Friends With Benefits

Chapter 5

Harry's POV

I sat with my hands against the car heater, my eyes scanning my surroundings over and over.  My heart was restless, my stomach was nauseous.  I hoped every time I rescanned the area that my eyes would pick her out of the crowd, but on the other hand I was terrified of seeing her amongst the bustling people. I sighed to myself. Calm down, Harry, she’s just a friend.

 Just a friend who may want to fuck at the end of the night.

I turned the heater up a notch, smiling at the gust of heat on my fingers.  I tried to tell myself the reason why I was waiting in the car was because I didn't want to cause a commotion with fans.  The tinted windows of my car meant I had a little privacy, nobody had bothered me.  I liked it this way.  But the truth was, I was just reluctant to get out yet; call me a wimp, but the air outside was freezing and the warmth inside my new Mercedes was too much to resist. 

I glanced at the clock in my iPhone.  7:08.  I tried not to get too anxious over her eight minute tardiness, but I suddenly had to crank the heater down, feeling my palms begin to sweat.

Maybe this whole friends with benefits thing was a bad idea.  I felt more nervous than I ever had on any date.  Her suggestion via text for us to ‘meet up sometime’ to ‘get to know each other better’ had been met with much shock on my side.  At first I’d thought it was an innuendo, but then she’d started mentioning Ice Skating. Unless she was really into exhibitionism, I was guessing she didn't want to bang in the middle of a crowded public place.

I took my phone in my warm hands, debating whether or not to text.  I brought up the screen, quickly typing a message – You nearly here lovely…? :) x – before deleting the whole thing again, locking it and throwing it into my lap.  I didn't want to seem too needy, or clingy, scare her off.

I groaned, tutting myself.  Just friends, Harry.  Just friends.  I repeated it over to myself a few times, still glaring down at my lap.  If she didn't turn up soon, I’d just call her.  What harm could it do?

I looked up out the window, glancing around the radius of the car park.  I had told her to meet me here, hadn't I?  It would be shit if she was waiting at the rink for me.

But just as I began to panic, I spotted her amongst the hoards of bustling families, friends, couples, all enjoying an evening out in the Winter night.

She stood out so clearly; there was no way I could ever have missed her.  She glowed, like some sort of angel, an absolute vision against the icy white surroundings.  She glanced around innocently, searching for a familiar face in the crowd – mine, of course.  Her pretty face peeped out from between her colorful woolly scarf, which was pulled halfway over her mouth to stifle in some warmth, and her matching bobble hat.  She had rosy cheeks from the cold, and her body, although almost entire hidden away beneath her winter woollies, still called to me. Her cherry bitten lips aching to be kissed, her snowy skin begging to be touched.

I quickly shoved on my hat – the Panda one with the little ears, which Louis had recommended – and slipped on my black gloves, along with my scarf.  Anybody outside right now without bundling up would surely freeze to death, and I wasn't a fan of being uncomfortable. 

I slid out of the car, wincing at the nippy air on my face, glad I’d worn boots as my feet crunched over the snowy ground.  I tried my best to keep my eyes on her position, but the fast flow of people kept putting me off.  I kept walking, and after successfully offending a handful of lovey-dovey couples, almost stepping on several small children, and shuffling at the speed of light past a couple of pretty girls who dropped their jaw when they realized who I was, I finally reached her side at the other end.  She saw me immediately, her face lighting up with a heart breaking smile as my eyes found hers.  Despite the chill, I felt my heart melting quicker than butter in a microwave.