No Control | The Night Before

2~ Wolves

"Nice to meet you, too," Louis smiled, brushing his fringe to the side of his face unnecessarily, before looking over at Sarah and extending his hand for her to shake too.

"I'm Sarah," she said, half-shouting over the volume of the music, and Louis nodded. He quickly introduced Oli, and then sat back in the booth, his left hand clasped around his drink.

"So have you been here before?" he asked, turning his head slightly towards me.

I wrinkled my nose, smiling. "Have I been here before?" I echoed, before I could stop myself. "That's barely a step up from 'do you come here often?'"

Louis gave a surprised bark of a laugh, his eyes flicking to mine as he raised his eyebrows and pressed his lips together. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Oli chuckling, and Sarah wearing an almost identical expression to Louis. My stomach dropped sharply. I hadn't meant to be rude - the words had fallen out of my mouth before I had time to filter them. Before I could articulate any form of an apology, he smirked and shook his head slightly, as if in disbelief. 

"Well. No one has ever slapped me down quite that quickly. Must be some sort of a record."

"Oh - I didn't mean... I wasn't assuming you were... I'm sorry if I sounded rude," I stammered, feeling a flush creeping slowly up my cheeks. "I was only joking."

He chuckled. "Nah, don't worry about it. To be fair, it was a pretty naff opener. I'm a little out of practice."

"Yeah," I agreed, nodding, and he gave me another look of amused disbelief as I realised I had just been rude to him again.

"Oh my God," I said, flatly. "I'm so sorry. Can we start this again, and I'll try not to be such a bitch this time? No, we have never been here before. Sarah's sister had VIP passes for tonight, but she isn't well so she gave them to us. It's the first time we've been here. What about you?"

He smiled at me as I spoke, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement, his body language relaxed and casual.

"Yeah, I've been here a few times with mates. Music's good, and I like the entertainment."

"So what brings you here tonight?" Sarah asked. Although Louis probably didn't pick up on it, I could hear the tremor of nerves in her voice.

"Just had a really busy few weeks," he answered, giving Sarah full eye contact (I could almost see her melting slowly under his stare). "Fancied letting my hair down before the madness starts again."

I nodded, thinking of their world tour which was set to continue in Singapore in just over a week.

"What do you do?" he asked, turning back to me. "Do you work locally? Live locally?"

"I underwrite credit insurance," I replied. "Sarah and I work in the same office, in Harrow. I live not far from there, in Belsize Park, and she lives in Kensal Green, a bit further East."

"Oh yeah, I know Belsize Park," Louis nodded, locking eyes with me. They were a beautiful shade of blue up close; the pictures of him didn't do them justice. "It's near Hampstead Heath, isn't it?"

"Yeah, about ten minutes away," I confirmed, my stomach dancing with butterflies at the intensity of his gaze.

"Have you ever been to Andy's in Camden?" Oli piped up. "It's a Greek tavern, not far from you."

"I have!" Sarah replied, excitedly. "It was absolutely incredible! The food was to die for."

"Yeah, it's sick isn't it," Oli nodded enthusiastically. "I know someone who knows the owner, so we go there quite often."