Home H.S

Chapter 8: London (Pt. 2)

I REGRETTED the idea as soon as we arrived. It took us around 20 minutes to get to Harry's North London home, managing to have a quiet ride without the press noticing it. The place was spacious but still very cozy, with a big living room where he invited me to sit. I did so on a huge gray sectional sofa, leaving my clutch on the coffee table.

"I have... red wine, vodka, whiskey, orange juice, and...water!" he yelled from the kitchen before poking his head around the door smiling, "Fancy anything?"

"Red wine is fine, thanks!" I said while carefully going through the pages of a big photography book that was sitting on the coffee table.

He entered the room with a glass of wine in each hand and gave one to me, "I love that book, photography is on my bucket list."

"Thanks," I smiled while taking a glass, "photography is great, you should go for it."

"What's on your bucket list?" he asked while sitting dangerously close to me.

I grinned, "Honestly? You're not gonna laugh?"

Raising his pinky finger he assured, "Promise."

"Well, I've always wanted to play drums," I confessed.

"That's amazing, no need to blush! Have you ever tried it?"

"Not really, I guess I never had the time or the guts..." 

"Those should be our New Year resolutions!" He exclaimed while raising his glass, " Let's toast!"

I giggled, "Let's toast!"

He cleared his throat, "Next year we'll become best friends; you'll be a proper drummer, and I'll be a bloody photographer! Cheers!"

"Eye contact!" I said grinning while raising my glass, we stared at each other for a few seconds before quietly taking a sip.

I left my glass on the coffee table and broke the awkward silence, "How come you are so tanned?"

"Oh, I went on a short holiday with some friends after our tour ended," he nodded," I came back two days ago."

"Cool! I could use a vacation myself..."I sighed.

"Do you have any plans of going somewhere soon?"

"Hmm...I don't really know," I chuckled while shaking my head," my life has been crazy, and I'm not sure what's coming up next."

"Yeah, I've heard about it... I'm sorry," he murmured while gently squeezing my shoulder.

"It's OK, life happens..."I shrugged, "I'll probably spend Christmas sipping hot chocolate and watching Love Actually on the couch with George, to be honest."

He frowned as he asked, "George?"

I chuckled and nodded, "My dog, we named him after George Harrison."

"Oh! You have a dog...which breed is it?" There was a shift in his tone, maybe driven by relief?

"Hmm, we adopted him almost five years ago from two girls on the street, so I guess it's a mixed breed?" I said while scrolling through my phone, "this is George."

I showed him a picture that Matt had taken of George and me on the couch of my Brooklyn house. I was unaware of the camera, my legs resting on the coffee table, the book in my hands getting all of my attention, and George's head resting on my lap.

"That's my happy place." Tracing my index over the picture, I smiled.

"And, what about your family? You are not spending the holidays with them?" he asked.