically. Forehead furrowed and eyebrows knitted together. I chuckled softly against my will.

''What?'' she asks me while playfully elbowing me in the ribs as we continue to walk leisurely down Bond Street.

''We will have a great time, you mean'' I say to her as I pull my scarf tighter around my neck to block out the chill that has suddenly swept in around us.

This time we stop in the middle of the street, not to look at shoes or clothes but as I am made to stop.

''Gary, can you not speak in riddles? What are you on about? We? We what?'' I can't help but allow the childlike grin break out across my cheeks as I hear these words spill out of her lips as she battles her confusion to the situation that she finds herself in.

''You said that I would have a great time at my Halloween party, and all I said is that we would have a great time. I honestly have no idea as to how you're so confused'' I say as I rub my hands up and down her arms to keep her nice and warm as this chill seems to have decided to stick around for a bit longer.

Sophie's face lights up as the penny finally decides to drop.

''Oh..'' she blushes instantly which she tries to hide by dropping her head to her chest.

''Hey, hey come on now, babe. I want to have you there with me. No, I'll need to have you there with me, Sophie'' I say to her as I take her hands in mine and hold them to my chest as I shuffle closer to her in the middle of Bond Street on a quiet Tuesday afternoon.

''There will be a few people from the Polydor there who are boring as fuck and I will need you to keep my mind at ease throughout the night, even if they are only coming for a short time anyway'' I say as I feel myself babbling on and on. I feel myself begin to blush slightly but I bypass it quickly. 

''Okay, sounds good'' she says ever so calmly that it slightly takes me aback slightly.

''Okay? You..you mean, you'll come?'' I say with wide eyes and the grin of a child opening their presents from Santa Claus on Christmas Morning.

''Of course, I will. If you need me there then I will be there, Gary. I said it before that we are in this together and that I will be there for you throughout all of this'' she says as she squeezes my hands slightly.

My heart swells immediately and almost bursts with emotions that I have not experienced for a very, very long time. I lean in and give her a long, but soft peck on the lips.

''Come on, sweetie. I'm in the mood to look for some Halloween outfits'' I say to her, giving her a cheeky wink before lacing my fingers with hers as we set off in the direction of Burlington Arcade.

*****

''Gary! What are you wearing?'' I head Sophie shriek out mid laughter as I step out from behind the dressing room curtain and step into the space outside the fitting room.

''What? It's not that funny, is it ?'' I say back to her as I spin around on my heels and look at myself in the full-length mirror.

''Jeepers, Barlow..'' I mutter to myself as I realize what it is that I actually look like.

Here I am, standing in a costume shop in the middle of Burlington Arcade, wearing a tiger onesie that I thought would make me look like a cute version of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, but instead, I just look like an absolute twat.

''I genuinely thought it would look better than this. I thought I would be a cute version of Tigger, you know ?'' I say with a pout on my face as I spin around and face her.

''Awh, Gary. You do of course look adorable, but I just thought that you would have gone for something more along the Star Wars lines'' she replies as she steps forwards towards me and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me closer to her.

''Yeah, I finally might be able to bring out that Light-saber I have in the attic then!''

My eyes wide as golf balls as I say this before giving her a cheeky little wink. She knows how to make me happy this girl. It's still early doors in this relationship but I have to admit that she has gotten to me. She's under my skin and I can't help it. My feelings for this girl are real and I am a little concerned with just how quick my feelings for her are developing. I haven't been in a situation with a girl that would allow it to even get to this stage - I mean, we still haven't even slept together yet - and still, she has this hold over me that I just can't seem to fully understand myself. She has this effect on me, that makes me up my game and show her that I want her to be mine. I want to be the man that she deserves to have in her life. Maybe I just had to wait all this time to find the one girl that could compliment me properly? Maybe...

''So, we sorted then?'' I say to her as I come out from behind the dressing room partition once again, this time in my own clothes.

''You said you already had your Halloween outfit, right?'' I say to her as I pull my jacket across my shoulders and fixing my scarf tighter around my neck.

''Yeah, I saw it there a couple of weeks ago and just had to get it in case I didn't see it again. I think you'll really like it'' she says winking at me as we head out of the shop and back on to the bustling streets of West London.

This is going to be a great Halloween party!

***Hi guys. Firstly, massive apologies for the lack of chapters lately. It's just that I have been so busy since the new year and hopefully I can get in to more of a routine and churn out a chapter every two weeks or so, between the two main fics I have left and I have 80% of a one-shot written so will have that out by the end of the coming week I hope. 

As always, thanks for the reads and support.

Much love,

Barlow's (very fine) Bum ;-)***