"I think I’m gonna start my period soon." I admitted bluntly, popping yet another savory dark chocolate covered almond in my mouth.
"Uh, what?" The voice sputtered on the other end of my mobile phone.
My face flushed almost immediately. “Well, I’m horny as fuck and I only wish you were here so I could show you how much.” The words slipped effortlessly from my open mouth before they were replaced with another candy.
Harry chuckled deeply. “You think you’ve got it bad, babe? Try living with eight other lads. That’s a lot of man and enough sexual tension to break through a nun’s knickers.”
Clearly his odd English analogy was foreign to me but I laughed nonetheless. The Take Me Home Tour was now a month and a half in and we made serious attempts to keep in great contact but oftentimes our timing was complete shit. I was up with my laptop and laundry before bed while Harry woke early on the shaky confines of their tour bus. Yet we still made it work. I smiled smugly with the knowledge that we could actually keep up a somewhat healthy relationship in spite of the distance between us.
"Hmm… as lovely as thinking about all you sex-deprived younguns is, I’m more interested in when exactly you’ll be here, Harry." I haphazardly folded up my portion of the laundry and set it in tiny piles on the comforter.
"Only two weeks left." Harry’s voice held a balanced mixture of anxiety and excitement. I knew it well because my heart flopped even as we spoke. While the boys completed their North American leg of the tour we’d decided he would spend a weekend here in Ohio to meet my family.
"If I do recall correctly, you rather underhandedly tricked me into meeting Anne and Robin. Be glad I’m giving you some prep time you kindly never granted me."
"Be glad I love you so I’d charm them regardless of my silly preparations." I imagined Harry tossing his hair in confidence, his smirk indenting a perfect dimple into his prominent cheek.
"Touche." I remarked wryly. "So back to my dissatisfa-" my speech was cut off by a loud knock at my bedroom door. I called unhappily for the visitor to come in. Harry and I still had no alone time, regardless of the physical distance.
Zak poked his mess of a blonde head in. “Tell Haz I say hello and I’m making a pot of tea before I turn in. Acai youthberry alright?”
I grinned. “Of course it’s alright. Harry and the boys send their love. Let’s Skype tomorrow?” I asked both the young man inf ront of me and the young man overseas. Both gave an immediate ‘yes.’ With a quick exchange of I love yous to my boyfriend we hung up.
Zak plopped down on the bed beside me. “Are you really tired or can we fit in an old episode of Will and Grace before bed?”
I pretended to mull it over before responding, “Only if you really made some tea.”
Once all the awful London goodbyes were said Zak and I had found ourselves Ohio-bound in immediate search of both apartments and jobs. Luckily my old manager at the resale shop hired me back and Zak landed a job at the newly opened LUSH Cosmetics store at our mall. Although neither of us had family in Bowling Green we settled on a small two bedroom apartment there out of job convenience. We were a mere fifteen minutes from my parents and thirty from his grandparents. I was getting comfortable with the American life again, especially the decreased expenses! Because we both worked a solid 35 to 40 hours per week we kept busy and unfortunately that reflected on our limited home decor- very unlike us.
As if he read my mind, Zak sighed in exasperation. “Let’s visit Pier 1 this weekend.”
**
"Hey Stranger!"
Shit. Even the cashier at Tan Pro had missed me while I studied abroad. I searched for her name but didn’t come up with one from either the top of my head or her signature red tee so I offered some light chit chat before slipping off my light Summer dress and slathering on some carcinogen-friendly lotion for my bronzing aid. Just as I moved to enter the chamber my phone buzzed rather loudly.
MSG: HARRY
Hey beautiful xx
Smirking I responded quickly: Just stepping into the tanning bed with my hot pasty bod. Poor timing there.
Almost immediately he answered.
MSG: HARRY
Pictures or it never happened! Don’t be a tease :(
With a silent guffaw I sent a reply and stepped in the waiting warmth of my tanning bed.
Can it, pervy boy. Save your smart mouth for next week <3
Turns out Pier 1 was just the place to pile up on strange decorative wall hangings as well as pillows, duvets and a lovely cherry stained kitchen table. I attempted to purchase a sandalwood scented candle but Zak yanked me away with a glare. “Don’t be twisted. We have a Yankee Candle shop for a reason, Rosalia.”
**
"Damn." To say I was pleased would be a tremendous understatement.
In all honesty our efforts had paid off thrice our expectations, if not more. What was once a simple off-white space with scattered furniture now looked like a place we could rightly call home. Our kitchen had a small hanging rack for our collected assortment of pots and pans, a sturdy island with loads of storage for Tupperware and the like, a dark table with four chairs and a wine cabinet from the side of the road on garbage collection day. Throughout our common space we’d strung red lights around window frames with simple black curtains. Countless mirrors and memory boards adorned our walls to capture our most cherished moments. In the living room laid a sleek black loveseat and matching couch with a simple wooden entertainment table to match our heavily filled bookcase. Zak insisted on picking the appropriate candles and lamps to coordinate with the room. His last input was a close replica of the signature metal hanging piece from FRIENDS above our couch. My contributions included most of our media entertainment collection from home and some large area rugs to cover up the hideous beige carpet. We tackled the bathroom together in plain black and white. By Sunday afternoon we were exhausted.
"Are you nervous to see them play again?" I asked in the quiet darkness of my bedroom. We both knew I wasn’t simply asking about the musical aspect of seeing our English male companions.
Zak’s voice sounded from the opposite end of the long king sized bed that occupied most of my bedroom. “Yes. No. Only in a good way.” After a pause he added, “I miss them.”
I nodded in response, knowing he’d understand even without seeing me through the pitch black room.
(A/N: Sorry for such late updates! Kind of a filler here…again, I apologize. Lots of action is coming up so stick with me folks. I love you guys for reading!)
